Guelph: London calling

Photograph by Heather Loney

Photograph by Heather Loney

Packing for a trip to London, England can be challenging. Correction: Packing for a trip to London with a baggage limit of 20 kilos is certainly challenging.

Scanning my closet, the question that bounced around in my head was of course “W.W.K.M.D?” (What would Kate Moss do?) Well, first off, Kate would probably just pay the surcharge for the excess baggage…but that’s beside the point.

After packing the required Soho garments–Gladiator sandals? Check. Skinny jeans? Check. Black riding boots? Check. Tailored vest, or rather waistcoat? Check–I still couldn’t help but think that there was something missing.

I headed downtown to Little 5ifth (32 Quebec St., 519 837 5505, little5th.com), an independently owned boutique that has nailed the “London look.” Owner Kristy Ouellette outfits the store with funky waistcoats from Religion, cute red cardigans from Miss Sixty, Amsterdam’s luxury denim line Blue Blood, and Brazil’s Melissa Plastic Dreams, which offers shoes made from recycled plastic. I left the boutique with a Misfits T-shirt dress by House of the Gods. Sure, it’s not The Clash, but the overall effect is appropriate.

Of course, packing for London requires not only planning, but also discipline–room must be left in your baggage for a few treasures from Topshop’s flagship store on Oxford. I think that Ms. Moss would agree.

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