This woman has a really fun-loving way about her and her outfit speaks to this quality. I love the silk turquoise blouse and that she chose to tie it in the middle, a favorite trick of mine.

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When I approached this woman on the street for her photograph, she took my arm and led me to Gojo Cafe, an Ethiopian restaurant on Commercial Drive where I’ve eaten many times (it  has some of the best food in the hood). When we arrived her daughter translated what I was saying. She agreed to be photographed in her restaurant which is all earth tones and warmth. I love her chunky geometric earrings and bold animal prints.

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This woman is the perfect picture of West Coast senior style, standing under the British Columbia Coat of Arms no less. Casual, comfortable, black with bursts of color, and of course great hair and glasses.

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I took this photo just moments before Spain won the World Cup and this alley filled with Spanish teenagers painted from head to toe. My muse, this elegant woman, told me her fashion secret is to stick with the classics and I can’t agree more. Imagine how much beer you could drink and it would never show in this outfit!

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Often I look at this type of fashion on young hipsters and I wonder ‘would that still look good on an older person? or is being young what makes the outfit work?’ Often in hipster fashion being young is what makes an outfit tolerable, but in the case of this silk polka dot collared dress, it’s sexy at any age. This is the type of clothing I want to be stocking my closet with not the stuff I’ll look back at and say ‘What was I thinking!’

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The beautiful woman works in a specialty shop in The Empress Hotel in Victoria. She couldn’t have chosen better colors for the setting and she is just oozing with grace.

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