Book Launch Style, the Redux

H&M top
Mavi jeans (c/o)
Mango heels
Louis Vuitton bag
Zara sunglasses (similar)
& Other Stories necklace (similar)
Wolf Circus necklace (similar)
Keltie Leanne Designs ring (c/o)
Madewell rings
Delphine Pariente ring (similar)
Mango earrings
Location: Winnipeg Art Gallery – Winnipeg, Manitoba

I panicked, the morning of my first book launch. It was 2014. I was far less secure in my personal style than I am now and, to make matters worse, I’d never launched a book before. How was I to know what to wear? Suddenly, all the clothes I’d packed in my suitcase before leaving Vancouver seemed totally unsuitable for such a momentous occasion. Two hours before I was scheduled to introduce After the Shots to the world, I was at Club Monaco with my mom, trying on half the clothes they had in stock. Ultimately, I settled on a grey silk romper.

Fast forward to last weekend. I woke up on Sunday morning, did my hair and pulled on a casual outfit I’d had in the back of my mind all week. There was no hesitation. After all, the real first time I stood up in front of a crowd at McNally Robinson, back when I was in eleventh grade, I wore Adidas sneakers and a pair of Silver Jeans that were hemmed too short. There was nowhere to go but up from there. And there days, I don’t equate feeling well-dressed with being dressed up, so I didn’t need to reach for silks or sky-high heels. A great pair of jeans and my go-to daily accessories just made sense.

It’s amazing how far a bit of emotional maturity can go, both when it comes to getting dressed and when it comes to facing momentous occasions. Public speaking has never been a struggle for me (whereas shutting up can, occasionally, be a challenge.) But when I was younger, the fact that I didn’t struggle with speaking in front of a crowd wasn’t necessarily because of a lack of nervousness – it was just a nervousness I knew I could overcome. I was absolutely nervous about my first book launch. For my second, I didn’t even bother to make notes on what I wanted to say.

It’s hard to say whether the self-assurance I feel in my ideas and opinions is what makes outfit choices so easy now, or if knowing what I want to wear and feeling good in my clothes makes me confident enough to say whatever comes to mind, no matter who is present. There is certainly a connection between the two. Either way, this time around, deciding what to wear for my book launch was totally effortless. And standing up to tell the world – or at least the fifty-ish friends and family members who came to the launch – about Before the World Opened felt just like having a conversation with people I know. Which, really, is exactly what it was.

Later this week, I’ll be sharing more candid shots from the launch event. (Being married to a photographer is so practical sometimes…!) In the meantime, you can pick up your copies of After the Shots and Before the World opened on Amazon, at McNally Robinson, or in my shop. Happy reading!