MSN TRAVEL RECENTLY dubbed Ottawa as the eighth worst dressed city in the world. Ottawa my have beat out Vancouver, a city reprimanded for their outfits based solely on the lululemon franchise, but that did not stop a debate over whether or not Ottawa is fashionable.
Shortly after describing our nation’s capital as a “city populated by suit-and-tie civil servants,” and “the least sexiest city in Canada,” I started wondering about fashion in the city. Is Ottawa fashionable? Are we an avant-garde, cutting-edge city like Tokyo or London?
Sadly, no. No, we’re not.
Here in Ottawa, we’re not a chic or suave city like Paris—we’re more like its dowdy, frumpy little sister. Although it’s entirely debatable whether we’re simply a boring, stuffy government town, I’d have to concede that Ottawa just isn’t a fabulously decked out city.
Yes, we do have specialty boutiques where one-of-a-kind finds are a dime a dozen, and yes, we have some talented local designers—but is this enough? Personally, I feel as though dressing well has less to do with the resources offered and more about attitude. Ottawa may boast an annual fashion week and we may have some blogs worth checking out on the subject, but it’s only a step in the right direction to be considered fashionable.
In the nation’s capital, you can get away with wearing sweatpants or yoga pants on a Saturday night—trust me, I’ve seen it happen. While it’s understandable that we all can’t look like Victoria Secret models all the time, it’s not understandable looking like you’ve dressed in the dark every day.
After spending time in abroad in Europe, I realized how much more effort people of other cities put into looking good. Whether they were trying out a new trend or sticking to the tried and true, these people always looked impeccable. They made me believe there was such thing as a fashion police, and they would fine you for being an offender.
It’s safe to say these cities have almost the same amount of resources as we do. We may not have as many designer clothes, but it’s what you make out of fashion—not what it makes out of you. Having the resources is only half of the equation of looking good. You also need the skill, confidence, and motivation to dress well.
Although I do agree with MSN.com’s label for Ottawa as a not-so fashion forward city, I wholeheartedly disagree on us being ranked worse than Jersey Shore. Do we really deserve to be ranked worse than the city of spray tans, fist pumping, and women squeezing into dresses two sizes too small? No, we do not. And to those other cities that count us out, I say: Don’t—not just yet. Because just like Justin Timberlake once sang, we’ll get our sexy back.
Through The Lens is the column of the arts and culture editor, Sofia Hashi, who is reachable at [email protected], or (613) 562-5931.
