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Hi.

I'm Nadine. Thanks for stopping by. The floors are creaky, the kids are loud, but the door's always open and the coffee's always on.

Make yourself at home.

Picture Book Fashion: We're Going On A Bear Hunt

This book is the best.

Fun fact: the oldest character in this book is a big brother, not a dad. Who knew?

Ursula LOVES We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Aggressively so. She pretty much destroyed its spine. Which means it's Real with a capital R.

"Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.”

~The Velveteen Rabbit

Back on track. This isn't about a rabbit. It's about a bear hunt. And one particular character with great style. (Folks, my husband even pointed out how awesome the oldest girl dresses in this book. Which I'm interpreting as his blessing to splurge on oxfords and a cute cardigan for fall. Right?!)

Here's the appeal: this nameless character — let's call her Imogen for fun — looks comfortable. Timeless. And, well, British.

I imagine she rereads her favourite novels every year. She snacks on strawberries straight from the garden. She always wins staring contests. She has a dog named Rufus and a scarf named Oberon. She's not afraid of bears.

She doesn't talk much about her wardrobe — how dull! — but she's very intentional about keeping it small and ethically sourced.

So am I.

(I promise a blog post on this in the near future. It's a topic I'm becoming pretty passionate about, but find difficult to write about without sounding like a pretentious post-hipster "expert" on the sad state of fast fashion.)

Here's how to get Imogen's look:

1. Super Soft Organic Women's Tights (PACT); 2. Matilda Cardigan (People Tree); 3. Cotton Poplin Sleeveless Shirt Dress (Everlane); 4. Modern Oxford (Everlane)

I'd totally skip through the "big dark forest" with Imogen. She seems to have life — and bear hunts — figured out.

P.S. Here's how to dress like Mama Bear, Lady Tasha, Madeline, and the mom from Love You Forever.

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