A Period Incorrect Outfit at Heritage Park
I just got back from a short holiday in Calgary, and while I enjoyed my time in the city, it’s good to be home again. I actually grew up in a town on the outskirts of Calgary, so it was strangely like “coming home”, but also different than I remembered, since it’s been 10 years since I moved away!
My friend Chantelle and I took a trip to the city for a few days to visit a friend of ours who is working at Heritage Park for the summer. We had a great time visiting the park, as it has been close to 15 years since I last visited, and Chantelle had never visited. It was fun day stepping back in time, not only to the history of Canada in the 1800’s, but also stepping back in time to my own childhood! The best thing about a historical park is really that nothing changes- the one room schoolhouse was exactly as I remembered it from when I was in Grade Three. 🙂
I wanted to share some photos from the trip right away, before I get distracted and move onto other things. I have shared some of the photos I took on my phone already on instagram, but I also took a lot of photos with my camera, which I’ll share here.
Today’s post includes the photos of my outfit at Heritage Park. These are the only outfit photos I got while I was away, and they were taken at the Hudson Bay Trading Post replica. I look completely out of place in my 1950’s styled outfit, but there were no crowds of people here, so it was a good place to take some photos.
In the photos, does my hair seem to have a mind of it’s own, despite being styled that morning? Yes! Is my blouse rumpled, disheveled and coming untucked? Yes! Is my necklace crooked? Yes! Are my feet tired of walking and my shoulders sore from carrying around my heavy purse (with camera inside)? Yes! Is the sun in my eyes, and casting strange and harsh shadows all over? Yes! Do these photos represent real life, where I am completely living in the moment, and having a great time spent with friends? A resounding yes!
Even though these aren’t great fashion plate blogger photos, they are a great memory of a fun time spent at Heritage Park, and I would much rather spend a fun time with friends then go about worrying whether my necklace was straight.
Regarding the outfit details, there’s that homesewn tan skirt again, but this time paired with my brown lace up flats, a new thrifted white peasant blouse top, a stack of Indian bangles from Ten Thousand Villages and my new purse from Top Vintage. I really debated purchasing this purse, since online shopping and I don’t mix well, but in the end I decided that since it is basically the purse I have been searching for my entire life, I would go ahead and get it. After a small hiccup, which was resolved very nicely by their customer service, I can say that I am very glad that I did get it. It was an investment bag for sure, but the timeless and vintage shape suits my style, and it goes with almost everything I own. Although, for future reference, I will not bring it on a holiday (even though I love it!) with the thought of being able to carry my camera around in it. It was simply too heavy to have on a holiday even with the shoulder strap, and it was a real pain (both figuratively and literally) to lug around for three days with no relief. Next time I will bring a cross body bag, or a backpack. But aside from that detail, it was a great holiday, and I am sure that the purse will serve me well for purposes other than vacations!
Have you ever visited Heritage Park, or any other kind of historical village? Do you worry about your outfits, and getting outfit photos while you are on your holidays?
August 18, 2017 @ 3:08 pm
Thank you for sharing your day at Heritage Park. I love your outfit. You look so pretty.
Marilyn
August 19, 2017 @ 9:26 pm
Thanks Marilyn! I think I can be hardest on myself, and see only all the things that are going wrong in my outfit! 😉
August 18, 2017 @ 6:18 pm
This place looks so neat! And I love your outfit! Especially that blouse!
xoxo
-Janey
August 19, 2017 @ 9:28 pm
The blouse was a favourite recent find 🙂
You would love Heritage Park! It’s kind of like a lot of the theme parks you showcase on your blog. It covers the history of Alberta/Canada, and everything there is either an exact (or fairly close) replica, or was moved to the park from elsewhere- so it really does feel like you are walking around an old town and settlement!
August 19, 2017 @ 12:56 am
Cute photos, I get that girl-on-the-go vibe! It’s nice to have a little getaway, even if it’s not that far and is familiar x
August 19, 2017 @ 9:30 pm
Thanks Porcelina!
And, agreed, sometimes a change is as good as a rest. The best part was not the distance, but simply being away from my work and not being “on call” for five whole days 🙂 It really gave me a much needed rest!
August 24, 2017 @ 5:09 am
Looks like an interesting place. Hope you enjoyed your break.
August 28, 2017 @ 9:46 pm
Thank-you Kate-Em! I really did enjoy the break 🙂