STYLE ON THE STREET WITH ANIA B

Calgary has been busy heating up with some great street style lately and all of the street photographers have been out on the hunt to find some of the best looks in town. I caught up with Ania B, one of Calgary’s most prolific street style photographers and style blogger to talk about how she and her fellow photographer and husband Tyler find people to shoot in Calgary.

GET DOWN (GD):  You shoot for both your blog, Flare and Fashion mags as well as stock photography street style with your husband Tyler Stalman. What do you two look for when you are hunting for stylish Calgarians?

ANIA B (AB): It’s not always obvious when you look for great street style what it should be. It’s not as simple as a great suit or a beautiful dress. It’s more about the demeanour and the way the subjects carry themselves. We like confidence. You can tell whether someone own their style or if they feel uncomfortable in their own skin. Also about how those amazing clothes fit the particular person. Something like a great haircut or some outstanding accessories can change everything.

GD: What are three tips you could give fashion hopefuls to update their looks to editorial worthy?

AB: A great look is either really simple and minimal or busy. For me there is rarely an in between. If you look in the mirror and you feel like something is missing, that’s usually because it probably is. Layering is not just for garments, layer necklaces and bangles for a busy look. In street style the more we have to look at the better the photo.

Color is beautiful. I myself sometimes struggle with using colour in my outfits, it’s just easy to opt out for head to toe black, but again, visually it lets for the eye to wonder when there is that added pop of colour. Bright in the summertime and more muted in the winter. Although breaking rules is always refreshing, it’s nice to see some neon in the dead of dark winter.

High heels help elevate any look, literally and figuratively. Throwing on a pair of heels with your sweatpants can instantly transform the outfit from frumpy and relaxed to edgy and interesting.

GD: Where do you find the most stylish people in Downtown Calgary? Why do you think this area is so good-looking?

AB: The train station by the Core is a great spot, there are tons of people coming out of office buildings and shopping, you get a real mix of styles and personalities.

GD:  You travel a lot and you work in the fashion industry - are you finding Calgarian’s comparably well-dressed in terms of other cities?

AB: More so than in the past, Calgary is really stepping up their style game. Having spent some time with out-of-towners scoping Calgary as a new fashion centre is refreshing and encouraging. We still have some ways to go to equal the likes of New York or Paris, but I think it’s all a numbers game. Simply put, where there is more people there is more style. As our recent trip to Tokyo proved this to be quite true.

Tagged as: ania b, ania boniecka, downtown calgary, street style, tyler stalman