Toronto’s Best Dressed: Kenia Avendano

Black-on-black outfits can easily verge on boring, but this week’s best dressed—spotted on Ossington Avenue—is an exception. Kenia Avendano makes monochromatic interesting by combining trendy accessories with a vintage dress and statement jewellery. We talked to the 29-year-old Ryerson fashion communications student to find out how she stays chic on a budget.

Tell us what you’re wearing. The dress is from the ’80s—I found it at a Vancouver consignment store called C’est la Vie. The sandals are from eBay, but the shipping cost more than the shoes. The jacket is from H&M, and the tights are from American Apparel. The most expensive thing on me is the ring from Jacflash, which cost $280.

Do you always wear black? Yes, but I play with texture and silhouettes or add a flash of colour with accessories and makeup. When I wear bright colours, I feel too flashy.

But you’re wearing a lot of trendy pieces—how do you avoid going overboard? I think mixing trendy pieces with timeless garments is the key. For me, it’s balancing something that’s in now, like the tights, and something I can wear years from now, like the dress.

Are there any looks you’re not into at the moment? The headband across the forehead is something that needs to go away. I know trends come and go, but it should have gone months ago.

Have any cost-cutting fashion tips? I’m obsessed with clothing, but I’m a student, so I buy inexpensive items and make them look like a million bucks. It’s something a lot of people have to do right now.

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