Toronto’s Best Dressed: Elena Soboleva

Dressing for a theme party can be a trick: ignore the wardrobe instructions and risk looking indifferent; go too far and one may as well bring along a plastic pumpkin for trick-or-treating. This week’s best dressed—spotted at Rethink Breast Cancer’s Prohibition-themed Romp at the Burroughes Building—did a fresh take on flirty flappers. Here, the aspiring gallerist explains why the perfect outfit is like a work of art.

Where did you buy your dress? It’s rented from 69 Vintage on Queen. I didn’t even realize they rented their stuff, but it seemed like a good option for such a memorable dress.

Are you a fan of the flapper era? Sure, but I mostly enjoy dressing for a theme and being creative with it. I knew everyone was going to be wearing that classic tasselled flapper dress, so I chose something that’s a little different. I work at an art gallery—for me, putting together a great outfit is like curating a great show.

When do you think your dress was first worn? I’m not sure if this dress is from the ’20s, but it has a sort of delicate Daisy Buchanan vibe, which I love. So maybe it was worn to one of those fabulous parties.

Did you already own the feathered shoes? Actually, I grabbed the feathers this afternoon and attached them to my shoes and hairpiece. The shoes are just basic Nine West. I was listening to Chicago while I put everything together, which really helped get me in the mood.

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