Q1: Since both men and women are more conscious of the sun’s rays on our skin we are seeing  more people wearing caps and hats in the summer.

With hats it’s more of a personal look than a fashion style, it has to fit with your facial structure. I think I’m seeing more men wearing hats these days. Perhaps they are seeing more male musicians and stars wearing more hats – especially those small brimmed small crowned trilby styles. Panama hats are popular in the summer and caps of course.

Q2: Where would they find those?

Henri Henri has been open for 78 years – the last of a dying breed. Hopefully, the fashion of men nattily dressed with their hats cocked to one side (Rhett Butler, where are you?) will come back again. If so, this hatter is ready. In business since 1932, he’s the only one left with a full range of western hats, berets, Panamas, caps and fedoras  in both the royal & sovereign qualities and all the rest (Borsalino, Mayser, Stetson, Akubra, Jonathan Richards, Pannizza). Canes, umbrellas, bowties, ascots and re-blocking and cleaning can all be found here. Come on in, buy one and start the trend!

Location: 189 St Catherine est
Corner: Hotel de Ville
Phone: 514-288-0109
Hours: Mon-Thurs 10-6, Fri 10-9, Sat & Sun 10-5
www.henrihenri.ca

Q3: I understand that store has a famous past.

With hockey in its final lap, it’s appropriate to talk about where the “hat trick” got started. In order to promote the store, the original owners offered any hockey player who scored 3 goals in a game a free hat. Many Canadiens took advantage Gordie Howe, Stan Mikita, Bobbie Hull, The Rocket. There’s a 2′ X 3′ photo of these legends wearing their hats inside the store.

M. Henri was a clever marketer He was also the first to print hockey schedules (his ad on it of course) and would pass out 15,000 copies at the first game. Big companies loved the concept and took his idea. Henri Henri was not his real name. Ozarius Henri was not very memorable and realized Henri Henri was much catchier.

Q4: Okay women, also wear hats, where can they shop?

Not only do women don hats for the summer sun, I also get questions about wearing hats for weddings and formal affairs.

Nicole & Co has been around for 24 years in the field of hats. You can shop wholesale here for mostly dressy styles (gray flannel cloche, gavroche, peau de soie, organza and silk, velvet, lace, mink) or bring in your own fabric for them to make one to match an outfit. Some casual berets, straw foldables, scarves, cashmere caps, dressy headbands and shawls are also around.

Phone: 514-383-5599
Hours: by appointment Mon-Thurs 9-5, Fri 9-4, sometimes Sun
www.nicole-co.com

C’hat’peau, La Griffe is a little atelier where you can find a collection of mainly everyday hats made from wool, felt, velvet, cashmere, straw and cotton. Some are soft and foldable and others are wowy for special occasions. The owner helps you reflect your own personality through your hat; If you are classic she will lead you to the classic styles, if you are small, you should avoid the big brim styles but she also knows that sometimes yo will want to look like a movie star and just splurge with a “look at me” creation. Prices range from $45-$250.

Phone: 514- 288-5254
Hours: by appointment
Note: Haven’t been up there in awhile and she hasn’t called me back for this interview. If anyone goes or knows more, please e-mail me.

It’s Style Exchange 10th Anniversary and they are holding one of their warehouse sales to celebrate. Girls and guys will love the prices: Female Spring and Summer tops are only $10, dresses and hoodies are $20 and denim and jackets are $30. Guys can by It’s Noize basic polos for only $9.99, tops for $15 and bottoms, jackets, sweaters and hoodies for $30.

Location:  5670 Pare
Corner: Devonshire
Dates and Times: June 3 & 4:  10-9, June 5: 105, June 6: 12-5

MB Agency and Kojo Agency are willing to give us a thrill and sell at up to 75% off clothing and shoes by L.A.M.B.,  Gwen Stefani,  Charles David, Betsey Johnson, Badgley Mischka, el Minooche leather jackets and Runaway Pony clothing.

Location:  3863 boul. St-Laurent, Suite 203
Dates and Times : June 2-4: 11-8, June 5: 11-3

Fullum & Holt manufacturers have been in business for 113 years and have decided to throw open their doors for their first  sale which is just in time for Father’s day. They make belts, classic handbags, attache cases, brief cases, lambskin handbags designed by Denis Gagnon, garters, wallets, suspenders and many other leather goods. Prices will be 50%-80% off retail prices.

Location: 5700 Fullum
Phone:  514-271-2358  x123
www.fullumandholt.com
www.fullumboutique.com
Dates June 5th & 6th
Time: 10-5

Matt & Nat purses are the darlings of the youth set. This sale is one of the few in the city that you could describe as a mad house. There are tables and tables of offerings and line-ups to get in and longer ones to pay at the cash. No one seems to mind. New stock comes in daily.

There’s a bit of a contest too: The first 10 people to correctly guess how many plastic soda bottles are re-cycled to make  their purses wins a prize worth $350. There are prizes all day long.

Location: 333 Chabanel, Suite 305
Date: June 1-4
Time: 10-7

Fashion district represents a few high fashion clothing lines for children. This is your opportunity to buy them at 50%-80% off at their warehouse sale. Here the brands you can expect to find there:

Imps & Elfs collection is divided into 3 parts : Sleep (0-18mos)  fabrics are extra soft stretchy, so that they feel like a second skin. Walk (3 months -3 years) if for those crawling, falling down, getting  up, walking years so they’re designed for easy movemen.  Talk (2-14 years) if for the age group that is rebellious, yet involved. Imps & Elfs cooperates  with MADE-BY to produce clothes that are 100% child labor free and made from organic cotton. www.imps-elfs.com

Tumble’ N Dry from Holland is an urban cool European collection for boys and girls without the high European price tags (2-10 years) and aims for  quality, fit and functionality! www.tumblendry.com

Ilovegorgeous from the UK is designed for girls who love to wear party dresses. They strive for unusual fabrics that you wouldn’t normally find in children’s clothes: moss crepe, viscose chiffon, silk chiffon, georgette and soft cotton voile.  The unusual prints are combined with perhaps a bit of sari fabric or a slash of gold lurex, a froth of net, a hint of lace or some retro ric rac trim. www.ilovegorgeous.co.uk

Cowboys belts from Holland introduced Cowboys Kids belts cause kids sometimes want to wear the same clothes and the belts as their folks. These cowboys belts make that possible.  www.cowboysbelt.com

I-Dare the coolest children’s underwear collection to hit CANADA. For boys there’s bold and creative masculine while girls love the colorful feminine but sassy look. www.i-dare.nl

Location: 7499 Transcanadienne near Cote Vertu exit
Corner: McCaffrey
Phone: 514-337-7499
Dates: June 4 & 5
Time:  10-5
fashiondistrict.ca

Q1: During moving season, you start to re-think your bed situation, especially if you’re moving into your first small apartment or downsizing – beds take up a lot of room, any ideas?

A:  Some space saving options for sleeping are sofa beds and futons. I used to say that futons were an uncomfortable couch which turns into an uncomfortable bed – but that was before I slept on one made by Ungava Duvet. The futon was seven years old when I got my chance, and it was surprisingly quite comfortable. Having said that, I slept on a newer futon at my aunt and uncle’s house in Florida, and it was lumpy and quite uncomfortable.

Q2:  So what should you look for when buying one?

Desiree Tucker, co-owner of Ungava Duvet, says this about the cushioning: “there needs to be four to eight layers of interspersed cotton and foam”. The more layers, the more malleable it is. Most important, too, is that the cotton be pre-compressed. Ask the salesperson if the cotton has been compressed from three inches to one inch. If they don’t know, I’m not sure I’d buy it there. Two futons may look like they have the same thickness of filling, but if one is  made with a single chunk of foam, it will be less flexible, and within from six months to five years, you will see it flatten out and become uncomfortable.

As for the frame, is it made of pine or hardwood? Are there metal reinforcements in the heavily used areas? Is it easy to open – on a glider mechanism?

Q3:  Sofa beds are another space saving option what are the things to check when buying one?

Again you have to know who you are buying it from and how it is made. We were the first ones to sleep on a brand new one (again bought in Florida by my in-laws), and could not even lay down for an hour – our bodies flattened it right down to the wire frame which then pressed into us.

However here in Montreal, at Cameo a local manufacturer, I learned that when buying them, you look at the mattress itself as the most important item. This is what is supporting you as you are sitting on it, since it absorbs all the weight. Many people go in to buy a hide-a- bed at their showroom and don’t even look at the mattress, because “it’s only going to be used a few times a year when we have company”, but that is the wrong attitude. If you are sitting on the couch in your den, you are using that mattress every single day.

To compare the quality of the mattress, ask how many springs there are (it can range from 500 to 700, and the more the better) and especially what gauge or thickness they are. That can range from 13 to14, which may not seem like a huge difference, but at the14 end, it means the wire is as thin as spaghetti. You should also feel some resistance when you close the bed.

Q4:  But don’t you have to look at how the frame is made too?

Is the frame made out of hardwood or is it plywood or pressed board? Is the wood screwed together (better) or glued or stapled (both no-nos). If you can’t see the frame because it is covered by upholstery, remove the cushions and pull up the bed and look inside the front board (the one your calves lean against). There you can take a peek at the inside wood. The quality of the wood and method of construction is the first place where manufacturers cheat, because they are hidden.

Q:5 Where can we find these reputable places and do they sell anything else?

Don’t forget to bring your teddy bear and take the time to lie down for a while.

If it’s sofa beds you want, then go to Cameo and buy direct for every kind, style and price of sofa (and chair) bed you can imagine. The couches can be made into singles, jr. doubles, doubles or queen size beds and can be made to fit through most any doorway.

You choose your own fabric to match your decor and budget, and they will turn it into a well-made piece of furniture as well as a comfortable bed with an extra firm inner spring or memory foam mattress. You can also order made-to-measure couches, sectionals and chairs. A super place!  Even better, there is a “they cover the PST” event happening now.

Location: 7905 Transcanadienne
Corner: Boul. Cote Vertu
Phone: 514-337-2933
Other location: 1150 Union (514-861-0537).
Hours: Mon-Wed & Fri 9:30-6, Thurs 9:30-8  (eve only VSL), Fri 9:30-6, Sat 10-5, Sun 11-5
www.cameo-sofa.com

At L’Avenue du Sofa you can have your sofa bed made to measure and still not have it cost a bundle. This friendly husband and wife team offers a selection of fabrics and styles which you can modify by length, depth of the seat, legs, type of cushioning (hard, soft, foam, feather) and type of mattress. You can add matching arm chairs, lounge chairs or “fainting couches”.

Location: 2282 Mont-Royal est
Corner: Fullum
Phone:  514-524-1953
Hours: (call first) Mon-Fri by appt.,  Sat & Sun 12-5
www.avenuedusofa.com

Better quality futons made with 1.5 cu. ft. density foam and hardwood frames can be bought right here at Ungava Factory Outlet. You can dress them up with futon covers and bolsters.

The company, right off the Main, is well known for manufacturing duvets, so they can sell high end quality at low prices – starting at $59. They do special constructions, create made-to-measure sizes (even for cribs), feather mattresses and can re-stuff your old one. You can buy down pillows, wool mattress covers, wool pillows, duvet covers and even… silk duvets.

Location: 10 Pine Ave. West, Suite 112
Corner: Boul. St-Laurent
Phone: 514- 287-9276.
Hours: Tues & Wed 10-6, Thurs & Fri 10-8, Sat 10-5

Kinetic sells cutting edge modern twentieth and twenty-first century furniture. Many of them are “copies” of famous furniture designer (Eames, Barcelona) icons that you would only find in a museum.

So expect to see fabulous couches, chairs, lamps and tables.  Some sale prices: Barcelona chair $599, Eames office chairs $199, Panton chair $149, cowhide rug $299 , Munico table $499, Dwell sofa $799, Arc Lamp $299, Huelva Lamp $29.99

Location: 225 Chabanel, 11th floor
Corner: Meunier
Tel: 514-383-5888
Dates: June 1-6
Hours: Tues-Fri 10-7,   Sat 10-5,  Sun 12-5
www.kinetichome.com

It’s time for Guido and Mary to share their samples and liquidated stock (Domino, Local Celebrity) with us. Recent styles in jeggings, jackets, jeans, t-shirts, leggings and bodywear for male and female youth are all here.

Location: 225 Chabanel, 11th floor
Corner: Meunier
Tel: 514-388-8830
Dates: June 1-6
Hours: M-F 10-7, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5
www.guidoandmary.com

Raffinati Loft has been a well-known well-made Montreal-made label for women’s suits, coats, raincoats and sportswear for many years. They are clearing out their  stock from their Chabanel showroom including scarves and jewelry to go with all of the above.

Location: 9200 Meilleur, Suite 400
Corner: Chabanel
Dates June 2-6
Hours: W-F 10-9, Sat & Sun 10-6