There’s so much to love about shopping in Montreal, and the Throat Threads Sample Event is one of those things.  You just wouldn’t expect to find a sample sale located right downtown. This one has fashion forward apparel.

For three days only you will have the opportunity to shop designer labels: NYDJ, Parker, Brax, Robert Graham, John Varvatos and Base London with  sweet deals of up to 50 – 75% off.

This is the best time to perk up your spring/summer wardrobe with stylish men’s and women’s designer apparel, accessories and men’s footwear available at a fraction of the price.

Women who know and love the label Not Your Daughter’s Jeans (NYDJ) will be delighted to find them here.

Location: 1050 Rue de la Montagne,  2nd floor / Google Maps: http://bit.ly/24icu6q
(across from the Bell Centre, Lucien L’Allier Metro station)
corner: boul. Rene-Levesque
Dates : May 3 -5
Times:  Thurs-Fri, 9-8, Sat, 10-5

Importations J.E.A. Polcaro inc. is moving up…a few floors that is. They’re in the same convenient location, on Peel street, but are in a fresh new store space on the fourth floor, where you will find men’s clothing and accessories that are designed and manufactured in Italy.

This is the perfect time to add a touch of sleek Italian style to your wardrobe and treat yourself to the latest in men’s Italian fashion collections from designers and luxury brands that need no introduction, Cerruti 1881, Verace, Valentino and Corneliani.

You can buy impeccable suits for discerning men of style to casual weekend wear, everything from the necktie down to the socks, all branded with the true mark of quality Made in Italy. Italy has earned itself such a strong reputation in the world of menswear, with stylish, sleek, distinctive craftsmanship and attention quality fabrics.

Importations J.E.A. Polcaro are importing and selling directly to you without the markup of a middle man, therefore offering you wholesale prices.  A great way to get designer goods at deep discounts. Take advantage of 100% cotton, made-in-Italy shirts at $79, Lubiam + Giudice suits at $499 and Calabrese handmade silk ties at $29. You will not find synthetics here, only silk, wool, linen, cashmere and cotton.

Location: 1470 Peel, suite 420
Phone: 514-844-3014
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30-6, Sat 10-4
www.polcaro.ca
email: polcaro@usa.net

Our Prime Minister took the feminist lead when he packed his cabinet with 51% women. Now the Centaur Theatre with this production, Successions, has stacked the female deck with: a female playwright – Michaela Di Cesare, a female director – Tamara Brown, a female set and costume designer – Dianai Uribe, a female lighting designer – Audrey-Anne Bouchard, and even a female “fight co-ordinator”  Anita Nittoly. This team of girls is a real anomaly,  since  this play is very much about brotherhood.

Playwright Michaela Di Cesare admits that she attributes her active imagination to her Only Child Syndrome. Usually authors are told to “write what you know”, but Di Cesare chose to write this play about siblings – and male siblings at that. Enzo and Anthony are St-Leonard Italians who have just lost their mother and inherited a dilapidated junk-filled house (well-imagined by Tamara Brown, the set designer).

Instead of the usual “who did Mommy like best”, this play is more about who despised whom the most.

Di Cesare notes that “When both parents die, the family is cut off from the head”. Like a chicken without a head, these two brothers, David Chiazzese as Enzo and Carlo Mestroni as Anthony, keep circling and attacking each other both mentally and physically. It is painful to watch the enormous hostility and resentment between them. The difference between the would-be plumber and the lawyer-politico wannabe is too huge a gap to bridge. While Anthony just wants to get out of the junky house (in more ways than one) and snarkily dismisses his brother with “my time is to me my most valuable possession”, Enzo retaliates with the biting, “Am I about to be lawyered?”.

Though deaths can bring love and forgiveness between siblings, we see little of it here. Even Enzo’s heavily pregnant fiancee Nat (Gita Miller) and Anthony’s upscale wife, Cristina (Tara Nicodemo) verbally shadow box around the guys as they butt heads.

The  fun part for Montrealers are the lines that place the play here in Montreal, like the people who “get hives if you go east of Frontenac” or saying food is healthy like bagels.

All of the actors proved Di Cesare’s  point, which was that siblings have the capacity to hurt one another because they know so well how to push each other’s buttons. And she then goes on to say, “What I find so interesting about siblings is that they are the only people who bear witness to your whole life.”

Location 453 St-Francois-Xavier
corner: Notre-Dame
Tel: 514-288-3161
Dates: til May 6
Prices: $37.50 – $51.75 (deals for students and seniors)
www.centaurtheatre.com
Metro: Place d’Armes

Mayrand is a wholesale food market and since they were oriented for sales to restaurants, hotels and institutions, their prices have always been excellent. And they still have sale flyers to entice you even more. See their flyer below for even better prices this week; How about fresh salmon steaks $7.99/lb or Parmesan $7.99 lb., Saputo bocconcini $3.49, 5L Javex for $3.49, and fresh chicken drumsticks $1.59/lb?

You do not have the extra cost of a membership fee to shop at food wholesaler, Mayrand. The aisles are piled 20 feet high with everything you’d find in a supermarket and beyond. It stocks 4 times more selection than that famous warehouse club with more consistency and choices.

As a wholesale market, it also means that you can often find select meat in the AA or sometimes AAA grades, whole filet mignons and rib roasts, pork rump and hock, homemade sausages, marinated chicken and pork, fish and seafood

There’s 500 kinds of cheese, ethnic foods (Italian, Latino, Indian, Asian, Mideastern) and they import their fresh produce themselves – no middleman. They buy fresh fruits and vegetables from local growers whenever possible.

There’s 70 varieties of olive oil, and dozens of flavorful Italian coffees and pastas. It’s fun to shop around and find items like 10 kg. Skippy peanut butter, an entire prosciutto ham or smoked meat, 15 kg honey, 3.5L bags of chocolate chips, pop-up aluminum foil sheets, or little paper lunch bags.

Location: 9701 boul Louis-H-La Fontaine Anjou QC H1J 2A3
corner: rue de Lamartine
Tel: 514-255-9330
Hours: Mon-Wed 6:45-6, Thurs & Fri 6:45-9 pm, Sat 6:45-6, Sun 9-6
www.mayrand.ca
sales@mayrand.qc.ca ou ventes@mayrand.qc.ca

This Sample Sale offers discounts of up to 80% on women’s, men’s and kids’ clothing and accessories, featuring two of your favorite effortlessly cool brands: Bench and  Esprit.

You only have fours days to take advantage of the slashed prices on fashion collections, staple wardrobe components and accessories. So why not dress in brands you love for prices you can afford.

This sale is cash only. Parking is available.

Location: 1035 Hodge, Ville St-Laurent, H4N 2B4
Date: April 19 -22, 2018
Time: Thurs 9-8, Fri 9-7, Sat 10-5, 11-4
Metro: Station du College

Those girls and guys out there who love the brand G-Star Raw will be thrilled to be able to score a denim wardrobe for 50-80% off at this warehouse sale. Get there early to score the best deals.

Visa, Mastercard and debit accepted.

Location: 4344 Garand, VSL H4R 2A3
corner: Pomba
Dates: April 18 – 29
Hours: Wed 11-7, Thurs & Fri 11-9, Sat & Sun 11-5
www.premiumretailgroup.com

Nice weather has us yearning to take a long ride somewhere. If you decide you’d like to do a little cross border shopping in Plattsburg or wherever, besides the extra cost due to the money exchange rate, you must remember what your duty free allowances are.

– One day: How much can you bring back after one day? The answer is Nothing.

– If you go for the weekend, let’s say 24-48 hours, you can bring back up to $200, However If the goods you bring in are worth more than CAN$200 in total, you cannot claim this exemption. You have to pay full duties on all goods you bring in

– After 48 hours, goods worth up to CAN$800 can be brought across without paying any duty and taxes.

You must remember to add these costs to the purchase, to see if a deal is really a deal.  And don’t forget to factor in the currency difference.

You need to know where to go when it’s that special time for communion, confirmation or baptism. Lingerie Pina & Carmelo Sacco has been the go to place for generations.

If you have a wedding planned this year, the Mother of the Bride could find an outfit, the bridal party too and you can even get bonbonnieres made-to-order and wrapped.  They offer a Bridal Registry and there are gifts galore.

The name  clearly does not define this family business as you’ll find and housewares galore: silverware, china, toasters and meat slicers. If you are looking for ecological cookware, they sell Cool Kitchen which has no PTFE, no PFOA and can be used for induction cooking. The Italian community knows to come here for Pizzel machines for cookies and Cavetelli machines for gnocchi, Those who like collectibles will find: Precious Moments, Walt Disney Collection and Disney Traditions by Jim Shore.

Designers are here to help you with curtains (free installation), and they have the exclusive Hunter Douglas Alustra line with copper and chrome headers. If you need them, there’s carpet runners by the yard.

Do you know where else to buy  housecoats or cotton handkerchiefs?

Location: 8365 boul. Viau, St-Leonard QC H1R 2T6
corner: boul. Robert
Tel: 514-323-0427
Hours: Mon-Wed 9-6, Thurs & Fri 9-7:30, Sat 9-5. Open Sunday 10-5 from Labor Day – June 1st

It is so confusing to try to figure out which jeans are going to fit your body-type. Just looking at the racks it is impossible to tell if they are they high, low, tight, skinny, loose, stretchy – and there’s so many brands and price points. What to do?

Head straight to Jeans ,Jeans Jeans where they know how to size you up. There are girls concierges and guy concierges who know exactly which ones to bring you. Tell them the dye you want – washed out, regular, dark, black or – or how ripped. Let them know how high or low you want to wear them and the comfort level you are seeking – and Voila – they are all selected for you and brought to your dressing room. All you do is keep trying them on til you find a perfect match (and the prices will even match your budget).

It’s that easy here. 

It’s time to load up on your summer wardrobe of jeans, and the place to do it is Jeans, Jeans, Jeans. And that is just what you’ll find. Once you’ve ventured into this huge outlet, where they take pride in helping you find a pair that perfect pair of jeans, you’ll be hooked on their service and assortment (some tops, jackets too) and will be returning often. If you need them, there are $25 racks.

In sizes 00-56, they have all the premium denims in brand names you’ve come to know: 7 for all mankind, Afends, AG, Alternative, Au Noir, Ben Sherman, Bertigo, Big Star, Black Bull Apparel. Blend, British Invasion Apparel, Buffalo/David Bitton, Calvin Klein, Carreli Jeans, Casual Friday, Cheap Monday, Citizens of Humanity, Denham, Deus Ex Machina, Diesel, Differ Jeans, Dockers. Drop Clutch, Duray, Edwin, Fashion Overload, Fidelity, G-Star Raw Denim, Guess, Head Rush, Helly Hansen, Heritage, HS, Jack and Jones, Jack of All Trades, Jag, J-Brand, Joes, Karv, Knowledge Cotton Apperal, Kuwalla Tee, K-Way, Levi’s, Levi’s Commuter, Lois, Lucky 7, M Made in Italy, Mavi Jeans, Moose Knuckles, Naked and Famous Denim, Noisy May, Nudie Jeans Co, NYDJ, One Teaspoon, Only&Sons, Ookpik World, P.J.S. Parajumpers, Paige, Pajar Canada, Parasuco, Penfield, R.E.S Denim, Rock Revival, Rufen, RVLT, S&K Soia & Kyo, Save the Duck, Schott, Scotch and Soda, Second Yoga Jeans, Selected Femme/Homme, Silver Jeans Co., Superdry, The Unbranded Brand, Tokyo Laundry, Vero Moda, Vitaly, Wrangler

Take advantage of their special service:  they will hem or alter your purchased jeans on the spot for free.

Parking is free. They even have a parking concierge wearing a Jeans Jeans Jeans vest who will help you find a spot or park it for you.

What more can you ask for: discounted prices, personal service, free hemming and someone to park your car. It’s a win-win situation here.

Location: 5575 rue Casgrain, Montreal QC H2T 1Y1,
corner: St-Viateur.
Tel: 514-279-3303
Hours: Mon-Wed 9-5, Thurs 9-9, Fri 9-6, Sat 9-4
www.jeansjeansjeans.ca

With Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, gifts for teachers, engagement parties, and all sorts of events coming up on the horizon, it pays to wander the aisles of Le Panier to buy everything you need for any occasion in one place and get the job done.

Le Panier won the title of best gift store in Canada so this store worth a trip from anywhere. The huge shop is chock full of gourmet food, kitchenware,  and gifts at prices mostly under $25. You will not walk out empty-handed when you can choose amongst the jewelry, jams, hot sauces, kitchen gadgets, wearables and much, much more

If you can’t decide, there are ready-made gift baskets or custom-made ones too.

Here’s some ideas:

You can carry wine in an insulated pretty Wine Bag tote handbags. Michael Designs shea butter soaps, handwash and lotions,  For chocolate lovers there’s Louis Sherry New York chocolates in beautiful keepsake metallic tin boxes. I just love the Mighty Mug which won’t fall over – EVER; You can have your coffee near a keyboard without worries ($19.99). Grumpy Butcher’s Maple Bacon is hand-made here in Montreal in small batches from local Quebec pork farmers

For years people have been buying Mike’s Hot Honey which spice up all kinds of food ($14.99). Wrendale pottery makes adorable mugs with kittens, owls, ducks and there also a big selection of teapots. Willow Tree Figurines are popular too.    

For anyone, a cool gift might be the “upside-down” umbrella which closes without water dripping on you. There’s a big display of everything lavender. You can always buy Montreal’s favorite humbugs (now in different flavors), or someone might enjoy their own 5-year-old cheddar or their homemade fudge.

Location: 274 Bord du Lac, Pointe Claire
corner: de Lourdes
Tel: 514-695-7038
Hours: Regular plus Sun 10-5
www.thepanier.com