Q1: With the Spring season upon us, the females out there are itching to get their hands on some new clothes, what kinds of styles are cool this Spring?
Look for soft comfortable, feminine, flowing fabrics, lots of prints – faces and flowery and bling: embellishments on clothes. Tunics with leggings are back and they hide a multitude of sins.
Q2: It sounds like, to be in fashion, you need to throw out everything and go for all the new stuff?
It’s always confusing as fashion shifts, but there is a way to get around this. There are women who run fashion businesses where the emphasis is one-on-one shopping. They know you, know what you like and what you look good in and even keep track of your wardrobe. So they may say, you can wear the long top from last year but buy jeggings to go with them.
Q3: What are jeggings?
Leggings made out of jeans fabric.
Q4: Let’s go through a couple of these shops to see what they have to offer:
You might have heard of Fashionwear as a fashion service which held sales in the Ruby Foo’s Hotel during the Fall and again in the Spring. Now they have a permanent location at the Centre d’Achats Hudson. They stock a unique collection of about 2 dozen lines of women’s trendy clothes (even Lindsay Phillips’ switch flops ) and giftware and gadgets.
As you try on outfits, you are aided by Lisa or one of the consultants, who help you coordinate a wardrobe. They keep a computer database of what you buy each time and try to update your look based on what you already have at home. To find out dates of their Ruby Foo sales, get on their calling or e-mail list.
Location: Centre d’Achats Hudson at Exit 26 of the Transcanadienne.
Hours: Regular
Phone450 218-1955
www.fashionwearcanada.com
Another local Canadian company which used to be called Optionelle, now named EVEology clothing collection, is less about following trends and more about creating one’s own personal style rather than just jumping onto “what’s hot”. You can view the clothing at www.eveology.com and then go in locally to try them on and buy (sizes mostly 4-2XL). Their clothing focuses on everyday glam looks which combine fashion, function and the attention to detail. Most interestingly, it is designed and sorted by body type so you can easily choose which pieces will make you look the best.
If you have no time to go out and shop, home presentations are possible; Gather some friends together and have a private fashion show and you can earn fashion dollars as a percentage of the sales. If you don’t have time or energy to clean your house and clear out your hubby and kids, Elisabeth will just host the party at her place. She’s been been selling this way for years and is great at helping you select a wardrobe to suit you. Shopping here is like having your own personal dresser.
Tel: 514 684-0370
Hours: By appointment
fashionista@acn.net
www.eveology.com
Q5: What about the full-figured woman, how does she fit in to this, literally and figuratively?
Women with larger needs (sizes 14-24) can shop at Oppen’s where they are lucky to get Beverly’s personal service with wardrobe coordination. The racks offer lots of mix and match possibilities in washable fabrics, and even jewelry to finish off the look. Well known labels such as Linda Lundstrom, Simon Chang, Conrad C, NYDJ – Tummy Tuck Jeans, Kokomarina, Tara Vao Franck Anna, Alain Weiz, Spanner are there for you. They also carry Spanx to smooth you out, slinky knits and their own Beverly shirts and opera coats.
Location: 4828 boul. St-Laurent
Corner: Villeneuve
Phone: 514-844-9159
Hours: Tues-Fri 10:30-5, Sat 10:30-5