This week, YSG has selected a look from the Joe Fresh Fall/Winter 10 collection. We love this look for its utilitarian appeal, and versatility. As mentioned in previous weeks, shorts have been reinvented, and are no longer only a casual weekend  or vacation item. A good pair of well tailored, mid-length shorts, can be worn in many occasions. Shorts made of thicker materials, such as wool, or worn over tights and stockings, can carry through every season. Pair your fabulous fall shorts with a simple top, such as the white blouse shown above, and they can even be appropriate attire for work or a night out!

YSG tip: Pair this look with the right accessories to change the mood of the ensemble. When shown with cute heeled booties and a side slung clutch, this outfit can take you right into the evening!

This week’s look is from the J Crew Fall/Winter 10 collection. YSG likes this preppy look for its versatility (day or night) and simply for its chic, stylish appeal. The plaid cardigan worn over a white collared shirt has full-on prep school charm, while the sequined shorts update the outfit and make it appropriate for day or night! Mixing patterns and textures with classic, staple pieces works to build an interesting, multi-layered ensemble!

YSG tip: Don’t rule out shorts for fall. Pair them stockings and they can be worn all season. Heavy wool stockings make shorts a winter item too!

With the start of summer so close by the hot sun is practically kissing my sandal-adorned feet, I’m on the hunt for light, breathable tees and tanks to complete my warm weather wardrobe. Thankfully, Montreal’s Mimi & Coco provides one-stop shopping for these essential must-haves.

This white, airy space provides the perfect background for showing off the Italian-crafted, 100% cotton t-shirts, tank tops, camisoles in every colour imaginable (seriously, baby blue, ocean blue, light pink, hot pink, bright yellow, pale green, orange sorbet, deep red - it’s overwhelming). Not to mention the label’s classic white tee, which is a standard complement to any well thought-out wardrobe. So versatile, perfect for layering, great with jeans, shorts or skirts and exactly what you want to be wearing on those hot, sweaty summer days. A bonus: everything is machine-washable - LOVE this. I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to be doing is stressing about how to care for my clothing when I could be drinking sangria on a terrace, having a picnic in the park, drinking sangria on a terrace, taking a long walk in the sun or drinking sangria on a terrace. The clothes are pretty, the material is comfortable, the care is simple; I’m not sure it could get any better. Wait - on top of the t-shirts and tanks, Mimi & Coco also does dresses, men’s shirts and children’s clothing, so I think it did just get better. Really, how many places can you visit to find beautiful, Italian-made clothing for everyone other than…you know, Italy? I can speak for Montreal and tell you of three, as that is how many Mimi & Coco boutiques there are in the city. Find them at 201 avenue Laurier West, t: 514.906.0349; 6717 boulevard Saint Laurent, t: 514.274.6242; and, 4927 rue Sherbrooke West, t: 514.482.6362.

Ps. I love Mimi & Coco for more than just the clothes - at the Laurier and Sherbrooke locations, you can find, tucked away at the back of the shop, a seriously delicious and healthy lunch in Mandy’s Salad Bar, which is, yes, exactly as it sounds. But, not just your average, run-of-the-mill, garden salad bar. No, I’m talking customized, homemade, organic, healthy, so-good-you-can’t-focus-on-anything-else-while-you’re-eating salads. There are a ton of choices, but my favorite is the Raegan-Danielle: avocado, strawberries, baked pita chips, organic greens, shaved Parmesan and balsamic vinaigrette. Yummy much? No wonder I like Mimi & Coco so. They took two of my favorite activities, shopping and eating and put them together in one room. Now I’m certain that things couldn’t get any better. If they build in a terrace and start offering sangria, I’m done for.

Happy summer shopping!

From Montreal,
Lindsay

Although I am not generally one to share my dessert, I am however, a fan of sharing a fabulous discount.

Here are a few of my favourite sites offering exclusive discounts. Check them out for deals that are better than chocolate:

Enjoy!

Ideeli
Hautelook
Beyond The Rack
Billion Dollar Babes
Enviius

p.s. I cannot be held responsible for the highly addictive nature of any of these websites!

Your Shop Girl.

As we enter March we can see the light at the end of the long, cold, dark tunnel that is winter. That being said however, the arrival of March does not instantly mean the arrival of sunny skies and warm weather. That’s why today’s look of the week is all about transition, and creating an outfit made of pieces that can be worn from winter into spring. As shown, the simple frock paired with a scarf and cute ankle high booties is a great look that carries through the seasons. Try this outfit with thick tights a  heavier scarf  and sweater for the colder days, and as the weather gets warmer try without  tights and pair  the dress with a light spring scarf as shown. Booties carry through the seasons and have been seen all over the spring runways as a great transitional shoe that looks great with pants and tights, as  well as skirts, shorts and dresses!

TSG tip: Ankle high booties, both flat and heeled, have been increasing in stores over the past few seasons, but open toe booties are all the rage right now!  A great pair of open toe booties act as great transitional footwear, paired with socks or tights for chillier days and then worn without for warmer days. The open toe makes them all the more appropriate for spring and will help carry you into sandal weather, not to mention show off a great pedicure!

Walking into Lola and Emily, a charming, independently-owned boutique on St. Laurent, feels as if you’re stepping into that fabulous, dream apartment you’ve always wanted, but never owned (yet). Stepping inside the intimate and girly-yet-classic space, I had my own version of Carrie walking into the Heaven on 5th suite in Sex and the City, the movie - ah, hello…I live here. However, with no Big at my side to purchase it and build me a bigger closet, I settled for admiring the pretty, vintage furniture, adorned with such fetching petite choses as vintage shoes, fab jewellery, flirty undergarments and finishing-touch accessories for the home (I’m queuing up for the elegant Voluspa candles). Oh, right…and the clothes. Amazing. My body ached to wear everything my eyes saw:

Mixing the whimsical and trendy (Lola) with the classic (Emily), this boudoir-style shop (think a smaller, cozier Anthropologie) pairs a variety of basics and staples with unique, one-of-a-kind pieces that have you oohing and aahing and rushing for the fitting rooms (which just so happen to be warmly welcoming and oh so spacious - the ladies behind the shop’s concept are my new, personal heroes, as they seriously know what they’re doing).

Lola and Emily’s core brands include Montreal’s own Ca Va de Soi, for sweaters and other basics in soft, natural fabrics like Egyptian cottons and cashmere; Free People for boho, hipster style; Filippa K from Sweden, for simplistic, expertly-tailored, quality classics; Designers Remix Collection, to add quirky, feminine, chic finds to your wardrobe; and Velvet, for the most basic basic in the history of basics, the perfect tee. With a stock of these core brands and the occasional au courant label in constant rotation, Lola and Emily is the Montreal fashionista’s absolute style mecca. Eclectic, individual, chic, feminine…the list of adjectives to describe this boutique (clothes and decor alike) flow effortlessly out of my mouth, when championing this new address that has just been added to my list of favorite places in the city. Please do your wardrobes a favour and make this little gem of a place a must-shop during your travels.

Lola and Emily is located at 3475 St. Laurent Blvd. t: 514.288.7598. Metro St. Laurent. Visit them online at www.lolaandemily.com

Lindsay loves fashion, shopping, eating good food, drinking fine wines, exploring fabulous cities and perfecting what she considers to be the art of becoming as entirely French as she possibly can. She recently decided that Montreal was the best place for her to combine all of these interests and write about them, so she up and traded her wonderful life in Toronto for une vie merveilleuse in la belle province. She writes for Your Shop Girl to share her insider tips on life east of the GTA and offer some suggestions on what to do and where to shop when you come for a visit.

Since Your Shop Girl has not yet mastered cloning, we were finding it nearly impossible to shop in two places at once; luckily we found Lindsay. Not only does she love fashion as much as we do, she has also devoted to her time to all things Montreal; thus creating our perfect match. Check back often to discover the best from our stylish sister city to the East.

A note from the Queen,
S.

I understand that the sales right now are tempting, but before you even think about entering a clothing store it is imperative that you open your top drawer and take a good look at your undergarments.

Think of it like this…you can’t build a house if the structure is not secure. Likewise, you can’t even begin to adorn your body when your girls are not secure.

A great bra is as important as a nutritious breakfast. Do not leave home without it.

Freya offers beautiful bras that actually support, seperate and lift your girls without compromising fashion. You can find them at Tryst Lingerie along with the cities best and most accurate bra fitting.

Don’t forget about your VPL’s ladies. They are never a good look and quite honestly there is really no excuse. You can find comfortable seamless underwear in almost any lingerie store in the city.

Don’t feel like looking for parking? No problem, Bare Neccessities has every combination of seamless pantie possible. Going commando takes on a whole new meaning with these Commando underwear.

Special Occasion? Form fitting outfit? Low neckline?   

There’s a body shaper for that!

Who needs double sided tape? The Arianne U shape Bra is a much better option for any of your J Lo-esque dresses.

 And no undergarment list would be complete without mentioning spanx. It is the Kleenex of body shapers.

No matter what you want supported, trimmed or smoothed; there is a shape and style for everyone.

Still not convinced you need to go bra shopping?

Here is Tryst Lingerie’s  list of the best ways to recognize the warning signs of a ill fitting bra:

• Your breasts spill out or balloon/pillow out the top, causing the dreaded four-breast effect. 
• The back rides up, or the bra is higher at the back at the clasp then it is in the front under the breasts.
• Your breasts spill out of the bottom, and/or side of the bra. If wired, the wire should fully encompass the breast tissue.
• The wire in the middle doesn’t rest right up against the body/sternum. (Note: This may not be a sign if you have an inverted sternum). 
• The bra just doesn’t look right. 
• Your friends tell you that your bra doesn’t fit.
• You are uncomfortable.

Your Shop Girl,

Suzanne Colmer

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm wollen mittens, brown paper packages tied up in strings … you get the idea.

Here are a few of my favourite things for Fall 2009

Buckles, studs, rips and tears. Fall is all about danger and hard rock. So whether you are picking up the season’s must have Siwy jeans or dressing up your LBD with a pair of studded Giuseppes, make sure to keep the rest of your outfit classic and clean to avoid looking like a Metallica groupie.

A note from the Queen,

S.

One of my favourite things about my job is diving into my client’s closets. It’s the easiest way to discover where they’ve been, who they were and even who they aspired to become. While most people eventually come to terms with letting go of their past i.e. their prom dress and “skinny” jeans, it still amazes me how many times I find a boxed wedding dress hiding in the corner of a closet. You wouldn’t keep a thousand dollars in a box, so why keep a dress that you will never wear again?

I know I know, I’ve heard my clients excuses as they clutch desperately onto the box; “My daughter may want to wear it”, “I just can’t give it up” or “I may wear it again” and to that I say “trust me your daughter won’t want to wear it” or “your wedding photos are the best way to preserve memories” and “honestly? really?”.

I recently discovered a magical website where old wedding dresses can turn into a new pair of Christian Louboutins: http://www.smartbrideboutique.ca. It’s totally free and really quick and easy to post your items. You can sell everything from your dress to your candle holders recovering some of the costs of your wedding while helping another local bride save on her upcoming wedding.

So dust off your dress, take a deep breath and begin visualizations of all the things you can do with your new “found” money.  While I will be dreaming of shoes - feel free to expand your imagination to weekends away, a new wardrobe or even a, gasp! retirement fund.

A few tips straight from the gurus at SmartBride Boutique:

·        Post your dress as soon after your wedding as possible.  You’ll recoup about 50% of your investment provided your dress is clean and without stains or damage.

·        Use great pictures – the best ones are with you in the dress. You should have photos from your professional photographer, or even friends and family after your big day.

·        Provide as much information as possible – outline any alterations that were done to the dress, and provide your bust, waist, hips and height with shoes at the time you wore the dress.

A note from the Queen

S.