Je me souviens great style
Recently, I made a trip to La Belle Province and was able to observe the female Montrealer in her natural habitat.
While waddling down Rue Ste. Catherine and Rue St. Denis, I keenly observed the fashion traits of this species. Since my fat ass would not fit into any of the clothes in stores lining these streets, I had plenty of time to sit and watch others shop. (For those of you new to my column, I’m pregnant. Hence the waddling and fat ass.)
No berets to be found here. No striped boatneck tops. No scarves tied jauntily around the neck. No cigarette holders dangling precariously from scarlet red lips.
And you know what else? No brand name purses. No Coach. No Louis Vuitton. No Guccis. None.
And absolutely no double-offenders who tie a Coach scarf around the handle of their Coach purse (yes, we get it, you can afford Coach).
And still, I saw many absolutely fabulous purses.
How can that be, you may ask? Easy. These fashionable Frenchies do not need to buy manufactured style that comes in the form of a high-priced label. They make their own style.
The best bags carried around were supple leather, in black, browns and grays – real leather purses, impeccably made, without loud branding motifs.
I inquired of my Montreal legal counterparts about this phenomenon and was advised that many of these femmes shop off-the-beaten-path for their accessories. Purses are not purchased at Aldo or Town Shoes. They are bought at little boutiques around town, or straight from the designer. I can highly recommend Matteo Mio, 8400, St. Laurent, Suite 301 (website coming soon at www.matteomio.com). Fabulous leather goods including jackets and purses.
For those of you who can’t spare the billable hours for a trip to Montreal, I recently ordered a purse from Melissa Beth Designs and can’t stop salivating over it. Order online at www.melissabeth.com.
Otherwise, do your own scouting around boutiques in your hometown. Break away from the pack and fight the need to be labellized. Then you too can have that certain, je ne sais quoi!
Mega Deals Alert: From time to time Fashionista receives emails touting various sales and deals around town. Here are the latest:
- RW&CO – Print this coupon for $20 off a purchase of $95 or more, until October 21, 2007.
- The Shoe Company – 10% off the first pair of shoes or boots, 20% off the second pair.
- Aldo – Get 15% off when you subscribe to the Aldo VIP newsletter. Plus, order online and get free shipping on orders over $125 – perfect for that pair of fall boots you have been eyeing.