This slideshow requires JavaScript.
My Clothing Show Loot: Friday Sept 23, 2011 at The Queen Elizabeth Building (Toronto)
Leave a reply
Monthly Archives: September 2011
Salma Hayek: LBD
Salma Hayek at the Puss and Boots Premiere
I don’t know who the designer is but I love the dress, style, cut and design. I have a feeling it could be a Victoria Beckham creation – but let’s face it Salma would never wear VB. Perhaps VB would copy this dress for her line? Touche? 
Plus, VB and SH now have something in common these days – what’s up with all the flat shoes? At this rate Louboutin will be going out of business. Ok, I’ll stop now. Tee hee.
Yours in fashion,
Mel xo
The Star: Word on the Street is people love Toronto Libraries
The Clothing Show Review – Friday Sept 23, 2011 at The Queen Elizabeth Building (Toronto)
What? The Clothing Show
Location? Queen Elizabeth Building, Toronto’s Exhibition Place, 195 Princes’ Blvd., Toronto, Ontario.
Dates and Times?
Friday September 23: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturday September 24: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday September 25: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Tickets Prices?
Adults, $8 online, $10 at the door.
Students 13 – 17 yrs., $7 at the door.
Seniors, $5 at the door.
Children under 12, free with an adult.
Free re-admission.
It always seems when I go to the Clothing Show here in Toronto, be it in the Spring or Fall, it’s always pissing down and I mean pissing down. But I never let that detour me from getting dressed, getting my umbrella out and trekking down to the Queen Elizabeth Building on the first day of the show. I like being there promptly for 5 p.m. when the doors open. I’ll be honest, I look forward to the spring and fall shows every year – it’s one of my favourite rituals.
I have got so many friends and family onto the show – sometimes I think perhaps I need to be their ambassador. For the past 3 shows, Prisca and I have been going together. We make a good team. We know what we like and can quickly edit each other’s purchases. We bargain together and also laugh at ourselves. It’s always a great time!
I have been coming to the Clothing show since I was a teen when it was called The Old Clothing Show and Sale and was held in The Automotive building at the CNE. Now in its 34th year the show is now known as The Clothing Show.
Back in the day I remember the vintage section would be busting at the seams and the new, young and hip designers would be steadily dealing with customers and modelling their wares. I’ve found in past years the show has gotten considerably smaller and a lot slower on the Friday afternoon. The vintage section is segmented to a quarter of the room. The young designers are still there but not as varied in products as it used to be. Recessionary times? Perhaps. But I do miss the flea market/stall like atmosphere from years past.
There is even as fashion show which showcases the local designer stock and a beautifully set up back drop which adds a nice polish to the pieces. It runs over the weekend as well as adds for a nice break to your browsing schedule. Plus you can see some designers frocks on that perhaps didn’t read as well when they hung on the hangers.
Back in the day, we would get these amazing swag bags full of free samples, razors, magazines and the like. These days you will still get the free The Clothing Show shopper bag but its empty and the only way you can get a free magazine is by giving a food donation. Which hey, why not? You have to spread the wealth here right? That said I gave in my cans of Heinz soup and picked up a bilingual KILL magazine which is packed with articles on Alexander McQueen, the latest make up and accessories for the fall and some lovely haute fashion shots.
The prices of the sales items have also considerably gone up, it’s funny. But the admission hasn’t. I love hitting ‘I miss you vintage’ as my first stop when I get to the show. They have the best vintage bags, boots, shoes, scarves, belts and accessories. I have bought many a bag from them in the past and picked up a pair of vintage Cole Haan boots for $25 2 years back. The amount of times I have been asked about those boots when I’m out and about and have told people what I have paid for them – they make people instant believers in the show.
I noticed this weekend that ‘I Miss You Vintages’ prices have all gone up quite considerably. I’m not sure why. In the spring I picked up a vintage Coach Bucket bag for $10! Yes $10! On Friday, I scrambled through the bags filed by colour like books on a shelf and narrowed my purchase down to one vintage Coach Bag in blue for $39! $39 in one shot at their booth indeed was well worth it but really it’s not what I am used to paying for a vintage bag with ‘I Miss You Vintage’ – it was pricey. I made sure I loved it before I handed the cash over to the lovely Brandon. (By the way, Brandon is always so sweet and patient with us. Plus he always rocks this super sweet lady bag that makes him look super-hot. ). It’s too bad they don’t leave any room for bargaining. ;( They could have got some more cash out of me if they brought the pricing down a lil. Maybe next year guys? (I Miss You Vintage, 63 Ossington Avenue, Phone: 416-916-7021).
The thing I love about The Clothing Show is that the staff, sellers and patrons are always so friendly. Seriously! I have never met anyone that was a curmudgeon. Even as I walked around with Prisca and asked ladies if I could take their photo they happily obliged and the sellers were super excited to have their pieces showcased. It’s a very familial and chilled space to browse, try items on, haggle and chat to other shoppers up to see what they bought and what they scored.
Another fav seller to hit is Foxy Originals. Again we have been hitting them as our next stop at every show. They have great offers on jewellery. Buy three items for $5 and get the third for free. It’s a sure win for quick trendy items for you for work and play. I love buying lil pieces to give to friends for Christmas and birthdays. This time we didn’t spend an hour and a half there like we usually do. I only bought 3 pieces (plus one free) and packed it in. Honestly, it gets addictive and tiring searching through the bins but at the same time it’s so much fun to see what goodie you can find every show. If you look at Foxy’s website and compare what you bought from them at the show – you can see instantly the deals you have got. A savings of $25 – $30 is sometimes always guaranteed. (www.foxyoriginals.com)
So on a scale of 1 to 10, this show was a high 8 for me. We always end up staying for 4 hours and leaving exhausted. This time was no exception. Our feet were tired; we were hungry and just wanted to get home. That darn Bathurst streetcar was waiting for us as we walked past BMO field like our chariot. Luckily the rain had stopped too.
Stay tuned for pix of the items I bought at The Clothing Show in the next blog post.
Yours in fashion,
Mel xo
20th Anniversary of Nevermind and Bloodsugarsexmagik
I was 18 when both Nevermind and Bloodsugarsexmagik was released 20 years ago yesterday in fact. They are just two of the handful of albums and bands that were around at the time that funnelled my love of music. I don’t know if I’d be the person I am today without these albums.
They got me listening to the Pixies, the Clash, the Sex Pistols, The Smiths, Joy Division, Soundgarden whilst catching these bands and others in concert. Which in turn tuned me onto the power of live music and how instrumental it is to my self-care today as an adult.
This music also gave me relationship and friendship connections. Some were amazing whilst others ended as time passed and we grew up. Loads of life learning came from that which music that had nothing at all to do with.
Sure, these days I am obsessed with bands like Sleigh Bells, Cold War Kids, Phantogram, Beirut, Arcade Fire and I may not listen to Nirvana and RHCP as much as I used too in my daily rotation of music offerings. But they will always have a special place in my heart.
Mel xo
Joe Fresh: Latest Scoops
Joe Fresh is pretty affordable. Come on, who doesn’t like a deal? But if it’s on clearance – even better! I get the shakes when I see treasures!
A few weeks back JF had a $10 off coupon if you spend $50. In the past I have spent over $100 easily and never had a coupon to spare. I’m never doing that again. This time around I was ready.
It’s the perfect time to scoop the latest Fall stock while the sizes are there and end of summer clearance. I picked up the Indigo dress and Lime dress each for $9.94 respectively on clearance from $29.99. I can not only rock these babies next summer but layer them accordingly for the Fall too. They fit like a glove and people can’t believe I got them at JF.
Tip: some JF stuff looks kinda shite on the hangers. I recommend trying stuff on, I was pleasantly surprised with these dresses.
I also picked up the grey Flashdance sweater dress for $29.99. I saw it last year and kicked myself for never buying it at the time. When I had gone back a week later this item was long gone. This time I didn’t make that same mistake. I can easily wear this Fall into winter with skinny jeans and leggings. Its warm and very form-fitting. I’m thinking this is appropriate for both work and a night out.
I also picked up some hipster shorts for $6 a pair. One in army green and one in navy. I’m thinking I can wear them in the fall with some wool tights if I’m feeling fashion brave one day.
The JF parka’s are out too. I didn’t buy one. But the next time you are in their stores take a look at the black fur hooded one and the army green jackets. They retail around $69 full price which is amazing. Again, if you’re in the market for a parka get it soon as the sizes go fast. The only thing about the JF parkas I question how warm they are for our canuck winters. I doubt they’ll make it into clearance at that price point.
Lastly, always check the clearance section at JF if your lucky you can always find some neat lil gems.
Yours in fashion,
Mel xo
PJ20: Toronto ACC Sept 12 , 2011
The Toronto Star: Target plans up to 135 Canadian stores by 2013
By Dana Flavelle | Fri Sep 23 2011
Toronto will be the first Canadian city to get a Target store when the hotly anticipated purveyor of cheap chic merchandise starts opening its first non-U.S. stores in March 2013, the company says.
Just where it might be located remains to be seen. Perhaps in one of the six Zellers locations in Toronto the retailer announced last May? Or in the Stockyards, a new development under construction at the corner of St. Clair Ave. W. and Weston Rd.
The retailer isn’t saying.
However, Target did shed more light on its plans for Canada on Friday.
Dubbed Tar-zhay by its legion of fans, the U.S.-based retailer said it plans to open up to 135 stores in 2013, including 134 in Zellers locations across the country and one in a vacant Walmart in Niagara Falls.
Target also said the stores, which carry mainly general merchandise, would sell food under an agreement it has signed with Sobeys Inc., the country’s second largest supermarket chain.
For now, the deal with Sobeys includes frozen, dairy and dry goods, but the retailer isn’t ruling out a wider assortment in future. In the U.S., Target has begun adding fresh produce and meat, making it more of a full-service grocer.
In a separate but related announcement, Walmart Canada Corp. released a list of the 39 Zellers stores it plans to convert to Walmart’s by the end of next year.
They include three Zellers stores in Toronto, one each in Gerrard Square, Sheridan Mall and Cedarbrae Mall.
Target’s entry into Canada is expected to be a game-changing event for the Canadian retail industry.
With its powerful marketing muscle and reputation for cheap-chic, reinforced by high-profile designer events, such as the Missoni collection that crashed its website last week, Target is expected to take a big bite out of the Canadian retail landscape.
The retailer, a major competitor to Wal-Mart south of the border, announced in January it would make a bold move into Canada, its first foray outside the U.S., by buying the leasehold rights to up to 220 Zellers locations for $1.825 billion.
But after reviewing the sites, it has chosen to take up the leasehold rights on just 134 Zellers’ stores. It announced the locations of the first 105 in May.
On Friday, it said it had taken up another 84 leaseholds, but only 29 would be converted to Targets. The additional 84 Zellers’ sites include 36 in Ontario. It declined to say which of those locations would become Targets.
The retailer, whose arrival is expected to dramatically change the Canadian retail landscape, said this completes its real estate transaction with Zellers.
However, it plans to build some stores from scratch, including one at St. Clair Ave. W. and Weston Rd. and is also taking over a vacant Walmart store in Niagara Falls.
Target plans to spend $10-$11 million converting each Zellers’ location. It’s already begun hiring in Canada.
In a separate release, Zellers said it will prepare its associates for the tens of thousands of jobs that will be created by Target and other retailers through a comprehensive career transition program which includes working closely with prospective employers.
Target will provide Zellers with a minimum six months notice of any planned store closure, with most stores receiving nine months notice. For the balance of 2011 and into 2012 Zellers customers will continue to be able to enjoy shopping at all of its locations across the country.
The remaining 84 Zellers stores that are not part of the Target transaction will continue to operate while the company reviews its options for these locations.
List of Target’s second and final selection of 84 additional Zellers leases
Includes potential Target stores and leases sold to other retailers or back to landlords
Alberta (8)
Calgary, AB – Deer Valley Shopping Centre
Edmonton, AB – Abbottsfield Shoppers Mall, Meadowlark Shopping Centre, Northgate Centre, South Park Centre, West Edmonton Mall
Westmount Shopping Centre
Medicine Hat, AB – Medicine Hat Mall
British Columbia (11)
Burnaby, BC – Brentwood Mall
Dawson Creek, BC – Dawson Mall
Kamloops, BC – Sahali Centre Mall
Kelowna, BC – Orchard Park Plaza
Penticton, BC – Penticton Power Centre
Prince Rupert, BC – Rupert Square
Richmond, BC – Landsdowne Centre
Salmon Arm, BC – Piccadilly Place Mall
Surrey, BC – Surrey Place/Central City
Vancouver, BC – Lynn Valley Centre
Victoria, BC – Hillside Shopping Centre
New Brunswick (3)
Fredericton, NB – Uptown Centre
Moncton, NB – Northwest Centre
Saint John, NB – Lancaster Mall
Newfoundland and Labrador (1)
St. John’s, NL – Zellers Plaza
Nova Scotia (6)
Amherst, NS – Amherst Centre
Dartmouth, NS – Colby Village Plaza
Greenwood, NS – Zellers Plaza
Halifax, NS – Bayers Lake Power Centre
North Sydney, NS – North Sydney Mall
Sydney, NS – Sydney Shopping Centre
Ontario (36)
Ancaster, ON – Meadowland Power Centre
Bowmanville, ON – Clarington Town Centre
Brantford, ON- Brantford Centre
Chatham, ON – Thames-Lea Plaza
Georgetown, ON – Georgetown Market
Gloucester, ON – Gloucester Centre
Hamilton, ON – County Fair Plaza
Hawkesbury, ON – Hawkesbury Gateway Shopping Centre
Kitchener, ON- Laurentian Power Centre,- Stanley Park Mall
Listowel, ON – Listowel Carriage Shopping Centre
London, ON – Northland Mall
Mississauga, ON – Sheridan Mall, Westdale Mall
Newmarket, ON – 404 Town Centre
North York, ON – Lawrence Square, Sheridan Mall North York
Oakville, ON – Hopedale Mall
Oshawa, ON – Kingsway Village, Oshawa Centre
Ottawa, ON- Heritage Place
Peterborough, ON – Parkway Centre
Pickering, ON – Pickering Town Centre
Scarborough, ON – Warden & Eglinton, Cedarbrae Mall
293 Bay St., Sault Ste. Marie, ON – Station Mall
285 Geneva St., St. Catharines, ON – Fairview Mall
640 Queenston Road, Stoney Creek, ON – Queenston Place
1020 Dawson Road, Thunder Bay, ON – County Fair Plaza
1101 West Arthur St., Thunder Bay, ON – Thunder Bay Mall
170 Broadway, Tillsonburg, ON – Tillsonburg Town Centre
1000 Gerrart St., Toronto, ON – Gerrard Square
2290 Dundas St. W., Toronto, ON – Southside/Pond Mills Shopping Centre
70 Bridgeport Road, Waterloo, ON – Zellers Centre
800 Niagara St. N., Welland, ON – Seaway Mall
1550 Huron Church Road, Windsor, ON – Ambassador Plaza
Quebec (16)
600 boul. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Beloeil, QC – Montenach Mall
7200 boul. Taschereau (Local 21), Brossard, QC – Place Portabello
1324 boul. Talbot, Chicoutimi, QC – Place De Saguenay
920 boul. Maloney, Gatineau, QC – Les Galeries Gatineau
1055 boul. Firestone, Joliette, QC – Les Galeries Joliette
161 Route 230 Ouest, Bureau 400, La Pocatière, QC – Les Galeries De La Pocatière
2877 chemin Chambly, Longueuil, QC – Place Desormeaux
1700 rue Sherbrooke, Magog, QC – Les Galeries Orford
3121 rue Granby, Montreal, QC – Centre Commercial Domaine
7275 rue Sherbrooke Est., Montreal, QC – Place Versailles Shopping Centre
6700 chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges, Montreal, QC – Plaza Côte Des Neiges
101 boul. Cardinal-Léger, # 74, Pincourt, QC – Le Faubourg De l’Île’
12655 rue Sherbrooke Est., Point-aux-Trembles, QC – Carrefour De La Pointe
940 13e Ave. Nord, Sherbrooke, QC – Galeries Quatres Saisons
450 boul. Poliquin, Sorel, QC – Les Promenades De Sorel
450 boul. Arthur Sauvé, St. Eustache, QC – Carrefour St-Eustache
Saskatchewan (3)
134 Primrose Drive, Saskatoon, SK – The Mall at Lawson Heights
2325 Preston Ave., Saskatoon, SK – Market Mall
255-277 Broadway St. E., Yorkton, SK – Parkland Mall
Location of former Walmart site acquired by Target
7190 Morrison St., Niagara Falls, ON
Sleigh Bells and their affection for Ray Ban’s..
Alexa Chung for ‘Madewell’
Alexa Chung for Madewell Gold Patrice Top
Alexa Chung is one of the latest offerings from the UK in terms of TV presenters/hipsters and you would think her alliance with Madewell would be more ‘hip’. Um not so much. I found the line, that can be found at www.madewell.com, to be pretty blah.
Alexa Chung for Madewell Ruby Cardigan
Negatives aside. I liked these pieces that I pulled together for this blog post. They are crisp, age appropriate and fresh. Sure, you can find some similar stuff in vintage shops or Goodwill but it would be nice to actually feel and try on these pieces. Perhaps the $188 price point for a dress (I think you are paying solely for Alexa’s name on the outfit) makes up for it in style, fit and design?
Alexa Chung for Madewell Suede Pixie Jacket
Check it out and tell me what you think. I wonder what Fearne Cotton would have done if she did a line for Madewell?
Yours in fashion,
Mel xo
