What to buy where.
Cheap + Chic | If the French cult clothing labels A.P.C. and agnes b. hooked up and produced a cheap-chic North American love child, the clothing resulting from this sweet fashion union might look like pieces from Canada’s very own Joe Fresh Style line. Read more
BUY RIGHT | The fashion media everywhere is reporting that “a great white shirt” is a must-have item this fall. This fall? A great white shirt is a fashion basic that always belongs in every woman’s wardrobe. It’s a constant (like a perfect pair of black pumps), a fashion equalizer that does not reflect a particular age or generation. And while it may be “in fashion” right now, it’s definitely not a trend item but a staple.
Which explains why beautiful menswear-inspired white shirts are a perennial with Ralph Lauren, a designer who does not follow trends. In his current collection, Lauren’s elegant black label white shirt Antonia is priced at around $400 (U.S.); his Curt boyfriend shirt, part of the Lauren line, is around $70 (U.S.).
“I have a Ralph Lauren black label white shirt in my closet,” says my fashionable friend Amelia, “but I won’t buy another one. These shirts are fabulous, but they’re an unnecessary extravagance when you can have a of shirt of black label quality—at least I think so—for a quarter of the price.” Read more
BUY RIGHT | Blame it on Betsey. American fashion designer Betsey Johnson, known for her princess-meets-punk designs, has long loved leggings. Betsey knew what she was doing in the 1980s when she paired a cropped black cotton legging with a sheer black full chiffon knee-length skirt attached to a black cotton top with a sweetheart neckline and capped sleeves. I borrowed that dress from a friend in 1988 and wore it with all the glory and pride of a blushing bride. I still wear Betsey today—only now the Betsey pieces are not borrowed, they are mine. And anytime I want a little edge in my look, I just “Betsey” things up with a legging. Read more
EXPERT ADVICE | When Ruthie Shugarman switched careers a few years ago, she wanted a memorable way to mark her shift from event planning to real estate sales. “I was staring into my closet one night thinking about the fact that I really needed to de-clutter when the idea for throwing a clothing exchange party hit me.” Frock swapping could be a win-win situation, she reasoned. “I could use the evening to tell friends and business associates about my new move, and they could use it to trade in things they never wear for things they might wear a lot.” Read more
MONEY WELL SPENT | If you are hunting for a graduation gift for someone who loves to dress up (and sparkle), and you are prepared to spend some money but don’t want to go too, too crazy, consider picking up a little something from Tiffany & Co., Hermès or Holt Renfrew.
Each of these luxury goods retailers, who package their merchandise in gift boxes as recognizable as their names, sells small, and not exorbitantly expensive, jewellery items and accessories that are already ordained classics. These are pieces that get passed along to daughters and beyond, items destined to pop up in fashion magazines 50 years from now (online, of course, because paper mags will have vanished) on their hot vintage collectibles lists—things with the potential to hold or accrue value. Read more