New Article in Ottawa Home about AQ On Your Mark Images
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Good Fashion Friday at Simons
In Canada , most provinces observe Good Friday as a statutory holiday except for Quebec. In Ottawa basically everything was closed however across the river in Quebec , Les Promenades Gatineau was open. It has been recently renovated and with the opening of Simons in September 2015 it was worth the traffic congestion and crowds of shoppers from both Ontario and Quebec.
I love Simons and prior to the store opening in the National Capital Region , I would frequently visit the downtown Montreal store. Simons has been in business for 175 years starting in Quebec City as a dry goods store and now as described by Peter Simon, CEO and president of La Maison Simons a “uniquely different and inspiring fashion retailer” consisting of 12 stores.
After dealing with the traffic gridlock and finding a parking space I sauntered into this beautiful contemporary store and immediately was happy. The displays, the merchandising and the garments were eye catching. Simons carries an assortment of home accessories, clothing, shoes, accessories for men and women. They also offer 3 exclusive labels and which are merchandised beautifully with the other lines they carry. For a customer you can mix and match and personalize your look and style by incorporating pieces from the Contemporaine or Icone lines and for the younger demographic with the Twik line.
As a Image consultant I talk a great deal about wardrobe modules. Simply stated a wardrobe module consists of 9 pieces of clothing that all mix and match. Putting together these modules is a great way for people to save money and time and they work brilliantly for work and travel!
While sashaying through all the racks and displays on the women’s side it was abundantly clear that there were some fabulous pieces to create an entire wardrobe module or purchase a few pieces to incorporate into an existing wardrobe. What caught my attention immediately were the pieces in the Contemporaine line, which Simons describes as elegant, professional and dynamic. The colour story was done in heather grey and classic black ; however there were several other colours available (solids and prints) and style options from other lines and departments.
What I particularly loved was the Contemporaine grouping in Heather grey. Dresses , skirts, blazers, pants and vest options mixed with the basic yet classic black dresses, pants, skirts, blazers etc you have a polished classic and stylish wardrobe to work with. The style lines had updated silhouettes which would be complimentary to many different body types. The sizes range form 2-14 and the fabric has a stretch weave ensuring a great fit. All Contemporaine pieces were priced below $150.00 with most in the $80 range, there were even a few pieces on sale. Despite having an online store my suggestion is to go into the store as there are many more options available plus you can try them on. From my experience, personalized service is hard to find ,yet the staff tend to be pleasant at the fitting rooms and when making a purchase. I am looking forward to Simons opening in the Rideau Centre this August!
Welcome, my name is Annette.
Paradox simply defined “a situation, person or thing that combines contradictory features or qualities”
I love the letter “F” and it resonates with me! I also feel like I am a paradox!
This blog is about words that start with “F” which also have great meaning in my life and make me feel like a paradox.
Few words that describe me….Female, Fifty”ish”, five year old, love for fashion, family, friends, food, fun, fitness and fabulous experiences!
The F Word Paradox
Finally, I have launched , this has been a “blog” that I have been thinking about and creating for a long time perhaps my lifetime. Why now? simply put I “woke” up figuratively speaking since I really do not sleep that well anymore, and I did an inventory of my life. Certain things are fabulous but others things are missing or have been neglected and I want to change that.
Therefore, I decided to write about it and share….why is that important? Well for me it’s a journey , a chance to reflect, explore, learn and change. I feel like a paradox…I ‘m living a life that many younger women with 5 year olds live but I’m not 20 , 30, or 40 I am in my fifties … I’ve had a marital realignment and am on a “do-over “ I have changed, my body is changing and life from my perspective can be fun yet frustrating, freeing yet final. …I am fearful yet fascinated with this journey.
Welcome to the “F” word Paradox
Fifty
It finally happened! Where did time go? Where did my life go? Where did I go?
This did not happen for me at 50 , it was 52. Some would say a slow learner but I like to view it as an observation period. For most of my life I have been involved in fashion. I started working retail at the age of 15 for a women’s clothing store chain. I loved it and was recognized as a top seller yet for me it was not the sales as much as helping the clientele achieve the look they wanted to project that was important. When you feel good your confidence increases and goals feel much more attainable. I felt that the fashion cycle was a parallel to my life. You begin with the introduction phase move to the rise and acceptance phase then you peak , afterwards there is the decline and potentially rejection or what I like to call it the “revamp” because fashion is cyclical….and so can aspects of our lives. What is old is new again.
Pregnant pause. At 47 I gave birth to my third child ( My older children are from a previous relationship) I am so thankful to be in the this relationship with as corny as it sounds, the love of my life. I love being his partner and a mom yet its different, I’m different now. The first few years are challenging with small children, blending family units and new relationships combine that with getting older and sometimes you question yourself…hence the paradox. When this pause dissipated into being more manageable I wondered where did it go? The time, my energy, myself…ahhh the changes. I want to feel fabulous, I want to be fashionable, I want to be healthy and to be fit , I want to live life not be complacent which would be such an easy path to follow. I want to learn from my mistakes but also learn new things. Easier said then done has new meaning. The wisdom at 50 is freeing and I want to look at things as the glass is half full.
So fifty is fine and it has potential to even being fabulous!
