Pre-Christmas Artisans' Show & Sale

Last Sunday I participated in a pre-Christmas Sale with three other jewellery makers, an artist and a paper origami crafter. It was held in the artist's studio and her pieces provided a most luxurious and beautiful backdrop for our wares. The jewellery makers' products were distinctly different from each other and so with options from varying styles, there was something for everyone.

By the time this picture was taken my display was fatigued from purchases made and products gone, and from two hours of trying on, holding up against and being moved around and about. But having the freedom to try things on, ask opinions and walk around with one designer's piece in hand while looking at others is what makes this by-invitation-only sale so special. 

Joanne (in the blue glasses) enjoying the show and sale with me.
Photo source: http://babyns2ndavenuestudio.blogspot.ca

My work tends to be big, bold, sometimes asymmetric and comprised of mixed media. I combine acrylic with wood and stone, crystals and natural stones, glass beads with metal and plastic, ceramic beads, yarn covered beads with crystals and stone nuggets . . . I buy many of those component parts when I live in France for part of the year and also repurpose vintage pieces. I stare at beads in the same colour tones, then contrasting colours and finally mix them with different metals. I assemble and take apart. Sometimes I just look at the "mess" of components and come up with "something". A sense of "knowing" comes over me when the piece is ready.

Many of the buyers come to jewellery sales such as this one because they are looking for something unique, for something that they won't find at the department stores. My philosophy is that since I am eliminating the vendor, I can pass on better value to my patrons. I can only make so many items and can only attend so many sales and so I suppose I could charge what the market can handle but cash flow is important and presently my goal is to sustain my habit of design and creating and progressively purchase better quality raw materials.

The following photos were taken by Elizabeth, who owns and creates in her studio at 2nd Avenue Lofts. 

Cosmic Fishnet 5 from a Series by Elizabeth Babyn.
Photo source: http://babyns2ndavenuestudio.blogspot.ca

Lorissa, Yvonne and MaryT, the other designers, at the the sale at Babyn's 2nd Avenue Studio.

   

Inspecting, trying on and deciding went on the entire afternoon. It was then necessary to get cards and boxes from Carolyn when gifts were purchased.

 

Such a nice way to shop!

Difficulty When Talking About Funerals

Most of us don't talk about funerals easily. About a month ago while I was visiting my mother-in-law, she told me that she would like to be buried in her beige suit that she wore to her granddaughter's wedding. It was easier to tell me than it was to tell her daughters I'm sure. I told her I would tell the girls. I have. And now that she is in palliative care and the time is close, I contemplate that her frail small frame will be overwhelmed in a suit that is probably three sizes too big on her. I suppose we will worry about that when the time comes. For some it may be easy to disregard wishes made by those who are deceased but for me, her wishes are important.

It seems trivial and I feel guilty when I begin thinking about what I should wear when I attend a funeral or memorial service yet when someone is close to you it is important to dress for them as a sign of respect. Whenever I wore a suit, my mother-in-law always complimented me and told me she liked suits on women. I'm going to wear a suit. She loved seeing her sons in suits and so of course, they will dress for their mom. And so it's not about you, when you decide on what to wear; it's all about the person you are honouring.

So is black the answer? Dark colours do seem to be the most acceptable particularly in European cultures but depending on your family ancestry and history, black may not be the choice. In my family, wearing black came with a set of rules depending on the relationship to you of the person who died. When my grandmother died, I was about eight and my aunt chastised my mother for allowing me to wear a red winter coat. As far as I remember, it was probably the only winter coat I had. I don't remember what my mother actually wore, but I do remember the black kerchiefs and scarves covering all the heads of the women in the church. For one year after the funeral, my mother wore black generally and she also wore a black armband on her coat or jacket to demonstrate that she was in mourning for her mother. After one of my brothers died, it was a very long time before she began wearing colour and it was only because, her other children began supplementing her wardrobe on birthdays and Christmas. In Canada, with so many different cultures living together there seems to be no need to be as demonstrative in mourning. In fact among my friends and family, if this custom ever was a consideration, it now has essentially disappeared. I wore beige to my eldest brother's memorial service in 2012.

Short of sleazy, I don't think it matters much what the mourners wear although we need to also be respectful of our surroundings. Like I said before, what we wear shows respect to the one we are honouring.

The Question of Chic

Personal Style and Chic-Ness

So has the concept of chic changed so much that I don't recognize it anymore? Are my ideas of chic that outdated? I have to ask myself, exactly what makes up "chic"? But then, it is only chic in my mind.

Living in Paris was a crash course in chic. - Rebecca Romijn

Really? Each time I visit Paris I look for men and women exemplifying that Parisian "chic" but it seems fewer "on the street" possess it. Or perhaps my idea of "it" is a notion developed too long ago to be relevant today. I read other bloggers posts about how fabulous everyone in Paris looks, which leaves the impression that everyone on the street is perfectly turned out. 

It amuses me when I'm described as chic. - Vanessa Paradis

If you are in certain arrondisements/districts, you may still encounter that "chic-ness", which I submit is stereotypic when one talks of Parisian chic. I have been visiting Paris since 1992, if not twice a year, at least annually; and it appears that "chic" is fading. The young seem obsessed with "American" fads and those still sporting "chic" appear to be the rich or at least those who are buying at the luxury boutiques. On a particular Saturday at the end of October, I saw more "running" shoes than I ever have in Paris. Bien sur, it was the weekend and some were very unique but they were still running shoes. So it now is no longer just the tourists. 

Uggs can be as chic as heels for women. - Andre Leon Talley

 . . . I think that both France and Britain are known for their distinctive styles and everyone says that France is so chic and elegant but I think . . . French women are renowned for dressing in what suits them. - Alexa Chung

Can you still be chic in running shoes? I suppose, but now it is not the clothing or the shoes or the bag, it is the person, the posture, the demeanor, the self-awareness and the self-esteem. That in the end is chic, not the clothing anyone is wearing or the accessories anyone is sporting. Who's definition of chic are you aspiring to? Hopefully your response reflects your own sense of style, albeit influenced. And so I leave you now to contemplate your own sense of "chic"-ness with a few quotes on personal style . . .

My style is ghetto chic. I love tacky jewelry, mega heels, high waisted shorts, catsuits. - Jessie J 

My style icons would be people like Brigette Bardot and old Hollywood actresses who always look so stunning, cool and chic. I like classic and timeless looks. - Jessica Brown Findlay

I'm not chic, I could never be chic. - Sid Vicious

I admire anyone with their own sense of personal style. - Nicole Ritchie

Layering Necklaces or Layered Necklaces

Multiple Choices

A Closet Content Analysis: Layering or Layered Necklaces

I get really excited about jewelry.

- Jenna Fischer

You have read about stacking bracelets, bangles and cuffs but have you layered and stacked your necklaces? Do it because jewellery designers and craftspeople are deliberately designing layered necklaces this season.

For the spring of 2013 I designed several necklaces using the same green stone with similar elements for the purpose of layering. However as it turned out, no one bought three or four separate necklaces to layer, they were buying the single necklace design that looked like several necklaces but with only one clasp. Even though the look is heavy, many do not want that heaviness in reality and so I am incorporating a multi-media approach to some of the layered necklaces and also some creative placement. 

For the fall, longer layered necklace along with "chokers" are being made and manufactured by both crafters and high end designers. Some of what I hear when customers are commenting is that if there is too much surrounding the neck, some people have feelings similar to claustrophobia. I wonder if this is one of the reasons more cowl neck sweaters are sold than turtleneck sweaters, but that's another post. 

For the fall and winter 2013-14, pull out all your necklaces and start playing, mixing them up to create a look that will take you through the holiday season. You may surprise yourself with the look you can create with what you already have. The choker may be more difficult to recreate but that's one you can buy to add to your collection.

Winter Jackets and Coats 2013-14

NICE    NOTE-WORTHY     NEED     NO THANKS

NEED: Just in case you need a winter jacket or coat this winter, think oversized, slouchy and big as being shown by leading fashion designers.

MaxMara Oversized Coat. Photo Source: MillionLooks

On the left, former model turned editor and now global fashion director for Harper's Bazaar, Carine Roitfeld, is wearing one of Max Mara's 2013 oversized coats.

If you decide to go with this oversize look and you are not model tall and thin, it might be best to stick to a 3/4 length jacket instead of a coat. Keep accessories to a minimum - forget the bulky knit scarf or snood when wearing a jacket with that much bulk in the body and shoulders. You can balance the look with skinny pants and sleek knee-high leather boots - wearing chunky heels or grunge lace-ups just won't do it. As far as your bag goes, it too should be slim rather than bulky and forget a shoulder strap. It just won't go over the bulk and sit that well. Either carry a clutch or a stylized slim case with a short handle.

NICE: The Celine over-sized pink coat.

NOTE-WORTHY: Oversized, slouchy, and big are fine attributes when you have to layer bulky knit sweaters underneath. That's the kind of layering we are most used to; however, this year layering shorter jackets over coats is also being shown. 

Photo Source: Alturzarra

It was Joseph Altuzarra who featured a waist-length leather jacket over a slim fitting winter wool coat. Altuzarra is a Parisian born designer who launched his first independent collection in New York in 2008. His "top" coat layering was an interesting twist shown against the oversize jackets and coats shown by other designers. Perhaps . . . if I was 20 years younger.

Winter Accessory 4: Hats & Toques

Closet Content Analysis: Upgrade Basic Winter Outerwear 

Noteworthy Choices: Hats & Toques


NICE    NOTE-WORTHY     NEED     NO THANKS

I don't often wear a hat, knitted cap or toque in the winter since much of my outside excursions are between car and building therefore I can manage the coldness without a hat. But truthfully, it's the hair. I prefer not to wear a knitted hat particularly since between the flattening effect and the static electricity it's easier not to wear one. I have no idea if the fact that the majority of body heat is lost through the head is true or not. When I'm out for a lengthy time, walking, cross-country skiing or at a sporting event, a toque is necessary but for the most part I abstain. 

Photo Source: Makings of Shanna Tice on Etsy

The closest I get to a head covering is a snood, which I find more adaptable to the weather. I found this snood on Makings of Shanna Tice on Etsy and I prefer the way the "hood" falls into a cowl neckline. It's an efficient piece since you can pull it up when you need or leave it as a scarf encircling your neck. She has other snoods and scarves (on her Etsy display) with the designers' touch of large wooden buttons. The snood is pulled up from the back, therefore there is less disruption to the hair.

Photo Source: Hair on the Brain

NICE: Apparently the secret to wearing a knitted hat is to place it on the head from the back and up, not from the front. You must leave a fringe of hair to frame your face, not pull it all under the hat. It then allegedly just pulls off from the back as well without too much muss or fuss. If you want to see and read more about how to wear a winter knitted hat visit hair on the brain, a blog written by Valerie and dedicated to hair products.

NOTE-WORTHY & NICE: Matching was discussed in the previous post about gloves and mittens. The photograph from hair on the brain is a perfect example of inexact matching. The cable knitted hat is a different texture but the same colour as one of the colours in the scarf. I find this type of complementary combining much more chic than the exact matching of similar knitted items in exact colour matches.

NEED: I probably need a knitted hat but I won't be out shopping for one until the season is over and I can get it on sale. That is unless I see one that I absolutely must have immediately. It's on my list.

NECESSARY: For walking, cross-country skiing and other wintersports and sporting events, the fleece toque or ski mask is necessary. Depending upon how cold it is, I prefer a fleece headband. Just don't get goofy with them - ears and noses on hats are for pre-schoolers.

Photo Source: Winter Syle

NO THANKS: My least favourite winter hats are those with pom poms and strings - too much like my childhood. I chose not to wear them when I was eight and I still prefer not to. The only reason this one looks attractive is because of the model and not the hat.

Winter Accessory 3: Mittens & Gloves

Closet Content Analysis: Upgrade Basic Winter Outerwear 

Necessary Choices: Mittens & Gloves

NICE     NECESSARY     NEED     NOTE-WORTHY

To match or not to match is the question. There are those who love the matched sets - snood and mittens, scarf and gloves, toques and mittens in the same colour, colour combinations and knits. I don't usually buy matched sets of these items and prefer to wear leather gloves although they are not the best choice for really cold weather. My favourite "matched set" is my Burberry check scarf (see the previous post) with red leather gloves - black and tan are nice too. 

NICE: If you need to protect your hands from the moderate cold, or you simply want to look fashionable, whatever the motivation, leather gloves fill the requirements. Leather gloves can be expensive and very expensive but if you care for them and don't lose them then your investment comes back tenfold. Consider a cost per wear on gloves that some of us have to wear everyday over a six month period - at the worst of times.

The nicest gloves I ever owned were purchased in Italy - cashmere lined, longer than wrist length but shorter than elbow length, red in colour and the most fashionable gloves I have ever put on my hands. Unfortunately I have no idea where they are - I don't know if I lost them or simply packed them away when I left for my 6 month stint in Europe and now cannot find them. I always have a black pair in every pocket and never seem to lose my black gloves.

NEED TO FIND or BUY: These gloves provide me with the criteria when searching for a new pair. They may have been "gauntlet" length which is about 11 inches but I thought they were a little longer than that. Of course, I never thought to measure them when I bought them. The best way to describe the length would be to compare them to rubber gloves that are sold for household use - longer for dipping hands into sinks of water.

NECESSARY: If it's frigid, mittens are a better choice. The warmth of your body is a greater insulator than the fabric encircling your fingers and so mittens "outwarm" gloves. My favourite mittens are either angora or mohair - I love fuzzy yarn for mittens. My husband once bought me a pair of blue and grey angora mittens at the farmers' market but I don't know where those are either. Although I have never owned a pair, the warmest are apparently "felted" wool mittens. They cost more because the mittens are knitted to be gigantic and then they are washed in hot water, shrinking the wool and thereby "felted".

NOTEWORTHY: If it's fashion not frigidity that you are trying to master unlined leather gloves are less expensive and mold to your hand in a way that lined gloves do not.

Photo Source: Leather Gloves Online

NEED: This is not so much "need" as desire - a pair of gloves in each and every colour - now that's a collection I wouldn't mind beginning.

NEED to Know when Buying Gloves: Snug is best. Leather stretches and if the glove has room to spare and long in the fingers when purchased they will become sloppy after a short period of pulling on and off and wearing. At the same time I write that, I am thinking about a friend whose personal preference is to have more room in the fingers for what he calls "insulation value". 

Winter Accessory 2: the Scarf

Closet Content Analysis:

Upgrade Basic Winter Outerwear

NECESSARY Choice: the Scarf

NECESSITY: When the wind is howling, it finds its way under, down, and through you. A scarf simply crossed over at the neck makes a world of difference and when the thermometer goes below minus 10, a scarf at the neck is even more important. 

Burberry Scarf Look Alike
Photo: JoyD

Burberry Check Company Trademark

NICE: For me, make that a soft merino wool, cashmere or a wool/cashmere/silk blend. I can't explain to you honestly or scientifically that the natural yarn is warmer than acrylic but I do prefer the natural fibres. My favourite scarf is cashmere, basically a copy of the "Burberry check" which was developed in the 1920s and originally used as lining in the luxury brand's trench coats. I bought my scarf in Scotland at a shop selling cashmere items but it is not the official Burberry brand - a knock off I guess.

Regional tartan of Canada: 

Saskatchewan

Cornwall's National Tartan (England)

These two particular tartans, one from Canada, and the other from England are similar to the Burberry check.

Photo Source: The Knatty Knitter

NO THANKS: My scarf needs to be lightweight, smooth and wrappable, not bulky. And so I say "no thanks" to a long thick bulky knit scarf but in fact, it all depends on the proportion of the bulk. So although quite beautiful, as this one posted on The Knatty Knitter, I prefer a less bulky yarn. I do love the colour and a pair of bulky knit mittens in that colour would be perfect with my Burberry look alike scarf. But that's the next post . . . 

NOTE-WORTHY: Although I say "no thanks" to a bulky knit scarf, I don't mind the bulky knit snood. It must be the wrapping process and what to do with the two ends of the scarf that add extra bulk that befuddle me.

Winter Accessory 1: the Snood

Closet Content Analysis:

Upgrade Basic Winter Outerwear

NICE Choice: the Snood

The next few posts will be dedicated to frigid winters (with apologies to those who do not experience the winters that this Canadian writer does). Since it is uneconomical to buy a new coat/jacket/parka every winter, the best strategy is to accessorize. 

I'll start with my favourite winter accessory: the snood - think scarf joined at the ends to form a circle, which is pulled over the head, in the most simplistic short version or if a little longer, to go twice around.

The more elaborate styles incorporate enough fabric for a "hood" that is pulled up from the back and then falls into a beautiful cowl neckline. I have seen them in faux and real fur, knitted or in woolen fabrics. Visit Swakdesigns.etsy.com for some beautiful hand-knitted snoods.

Photo Source: Swakdesigns

Photo Source: Swakdesigns

Photo Source: Burberry snood from The Telegraph

Burberry has shown the snood perennially for men and women in both solid colour cable knit and the classic Burberry plaid. This photograph is from 2009 however as stated they are a perennial winter fashion statement. Men and women are both comfortable wearing snoods and there's just something about the way they crumple into a cowl around the neck that makes for a chic look.

Photo Source: Brorablog

When choosing a snood, you need to consider proportion relative to the coat or jacket, style (long, short, simple, "hooded"), function ("hooded" or not) and of course, colour. I have accessorized my basic grey, brown and black coats and jackets with red but the baby blue as seen on the Brorablog is quite lovely and much more subtle than the red I chose.

You can do exactly what this photograph demonstrates and that is to pick one of the more subtle colours in a tweed or plaid and match your winter accessories to it.

Sweaters

Cozy Choices

A Clostet Content Analysis: Bulky Knit Sweaters

NICE         NO THANKS         NOTE-WORTHY

Sweater, n.: garment worn by a child when its mother is feeling chilly.

- Ambrose Bierce

Photo Source: Aran sweater from Blarney Woolen Mills 

I was in Ireland a few years back and although, it was June, I was cold - the humidity got to me. So much so that the sweaters aka jumpers, I know as "fisherman knit", looked very appealing. Trouble was, I was on my way to France and the need for a fisherman knit sweater from June to September was unlikely. In Ireland they were called Aran sweaters. I owned one in high school and although I have often thought about getting another, the opportunity has not been there, other than that cool rainy June week in Ireland. I have friends who are knitters and I have knitted a few simple things however I can't imagine that my skills would even suggest that an aran sweater would be on any of my "to do" lists.

While shopping in Paris at the end of October, there were many choices in many colours. Because of my height I do not care for a very bulky knit stitch and would choose one similar to the photograph of the Aran sweater here.

Bulky knit sweater purchased at Sandro
in the Marais, Paris, October, 2013.
Photo Source: JoyD

It seems ironic, but I just bought a sweater in Paris, mind you it was October. The sweater I finally purchased from a Sandro store in the Marais was not what I had in my mind exactly but after trying several on, I found that this style did not make me look like a "q-tip" - round on the top and narrow on the bottom. I did buy a creamy white one but I was looking for a pale creamy pink. I found one in that pale pink in a knit that was proportional to my frame at Galleries Lafayette but it was too big.

This experience offers the following advice: even if you question the look on the hangar, try it on, it just might work better than the original image you had in your mind's eye.

2021 Update: I shrunk this sweater in 2020 and decided to take it through the felting process. I cut circles to fit my non-stick pans and now this sweater separates them in the kitchen drawer.

Shopping in Paris

I took a five day layover in Paris before returning to Canada and spent some time at Galleries Lafayette on Saturday morning. I soon became disgusted with the crowds and the overburdened sales personnel. I made it to Bon Marché in the afternoon and service there seemed better. Actually you can't blame the service personnel for their short responses and their inattentiveness since most have to be suffering from "tourist fatigue". I left without buying anything at either department store, although I did try on several sweaters. Galleries Lafayette had a sale, which also is becoming more common. There once was a time when there were only ever two sales per year in France, one in January and one in July, both required by French law. Now very often you see the "soldes/sale" signs as often as you do in North America.

Shopping in Paris can be invigorating and satisfying or just plain frustrating therefore to accomplish the best Parisian shopping experience, you might want to try a few of my suggestions:

NEED: Have a list of the items you want to buy in the price ranges you want to spend. This year I had two particular things on my list: a bulky knit pullover in a creamy pink and a pair of camel straight leg trousers. If you go with no particular item or items in your head you will soon become overwhelmed with the choices. Don't worry, your list will not limit you, there is plenty to see and divert your attention even when you are shopping for specifics. When I was working full time in my profession, I knew exactly what I needed; now it's not so easy - I don't really need anything.

With that in mind, shoes, scarves and handbags are the easiest to buy. Clothing takes more time and effort in the fitting rooms.

NOTE-WORTHY: Visit the designer shops and the ones in the department stores such as Galleries Lafayette, Printemps and Bon Marché for the perfect opportunity to get a cross-section of what the trends are for the moment. If you can afford to buy, then make your way to the luxury brand signature stores. If the luxury brands are not worth it in your estimations, then make your way to the less expensive marks in the department stores with the ideas you garnered from the designer looks.

Language and attitude sometimes make tourists reticent to visit the small boutiques. Don't deprive yourself of this opportunity. The shop owners want to sell and you are a potential buyer - you have the upper hand. Or just window shop for ideas.

NECESSARY: Remember that you are paying a Value Added Tax of approximately 19.7% on the clothing and luxury items you purchase. As a tourist you can get that back if you spend €175. or more in one store on the same day so be strategic in your buying. You have to ask for the tax back form and the store personnel will fill it out for you. And remember your passport - that number and proof that you live elsewhere is necessary for the form. I wrote about this on the Paying Duty post. 

I did buy from a shop called Sandro in the Marais. The "form" came from the cash register in the same format as the receipt. Now I don't know if all shops have this capability but this is definitely an innovation, making the process easier for both the shops and the consumer.

NICE: If you see it and like it, buy it. That is the first rule of travel. If you are in Paris as a tourist wanting to get some shopping done, you may not have the time to indulge in looking around and then returning to where you first saw something. I have been in the situation where by the time I returned to the shop, it was closed and I was leaving before it would be opened again. Be happy with your purchases, don't second guess the cost and enjoy wearing your Parisian "souvenir/s".

And if you leave Paris with nothing new in your suitcase (although I doubt that), you will leave a little more cognizant of what is chic and what is trendy, helping you spend your tourist/closet dollars at home.

What to Match; What Not to Match

Closet Content Analysis: Monochromatic Matching 

NICE      NEED      NECESSARY

Matching your hat to your shoe to your bag, or your necklace to your earrings, has a tendency to look dated. Mixing up your accessories adds interest to an outfit, and can make you look more modern and polished. 

 - Stacy London

NO THANKS: There once was a time where shoes and bag had to match, a time when shoes were dyed the same colour as the dress . . . thank goodness that is over. Matching shoes to a bag is a definite NO THANKS, as are exact matches of necklaces and earrings. 

At the same time that I write about not matching shoes to a bag, I must reveal my "unintentional match" of my patent ballet flats with my Lancel bag. It works for me because the colour of the bag is a tone lighter and has a differentiated colour effect because of the texture. The pants too are in the same taupe tone.

Matching taupe ballet flats, skinny Theory pants and Lancel Premier Flirt bag. Photo by JoyD.

NICE: However, vestiges of the basic principle still exist and are quite valid. Monochromatic matching is my thing. I have seen a pink formal gown with a leather shoe that was beige with a pink tone that looked very NICE. If the tone of beige was yellow, it wouldn't have worked. I learned to match certain accessories because I am short relative to most everyone I know. I always wore a colour or tone of shoes matched with the trousers because I believed that it gave my leg an illusion of length, as you see in the photo of my Theory skinny pants and ballet flats. For the same reason, I prefer a black skirt, black tights and black shoes and couldn't imagine wearing a white skirt with black tights, and never ever black tights with white shoes. There are those who do it but I am not one of them.The match now should be subtle in its tone because a perfect colour match seems too garish, too planned, too coordinated.

In fact, when I am designing jewellery I tend not to make "matched sets" of earrings and necklaces. Rather I will make several earrings that have certain of the same elements as a necklace but not in the same assemblage. I have made matched sets because there are people who still want that look but usually it has been done because of a direct request.

Monochromatic Matching:

Shoes with trousers: men have done this forever - black shoes with black pants or tones of colour together; brown with brown tones, etc.

Shoes in one of the colours of a print so that a pair of shoes could match any one of the colours in my Italian-made Manila Grace print dress which has blue, mauve, a couple of shades of rusty brown on a creamy white background. Anyone of those colours will look terrific with this dress.
















NO THANKS: Analogous "matching" is clashing in my assessment. Think of a colour wheel, now pick a colour and then the next colours on either side of it would be considered analogous matching which means that if you choose red, you could put pink or an orangey shade with it - sorry, I just can't do pink and red; nor can I do orange and red. 

Life was so much easier when your clothes didn't match and boys had cooties. 

- Unknown 

Check out my other post on Matching: Unintentional Matches 

Paying "duty"

I am soon to be returning to Canada and since I travel back and forth between France and Canada, I am at the mercy of airport personnel questioning me about my claims of purchases and possibly some of my high end products. I have a story about a fellow, who traveling from the USA to Canada, was questioned about his cashmere luxury brand sweater. The customs agent asked why he did not "claim" the sweater on his list of purchases. The sweater was not new. Still the agent had the authority to charge him since the traveller had no receipt. And in fact the agent was about to do exactly that. However, the sweater was old enough that the fellow had kept no receipt and so instead of paying a charge, he took the sweater off and asked the agent to throw it in the garbage. I imagine he was saying to himself, this sweater owes me nothing and he wanted to demonstrate to the customs agent, I would rather dispose of the sweater than oblige to your insistence. If he had the receipt at home, he could have paid the charge and then applied to the Canadian authorities for a refund. Here is a case where you are guilty until proven innocent.

But so it is when dealing with any customs and immigration. I understand the necessity for the authority they must posses but when it comes to sweaters and purses and shoes, sometimes I think the customs officer must be bored to be so preoccupied with such frivolous items. 

Because we travel regularly between Europe and Canada, I do not want to be red-flagged and so I am impeccable with my list and with receipts although I am still perturbed with some of the requirements expected of the traveller. I have debated this issue with a Canadian lawyer and with an accountant with Revenue Canada. I always lose the debate. The law is the law and no matter what my rationale is, none of my points are going to make a difference to the customs agent who is only doing his or her job. Therefore I defer to being meticulous with my expenses and my list.

In Europe, there is a VAT (value added tax) that can be up to 19% on certain categories of items. Store policies vary but a general rule is that on any given day, you must spend at least €175.00 and ask for a tax return document, which the shop personnel must complete. I did buy from a shop called Sandro in the Marais just last week and the "form" came from the cash register in the same format as the receipt. Now I don't know if all shops have this capability but this is definitely a recent innovation, making the process easier for both the shops and the consumer.

You need to offer passport information in this process and then you must have the purchase verified before you leave the country (go through security). This requires that you must have the receipts as well as the actual items. In Paris, if your items are in your checked baggage and you go to the tax kiosk after, you will be out of luck. They need to see the actual items. I was in Charles de Galle airport just last week and the agent did not ask to see my item however most other times I have been required to show what I bought. I wouldn't risk not putting those items in your carry-on. 

After that process, you can then check in and drop the document in the post. You will receive the tax back as a credit to your credit card account. Or you can walk a few meters to another kiosk and if you pay a commission of just over 10% you can get Euros or whatever currency at the airport. I bought an item for €195. and received €20. and change back. The actual tax was €23. and change for the purchase.

In the past, the issue here too can be that this service by shop-owners can be inconsistent - some have the forms, some don't; some have lower or higher minimal purchases and the whole process can be annoying for both sales personnel and customer. However, I do not know if all shops have the new cash register receipt form that I encountered in Paris this year. The best service for tax returns, of course, is in the department stores and in luxury brand stores. One more thing, you must have your passport for this process.

The only advice I can give, and I do follow it, is to keep all receipts  and be aware of the necessity for receipts of high end items, no matter how old, particularly when you may have already paid duty on them. 

Echoes from the voices of my mom and my Girl Guide leader are in my head, "honesty is the best policy" and "be prepared".

What's New in Boots for the Winter, 2013?

We went to the market last Sunday in Issigeac in the south-west of France, a little ways away from Bergerac. My husband wore sandals and I wore boots. Such is the weather here. The fall mornings are cool enough to make you realize that summer is over but it is nice enough during the day to make you want to keep wearing your sandals. Considering I return to Canada for the snow, you would think that I would be acclimatized to cooler weather. The humid overcast coolness here affects me quite differently than the dry sunny bitter cold of Canada. It is the sun more than the cold that affects me. Nonetheless, boots are a common purchase whether here or in Canada.

I bought a pair of boots while I was in Roman-sur-Isere in the south-east of France in September. Before I shopped, I perused the net to find out what is "new" as far as styles goe. 

Deja-vu?

Was it that long ago that I bought my over the knee boots, that they are back in style again? Or maybe they're still in style? Whatever . . . over the knee boots are supposedly one of the number one styles of boots for the winter of 2013. Of course, no one is discounting knee-high boots and the mid-calf ones are still being shown, the short ankle boots are still around and the dysfunctional bootie shows up again, in my mind, for "show" only. I should not be so harsh. If I were staying in France for the winter, perhaps the bootie would be sufficient; however I am back in Canada and so . . .  do I have to explain myself? So what's new? Maybe nothing. But what are "they" showing in boots for 2013?

1. Over the knee boots - heels or flat

2. Knee high boots - heels or flat; riding boot style still popular

3. Mid-calf boots

4. Ankle boots

5. Booties - grazing the ankle and certainly not snow friendly

. . . some with boot bling at the ankle, some with a simple buckle at the top or at the ankle, some refined and elegant, some revisiting combat grunge. It appears that whatever style you like, it's "in".

I feel like I just described boots over the past 10 years. Elle's Fall Boot Guide illustrates a cross-section of all of the above for 2013.

I settled for knee-highboots with a buckle at the top and at the ankle. Interestingly, there are two zippers - one at the back and one at the inside ankle. I've never had a pair of boots with two zips.

I am pleased with them and I believe they will serve me well over the next two or three winters in Canada or in France.

Fall Colours 2013

Spring colours blend into fall 2013

Choices: Pantone or Not?

Do designers influence Pantone or does Pantone influence designers? I often wonder to what extent designers use the Pantone colours for seasonal collections. The reason I ponder that question is because of some of the beautiful pieces I have seen that are no where near what Pantone is promoting. Emerald was touted as the Pantone Colour of the Year and although it is allegedly all over the runways for the fall, I must be blind to it because it's not a colour I would choose and so I suppose I ignore it. In a March post I wrote about the green focus of Pantone for Spring 2013.  

At the same time one site tells us green is happening all over the runways, another is saying that blue in every shade is the colour of the season. This same debate was presented in that March, 2013 post. 

So here is what Pantone says the top colors for women’s fashion for fall 2013 are:

PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald
PANTONE 18-4434 Mykonos Blue
PANTONE 15-0533 Linden Green
PANTONE 19-3628 Acai
PANTONE 19-1662 Samba
PANTONE 17-1452 Koi
PANTONE 18-0312 Deep Lichen Green
PANTONE 19-2045 Vivacious
PANTONE 19-4215 Turbulence
PANTONE 19-1116 Carafe

And for the men, 9 are exactly the same, just replace Vivacious with PANTONE 18-2027 Beaujolais.

There are two particular colour concepts that are fashionable and trendy for 2013 and that I love but they don't correspond with Pantone's picks.

NICE

1. Winter White: According to Glamour head to toe white in the textures relative to winter weather is one of the "most wearable fashion trends". Yet I see no white, cream, beige or ecru in the lot of Pantone colours. However, we can forgive them since "winter white" is a classic that never really goes "out".

Céline Oversize Coat Fall, 2013. Photo source: Elle

2. The powder/pastel pinks that Elle.com and Glamour have proposed for the Fall of 2013 are no where near the tone of Pantone's Vivacious yet a whole series of clothing and accessories in this pale pink are featured on Elle's website. Granted the grey under the coat and the boots could be the shade of Pantone's Turbulence but then again, pastel pink and grey has been co-ordinated forever.

When it comes to colours, really, we choose the ones we like, the ones we believe we look good in and the ones that are available to us in the clothing items we need.