I am ready, I mean, packed

Hello everyone! Do you travel for work?

I do not travel much anymore. Since my older's son birth, I am not able to go far away, or for a long time. The one travel appointment I do not miss is the major conference in my field, which is always held around the end of April in the US. It is not only the change to get up-to-date on the latest research trends (yes, there is such a thing), but also to connect with all my friends, who are now scattered all over the world. This year, the conference is in Boston, and I wouldn't miss it for the world.

Boston is the city where my husband and I met for he first time, and where I spent a professionally unbearable, but personally enriching, year after I finished my PhD. But.

It is the first time I am leaving my baby since he was born almost fifteen months ago. I am still breastfeeding him at night. Mamma is the word he uses the most. I honestly cannot form a mental image of myself leaving him.

I am packed, but I am not ready.

The style resolution it is not too late to make (and stick to)

Hello everyone! Have you made any style resolutions this year?

AlthoughI have not shared it with you, my one and only style resolution this year is to shop in season. Why? Because I realized that financially it makes perfect sense. First, it means I avoid over-buying: as much as that pair of sandals seems irresistible in December, I know it will remained boxed in my closet for at least three months -- by the end of which period new and equally irresistible styles will be available, making me regret the purchase. Second, it means I am never buying full price. As fashion seasons are always ahead, clothing is discounted by the time it becomes season-appropriate. 

This year, this rings particularly true because of the cold front that has hit most of the Northern emisphere. If you think that has made you miserable, you have no idea how much has made retailers miserable. Their loss is our (the consumers) gain, because spring sales are quite attractive right now.

Montreal's high-end department stores (Holt Renfrew and Ogivly) have no current offers. The Bay is running "The Bay Days", and it is a worthwhile stop if you have time to sift through the spring clearance items, which can be up to 60% off. GAP and Old Navy are also running their spring sale, in stores and online. If you have favorite items, I suggest you check both places because discounts vary widely between the two. Banana Republic, on the contrary, offers a consistent 40% off in store and online until April 21 with code BRFORTY.

Online, here is the roundup of the best places where you can save through Easter Monday, in case the surprise inside your chocolate egg doesn't quite cut it:

SHOPBOP. 25% off everything (including sale items) with code INTHEFAMILY14 until tonight, so hurry! 

YOOX. There is a selection of items marked down 25%, but for the next five days you can also take 15% off the items in your Dreambox with code YOOXDREAMBOX.

LACOSTE. Take 20$ off every purchase of 100$ or more until Monday, April 21, with code EASTERCROC (in stores, you need to present the email you received with the offer).

NEIMAN MARCUS is offering duty-free shipping to Canada on all online orders over 100$ until April 30 with code DUTYFREE, which is a saving of about 30%. 

J. CREW is also offering 30% off select styles with code BIGSALE.

SAKS' Friends and Family sale is scheduled to start on Saturday and run through Monday, with discounts around 25% off.

Photo: Jak and Jil.

Mother's Day 2014 Gift Guide

Hello everyone! Have you started thinking about Mother's Day?

I know, it would have been difficult not to, since advertisement about Mother's Day started before Easter. I am curious: do you give hints about what you would like for Mother's Day? Or do you wait to be pleasantly surprised? And who do you get gifts from, just your kids or your hubby as well?

My husband does not like too much to follow my instructions when gifts are concerned (which takes courage given my OCD personality), so most of my wish lists are not even glanced upon. Given my OCD personality (see previous parentheses), I make them anyway. Here are my top gifts (are you reading dear?). I hope you find them inspiring.

1/ 'Naps fix everything' gold-foil print  2/ A new iPhone to snap those baby pictures with a better resolution than my old 4s. 3/ Grey stripes notes journal (available in blossom and apricot as well, in case you are not as obsessed with grey as I am)

P.S. You may want to check out my suggestions for new moms here and here.

CS14 Essentials | The inner layer

Hello everyone! What did you wear yesterday?

I ask because it was a typical spring day in Montreal: it started out around zero degrees Celsius in the morning, increased to about 20 degrees around lunchtime, and had you sweating by 2 pm.

I changed three times. I wore a light merino sweater plus jeans combo in the morning, switched for a long sleeves tee and blazer when I went out to take my son to the movies after lunch, came back sweating and ditched the jacket. By evening, we were snuggling under a blanket while watching TV. Ah, transition dressing, I hate you.

We have to get through it though. (And no, just throwing on a scarf à la française will not do it, thank you very much). Note the thick cotton sweater in the picture above? It is my best ally this time of the year. (Plus, it goes great with fluid pants -- so SS14) When boots are not in order, I also make sure to keep my patent shoes handy, since they will withstand the rain and the slush well. Add a zip-top bag to keep my stuff dry, and I am good to go. Somewhat, at least.

CS14 Essentials | The outer layer

   

Hello everyone! Are you layering?

Now that we are out of the extreme winter cold, layering has become essential. My strategy is to put my stash of coats (I don't want to talk about it) to its best use. This season I am inspired by dark grey and navy, so I stored all my puffer jackets and organized our front closet with my Isabel Marant for H&M grey coat, my Vince unlined electric blue coat, and my Stella McCartney navy coat, which will accommodate cooler to warmer temperatures in the weeks to come. I also purchased an ultra-light down jacket with a hood for rainy days and windy soccer matches. (If you are lucky enough to visit the US these days, do yourself a favour and buy Uniqlo's ultra-light down, which is cheaper and comes in more styles -- but is still unavailable in Montreal).

Footwear is tricky. There is still snow on the ground, but winter boots are excessive. My feet get cold, so rain boots (like my beloved Dav ones) are not the right choice. I am considering a classic pair of Hunter boots with sock insert, or this gorgeous (by name and by fact) pair of Stuart Weitzman's Gore Tex booties -- either ones of which would be a good investment for Fall as well.

Together with the boots, I abandoned my winter hats as well though, in exchange for a cotton-blend beanie by Urban Outfitters. Still studying the best pair of mirrored sunglasses...

The Fashionable Mom guide to Cold Spring 2014

Hello everyone! Have you familiarized yourself with the trends for SS14?

After last week's rundown (6 posts in one day! And I was even teaching in the afternoon!), now it is time to get to it. What to wear right now as we wait that summer hits.

Sure, you are itching to pop out those pastels and pink. Possibly the sandals. I am, too. But there is snow still on the ground, rain appears when you least expect it, and temperatures oscillate between 0 and 20 degrees Celsius in one day, and in random order. Sorry pastels. Hold on, sandals.

In a way, we are lucky, because there is no lack of inspiration out there, and I am not just talking about the fur-galore at NYFW during March's polar vortex. From navy blue at Chloé (top) to steel grey and neutrals at Brunello Cucinelli and Celine (middle), there are a lot of pieces you and I already own that we can reinvent for our Cold Spring. I mean, look at Jeanne on the streets of Paris (via Garance): isn't that the Isabel Marant for H&M coat? 

The job I didn't get (aka my briefcase obsession)

Hello everyone! Would you mind allowing me to vent a bit?

I really wanted to get a job upgrade. Contrary to most professors, who generally hate the prospect, I really wanted to become department chair. There isn't a big payoff that comes with it in my university, so it wasn't the financial benefit that I was after. I just think I could be good at it, because I am very organized and I like administrative work. Or maybe it is just that I have been going through a sort of a research hiatus since my sabbatical, and I needed a change. Four years of administration fit the bill, and would have allowed me to put my research brain in the sand a bit and not wonder why I have not come up with a great research question that needs answers (by me, obviously).

I did not get the job. My colleague, the one whom I pushed to get hired and in doing so destroyed my political credibility inside the department, got it. I am really happy for him. I am sure that things will be better, and that coming to work will become pleasant again as soon as the current guy leaves.

I just cannot stop thinking about the briefcase I was planning to get for the new job (this one or this one, in case you were wondering).


Photo: Kate Middleton leaving for her Canada Tour in a Smythe blazer and Mulberry's Polly push-lock bag (via Fashion Fashist). 

SS14 trends | Mirror, mirror

Hello everyone! Are you getting new shades this season?

Nothing says summer to me like a new pair of sunglasses. This year there are so many great styles to choose from, from round frames (like those that debuted last year) to extremely geometric shapes (remember, G is for geometric this season). I have fallen for the mirrored lens. How about you?


Photo: Giovanna Battaglia at NYFW.

SS14 trends | Feeling the blue

Hello everyone! Do you own a white shirt?

It is deemed one of the key essentials in every woman's closet. This season, make sure it gets a blue companion. Layering blues is a key trend for spring (like at Celine above), as much as a tailored Oxford shirt. You do the math.

My favorite one? I have tried at least a few over the years, at different prices. You know which one has withstood seamlessly time and multiple washes? Banana Republic's fitted non-iron sateen shirt, which I own in white, grey and blue. At this price point, it is a no brainer. But hurry, they sell out fast, and the brand flagship store in downtown Montreal has just restocked. (Until April 6, you can take 40% off with code BRSPRING20 if you shop online, but small sizes are already sold out).

P.S. Make sure not to miss today's earlier posts about the trends for SS14, such as this one.

SS14 trends | The bucket list

Hello everyone! What do you think about Mansur Gavriel?

Mansur Gavriel's unlined leather bucket bag was supposed to be THE anti-it bag. As it sure happens, it has become the chimera of handbags, and redefined the concept of waiting list. I have never had the luck to even see one, so I cannot comment on whether the hype is justified. Let me tell you though, Louis Vuitton's Noe bag will never go out of style, and will come in handy in case you find yourself in the desert, too. (And this Zara bag is the next best thing).


P.S. More SS14 trends here.


Photo: The Distillerist.

SS14 trends | Liquid metal

Hello everyone! Do you like metallics?

Every year, fashion trends highlight a certain shade of metallics for spring and summer. This is the year of silver and liquid metallics (as languid as the fluid pants I wrote about earlier today), possibly paired with pink.  I may not as brave to try the silver flute skirt pictured above (from Whistles SS14 runway), but I have my eyes on a certain silver mini bag...

P.S. More SS14 trends here, here, here and here.

SS14 trends | Don't sweat(er) it

Hello everyone! Have you bought into the sweatshirt trend from last Fall?

If so, hold to your horses, I mean, your sweats. The "sporty chic" trend for SS14 still calls for it. If not, it is not too late to grab a fancy (possibly embellished) one. I am in love with those by Clover Canyon, which are now available at Simons. How about you?

P.S. In case it does not make you feel too cheerleader-y, you can also grab a varsity jacket like one of these (or get out your old one?)

P.P.S. More SS14 trends here, here and here.


Photo: Clover Canyon Fall 2014 via Fabsugar.

SS14 trends | The fluid pant

Hello everyone! Are you following our coverage of the trends for SS14?

Earlier today, I mentioned that most pant styles are either cropped or high-waisted. This is true. But the must of the season is a different one: the fluid pant.

I love it. It makes me think of lazy days spent outside sipping ice tea with nothing but a bikini top to go with it, enjoying the first sun and the first tan.

The plus? The fluid pant is here to stay. As you can see in the picture above from Ralph Lauren's collection for Fall 2014  (via Crain's New York), we'll be seeing more of it even after Labor Day (in white!). I have my eyes on this pair. What do you think?

P.S. Don't forget the fringe!

SS14 trends | On the fringe

Hello everyone! Have you come across Valentino's stunning campaign for SS14?

It is my favorite one this season. I mean, the palette (wow), the fringe (double wow). But it is how unexpected it is for spring, the season of pink and pastels.

Now, incorporating fringe in your wardrobe does not come easy. Cheap bags and shoes adorned with fringe look just that, cheap. (I am looking at you, H&M fringed clutch). Does it mean you need to abandon the dream altogether? I will probably opt for a pair of fringed sandals, which tend to be priced more reasonably. Or this bag. (Because, you know, I am obsessed). How about you?

P.S. This is our this post about the trends for SS14, after last week's illustrated preview and my ranting about the skimpy crop earlier today.

SS14 trends | The skimpy crop

Ready for the roundup of the trends for SS14?

After last week's illustrated preview, it's time to get down to business. (And I will try to do it fast and sweet, to get down to those essentials for our cold Canadian spring).

This year, when I think of spring, my head echoes with the tunes of The Lego Movie's famous song, with slightly different words: "Everything is cropped...."

Goodness gracious, you cannot find anything in the stores right now that is not cropped in someway. I am not even talking about abs-showing tops like the one pictured above. Sweaters hit at the hips, but in a skimpy way. If they are a bit longer, they are square-shaped (you know how unflattering that is to most body types?) Pants are cropped at the ankle. Or high-waist to accommodate the aforementioned abs-showing tops.

This is to say, ready yourself. (I am hitting the gym, you know, to get my post-two pregnancies abs at least presentable for this season).


Photo: Alice+Olivia via Shopbop.

The Cold Spring Edit

Hello everyone! Are you enjoying Spring?

I know what you must be thinking: what Spring? After the extreme cold we have endured this winter, we had 25 cm of snow just last week.

You are right. What I realized yesterday is that this is Spring in Montreal. Because two days ago it happened: I went outside and I was warm in my puffer jacket, and I saw the snow melting around me as we experienced two consecutive days of minimum temperatures close to zero degrees Celsius. Of course, there might be snow flurries this afternoon, but who cares? It seems the worst has passed.

Welcome Spring then! Does it mean that you can take out those sandals? Obviously, not yet. Spring in Montreal is the season of extremes, with a capital E. Mornings are chilly enough that you need a heavy coat, hat, and scarf. By lunchtime, if the sun is shining, you may be fine in a shirt or light sweater. And keep that puffer handy for the backlash of winter freeze that will come, eventually (remember last year's chilly Mother's Day?). Then one day we will go from 0 to 25 degrees Celsius in a week and, then, only then, those sandals will come in handy.

What to do of the Spring trends, of which I just gave you an illustrated preview? Every year, I skip them. I wait until the Spring collections go on sale around late May to stock up for summer fashion. Maybe because this year the winter has been exhaustingly long and impossibly cold, I decided to change my approach.

Let's then embrace this cold spring of ours. The Fashionable Mom guide to Cold Spring 2014 coming right up.



Photo: Zanna Roberts Rassi at New York Fashion Week 2014 (via Style and the City).