Q1: With the Spring season upon us, the females out there are itching to get their hands on some new clothes, what kinds of styles are cool this Spring?

Look for soft comfortable, feminine, flowing fabrics, lots of prints - faces and flowery and bling: embellishments on clothes. Tunics with leggings are back and they hide a multitude of sins.

Q2: It sounds like, to be in fashion, you need to throw out everything and go for all the new stuff?

It’s always confusing as fashion shifts, but there is a way to get around this. There are women who run fashion businesses where the emphasis is one-on-one shopping. They know you, know what you like and what you look good in and even keep track of your wardrobe. So they may say, you can wear the long top from last year but buy jeggings to go with them.

Q3: What are jeggings?

Leggings made out of jeans fabric.

Q4: Let’s go through a couple of these shops to see what they have to offer:

You might have heard of  Fashionwear as a fashion service which held sales in the Ruby Foo’s Hotel during the Fall and again in the Spring. Now they have a permanent location at the Centre d’Achats Hudson. They stock a unique collection of about 2 dozen lines of women’s trendy clothes (even Lindsay Phillips’ switch flops ) and giftware and gadgets.
As you try on outfits, you are aided by Lisa or one of the consultants, who help you coordinate a wardrobe. They keep a computer database of what you buy each time and try to update your look based on what you already have at home. To find out dates of their Ruby Foo sales, get on their calling or e-mail list.

Location: Centre d’Achats Hudson at Exit 26 of the Transcanadienne.
Hours: Regular
Phone450 218-1955
www.fashionwearcanada.com

Another local Canadian company which used to be called Optionelle, now named EVEology clothing collection, is less about following trends and more about creating one’s own personal style rather than just jumping onto “what’s hot”.  You can view the clothing at www.eveology.com and then go in locally to try them on and buy (sizes mostly 4-2XL). Their clothing focuses on everyday glam looks which combine fashion, function and the attention to detail. Most interestingly, it is designed and sorted by body type so you can easily choose which pieces will make you look the best.
If you have no time to go out and shop, home presentations are possible; Gather some friends together and have a private fashion show and you can earn fashion dollars as a percentage of the sales. If you don’t have time or energy to clean your house and clear out your hubby and kids, Elisabeth will just host the party at her place. She’s been been selling this way for years and is great at helping you select a wardrobe to suit you.  Shopping here is like having your own personal dresser.

Tel: 514 684-0370
Hours: By appointment
fashionista@acn.net
www.eveology.com

Q5: What about the full-figured woman, how does she fit in to this, literally and figuratively?

Women with larger needs (sizes 14-24) can shop at Oppen’s where  they are lucky to get Beverly’s personal service with wardrobe coordination. The racks offer lots of mix and match possibilities in washable fabrics, and even jewelry to finish off the look. Well known labels such as Linda Lundstrom, Simon Chang, Conrad C, NYDJ - Tummy Tuck Jeans, Kokomarina, Tara Vao  Franck Anna, Alain Weiz, Spanner are there for you. They also carry Spanx to smooth you out, slinky knits and their own Beverly shirts and opera coats.

Location: 4828 boul. St-Laurent
Corner: Villeneuve
Phone: 514-844-9159
Hours: Tues-Fri 10:30-5, Sat 10:30-5

If you’re ready to go buy your spring runners, here’s some help for this weekend only. You must have the coupon when you shop:

I’ve been asked where you can buy retro wool jackets with leather sleeves and never had an answer. Now I have discovered that Coronet Leather Garments, in my book all along is the place to get them made.  for you.

This friendly family business, around for 31 years, is a manufacturer with a showroom of  jackets and coats in lambskin, cowhide and some sheepskin for men, women or children. They can of course  do made-to-measure (even embroidery on them) as well. They can make suits, pants, skirts, long coats and can do repairs.

If you have a sports team, jackets can be personalized with logos or emblems.

Location: 7475 boul. St-Laurent
Corner: Faillon
Tel: 514-272-2638
Hours:  Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat 9-3 (Closed July, Aug Mon-Fri 9-4, Sat 10-2)

Refurbishing giant, J. Sonic is holding a sale of electronics.  The enormous warehouse is full of such things as: LCD TV’s from $1188.99 (52″) to only $388.99 (37″), Blu-ray $288.99, home theatre system $188.99 or a computer $244.99

Location: 300 Montee de Liesse
Corner: Cote de liesse
Dates: Mar 26-28
Hours:  Thurs 4-9, & Fri 10-4   Sat 9-5
www.refurbished.ca

The best monthly sales of linens, etc. is the one held on Louvain St. in the Chabanel area. For bedding, curtains, carpets, comforters, pillows,  shower curtains, carpets, bath towels, mats, dishcloths, oven mitts, etc.

Location: 120 Louvain
Dates and times: Fri Feb 26: 11-6;  Sat Feb 27: 8-1
www.liquideco.com

Buying furniture and equipment for a new baby is overwhelming these days. So many of the accessories have bells and whistles on them which require comparisons and lots of decision making. In contrast, buying a crib is still simple. In fact it’s been made even simpler over the years, since safety councils in North America have addressed most of the problems associated with accidental crib deaths due to design flaws.

There are strict rules about their construction, and you no longer have to worry, because any new crib you buy manufactured in Canada will have followed them. Some of the problems that were addressed over the years:

- The slats must be less than 6 cm (2 3/8″) apart so a baby’s head cannot get stuck in them. An easy way to check this is to take along something about the size of a soda can when you go shopping. You should not be able to slide it through the slats.

- Corner posts cannot be more than 3 cm ( 1/8″) high so a baby’s clothing cannot catch and cause a possible hanging situation.

- Mattresses must not be loose, so that a baby would be able to get trapped between the mattress and the side of the crib or slip under it. Mattresses are now made so tight fitting that they cannot be pulled up easily from the corners. You can check this by placing two fingers between the mattress and the side of the crib - it should feel snug. If you can fit in a third finger, the mattress is probably too small.

- There should be no rough edges in the wood that a baby could touch.

- There should be no missing, wiggly, or improperly installed screws, brackets or other hardware on the crib or on the mattress support.

- The crib frame should feel sturdy when you shake it. The headboard should be strong and the mattress support structure must have a firm fit. Wood joints should not be coming apart.

It is the drop side cribs that have had the most problems with recalls and the US is looking into discontinuing them altogether. They are  easiest for getting the baby in and out though. Make sure it is quiet and it moves effortlessly, as the baby might be asleep when you’re using it. Of course, the mechanism that you use should be out of the baby’s reach.

Try to buy a crib with as large as possible distance between the top of the side rail and the mattress support so it is more difficult for older babies to climb out. The top of the drop-side must be at least 66 cm (26″) above the support at its lowest position when raised and at least 23 cm (9″) above the mattress support when lowered.

There are cribs you can buy which can be converted to a toddler bed or double bed. This will give you many more years of use from the furniture. Some may need special tools or extra kits, so make sure you get them when you buy the crib, and try to remember where you stored them for when you need them years later.

Meubles Les Petits Mousses, 1629 Autoroute 440 West at Industriel Blvd. Phone: 450-681-0576. Hours: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. www.petitsmousses.com If you want a solid birchwood crib (which converts to a bed) for your baby, made right here in Quebec, this factory-direct location offers you a few choices of styles starting at $229. You can have it made in one of eighteen colors, and complete the ensemble with a changing table, rocking chair, bunk beds or toy chest to match.

Bo Bebe, 9540 boul. St-Laurent at Louvain. Phone: 514-858-6336. Hours: Regular plus Sun 10-5  Being located up in the Chabanel area puts pressure on a store to live up to the bargain shoppers  who buy around here. Baby furniture, bedding, curtains, lamps, rocking chairs, pack’n plays and strollers are sold, and you can even buy a hardwood crib for $149. Baby furnishings and juvenile furniture are by Graco, Chicco, Safety 1st,  Baby’s Own, Spasilk, Avent and now there’s lots of baby clothing ((racks at $2.93, $4.93, $6.93). Other location: 1577 boul. Daniel Johnson 450-687-1661). www.bo-bebe.com

Bambino, 10412 Boul. Gouin, Roxboro, at boul. Commercial. Phone: 514-683-9364. Hours: Mon-Thurs 11-5:30, Fri 11-9, Sat 11-5, Sun 12-5. Bambino is a baby store on the West Island that is hiding in a graystone house. You can expect one-on-one service to help you select what you need or want. All the baby necessities are available: cribs starting at $199, strollers  (Graco and Perego), gliders, cradles, car seats, cotton sheets and bedding, drawer liners and Kushies products. Don’t be afraid to negotiate when it comes to price. Other locations: 6572 Papineau (514-729-2901); La Prairie, 554 ch. St-Jean (450-444-8636). www.bambinofurniture.com

Homegrown company, MEGA Brands is having a seasonal warehouse sale in the warehouse at the headquarters (4505 Hickmore, VSL). Besides their well-known snap together Mega Bloks, they also sell arts and crafts under the RoseArt brand, and MagNext building sets, King Arthur construction sets, trucks, puzzles, High School Musical and Hannah Montana crafts and Board Dudes. Expect liquidated stock and some regular priced items

Location: 4505 Hickmore, Ville St-Laurent
Phone: 514-333-3339
Dates and Hours for sale:  Mar 24-26: 11-8

If you miss the sale, you can catch similar deals at their headquarters’ Mega Blokswarehouse  store
Hours for Store: Tues: 12-6, Thurs: 12-8, Sat 10-4 (Dec 12-19 for Christmas rush)
www.megabrands.com

On Wednesday morning on CJAD 800AM, you can listen to  me  on the radio (or Internet) on the Tommy Schnurmacher Show. This is a call-in show for an entire hour. We’ll be talking about Spring shopping and more. Those of you with those important shopping questions, this is your chance to have me answer them.  If you miss the show you can always write to me here at my website.

Location: CJAD 800AM
Time: 11-12 noon
Date: Wed March 24th

Dalia warehouse sales always offer great prices. Juice up your Spring  wardrobe with their pretty blouses, tops, sweaters, jackets which are made under the monikers of: Dalia, Katherine Barclay and Renuar. For this invitation only sale the prices are only $10 & $20.

Location: 225 Chabanel, Suite 315
Corner: Meunier
Dates:  ends March 27
www.daliacollection.com
www.renuar.com
www.katherinebarclay.com

I get lots of questions about where to go for party dresses and gowns. Since we hardly wear them anymore, most stores have stopped selling them. However Sheinarts, a family business for the last 90 years has made it a point of always carrying lots of party dresses and gowns in a full size range from petite to the full figure (4-28).

The shop has always sold brand name garments (Joseph Ribkoff, Animale, Utex, Conrad C, Frank Lyman, Lana Lee) for the right price with sincere customer service. The other specialty area here is outerwear and there’s a bargain basement.

Location: 3001 St-Antoine West
Corner: Atwater
Tel: 514-932-6504
Hours: Regular plus Sun 12-5