Here’s a post from July 14, 2008.
You have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear. The situation can be likened to the consumption of junk food.
What to do? One option I exercise far too often is to exacerbate the situation by heading for the mall – where the equivalent of empty calories abounds in the form of fast fashion.
Yup, I succumbed to curiosity and my desire to consume by heading to Carrefour Laval, after a scouting mission to Boutique Rococo across the boulevard from the mega mall.
What did I find? Much the same as one does on Ste. Catherine St. – Mango, Simons, Parasuco, BCBG, etc. – and even a Café Romy, as at Peel and de Maisonneuve and at Ogilvy, with the exact same menu.
Oh, and H&M, of course, which is opening on Ste. Catherine St. Aug. 14.
Trouble is, I got discombobulated at Simons. The stock there is the same, but different, less spread out, but oddly arranged, so that I couldn’t find anything twice. And when I left some items at a cash on hold until I could eat something and clear my head, I could not find my way back to said cash and something like panic set in.
Over at BCBG, I had a mini-fit: why are there no mirrors in the dressing rooms? Only one reason I can figure: so that the salespeople can do the hard sell. And the return policy! No refunds ever; no exchanges or refunds on sale merch. The mini-fit caused me to forgo a nice braided belt at 70 per cent off.
I walked away from Simons with an ombré skirt from Kensie, an aqua cami by Mexx, a silk knit top in that muddy shade of blush I love, and a sense of despair and fatigue.
Rococo, by the way, which opened about a year ago, is worth the trip if you’re into designer duds: summer stock of labels like M Missoni, Moschino Cheap and Chic and Just Cavalli is all 50 per cent off.