I want – I got Celebrates Levi’s 501 140th Anniversary
May 29, 1873 is the date Levi’s introduced their iconic 501s to the world. Like many people, Levi’s 501 jeans had a place in their young adulthood. They were the jeans of choice and people happily shunned the lowly zipper for buttons. Levi’s asked me to take part in their campaign called “501® Interpretationâ€. The campaign aims to celebrate the unique range of personal style from across the world. They invited Canadian media and style icons to pose for photos which will be considered for a limited-edition Levi’s 501 album. The album will feature 140 of the best photos taken from across the world. Of course, I accepted as I love getting in front of a camera with a professional photographer and make up artist.
I want – I got Celebrates Levi’s 501 140th Anniversary
The shoot took place in a great room at The Drake Hotel and my task was to show how I styled my 501s. Levi’s sent me with a pair of 501 cut off denim shorts which I’m completely in love with. My thirties has until this point been 501 free for some reason. I paired the shorts with a Clover Canyon top, Jenny Bird Jewellery (earrings and ring) and Aldo Sandals. This is a typical weekend summer look for me. You can check out all the shots from the shoot in the slideshow below.
I’m very happy with the results. We’ll see if I make the cut for the limited edition book.
It’s National Denim Day on May 14, 2013 and Canadian denim giant, Bluenotes is continuing it’s participation in the event. Bluenotes will donate $1 for every denim purchase across the country during the week of May 14, 2013
Leading Canadian denim philanthropists Bluenotes will donate a portion of proceeds from each denim purchase nationwide from May 13 to May 19, 2013 in partnership with National Denim Day to the fight against breast cancer. Benefitting the CURE Foundation, the fundraiser advocates education and awareness through wearing and purchasing jeans.
“Bluenotes’ goal is to bring attention to today’s youth about social and charitable issues through fashion,†says Royal Nasager, Director of Marketing at Bluenotes. “We want to foster tomorrow’s concerned, caring and informed citizens. Our work with National Denim Day is a natural fit.â€
Royal Nasager from Bluenotes invited me to the Eaton Centre store to talk about Denim Day and reintroduce me to the brand. I haven’t purchased anything from Bluenotes in probably 15 years and I can’t remember that last time I even walked through the store. The invite intrigued me for two reasons. First reason was the name Royal. It seems shallow but I opened the envelope, looked at the invite, scratched my head and thought “This dude’s name is Royal. This is blowing my mind. I must meet him just to satisfy my catlike curiosity.” The second reason had curiosity at its core too. I’m curious about Bluenote’s business. They are one part of the massive Toronto based apparel manufacturer, YM Inc.. Bluenotes alone has 120 stores across the country and they’ve been around since 1984. Bluenotes operated under the name Thriftys until 2004. I’m a child of the 70s that grew up in Richmond Hill, prime target for the Thriftys brand. My curiosity about Royal was satiated. He’s a very lovely man. He talked to me about National Denim Day and the company’s history of charity work. I didn’t ask many questions about company operations, there wasn’t much time as I was on lunch.
Royal asked me the dreaded question, “So, when is the last time you walked into a Bluenotes store.” I answered it truthfully which was I couldn’t remember. Royal gave me a $100 gift card and said let’s get reintroduced. He also walked me through the many, many styles of denim available. Every style you can think represented in a number of washes. Bluenotes is taking advantage of the printed and colourful denim trend with a range of colours and prints available. (We stuck to the Women’s side, sorry Guys). Denim at Bluenotes retails for $20 – $39.50 making it very affordable for their 14 – 24 demographic.
Right To Play Gala 2013 – Wearing Bluenotes, Greta Constantine and Nine West
I ended up with two pairs of jeans from their curvy line, a sleeveless button up shirt and a cropped denim jacket. I liked a lot of other printed and coloured skinny styles but they aren’t really made to fit my thighs and butt. The denim jacket is my favourite piece. I needed a cropped jacket as I lost my favourite one a few years ago. The idea of getting a denim jacket again was bopping around in my head so it worked out perfect. I haven’t worn anything but the jacket as of yet. I wore it to the Right to Play Gala last Friday.
Bluenotes aren’t going to replace my Hudson’s anytime soon. They are my go to denim and the brand I tend to wear the most often. I like my denim fabric to have a heavier weight than Bluenotes. I’m a bit of a snob about denim manufactured in the States too. I hope YM Inc.is one of the companies getting involved in the Bangladesh Factory Safety Pact.
I want – I got Editorials- Nomad Spring Summer 2013
So, this is the second post in my I want – I got Editorials group. I was blogging for the award-winning MasterCard Stylicity project this season and I organized three editorial shoots for the stores Philip Sparks, Nomad and Spectacle. The shots turned out really well so I’ve decided to showcase some of them here too. This is Nomad.
I want – I got Editorials – Nomad Spring Summer 2013
I really wanted to do the modelling for Nomad myself. However, I felt there were a couple of problems with that. One would be sizing. The other problem was audience. Nomad is a menswear shop and I need to speak to their main customers who are men. So my photographer Dave Yan and I convinced my tall and lean brother to model. He was great!
Towards the end of the shoot we got Curtis to do some classic poses.
Nomad is an amazing shop and their sales associates are some of the incredibly helpful and down to earth. I even saw a couple of things that would fit me in the store. I’m going to have to go shopping.
The RUN DMC pose is a must
Curtis makes everything look amazing. Thanks dear brother for your hard work and thanks to the guys at Nomad for styling everything up. You can check out all the shots from this editorial in the gallery below.
I posted one of the three videos for the Hudson Jeans Cabaret Collection already. I loved their use of the running man to showcase the Leeloo jean. The rest of the videos in the campaign for the Cabaret Collection are just as entertaining. Georgia May Jagger is growing on me and I love her in the print ads.
The Cabaret was a place where people felt comfortable. They did not have to stick to the usual rules of society. Shot in Paris, the birthplace of the Cabaret, the FW’12 HUDSON Cabaret campaign is a celebration of HUDSON Jeans’ 10 year anniversary in September 2012. Hosted by Georgia May Jagger, and featuring shows by the likes of human beat boxer Tez and Brooklyn electro pop band Au Revoir Simone, HUDSON creates a campaign that applauds self expression and an inspired free thinking attitude.
The Grand Prix Paneled Skinny Jean by Rag & Bone/Jean is one of many denim items on my fall 2012 hot list. This style is exclusive to Intermix so that’s the only place you’ll find them. I’m not a fan of the white pant for practical reasons; they are stain magnets! However, I do love the look of white pants in theory.
Grand Prix Paneled Skinny Jean by Rag & Bone/JEAN
The style name is perfect for this jean as the colour blocking placement looks a lot like racing stripes. This is perfect for my long legs paired with a pair of high heels.
The Hudson Fall 2012 ad campaign is really good. They’ve used print and video this season. The Leeloo jean has the best video that brings back the running man courtesy of French dancer, Amelie Poulian.
I was scrolling through Fidelity Denim’s fall 2012 lookbok and the solitary pair of coloured denim jumped out at me. The Vox are a mid rise skinny jean with ave a slick finish and are a gorgeous purple burgundy colour.
Canadian denim brand and I want – I got favourite, Triarchy took their bright skinnies and traveled all the way to Peru to shoot their fall winter 2012 – 2013 lookbook. The result is a very beautiful lookbook. Such a refreshing change from the standard way I’ve seen denim presented.
Triarchy Fall Winter 2012 – 2013Triarchy Fall Winter 2012 – 2013Triarchy Fall Winter 2012 – 2013Triarchy Fall Winter 2012 – 2013
Diesel denim has a special place in my heart. They were the first pair (probably the only pair) of designer denim I paid the full price for. They are also my favourite brand of denim that aren’t stretchy, I love the fit of jeans that incorporate that function but there is nothing like breaking in a pair of stiff denim or finding a pair that fits like a glove. Diesel had a great fit but I found as I got older the styles were a bit too young for me. Fast forward a few years and the folks from Diesel invited me to the Toronto flagship store to introduce me to their new women’s denim line called Fit Your Attitude. I always enjoy playing dress up so I accepted.
The Fit Your Attitude line has six styles representing six different attitudes:
Sexy: Flairlegg is a flared wide leg jean with a regular rise waist
Chic: Highkee is a skinny leg jean with a high-rise waist
Free Spirited: Grupee is a super skinny leg jean with a low-rise waist
Brave: Getlegg is a skinny leg jean with a low-rise waist
Confident: Bootzee is a bootleg cut jean with a regular rise waist
Spontaneous: Myguy is a boyfriend style jeans with a low-rise waist
These jeans are newly redesigned and Diesel took measurements of more than 20,000 women to create a new, more comfortable fit for this line. Other features include more comfortable belt construction so that it’s more comfortable and doesn’t pinch, new back pocket design which gives you a curvier butt and seam placement that makes the legs look longer.
Getlegg
I tried on all the jeans but the Highkee and I have to admit they were all really good. I wasn’t expecting all the styles I tried on to work out. My favourite of the group were the Getlegg. It’s the perfect skinny jeans for people like me with track and field thighs. These jeans have a skinny leg but are a bit looser in the thigh and knee. Diesel was kind enough to let me select a pair from the ones I tried on and I live in these things now. They are so comfortable and easy to break in.
Grupee
Everything I tried on looked great. The low-rise styles also have a higher back so that you aren’t showing plumber’s butt if you bend over. Each style also has different washes that aren’t pictured here but you can see them on Diesel.com.
Flairlegg
I also like that I didn’t feel like a 20-year-old club girl in the Fit Your Attitude line. The embellishments and distressing is kept to a minimum which results in a more classic looking collection.
If I was 19 again, I would be all over the Loulou Tuxedo Crop Super Skinny Jean by Hudson. The style is inspired by LouLou de la Falaise, Yves Saint Laurent’s muse. She was a big influence in the design of Le Smoking. The thing that makes these tuxedo inspired jeans special is the glow in the dark neon strip that comes to life under black light. The rave going 19 year old me would have freaked.
Here is a trippy video that shows the denim in action created by Hudson.
The Loulou Tuxedo Crop Super Skinny Jean comes in three colourways: Dark Navy with Phosphorescent Orange stripe, Burgundy with Phosphorescent Pink, and Olive with Phosphorescent Yellow.
Holt Renfrew is the place to get this denim from and it will retail for $265. They will be hitting the shelves this February. On February 10th, there will be a big launch event during NYFW in the Meatpacking District including street art installations, videos and a big party at Scoop.
I picked my top pieces from the Gap’s Spring 2011 delivery and I’ve decided to do the same to the summer 2011 delivery.
Summer is a time to wear shorts and short skirts but I’m really enjoying the maxi length skirt during the summer. Last summer, two of my favourite maxi length dresses were from the Gap. This summer two of my top three picks are maxi dresses. I like the relaxed fit of the jeans. They look comfortable but also fitted.
An eagle-eyed friend tipped me off about Vancouver denim boutique, Dutil Denim opening in Toronto on Queen Street West. I’ve heard the location is across the from Dufflet.
I’m pretty excited as Dutil is not just a shop, it’s a denim line that is made in California, designed in Vancouver by owners Darrin Kenigsberg and Eric Dickstein.
The collaboration of Proenza Schouler and JBrand. The denim is high waisted and the print is hand painted on. They come in white on black, blue on black and black on black. I like the blue on black the best.
The Hudson COLLECTION launched at Holt Renfrew with a Social that included a DJ, mocktails and models. Hudson reps were on hand to talk about this exclusive to Holt Renfrew collection with customers and help them discover the perfect pair.
It was my first time seeing the collection in person and I’m a fan. I even purchased a great tank top with an asymmetrical tail on it. It reminds me of coattails and I can’t wait to bust it out. I’m thinking a pre-LGFW debut or perhaps during LGFW.
My favourite pieces of the collection were the D.I.Y style denim that incorporated leather into waistbands and hems. Of course these were the most expensive denim pieces, ha. My eyes and hands are drawn to expensive. There are lots of skinny leg options in the collection. The tops were versatile. The cowl neck long sleeved top and the tank can be worn in many different ways. I live for stuff like that.
I loved the jackets, in particular the wool jacket with the large cowl that doubled as a hood. It also can be worn multiple ways. The beautiful models posed for photographer extraordinaire George Pimentel and even took photos with fans. I don’t know how they managed to do all this in those crazy platform heels. I love heels but even they made my feet hurt just from looking at them.
I was there live tweeting the event. You can view those posts if you search for #hudsonCollection on twitter. I tried to showcase as much of the product on and you can find many images with me playing dress up. I didn’t try on any of the denim though and I kinda regret it now. I did have lots of fun with the jackets.
Here’s my Hudson COLLECTION Social Outfit Breakdown: Denim by Hudson, Zara tshirt, Dean Davidson necklace, Aldo Shoes, Juma blazer and scarf.
I took a little video with my Blackberry Torch of the Hudson imagery at the store. The video quality isn’t bad at all.
The Hudson COLLECTION is still available at Holt Renfrew and is available at the Bloor, Yorkdale and Vancouver locations. Prices for the line range from $145 – $995. Jeans average around $400.
Designer denim isn’t dead. Holt Renfrew and Hudson have teamed together to bring Hudson Jean’s first high end collection. This collection differs from regular Hudson collections because the pieces are hand made using raw denim and the process is labour intensive.
With the new Collection I wanted to reinvent the idea of traditional denim and tops—its an anti uniform approach. Each piece has so much individuality and lets the wearer express her own style and personality. It is the roots of the HUDSON “way of life”. (lead designer for Hudson Jeans, Ben Tavernit)
Pieces in the line include jeans, tops, dresses and jackets with prices ranging from $145 – $995. Jeans will average around $400. The line is exclusive to Holt Renfrew and is available at the Bloor, Yorkdale and Vancouver locations.
Standard n. Of recognized excellence or established authority.
The common thread within Standard and the foundation of the Collection is Denim. Standard is style that comes from the classic HUDSON aesthetic in its purest form. Denim becomes the new neutral. Standard is both modern and timeless with attention to construction and design. A neutral color palette and uncomplicated washes are in harmony with clean lines and understated design.
Bodies: Skinny, High Waist, Baggy Skinny, Double Waistband Skinny
Washes: Rinse Resin, Black and Grey Over-Dye
Bespoke adj. Made to individual order.
Bespoke is rooted in the craftsmanship of fine tailoring. Overlock stitching evokes the process of hand-styling and fitting the garment, which becomes a piece of art even in its unfinished stages. Overlock stitching reveals the construction in streamlined androgynous styles. Menswear inspired suiting details such as trouser pockets and notch-back waistbands bring a touch of masculinity to the refined look.
Shadow n. A dark figure cast by the body intercepting light.
A Bare minimum of details puts emphasis on the silhouette. Lightweight construction rests on the body like a shadow and accentuates its true shape. An absence of top-stitching, and darts turned inside result in technically challenging construction and a look of unparalleled simplicity. Ultra light silk, stretch and boiled wool in dark washes project a shadowy silhouette.
Bodies: Skinny, Baggy Skinny, High Waist
Washes: Denim (rinsed or unwashed), Boiled Wool, Stretch, Silk
D.I.Y. n. An activity in which one does something oneself or of one’s own initiative.
D.I.Y. is hand-styled and unique– the garment becomes infused with the wearer’s DNA. Cut and custom zippers and exposed inner waistbands convey a neo-punk vibe. The look is a reactionary response on an individual scale to modern reliance on mass-production. The emphasis is on individuality and rejecting conformity. Distressed washes and rough details imply a history of interaction with the wearer. Raw edges and exposed hardware come from an innovative attitude that shrugs off the establishment.
Tops & Dresses – HUDSON tops employ draping and a mix of textures and asymmetrical shape to play with positive and negative space. The ultra-light fabrications in black and white complement the minimalist palette of the rest of the Collection.
The coolest lounge I visited was the Diesel Lounge in the Intercontinental Toronto Yorkville Hotel. It wasn’t a super swagged out gifting lounge like many of the others I visited. Talent was gifted jeans and then had a portrait taken by Raphael Mazzucco. This was the extent of the swag but the lounge itself was a nice place for people to get away, grab some food and a drink. The Diesel Lounge had a fully stocked bar and table full of food for guests. During the evenings they barbecued on the gorgeous balcony that overlooks the Intercontinental’s courtyard restaurant.
The decor was made up of items from Diesel’s home decor/interior line. Some of these items are available at the flagship shop in Yorkville.
Monday morning, I returned to the Diesel Lounge and was treated to Champagne Brunch while we watched the web broadcast of the Diesel Black Gold Spring-Summer 2011 collection in New York. I finally was able to take advantage of the bar and food. It was a nice way to start the week, especially after going hard at the Ubisoft party the night before. Samples of the Diesel Black Gold Spring 2011 collection on hand for up close and personal inspection.
Over the last few years I’ve seen Hudson Jeans infiltrated many denim bars in the city. The papers were talking about the death of designer denim but Hudson seemed to be thriving. It started in Los Angeles in 2002. It brings premium denim material from the best mills in Europe and Japan. The denim is constructed and hand finished in Los Angeles. The head designer and creative director of Hudson Jeans is Benjamin Taverniti who joined the company in 2007. Hudson’s trademark is their fit and fabrics. There is both men’s and women’s lines for denim but they are also expanding into tops, dresses and jackets for women.
Hudson has a huge celebrity following. If you look at any of the denim blogs you’ll see celebs in Hudson Jeans. I just assumed it was a denim line for skinny girls. Now before you say “Anita, you are a skinny girl”, let me explain. I’m skinny, but my history as an athlete doesn’t give me your stereotypical skinny body. My thighs and calves are muscular and the cut of some denim just doesn’t work for me. The waist is right and the thighs are too tight or the waist is too loose and the thighs are right. It’s a battle which has left me without any loyalty to any denim company. There is no one brand that dominates my wardrobe like say Juma or Complex Geometries.
Five Pocket Skinny/Super Stretch
Enter The Mint Agency into this story. I received a couple Hudson Jeans lookbooks from them. I like Hudson’s no frills approach to denim. There aren’t any embellishments or rhinestones anywhere in the collection. The focus is on wash and cut. There are a variety of styles: bootcut, skinny, straight, jean legging, midrise and lowrise. A discussion over what styles I liked from the fall and holiday collection and their fit resulted in three pairs of Hudson Jeans arriving at my office.  Thanks Sam at The Mint Agency! Now I would finally be able to find out for myself if this fit is as good as their marketing is.
I’m very impressed with Hudson Jeans. The Sandra and St. Martins styles brought bootcut back into my fashion vocabulary. I never thought I would wear a pair of jeans again before trying Hudson. I was quite content in my straight and skinny denim cocoon with no plans to emerge from it. Now I’m trying to be like a butterfly find casual to events to wear my Hudson bootcuts at.
Five Pocket Bootcut
Putting on Hudsons feel like slipping into an old worn out pair. The fit of the 28s were perfect for me. It had a bit of give in the waist but the thighs were perfect; formfitting but not sausage. Overall the waist to thigh ratio tightness ratio that I use to gauge denim was very, very good. The pockets are placed in an area that doesn’t make you butt look funny or larger than normal. Skinny denim sometimes looks more like jean leggings than regular jeans on me. Hudson’s skinny jeans look like jeans on me and give me some breathing room. I love this. There won’t be a day where I can’t wear these jeans because my weight fluctuated a few pounds higher. I’m looking at you Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair. I love you but you’re not very forgiving. So I’m drinking the Hudson koolaid. They are some of the softest denim I’ve ever come across and the fit of the 28s rock my lower body. The style tag says “Trust Me” on it. They aren’t kidding.
Hudson is available at TNT, Aritiza, Over the Rainbow and Holt Renfrew. Holt’s has a line of couture Hudson Jeans that are exclusive to the store. They are more expensive but have additional details the standard line doesn’t have. The regular Hudson line is in the $220 – $265 range and the couture styles are from $295 – $500. The designer denim market may have shrunk but some players are still thriving.
Marni and Current Elliot have teamed up for denim collaboration for Fall 2010. Marni designer, Consuelo Castiglioni, was given free reign to design denim that fit with the Marni aesthetic. This is her first denim line
Dyes and washes span from light azure to indigo and from faded to saturated. A few styles will be sold with a black cotton belt that Castiglioni likes knotted as a ribbon. Other details include cloth borders, either press studded or piped in leather. Retail prices for the Marni-Current Elliott jeans range from $250 to $500 and will be carried in Marni stores starting in June.
Ruched shoulder dress with a beautiful, feminine fit. The ruching sits over the left shoulder, with pleats running across the bust. The right shoulder is sleeveless. A zipper runs through the back of the dress.(source)
The Lanvin Acne denim collaboration that started with the Spring 2009 collection continues. It must be a yearly endeavor because I was wondering when the next update would be. It looks like they cut out the Men’s version of the line as I don’t see it on the shop.acnestudios.com website.
I really like the draped denim dress, they really look like Lanvin pieces
I don’t think Holt Renfrew will be stocking this season of Lanvin ♥ Acne after seeing how many pieces were left at Now or Never time and Last Call. But I will confirm for sure. You can purchase the Lanvin ♥ Acne 2010 collection at the Acne Online Shop.
Marni and Current Elliot have teamed up for denim collaboration for Fall 2010. Marni designer, Consuelo Castiglioni, was given free reign to design denim that fit with the Marni aesthetic. This is her first denim line
Dyes and washes span from light azure to indigo and from faded to saturated. A few styles will be sold with a black cotton belt that Castiglioni likes knotted as a ribbon. Other details include cloth borders, either press studded or piped in leather. Retail prices for the Marni-Current Elliott jeans range from $250 to $500 and will be carried in Marni stores starting in June.
This denim gives me visions of chunky boots and rolled up cuffs. I’d pair them with an oversized tshirt and my Final Fashion docs or any of the shorter boots in my closet.
I received a package containing a pair of Zip Ankle Jean Legging in Black by Joe’s Jeans from Holt Renfrew PR just before Christmas. Jean Leggings were never something I would have tried before this package arrived. I hate to say it, I’ve drunk the koolaid, I like them.
When I pulled them out of the magenta bag, they looked a little small. I’ve come to realize that you need to buy them smaller than you think. They are denim and do stretch a bit. They are comfortable, it was the first thing that surprised me. They are like wearing non-denim leggings. The fabric is stretchy and soft. The zippers on the side make it easy to put on and remove.
I checked out the stash at Holt’s. They have a ton of different styles included distressed denim, acid wash and tie dye. The price range is $116 – $140. The pair I have are $128. I thought it was hilarious that the distressed denim ones cost $140 even though from a production standpoint I can understand.
I hate the term jeggings and you’ll never hear me use it. It makes me angry.
I don’t know how I found myself on a porter plane going to Dorval airport thursday morning but there I was. I received an email from Julie Leblanc from Girafe Communications inviting me to a press retreat in Mont Tremblant for French Dressing Jeans. I didnt know anything about them so I checked the website and desaw that they were based in Quebec. Good, a Canadian company I thought to myself, I feel better about accepting the offer.
I packed feverlishy into wee hours of the night. There was no point in sleeping as it would be more painful. I had to get to the airport for 6:30 but I wanted to arrive earlier to enjoy the infamous Porter lounge. I’m in the Lounge, huge Burberry sunglasses hiding my tired eyes and a machine capacinuo in my hands. I said screw comfort and wore heels. I might feel like a zombie but I wasn’t gonna look like one. Very nice lounge, civilized and quiet.
I boarded the plane. It was a prop plane and not the jets I’m used to. Would it be louder and bumpier? Would I freak out at some point during the hour flight? (I’m not a fan of flying at all). I was glad that there was noone sitting besides me during the flight. Prop planes really aren’t that much different. It wasn’t all that loud and it was a bit bumpy but nothing serious. It was a pleasant ride and I wish all flying could be this civilized.
We touched down in Dorval without incident. I was told to look for pink FDJ balloons which wasn’t hard to find. I felt like I was in a movie because that is usually the only time I see that scenario played out. We walked outside and a limo pulled in front to take us to Mont Tremblant. A freaking limo people, I was a little impressed. I was dead tired and was in and out of sleep during the ride. Mont Tremblant reminds me of the Adirondacks a little.
We pulled up to Château Beauvallon Hotel Mont Tremblant. A very cute hotel from the outside. I had no idea what I was in for. We were greeted by French Dressing team and provided with our keys to the rooms. Each attendee had their own room, there was no bunking on this trip.
I wandered to my room 319 and opened the door. I was immediately taken with the size of the room. As I looked around I started counting off the features.
Kitchen with stove, microwave and dishwasher. Hold up, a freaking dishwasher.
Large balcony. I’m talking large enough for a patio table and four chairs. It was huge and facing the courtyard where the pool and hot tub was. The hotel is U shaped and all the units face the courtyard
Living room complete with FIREPLACE and large flat screen tv. Don’t forget about the stereo for playing music
Bathroom with shower. It’s a good size, was a little disappointed there was no bath.
Damn, I scored big I thought. I walked around the room laughing hysterically. Then I turned from the balcony and noticed a set of french doors on the black wall. WTF, it’s another room with a freaking Queen sized bed and ensuite bathroom with bath. I jumped on that bed and laughed even more. I had a running commentary on twitter during this discovery process.
We converged on the dinning room and the French Dressing Jeans team talked to us about the company before we settled into some lunch. French Dressing Jeans is available in over 2500 boutiques across North America. They are also starting to expand into Europe. The target demographic is women 35 or over. They started in 1985 in response to the changes in denim during the 80s where regular women couldn’t fit into the popular styles. Think Brook Shields and her Calvins.
French Dressing Jeans are made with Lycra and their styles have features that are meant to slim the tummy and lift the butt. The are four styles Peggy: regular rise and easy fit; Suzanne: regular rise and natural fit; Olivia: mid rise and natural fit and Kylie: low rise and natural fit. They also come in regular and petite as well as various silhouettes: slim, straight, boot cut and flared. Embroidery, rhinestones, studs, rivets and leather details are also options to the standard styles. They have also added some new fabrics Diamond Denim which uses less stretchy fabrics and manual distressing and Euro Denim which is textured.
They also talked about their cause of choice, breast cancer. Of the many companies I’ve seen involved in breast cancer, these seems the most genuine. They have campaigns during Breast Cancer Awareness Month and organize Dragon Boat races. They even donated $50 in each attendees names to a Breast Cancer charity.
After lunch we were fitted with a pair of jeans to use on our excursions. I was fitted with the an Olivia Flare in regular denim wash. It was a medium rise but still to high for me. I like low rise since I’m short waisted. The jeans themselves were quite comfortable but I wish I went a size down because of the Lycra. French Dressing Jeans are not my style to be honest. The styles are more mature and I’m not into Lycra in my denim.
The excursions the group had a choice of were zipline, horseback riding or bike riding. My activity was Horseback riding. I grew up in Richmond Hill but I had never been on a horse. It really makes no sense and I had to rectify it. Richmond Hill had a lot of farm country when I was growing up, I don’t know why I didn’t take advantage then.
There was some time to kill before horseback riding and I decided to take advantage of the hot tub in the courtyard. It was a beautiful space with a massive pool. It was closed but the hot tub was open for business.
We packed into the Hotel vans and were driven to the Ranch de la Riviere Rouge for horseback riding. It was amazing. My horse’s name was Rosie and she was very sweet. We went on a short hour walk, no trotting for us newbies. The only disturbing thing was when the horses relieved themselves mid walk. The denim held up extremely well. They were very comfortable to ride in. My legs were so damn tired after, thank god we were moving on to the next part of the day, Scandinave les bains.
The Scandinave les bains is a picture perfect spa set on the shore of the Du Diable river. This spa’s specialty was Scandinavian baths; the hot, cold and rest treatment. You would sit in a hot bath first. It could be the steam room, hot tub or dry sauna. You then have a cold rinse to close up your pores. Finally you relax for ten minutes and then repeat. The spa has little cabins all over the place and lot of places to relax outside. It was heavenly. We also were treated to an hour massage and it was heavenly. I thought I was going to fall asleep on the table.
After the day of denim, hot tubs and horses we returned to the hotel for drinks and dinner. There we got to mingle with our hosts and learn more about them. After dinner there was a bonfire by the lake and more drinks. It was great to see our hosts let their hair down. They even had marshmallows for roasting. I hadn’t slept in 24hr at this point so I turned into bed around 1am. I had a great sleep on the queen sized bed.
The next morning I awoke a little disappointed I had to leave this paradise. I headed down to get some breakfast and used twitter to decide if I should hit the hot tub again. Twitter thought it was a good idea so in I went again. When it was time to leave we packed into our limos and headed to Dorval. FDJ provided me with another send off, a pair of Kylie jeans in black. The return trip on Porter was excellent again. This time it involved free beer. Porter Air has my heart, not only was the trip civilized they got me nice and buzzed.
Photos by me and courtesy of Girafe Communications
