Long and leggy

I'm barely 5'3" so when my friend Kathryn asked me If I knew where she could find an outfit for a friend's wedding, I was stumped. You see, Kathryn is 5'11" and few stores cater to women of her stature.

I started going through my closet and found a little black dress I bought for a wedding a couple years ago - the one I had shortened by 8"! I bought it at David Findlay. At that time - in addition to their biz wear - they had a small collection of evening wear.

I also suggested Want because they carry an extensive collection of special occasion dresses.

Along the way Kathryn bought some great separates at Tzatz! and a great Teenflo jacket at Winners. She ended up finding an outfit at The Oyster in Burlington on a referral from her friend Judy.

I have a some other friends like Kathryn. Their biggest complaint about finding clothes are:
• pant legs and sleeves are too short
• limited selection
• boring, matronly clothes

With help from my friend Carol, Kathryn and Cindy, I've compiled a list of stores either specialize in catering to the long and leggy or just happen to carry clothes that fit:

• Banana Republic - just introduced tall sizes (US only)
• Club Monaco - jeans for women up to 5'10"ish.
• David Findlay - great for tailored business suits
• Franco Mirabelli - another great place for business attire and special occasions
• Gap/Old Navy - tall jeans
• Long Legs - great store for tall women with a flare for fashion
• Lululemon - where else have you seen yoga pants shortened?
• Tallcrest Shoes - shoes starting at size 10-13
• Tall Girls Shop - basics, conservative business wear
• Tall Like Me - huge selection, including maternity and yoga wear
• The Oyster - awesome high-end clothes
• Tzatz! - exclusive labels, urban style, sometimes glitzy
• Want - hottest fashions, big selection of party dresses
• Zara - high fashion, small fit, reasonably-priced

For more tips, check out Tall Women Fashion "411"!

Note: Not all of these stores specialize in tall sizes but they're loved by tall girls anyway. Check them out and let us know what you find. :) Long and leggy? Tell us about your favourite shop.

Technorati tags: fashion, shopping, tall women

Dear Bargainista - #2

Conde Nast (Need a Suit Today) writes:
Dear Bargainista,

I love Hugo Boss suits but not the price tag.

So going to Harry Rosen or Holt Renfrew's regular retail stores is not an option unless I don't feed my family for a month....

The only affordable place I know of to get Hugo Boss suits is their Factory Store. Good news is that suits are very cheap there (comparatively speaking).

The bad news is that it's located in Windsor, Ontario. Any suggestions or sales in the Toronto area you can suggest?

•••

Dear Conde Nast,

Today's your lucky day!

Holts just stepped up their sale today (up t0 70% off, see exclusions). Men's suits including Hugo Boss start at $400 and up - I called and checked. geekgirl thinks the sale lasts 'til the end of January.

Harry Rosen has men's suits starting at $599. Currently, there's an extra 25% off men's casual wear and leathers in addition to the current markdowns offered at up to 50% off.

Let me know what you find. Leave a comment.

Eden
Techorati tags: Harry Rosen, Holt Renfrew, Hugo Boss, menswear, sales, shopping

Toronto's own treasure trove

Note: Bargainista welcomes guest contributor Anita Clarke. Anita writes for the blogs I want – I got and blogTO. She spends excessive amounts of time on the computer.

The Annex isn't a shopping Mecca in Toronto, but there are a few choice shops that should be on everyone's radar. All accessory lovers should know about Trove. It's one of those "hidden gem" type places that are missed by those that only frequent Queen Street and the mall.

Trove started in 2002 with accessories like jewelry, belts, handbags and scarves. After a few years they opened a sister store called Shoon. It focused on shoes and carried brands like Clarks, Faryl Robin, Fly and Indigo. You could also find clothing including designs by local designers Wonderlust and House of Spy. This summer Trove expanded and brought Shoon into the fold, they were together finally.

Trove has a reputation for carrying unique items. The jewelry section is amazing and you can find many exquisite pieces for sale. Guys, this is a great place for gift shopping. You can find handbags for all functions: evening, casual and work. Scarves come in a wide variety of styles for all seasons. During the winter, you can find stylish hats, leather gloves of all colours and cute mitt and scarf sets.

Currently the store is in the mist of winter sales with boots 40%-60% off, clothing 50% off, all winter wear 50% including leather gloves, handbags 25%-50% off, xmas decorations 75%, slippers and PJs 50% off. Some jewelry is on sale but not all.

Trove is one of the best stores for customer communication and appreciation. They have a monthly newsletter, which keeps you up to date on all the happenings that month. It usually includes information on new items, artist profiles and store events. Mailing list members also receive special discounts on Trove products.

More info:
Trove in Toronto Life
Trove articles on blogTO.com

Technorati tags: accessories, fashion, sales, shoes, shopping

Dear Bargainista - #1

In the first of our Dear Bargainista series, Glen writes:

Dear Bargainista,

We have a gift certificate for Oliver Bonacini group of restaurants. Being vegetarian and travelling by TTC, which restaurant should we go to for something special?

• Canoe (heard it's mostly just the view)?
• Auberge du Pommier (they have horse on the menu - gross!)?
• Biff's (name is stupid - sounds like a sports bar)?
• Jump (went there 3 years ago, was okay).

Which place has the best deserts?

•••

Dear Glen,

For a great night out - I would choose between Canoe or Auberge. Both are on the subway line, have fantastic service, a provide a nice atmosphere for either a dinner with friends or a lovely night with the significant other.

As both are quite high-end, both would definitely have vegetarian options. Most T-dot 5 star restaurants also offer vegetarian and vegan tasting menus. You do have your choice on informing the host when you make the reservation, which may be a good idea as it will provide the chefs with a head's up, but it really is not necessary - after all, there is a growing number of vegetarians in the city.

Hope this helps. Please do tell me which one you go to. Both of these restaurants are on my top 10 favs in the city.

As far as desserts - both have great options. Auberge has a great bitter chocolate dessie that is oh-so-decadent. Simply divine.

mish

Techorati tags: gift certificates, restaurants, Toronto