Amber's Fall/Winter 2011 RTW (Really Truly Want)

Seeing as I did a blog post a half a year ago with the Spring/Summer 2011 RTW faves, it felt right to do it again for the Fall/Winter season.  I know some of you will hate me for it, but I really enjoy all four seasons this country has, and thank goodness I do, because I don't plan on moving anytime soon.  My absolute favourite season is, indisputably, the Fall.  The changing leaves, the crunching sounds when I'm walking home, Thanksgiving dinner and Halloween.  That's my paradise.  Then, the fashion makes it even better: cozy knits, tall leather boots, layers and textures are all just so YESSSS!!!

NOTE:  I am not trying to hurry the summer along.  You have got to be crazy if you think I need this summer to be over.  There's still SO MUCH I NEED TO DO OMG.  Also, I do enjoy my skin with some colour, so please let this last month feel extra long PLEASE.

So, without further ado:

Halston

This newest collection from the revamped fashion house did not get the best reviews, however I do love these two looks VERY much:

L.A.M.B.

Gwen wanted to make sure the audience for her NYFW runway show understood that her newest collection isn't about sticking to one genre or style.  She set six different moods with six distinct styles to clearly set them apart from each other.  I have only chosen four here.

Fantastic jacket.

Love this cape!

Hermes 

Newest accessory:  The Falcon.  This is how you ace Trend Prediction 101

Gucci

This line is phenomenal.  There were so many great looks to choose from, including lots of luxe furs and perfectly tailored jackets and coats.  My favourites though were the sheer dresses in various gem tones, black and my favourite-polka dots...these are just a taste of what Gucci's Frida Giannini sent out on the runway this season.

Proenza Schouler

The colours and texture of the material of this dress are amazing!

 Burberry Prorsum

Um, hi gorgeous coats and jackets and furs and LOVE.

That's it, I'm adding fur to every sleeve of every sweater in my closet.  Done.

Michael Kors

Love the furs.  Love the monochrome head to toe, including the models' skin tones.  

Unreal.  Anyone else craving a chocolate sundae?

Diane von Furstenberg

Hello sex on a stick.  These dresses look like they've been poured on from a paint bucket as the models walk through naked.

This is how not showing skin gets you EVERYWHERE.

Versace

I enjoyed the range offered in the fall collection.  From fierce leather looks to soft feathers and furs, there was something for every woman.

 Lanvin

Get in my closet, dress.

Balmain

This is how showing a lot of skin also gets you EVERYWHERE.

 DSquared

And finalement...my absolute favourite collection.  Beware, this is not for those who like to play it safe.  This is for those who like to gallop into the forest on a hot tempered mare to chase down the guy who cheated at the poker table and stole all your gold.  Giddy-up!

This is not a fanny pack.  These are a pair of saddle bags, one on either side, just to keep you balanced.  

Plaid hot pants:  All about practicality.

Well, hello handsome gunslinger.  Let's ride off into the sunset...although I'm not sure how you'll manage getting on the horse with those shtight jeans.

I actually could have gone on and on and on with this post, but I feel like people will likely lose interest at photo #2,356 or however many I have up there.  The point is, I love fall fashion.  That is all.  In summary, I enjoy gem tones, FURS, falcons, tailored coats, layering, sheer, denim and leather.  What's your favourite collection?

xo Amber

PS.  Speaking of practicality (re:  plaid hot pants), I just bought a leather halter top at a consignment shop called Heathers in Westboro.  The leather halter top has a collar.  I also bought floral printed pumps.  I feel it was a savvy purchase, non?  You know what, I don't care.

Warm is the new black

What a great weekend!  Just one of those delicious food, big laughs, popcorn at the movies, crazy vintage deals kind of a weekend.  Oh, and I got a new winter parka.  Which can't be left out since it took up most of my Saturday afternoon.  It felt like I was Tommy Lee Jones and the role of the Fugitive was being played by The Parka.

The following marks the trials and tribulations of my hunt:

What:  A knee-length black parka with a fur trimmed hood.  Sounds easy, no?

Not:  shiny, lumpy, overly sporty, shapeless, noisy, overpriced for quality level, belongs in a rap video and/or mangy-looking fur.

1st stop:  Aritzia.  TNA makes a few parkas that essentially fit the description I gave, but I still found them pretty shapeless and overpriced considering none of them were 100% down, and the fur all looked pretty cheap.  Not to mention the store was a dee-saster when I got there....I think half of Ottawa was also parka shopping and I immediately became overwhelmed.  Average price = $300.

2nd stop:  Sports Experts.  Again, crazy hordes of parka shoppers.  There were a lot more brand options, including North Face, Lole, Sunice and a couple Canada Goose (geese?).  However, there were very limited sizes, and to be honest most of the styles seemed geared to an older customer.  Average price = $400.

3rd stop:  Norml.  The only kinds of parkas here were Canada Goose.  The good thing is that you know you're always getting the same price on CG and so you can just relax and try on the coats and if you like it, you don't have to keep going, trying to find a better price somewhere else.  At this point, the prices weren't really even shocking anymore and I tried on a couple styles, quickly determining that I wasn't into the coloured ones and really, truly just wanted a black one which they didn't have in my size.  Average price depending on style = $480

4th stop:  Roadtrip.  This was my favourite stop because I haven't actually shopped there before aside from peering in the windows and a few of my girlfriends have told me it is a hidden gem-literally-as it is located in the courtyard under condos and near Foundations and Social.  It carries a mix of brands at different price points and if you're looking for a dress for NYE or a holiday party, I highly suggest you check it out...specifically a gorgeous silver sequined number that I didn't even try on out of fear I would like it too much and have to put it back on the rack and walk away.  I needed to stay focused on what I came for.  I found two coats by Spiewak, which are apparently the same brand that makes the NYPD's and postal workers' outerwear.  They WERE pretty cute but to be honest they were really nothing special, as one style didn't even have fur on the hood and the one that did again had some super cheap-looking fuzz.  Although, because they were made from Thinsulate, they definitely weren't too puffy and they were definitely the most affordable at $250.  I decided to keep looking.

5th stop:  Expedition Shoppe.  Pretty much when I entered the store, one of the guys working there immediately offered to help me out, but assumed wrongly that I was looking for only Canada Goose...which they were almost sold out of.  When I said I wasn't in the market for any particular brand, he suggested a different parka made by Quartz, which is apparently made in Quebec.  The thing was a size small and was a freaking TENT...but very warm and comparable to a Goose if it had been a better size.  I actually think it was probably a Men's small or something, and honestly I didn't expect to find a lot there, I just wanted to check and make sure that I wasn't missing out on a different brand that I wasn't aware of, and the Quartz really was nice and had a REALLY nice fur trim and everything, so if you're looking for something like that then I suggest you check it out.  It was the only one I tried on because they were admittedly low in stock.  Price of Quartz parka = $450.

My new coat! 
Style:  Whistler Parka



6th (and final) stop:  Schad.  Sigh.  This was by far the hardest place to shop for me.  Not for lack of options.  Not for lack of sizing.  Not because it was busy or bad customer service.  In fact, the reason it was SO HARD was because they had SO many great parkas, an amazing sales team, and all possible styles and brands were in my size.  I told the girl working there what I was looking for and she immediately pulled out a perfect parka by Moose Knuckles...so cute, exactly what I described and who could hate that name?  Hahaha.  However, at $790, I just couldn't.  So, she showed me a few more by Rudsak, which I found to be ok but on the shinier side, and the hood was just oddly shaped with honestly kind of a crap fur trimmed hood.  The next coat was by Mackage and it had the softest-lined hood ever, which could be unzipped down the middle to lie flat if you weren't using it (sort of 70s-looking) and an asymmetrical front zipper.  I did like it, except again I found it too shiny.  Just not my thing, even though I did like the hood a lot.  So, finally, the very patient girl handed me a Canada Goose parka.  It was long-coming down to above my knees, slim fitting, with a belt, black, not shiny, and a big, awesome gorgeous fur trim.  It was perfect.  Mission accomplished.

I honestly hadn't set out to buy a Goose, and it was WAY out of my initial price range, but after shopping all afternoon I came to the conclusion that I just wasn't going to find anything under $400 that was even close to what I wanted or needed to survive the winter.  Sure, Canada Goose parkas are totally trendy, and often that can turn me off certain items (or in cases like UGGS I just never really liked them to begin with), but in this case I think this trend just might be right on target...because on this exTREMEly rare occasion, it's also fully functional and -dare I say the word- practical. 

In your FACE, Winter!

xo Amber

Helpful links:
http://mooseknucklescanada.com/
http://www.canada-goose.com/
http://www.quartz-nature.com/en/nouvelles.htm
http://www.rudsakstore.com/
http://www.mackage.com/
http://www.spiewak.com/
http://aritzia.com/