Gratitude is the memory of the heart.

Guys, seriously. You out did yourselves! We knew you all were excited for the party and the once in a lifetime (or to be less dramatic once in 5 years) sale, but my lord did you ever all turn out in fine form. We had such a great time and if we didn't say it enough during the craziness of Saturday : THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

Of course these are the only two nice pictures we took, but we will be putting more up from other blogs soon. It's overwhelming to process the wonderfulness of Saturday. We are so happy to have your support. As a business we are 100% here to serve you, so we are glad you are happy with us so far.

Isn't this cake beyond? Thanks Kate and Mandi!! Get your dream cake done by Auntie Loo's

Sadness is a Blessing..

This ballad hurts my heart. You know you are bad-ass when you have Swedish actors like Stellan Skysgard in your video. I may have stolen some of her dance moves and rocked them at the Anniversary party..Yip Yip!

Sadness is my boyfriend...
Oh, Sadness I'm your Girl..

Minnow Bathers

Ok, so two blog posts in a row of cute girls in nearly nothing (are we maybe still stoked on the great traffic we got on the blog from all the giveaway madness that we are trying to keep y'all coming back any way we can, even if that means gratuitous images of cute girls in bikinis? Hm, that actually hadn't occurred to me you cynical bunch!)

Anyways, we are so happy with the reception our first shipment of Minnow Bathers got (sold out of almost everything pretty quick!), and we're sure this batch will please you all just as much. We're re-stocked in styles that sold out, and also have a new style, this awesome striped two-piece!

Set, 135$

One-piece bather, 140$

Painterly two-piece, 140$

Now hopefully you have week-end plans that involve cottaging or secret swimming holes. If not, now that you've got the perfect suit, make some!! Pack a picnic from Murray's Market (also celebrating their anniversary this week - 3 years!) and you're set.

Let's get intimate with intimates

When you are a young lady, you have no need for lingerie. It is all loosey-goosey sloppy nights, seven minutes in heaven in the washroom of skuzzy bars and midnight meet-ups at Westboro beach. Then it hits you - it might be at 22, 28, maybe at 36, but all of a sudden you will feel the urge to present yourself in a certain manner. The sexy sexy stuff starts for you way before the rendez-vous with what you pull out of your top drawer. What you decide to put on will no doubt set the tone and mood for your loving.


Sometimes it will be old band t-shirts, hair in a pony-tail with TLC's "My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding" playing in the background, sometimes cutie frills and bows with a fresh peach-pie made for a midnight snack afterwards, maybe you have 'lost at sea' pieces you can combine with hairy legs and whiskey breath.... Whatever you have, Audrey Cantwell's new lingerie will no doubt give you some thrills. Her pieces are playful and theatrical, and there will be absolutely no doubt you will be getting what you are looking for in these pieces.



And isn't that what we all want in lingerie: a guarantee you are gonna be getting what you want. Thanks Audrey for helping a lady out! All her lingerie is available at the Dalhousie shop.

Shhhhh......

As an added big THANK YOU THANK YOU for following our social media we are starting the sale early for you! Come in from now until 8pm at either location and whisper:

"Dreams really do come true"

at the cash and we will give you 40% off your clothing or shoe purchases.

Love is what we feel towards you. Thank you for supporting Victoire!!

XOXOX
Regine, katie, Em, Kristal, Erin, Sheena, Ula and Lucy.

Glitter glitter everywhere

Yesterday was Katie and I's final day of prep for the party. We organized everything for the 50$ sale bins, picked up supplies for the big day like cups & napkins for the amazing treats courtesy of Kitchissppi and Auntie Loo (a Ouija board cake guys!!), did up the window at Dalhousie along our dreamy/mystical theme (it's one of my faves ever!) and then we went down to the basement where we have all our important pow-wows. Katie looked at me very serious and said: "So - is there anything else we can do to prepare for what will probably be Victoire's most important day EVER? Is there any stone left unturned? How can we maximize our efficiency on the day of? Are we forgetting anything??"

Before

I looked at her, just as serious, and not thinking of anything else we could possibly do to get ready I said "Well we could make a sign made of glitter?"

Katie just burst out laughing and I insisted..."Really...this is probably our only chance." And that sealed the deal.


So that's what we did with the last few hours of our party prep day. And it was awesome.


Now I totally get why Ke$ha sings about glitter so much. Cos it's really fun and pretty and lookit how cool my fingertips looked!

After. Will anyone be able to tell we spent the afternoon turning these previously simply silver letters into glittery silver letters? Probably not. But when one glitters, one must glitter for oneself!

I love how our serious business meetings can end with a decision to spell something in glitter. Honestly that is why I cannot think of anyone else I'd rather be in business with and why I love Victoire!!

omg so excited for Saturday!!

Eve Gravel giveaway

The big party and sale are so soon! It has been such a whirlwind getting ready for it, and I know that it is all gonna be over before I know it. Isn't that the sad part about parties: they always end before you are ready for them too.... Well that is something for me to morn on Sunday. Now it is time for our next giveaway:


Eve Gravel sent us two beautiful lace scarves and they would just be so perfect to have between two BFFs. So all you have to do to win one is tell us about your BFF and why she (or he) is just too awesome for words.

Good luck and stay tuned for some REALLY big news tomorrow.

Party details!

Over the last 5 years we have tried to shape the business to reflect your closet’s needs (and your heart’s desires!). And to thank you all for being so loyal to this small business, for which every single one of your purchases matters so very very much, we would like to invite you to the craziest party Victoire has ever hosted! It is going to be Dream themed, because you have all made our dreams come true (yup we are HUGE corn dogs, and I am actually getting misty eyed while typing this!).

Come celebrate with us on Saturday, June 25^th with a dream filled celebration: Tarot card readings, a Ouija cake by Auntie Loo and of course discounts and giveaways! To reward our customers for their years of support, Victoire will also be hosting its first ever “Beat the Clock” sale. Please note the fortune-telling, bewitching treats & elixirs will be taking place at the Dalhousie shop only after 6pm.

The “Beat the Clock” sale will be taking place at both shops from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m (and exclusively at the Dalhousie shop until 9:00 p.m.). All purchases made between 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. will be 40% off, between 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. will be 30% off, and between 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. will be 20% off. Shop early and save big! This is without a doubt the biggest sale Victoire has ever had, but rewarding our customers for their loyalty is our top priority! To top off all these discounts on our current collections, we will also be offering 50-70% off on past seasons and an amazing 50$ bin that will be worth digging through no doubt!

There will be different stock at each location so you’ll want to stop by both shops! Also note there will be no holds, no transfers, no exchanges and we are gonna be strict about the clock. Also the sale only applies to cloths and shoes. The jewelry and bags are not on sale.

Beat the Clock sale:
From 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. = 40% off
From 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. = 30% off
From 4:00 - 9:00 p.m. = 20% off (ending at 6:00 p.m. at the West Wellington location)

6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Fortune-telling by Mandi Loo, bewitching treats & elixirs, as well as discounts and giveaways so good you won't believe your good fortune! (246 Dalhousie St. location only)

Rompers are our Favourite Things

Anyone who knows Katie and I or reads this blog might have picked up that oh I dunno, we have a slight fondness for Oprah.

Earlier this week I was giving a pal some advice, and like 95% of it came straight out of the mouth of Oprah. The lady just knows what she's talking about! And with every new viewing of her 20th anniversary DVD set (at least twice a year guys - and if you don't own this DVD set you NEED to get it, or at least get in line to borrow it from us) - anyways, with every viewing Katie and I get closer and closer to actually knowing it all by heart and LIVING IT, you know? Anyways, in this particular conversation, I made the point that Oprah says "All anyone ever wants is to be validated - to be told, I see you, I hear you. YOU MATTER." (Try and say this in your best Oprah voice ok?) And you, dear customers, matter GREATLY to us. And we want to SEE you in a cute little romper prancing about.


So today, we are giving away 1 Venice Romper by Allison Wonderland in either olive or denim! To enter, simply leave a comment with some of the best advice you ever got - Oprah or not, I promise we won't play favourites.

I so wish I could say "Everybody's getting a ROM-PER!!!" or "You're getting a romper! And you're getting a romper!" Oprah-styles, but sadly no, not this year. Maybe when we're also celebrating 25 years in the biz we can go all out like that. Until then, we'll continue to live out our Oprah fantasy giving away wonderful prizes to 1 lucky winner every day on the blog leading up to the party on Saturday. Man, no wonder she got so excited giving away all those things during "Oprah's Favourite Things", it really is alot of fun!

*and don't forget to leave a way for us to get in touch with you!*

In God we Trust giveaway

In God We Trust is pretty much our favorite store. It's kinda like our Victoire, the staff are friendly, they always have beautiful clothes and accessories and best of all, we aren't at work when we are there! We get to be the shopper trying a zillion things on and choosing our most favorite pieces. We also love the words of wisdom that we get from Shaina and Brooke, the one that comes up the most is "Make shit shine".

For all of you who have never had the privilege of going into one of their shops, the little "Sweet Nothing" charm necklaces are a perfect capsule. Cute, delicate and old-timey but with a zinger of a saying inscribed on it. They have been a staple at Victoire for the last few years, and today we are giving you the chance to win the "Call me" necklace.

All you have to do is leave us your phone number and we will call the winner.
Just kidding it is super dangerous to put your phone number online! Don't ever do that!! Instead tell us who you waited by the phone for. The agonizing wait for that damn thing to just ring already. Good luck!

De island, mon.

The shop has been abuzz about Ottawa Explosion weekend. With so many great shows, it was definitely the kick off to summer. Add Fringe festival to the equation, and there was so much fun happening in the city I just had to.... leave for an island full of chores and mosquitoes! (Doesn't that always seem to be what city-people hear when you mention the cottage?)

Well I had no fun at all at the most beautiful spot in the Valley, which thus makes it the most beautiful spot in the world.



(Forget your crucifix? Not Catholic? It's cool, my grams has you covered. She has been known to use the sink for baptismal purposes)

(There are 6 aunts and uncles, 12 cousins and 2 great grand kids; AND look who Grandpa has beside his chair!)

(This painting was done by my great-great grandmother over 150 years ago)

(This is the holy trinity of the cottage: Canada, God and corny jokes)

Girl Crushes

I'm not going to lie guys, I develop about a bizillion new crushes every day, maybe even every hour, heck every minute, lets face facts here. Lately I have been crushing HARD on Heavy Cream and tonight I finally get to see them play thanks to Ottawa Explosion! Four piece band of awesome with three rad gals and one dude bass playing (that never happens, its always girls that play bass). Check em out and fall in love.


Oh and while you're at it please feel free to fall in love with The Kamalas! Hailing from my home turf of New Brunswick. I saw them play last night and they knocked my sock right off!

Steel Magnolia Giveaway

Life is weird, you really never know where things are gonna lead. In a million years neither Regine nor I ever thought we would be jewelry makers. It's so weird and crazy that we often forget that we have this really successful jewelry business, Steel Magnolias. It totally feels like bizarro future in which we design things. Actually it feels like bizarro future that we even have a store let alone 2. When Regine and I first met she was gonna be a marketing genius for a record company and I was gonna be an engineer. And yet here we are, so very very lucky to be here. (The only part of Victoire that doesn't feel like bizarro is our basement "collections", I think we both knew we would definitely be junk collectors).

In another act to thank you for supporting us and Canadian Fashion, here is the next giveaway leading up to the big crazy day of June 25th. Comment below with your unplanned, totally random, bizarro life twist and you can win your preference of:


Steel Magnolia prize pack 1


Steel Magnolia prize pack 2

Broken Frames

So we have to take a teeny break from giveaways, we're getting repetitive stress injuries from approving all these comments. But we are SO HAPPY that so many of you are entering. It's so fun to read all your comments cos you guys are a funny, stylish & talented bunch and alot of your answers genuinely make us lol. And also educate - I honestly had no idea there were SO MANY mytholigical creatures, AND that our customers were so well-versed in them. I am glad to know that now though. So please, even if we aren't giving away something in this post it would be so lovely to read a few comments anyhow, hm? But don't worry, we'll get back to the gift-giving spree tomorrow.


So Worn issue #12 is out (now available at both shops for 6 bones!), and there is a great spread by our favourite photographer and collaborator Arden Wray.


I've scanned a few of the pics, but come and check them out for yourself and pick up the latest Worn. This month's issue has got some great articles as always, including an interview with vintage handkerchief collector Hazel Meyer (we can relate).


There's also a great interview with Arden on the Worn blog where some of you may recognize one of her subjects as Shashi in a lovely fluffly pink housecoat. Also, interesting fact! This pic taken of Arden's boy-friend was taken in my old apartment a few months ago when Arden was in town. I don't know why, but that feels really, really cool to me.

Big big giveaway - DACE!

Holly dress, 230$ (available at the Dalhousie location)

Giveaway fun continues!! I have to admit that this one hurts a little bit...don't get us wrong, we LOVE spreading the love for our Canadian designers, it's just that for some of these pieces by Dace we have an almost unhealthy level of attachment...like a tiny part of us aches whenever one leaves the shop even though we are also SO HAPPY to meet another Dace lover.

Weed top, 160$. (Available in cream at West Wellington and peach at Dalhousie locations.)

Juniper top, 140$ (Available at the Dalhousie location)

We've been carrying Dace almost since the very beginning of Victoire, and both Katie and I have probably picked up at least a piece or two every season. And for every single one of these, I wear them again and again. Just last week I wore my white ruffle Dace dress from last Summer, and Katie was wearing her tie-dye strapless dress from 2 years ago...but they could both have equally been from this Summer collection. Because Dace just has a style that is so..."Dace". That's it. It always looks like Dace. No crazy surprises, just pretty effortless clothes to live your life in.

Mallow sweater, 230$ (Available at the Dalhousie location)

Something else about Dace pieces that someone was mentioning to us at a party last week is, and this might not sound like a compliment but it IS, is that the wonderful thing about Dace is that the pieces always have such an ease and effortless vibe that when you come out of the changeroom, you already feel as though it's already yours. Not like you already own the exact same thing, but like it's just a part of you and not this crazy thing that is screaming "omg I JUST bought this" (and will probably get sick of it in a few weeks) - if that makes any sense. Basically, you never look like you're trying too hard, and it just becomes part of your wardrobe, like it was there the whole time.

Quince blouse, 152$ and Timothy pants 160$ (Qince blouse available at both locations, Timothy pants at Dalhousie location)

Anyways, Dace also celebrated an anniversary this year - 10 years in the business! So congrats to them, and I hope we can both continue to grow our businesses for many years to come. But now enough of my yammering - you just wanna know WHAT'S UP FOR GRABS?! Well, here's the beauty of it: any of the pieces pictured here can be yours. Your choice, from any of the styles above (dependent on availability of course). So simply leave a comment saying which piece you would choose and where the first place you would wear it would be! *And don't forget to give us a way to get in touch with you, be it blog, twitter or email!*

***The winner is Amox. You deserve new work cloths and we are so very excited for your new job at the Women's shelter. Power to you our wonderful feminist customer and thanks for making our community better! K&R

Mega-Nutty Uber-Fantastic!

We have been slow leaking details of what is in store for you all on June 25th. All the blog giveaways are nothing compared to the Mega-Nutty Uber-Fantastic treats at the Party.

Here is one more detail to rev you up: We will be having our first ever $50 bin. Yup tones of great pieces at 50bones. 50 bread crumbs. 50 cheese(or is that a drug thing...gah!!! I do not know lingo). Here are some pieces that you will see in said bin:





And remember, the sale during the day is happening at both locations, so you will need to be hitting up both shops. It's a $16 cab ride between the shops. Important information when you have the need for speed. Also there will be no transfers, no holds and no bread or cheese at the party.

Audrey Cantwell giveaway!

Giveaway madness continues! I hope this is as much fun for you guys as it is for us! We love our designers AND our customers, so it genuinely makes us giddy to be able to spoil y'all with goodies on their behalf. And keep entering even if you've entered any of the other contests, there's no cap on number of entries! Just don't forget to leave your email address or another way for us to get a hold of you.

Next up today is Audrey Cantwell, one of our all-time faves! She's like the coolest girl you've ever met, but then also simultaneously the friendliest so your brain doesn't know what to make of it except that your crush somehow manages to get bigger and you devise devious plans for you guys to become BFFs.

This giveaway comes on the heels of a new Audrey Cantwell shipment we are expecting this week with - wait for it....LINGERIE! OMG! First swimsuits, now lingerie - we are coming up with all kinds of ways to keep you all looking cute cute cute in every context. Anyways, you'll have to wait until then to see pics of that, but in honour of Audrey Cantwell being the kind of designer who always surprises us with the new directions her line takes we are giving away the piece that started it all for us. This asymmetrical hoodie is the very first style of hers that we carried, and it was a hit from the get-go. A fresh take on a wardrobe staple that doesn't make you feel like a shlump when you really wish you could just leave the house in exactly what you slept in. To enter this giveaway, just leave a comment naming your favourite mythological creature!

Best Grilled Cheese I've Ever Had

Ma! get yo hands off my grilled whicchhhhh ( also next time you cut my hair don't give me "Rusell Crowe Gladiator bangs" )

So I consider myself a bit of a grilled cheese snob...an aficionado if you will. The bread to cheese ratio needs to be exact...the grill marks a golden brown...the ketchup at a slightly cold temperature. It is an art...and The Murray St. Market (recently opened at Murray and Dalhousie...follow this link) make the BEST grilled cheese I have ever had. Eating this fromage filled delicacy left me with a "Christmas complex". I didn't want the event of the eatage of this sandwich to be brought to an end.

So go and check out the Murray St. Market...it is charcuterie done with no pretension and with a helpful and fun staff. The Murray St as a restaurant is such a hit and their Market continues to uphold their reputation.

Go try this grilled cheese and then come on down to Victoire on Dalhousie to give your rave reviews. I already have the neon posters exclaiming "Grilled Cheese will u marry me ? xoxo) so you bring the fan mail and we can go to town.

Postscript : Murray St makes their own ketchup for their grilled cheese (think diced and spiced tomato merriment)
Oh snap!