WEDGIE

Look at the intensity of these boots.
INTENSELY AWESOME.
Words cannot describe how killer they are.


Dolce Vita, $129

Wedddggiiiieeeeeeeeeee

(Gangley leg)

When you are 5'1 and 3 quarters..(no one is counting). I take what I can get in height. Thus, these are perfect AND I can walk forever in them!

ON THAT NOTE (talking about feet!)-
FOOTLOOSE is playing at Westboro beach THIS Saturday.

Dear Photograph

I was just on the White Elephant blog, and this post made me think of the website Dear Photograph, which I recently discovered thanks to the Lake Jane blog and I was sucked into it immediately. People submit photographs taken in front of the photo's original background, and the messages that accompany the pictures are just so touching.

Dear Photograph,
Over 25 years later, the house is still blue and my mother is still looking over me.
Alexandra

We love old photos here at the shop (you don't say...can you use sarcasm on yourself? I'm not sure...anyways), they're pretty much everywhere you look - merchandised with jewelry, inside our scavenged vintage lockets, on the walls in frames, in the little care packages we send with webstore orders, so I could literally spend hours browsing through these pictures. What makes these all the more fascinating is that we get a peak at the lives of the people photographed thanks to the bits of context provided by the messages, whereas most of the time when we come across old pictures we're left to imagine their histories.

Dear Photograph,
Who knew 20 years ago my little tagalong Harry would still be looking
upward…now he’s an air traffic controller!
Love, Kristian

Dear Photograph,
Remember when we decided to see if shrink wrap would hold my brother Joe to a tree? This made us laugh so much!
Annie Enderle

How to throw a party on a dime, or HOLY Cow I have a 1 year old!

Last Sunday was Éloïse's 1st birthday. I can't even believe it's been a year, a year full of giggles, sleep deprivation, trips to the park, airplane adventures and shitty shitty poops. I really wanted her to have a fantastic party to honor her year. But then I was like, wait a second - we have been her slave for a whole year: we are the ones who need a freakin' party! So my mama did the best thing a mama can do and she took her to the cottage for two days so that we could drink ourselves stupid and sleep in. It was awesome.

But then we were back to party planning, a little hungover but definitely in it to win it. TLC shows about crazy kid birthdays got me pretty nervous about expectations. But considering our budget was right next door to $0 we did pretty well for ourselves. Actually scratch that, we did awesome and not only were costs super low so were the crafting skills of the aunties involved in party planning.

It took us forever to decide on what to write. Smell-a-loise spent a long time on the board, her nickname almost always said with love by her older cousins and her dad.

Banners, so festive and seriously anyone can do them! We had a few around the apartment

We served pies and chocolate cake. I saw this cake topper online and it was super easy to make. it also seems a lot safer then putting fire a few inches away from your kid's face. Just saying.

We had lots of options for going away treats that reflected the kids ages and how lame/restrictive their parents are: crochet bugs on sticks, peaches or giant lollipops!

I just really like this picture. On a healthy note, we served lots of baby friendly food like hummus, home-made popsicles, a watermelon shark (picture to come), even the cake had cream cheese icing. This party was about as healthy as anything around me can ever get.

Oh and there is the lady of the hour. Good job girl, you were crazy this year but never so crazy you got yourself kicked out of the family!

Medieval Times

This beautiful Aryn K burnt orange number has an element of medieval magic that makes me long for a jaunt to Medieval Times. Eating with your hands...being served by people in bonnets...all the while surrounded by strangers wearing the same flimsy paper "king" hats as you. Cheering for the yellow knight...booing at the green. It's all so exhilarating haha.

So thank you to the design team at Aryn K for making this beautiful dress ($119)

I appreciate a piece that has intrigue in the back. Sexiness needn't always be about the chestiness.

Medieval Times is not fine dining and its management is a gaggle of disinterested 16 year olds...but that does not belie the magic of the place. Medieval Times is the only joint about town where you can hang with friends while watching some quality jousting with a main course of horse tricks followed by a delectable dessert of eagle soaring.

Well...I'm sold!

Swamp witch

I'm still recuperating from a whirlwind of a weekend that involved playing a show in Montreal (Audrey Cantwell's Tarantula Sisters zine launch no less - I picked up some copies while I was there and they'll be at Dal tomorrow. I've only got 5 though, so come snatch them up before they're gone!).

I also hit up a pal's cottage the next day and got to swim in a beautiful lake, whittle a stick for s'more-y marshmallow stabbings, and caught a ride in a canoe. It was exactly what I needed - a couple of days where your only worry is the horrible feeling of seaweed rubbing up against your legs (ughhhhhhhh) and giant underwear lake monsters.

After a weekend like that, however, it sure does feel nice to play dress up. Despite my gnarly knees (right one from an epic battle with a lake rock, the other from bashing into my drumkit one too many times) I am grateful for designers like Eve Gravel that help remind me that looking like a fancy little lady can be just as effortless as my plaid and cutoff cottage wear.

Eve Gravel Lou Doyon dress - $210

It works super well with our Dolce Vita booties $149
more cottage evidence: the cute little friendship anklet my pal Liz made me!

Ps. I leave you with this picture I snapped at the cottage of the lovely Ula wearing her Cinder & Smoke shirt.
She made everyone the best waffles for breakfast that I'm still thinking about. Swoon.

Introducing Alice Alishka

Ottawa's fashion and design community is growing all the time, and proof of that is that every season our roster of Ottawa-bred clothing designers just keeps growing. First we had Sessie, then Ella Peru, and now we are happy to add Alice Alishka to our family of local designers. Probably what makes us most excited about Alice Alishka is that her textiles are natural, custom dyed, printed, and knit with her own patterns and textures, making each one truly one of a kind. All of the dyeing, knitting, and printing currently happens within her studio in Ottawa and the sewing is done by professionals in Brampton and Montreal.

And then when we read this little tidbit in her bio, we knew Alice Alishka would fit right in here at Victoire: "It's important to Alice&Alishka that our products are well made and made by people we know and trust here in Canada. The natural beauty of Canada's East Coast is even the main inspiration behind the colours and textures of the clothing." Music to our ears!! Check her out.

Hand-dyed Heather leggings, 90$

Hand-dyed June top, 80$

Jo skirt (80$) & Kelly top (130$). This one's been a hit so far, it can be worn as a high-waisted skirt or a hip hugger (just go up a size if you wanna wear it high-waisted).

Lisa skirt, 90$. The print was custom designed and based on the sun setting over the beach in PEI, Canada.

pssssssssstttttt....

All I'm going to say is that it's good - really, really, really good. I just cracked open the boxes and there's already a customer trying on every style of pant that Hailey sent our way and, boy am I jealous that you guys get first dibs. I just got word that Emily cracked open even more at the Dalhousie location.

COATS TOO. COATS, GUYS.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

DressUP, DressDOWN

Here are my artistic no-face OUTFIT pictures.
I love to dress-up sometimes. BUT, I also like throwing on a jean vest or casual jacket to make a pretty dress a little more rock n' roll. Throw on some cowboy boots and you are SET.
The print on this Copious Couture dress reminds me of

BUBBLES

Copious Couture, $180




Add a Jean vest!
We have this dress at the Wellington location, so stop by and keep me company!
xoxoxoxo

Hey stuff, wanna come back to my place?

I am in my favorite and most dangerous mood: I want to take home treasures! Thank God I am at Victoire and it is so damn easy to fall in love with things. The worst is when I get in this mood and I'm somewhere random like GT Boutique or the shit Dollar Stores on Bank, then I just come home with Joe Louie's, fake glitter flowers and sparklers (why the heck do I buy sparklers given any opportunity? They are very dangerous!).

Aztec dress, this dress feels very 'important art collector' which clearly I am (not)! $109

Manitobah Mukluks, made in Canada and totally adorable! $79

Species by a 1000, made in NYC by the loveliest gal who has the best tips on everything, $110

For all you terrarium lovers, get lost in how special each of these are.

How to be well dressed

Dace has out done herself again. This top is everything I wanted it to be and so very much more. The ruffle falls perfectly over a high waisted skirt, the collar is wide enough that a necklace will fit so nicely under it and man oh man is it ever sweet. It's my fall uniform.

Skye top, $180

I better study this video to insure my dream top stays white and crisp:

THIS Happened

So yesterday we got another exciting box in.
Take a look at these babies!
FALL here we come...

Dolce Vita Suede Booties, $149

...in STYLE.

These booties will help me with the transition to another season.

lovelovelovelovelove.

xoxoxox

PHONEbook

So there's kindof a theme going on here...as we brace ourselves for boxes and boxes of Fall deliveries, we do a little bit of late summer cleaning here at the shops...including our hard drives, and phone memories. I was just cleaning out my phone, and remembered these pics I took at a wedding a few weeks ago! Sometimes if I'm feeling brave enough (the open bar that night certainly helped) I may just walk up to you at a party and ask to take your pic if I spot some Victoire on ya...So here's the Vic spotting I did on this particular evening:


Here we've got the lovely Sessie in one of her own creations, a Sessie dress, alongside Sheila in an Ella Peru printed silk dress. We've still got a few of these left at both shops, including some in Fall-appropriate black silk.


Now here's Ula in a Nokomis dress from a few seasons ago. See, it really is true - a great fitting dress will see you through many occasions, even years later. It looks just as good now as it did then!


Another oldie but goodie! This is Valerie Dumaine's June dress from a few summers ago. It almost brings me more joy to see people still loving and getting lots of use out of pieces they've bought with us. It's exactly the kind of sustainable shopping we hope to encourage!


Erin sporting Larque rosebud & pearl earrings. We've got more of these at both shops, but come quick, they sell out fast!


And here's ME (you'll just have to take my word, my head was conveniently cut off) in a Lily&Jae dress from this past Fall.

Don't you just love weddings??

SCRAPbook

Hey guys.

I'm currently going through my photobucket account at home and thought I'd post a couple of shots. Katie did a post like this a little while back with pictures she found on the work computer so it's definitely inspired by that. Digital scrapbooking I guess, except that I have over a thousand pictures in there that I've largely completely forgotten about. I was able to find these in the first seventeen pages (totally. ridiculous.) and I'm scared to look any further into the abyss. Ahhhhhhhhh.

This one is just a merching picture I took but also a good reminder that both locations have recently been re-stocked with cards. We usually get cute seasonal ones once holidays hit so keep yer eyes peeled for those, too.

Another product picture, but I took this one because I love the feather print on this book so much. Also a reminder that the girls just got back from NYC so it is prime Steel Mag season. We are fully stocked with new necklaces, rings and bracelets. They also brought back lots of new jewelry from Erica Weiner & Species X 1000.

I took this one during a snowstorm we had this winter, it was super slow and I took the opportunity to try on that wicked Ursa Minor jacket I still regret passing up on and a Gen Savard cocktail dress (We have one left in black, and two in neon yellow!). This was probably the only time I wore heels last year. I slipped and fell onto the desk moments after this was taken. MEMORIES.

Sheer Genius

I love me some sheer fabric. It has got flow and a sexiness to it that is classy while not being Desperate Housewives of Orange County sassy. There's a huge misconception that only certain people can wear sheer materials. This is a weird lie. Check out this Ark and Co magenta dress that we recently got in.

Magenta Mamma Ark and Company Magenta Dress-$89
Steel Mag bird skull necklace -35$
My mom's cool bracelet-priceless

Cool n'est ce pas ? Wear a lace bandeau, a bra of the same colour or even a tank top underneath. You control the effects of the sheer genius of this gem. Jackpot...the breast pockets give Gertrude and Greta some coverage so you don't feel too exposed.

Green Genie

I think this sheer green shirt is a beauty. It's got a funky/fresh cut and would look great tucked into high waisted shorts for summer or a high waisted skirt and tights for fall.

Mono B-Emerald Blouse-$69
Josianne Perron Sheer Shorts-on sale for $90
Steel Magnolias vintage belt-$12
Steel Magnolia Mica Geode Necklace-$35

This green is a magical colour. It seems to compliment all skin tones...hair colours...eye colour, you name it. That's why she's called Green Genie (Think I Love Genie instead of the scary Robin Williams genie in Aladdin)

Shimmy your shoulders into a sheer shirt and shush that schmuck "Insecurity" right outta here..cause aww shucks we at Victoire think y'all are looking fine. So have no fear Victoirian Dear. Trust us...you can pull of the coveted style of "Sheer".

Thanks for tuning in Victoirians
Until next time

Dear Fall

Dearest Fall..

I hear you're coming to town soon.

Please bring some oranges with you ..

Cotton Candy Burnt Orange Dress-$89

and some reds and yellows too...

From left: Salvage Josie Necklace-$44,Nicole Ginsberg Gold Plated Leaf-$98,Erica Weiner Branch-$35,Chain Chain Chain capped jewel necklace-$42

Summer's a beauty with its whites and baby blues Copious Couture Dress -$180

But Fall brings change .. excitement, turkey
And a sense of things being new
Dearest Dear Fall .. We at Victoire .
Well we've got a crush on you!