Friday, December 10, 2010

Window Dressing

Back in Vancouver in mid-November, while waiting for a bus, I amused myself by peering into the shop windows behind me. 


It was good to be informed by the window-dressings of Holt Renfrew of what the well-dressed Canadian woman should plan on wearing for this festive season.




Have you ever noticed that when you're looking intently at something or pointing your camera at a subject, other people will stop to see just what the heck you're so intrigued by.  See the little lady reflected in the window?  I sure hope we don't show up at the same party wearing the same outfit from Holt's! 





The gentlemen were not neglected, either, though the message got a little lost in the medium, I think.



I'm guessing the sartorial recommendation is to wear a red toque and matching tie with your dark suit while hanging the Christmas lights; yellow tie and no hat if you're completetly bald (case of flaunt it if you haven't got it.)  One just never knows who might drop in when one is in the middle of performing one's manly household duties.  Best to look sharp.


How it looked as I peered in the window.
How it looked after a Photoshop makeover.


I caught this make-up salesgirl trying on the merchandise while waiting for customers. All the better to promote the product if you've tried it.  I think I'll take the eyeliner that's still unwrapped in its packaging, if you don't mind, dear.

Have you got your outfit picked out yet for some festive gathering you might be forced to attend  happily looking forward to?  Hopefully, I've given you some helpful tips here.  Happy (window) shopping!

PS. To pick up your Christmas card from last year's clearance table, hop over to Ragzedge.

25 comments:

  1. Why is the Holt lady wearing a judicial wig? Myself, I'm no judge of fashion.

    WV: sughter - The hairpiece doesn't sughter

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  2. I do like that dress... don't have anywhere to wear it, wish I did. maybe.... sometimes planning for an event is better than the event.

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  3. Very cool photos! And I DO love the long red dress with the bomber jacket!! I think Canadians have something to offer the fashion world! :)

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  4. DCW,
    Having worked in the judiciary system for a few too many years, she's a tad judge mental.

    WV: pardly
    That pardly explains her ensemble.

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  5. Gwen,
    I totally agree with you! Oftimes the imagining is far preferable to the doing.

    I've accepted a party invitation for tomorrow night and I know that at 7 p.m. I'm going to be standing in my closet loudly lamenting, "I've got nothing to wear!" And once I get to the party, I'll find myself gripping my wine glass a little too tightly, hovering by the food table with a fixed smile on my face, feeling horrendously socially awkward, and wondering what on earth I'm doing there. I will be so relieved to get home and into my pj's! It seemed like a good idea when I accepted the invitation...

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  6. Jann,
    Do you think the outfit would go over well in Sicily? Maybe not the hat so much. But then, that's what makes it quintessentially Canadian. That, and a bottle of Moosehead beer in one's hand.

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  7. Hahaha.. wow... did you describe that scenario to a tee.

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  8. What a great way to proof that it is the 'inside' that counts. Please have you all a wonderful start into the weekend.


    daily athens

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  9. love all the double images in these window shots - very creative and effective...

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  10. Did somebody say "Moosehead" ??? I thought I heard some bottles clinking !

    And gazing at that red dress long enough, I thought I just caught a glimpse of a bit of décolleté, not that one would ever come here looking for that... no, it just sort of leapt off the page at me.

    As for the interior view in normal and photoshopped versions, in both it looks exactly like a shop attendant blowing her nose in front of a mirror... is she maybe crying because she found out that you'd bought the dress before she could ? Or because she wasn't invited to the party ? Or maybe she isn't crying and blowing her nose at all, but she's got her hand up to keep from breaking out laughing at the woman leaning in the door taking pictures ???

    Now, all this typing is making me thirsty ! Where's that Moosehead ???
    And where's Saj ???

    PS have a great time at the party... I'll be over at the food table with you, wishing I was somewhere else...

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  11. Robert,
    Definitely can't judge a book by its cover, or a Canuck by her hat.

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  12. Catherine,
    I'm glad you find something enjoyable to reflect upon here!

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  13. BrOwen,
    You're not actually familiar with Moosehead beer, are you?

    And, man, if you can catch a glimpse of décolleté in the red dress shots, your toady eyes must have something like x-ray vision! Maybe you could get a new job at airport security, screening the passengers.

    I'm guessing La Grenouille is not a lady who wears a lot of make-up or you would surely recognize the universal hand sign for applying eye-makeup, not blowing one's nose. You could be forgiven for thinking the young lady might be wiping away tears...though more likely from jabbing the mascara wand into her eyeball. I was actually outside the window, slightly below it, looking in at floor level, trying to be inconspicuous.

    Saj is probably in her closet, loudly lamenting, "I've got ought to wear!" But she'll eventually come strutting in, looking smashing, if not quite yet smashed.

    What do you mean you'll be at the food table with me wishing you were somewhere else? Am I that boring?! Don't you like these diamonds on the soles of my shoes?

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  14. That hat would come in handy on my mountain or high desert hikes and who could resist what looks like a way cool chocolate brown leather jacket. Love the warmth of the first window and the perspective behind the mannequin. Now, where did I put my party dress? Have a Happy!

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  15. Stickup Artist,
    Yes! I can just picture you in the hat and way cool leather jacket, a bright bandana round your neck, clicking gorgeous high desert scenes while looking stylish. Maybe Owen could be sent along to capture images of you capturing images. Be merry!

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  16. 1. Yes, of course we had Moosehead beer even in Pennsylvania, way back when... it's a pretty decent beer. We drank a fair amount of Molson Golden too... :-)

    2. Toad eyes are always equipped with x-ray vision ! I have to be able to see under the straightjackets to make sure no one is concealing any dangerous weapons there...

    3. Oh, so she's doing her eye make up ?!? Actually, the first thought I had is that she might be rehearsing in the mirror in preparation for making a sequel to this video :

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1l9r60oH8g

    4. Of course I love the diamonds on your shoes, soles, soul, uppers, heels, whatever, what I meant, but it didn't come across right I think, it that I'd be at the food table with you, wishing we were both somewhere else, but together elsewhere, like at a nearby bar with the Saj, rather than at some boring party where we weren't enjoying ourselves... I'm not a big party guy, unless it's a very low-key affair...

    And if you have a few too many diamonds, you can toss a few out on the floor, I'll pick them up with my teeth, gotta get this house paid off somehow !

    5. Ah, isn't the Saj smashing when she's smashed ?

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  17. BrOwen,
    So in those rare moments of downtime at the straight jacket factory, you're cruising the web for tips on dating Viking women?!!!
    I had to check that YouTube link twice to make sure I'd connected to the right one. Reminds me of that picture of the mysterious animal head in someone's driveway I once sent you...I hope it wasn't me who started you down this questionable video path. And I also find it a little odd that you whisper the video link in the same breath as mentioning standing uncomfortably by the food table with me...I need another moose head, I think. Oh look, doesn't the Saj look marvellous with that Viking helmet on her head!


    "People say I'm crazy
    I got diamonds on the soles of my shoes
    Well that's one way to lose
    These walking blues"

    But man, they're murder on the hardwood floors.

    Parties...low key or off key...the only way. If you're not going to eat that eyeball, Owen...

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  18. i smiled because i recognized myself at parties (not that i can remember the last time i attended one! :-)

    i like her hair, i sometimes do the same, how is this called in english (i can't remember right now) - but i had no idea it is considered to be fashionable again.

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  19. Roxana,
    So you'll be hoving by the food table with Owen and me?

    My mother always wore her hair in a braid down her back when I was a little girl. Is that the word you were looking for? Braid? As for a braid over one's shoulder being a revived fashion statement...I'm not sure if the window model was meant to be iconic or ironic. But I, for one, think a braid over one's shoulder is lovely, and on you, dear Roxana, even more so.

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  20. PS. Roxana-- By "hoving" I meant "hovering".

    Maybe we should take a plate of something and hide under the table?

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  21. How did you know that was me with the Viking Helmet?? (Funny thing is I do actually own one...)

    I have tried a couple of times to leave comments here but the 'system' wouldn't let me, so knowing that it was nothing personal I decided to bide my time and have a quiet beverage or two and return. Good to see you and brother Toad have managed to keep the party going without me. I love that red dress, I have a few in my collection of clothing and can attest to red's vivaciousness at parties. And not just the red wine...

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  22. Saj,
    Here you are at last! Sorry about the over-zealous doorman keeping you out of the comment box. I suspect the Viking helmet had something to do with it. Red clothing is sooo forgiving for spilled wine, don't you find? Not that you're likely to waste a drop.

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  23. ah no, wasting red wine is akin to alcohol abuse in my dictionary!!

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  24. Saj,
    Would that be the official New Zealand Kiwi English dictionary?

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