It's funny actually, before I would engage in a conversation with a sales person/server/parking lot attendant/ front desk etc etc, I would go over my ideal of the dialogue in my head, practicing my french in hopes to dodge the idiot stamp that would inevitably mark my forehead if I botched the situation. Offering "please excuse me, i forgot all my french" and asking "could you please speak slower" would start me off, followed by typical phrases like "puis-je ..." with a merci and a smile to close. Maybe it was just the fact that I was mostly downtown, but I didn't have to speak the language at all. Let's face it, Monrteal is a touristy spot, so naturally everyone speaks both languages. I even heard more than just french and english! If I was in another city in Quebec, the case may have been different, I don't know, but everyone I spoke to was lovely to me.
As for my shopping experience, well there was a little bit left to be desired but that isn't anyone else's fault but my own. I had focused too much on shoes, sadly, to no avail. There are some really cute shops around but for the most part nothing was any different from what I have at home. Fast fashion is available on the streets like Starbucks, Second Cup or Tim Hortons are! Higher-end cases, well, you better come prepared with a fat wallet.
One great shop I did find downtown was 1861. The shop is decorated with a vintage inspired esthetic, which is absolutely endearing, but what is most interesting about it is that 1861 is not a vintage store at all! The shop carries product from local french designers and other well known brands like French Connection. The experience is intimate, modern and full of fresh dreamy coolness.
I was also very excited to be able to visit Denis Gagnon's boutique in Old Montreal. It was surreal to be able to physically touch the garments I had seen on the runway last year. And if my size was style available, I would have picked up a pair of the Aldo x Denis Gagnon shoes.
Other than that, I had a great experience in the Betsey Johnson store, the sales people there are fantastic at their job! There were alot of great items available in the MMBA's boutique from the Gaultier exhibit (which I will obviously share with you). And lots of adorable independently owned shops and stands all over the city. I wish we were able to spend more time there. A weekday would have been ideal for shopping, as the hours are better then than on weekends, and there were just so many more amazing shops I was discovering at night. It's too bad they were all closed! And a day to check out art galleries would have been cool too, honestly, my coffee shops to fast fashion stores comparison was probably better suited to independent galleries than anything!
Montreal is such a clean city with such beautiful architecture it's impossible not to fall in love. It is so scenic and picturesque almost everywhere you go, but what I love most about this city, is that the streets are constantly full of people at any given time. People of all ages/ethnicities, and different walks of life simply enjoying the day.
More to come so stay tuned! xo
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