Shopping ...sad but true
 

Thanks for the welcome everyone. Ok so I know this isn't the most challenging topic but 7 weeks in I'm feeling disorientated about shopping. (Especially since my mail forward sent me an M&S Autumn catalogue with nostalgic piccy's of shopping at home). So I'm in need of friendly advice about where to buy my women's winter clothes in Calgary (for those who asked which Calgary it's the Canadian one!).

I used to shop for smart/business casual stuff and then relaxing weekend stuff ranging from the very cheap (Peacocks and Primark) to the more department store (Beales, Debenhams, M&S) through to independent boutique and high end worn before style shops. I'm going insane without them. I would love to find the same range of shops (if I can) in Calgary. Not really sure where to start.

I know that when it gets to minus 30 I won't give a damn what shops I went to but as I feel homesick right now you'd be doing me a therapeutic as well as practical favour, if you had any tips.

Thanks in advance.

Re: Shopping ...sad but true
 

Go to the mall. That's what Canadians do.

Re: Shopping ...sad but true
 

I've been here since January and haven't bought a single item of clothing, whilst in the UK I was obsessed with buying clothes (bought at least one thing once a week). OK, I bought a pair of maternity trousers, but I had no choice as we were going hiking.
I feel shopping here sucks. And there's no online shopping :(
Good luck.

Re: Shopping ...sad but true
 

Go to CrossIron Mills http://www.crossironmills.com/. Have a look at their store directory, they have Gap, H&M, Winners (alternative to TK Maxx). Winners have a range of winter coats and jackets now. Plus you can go to Bass Pro shop there to look at the stuffed animals, it has more of them than some natural history museums. ;)

Re: Shopping ...sad but true
 

Close to $3 billion was spent by Canadian shoppers online last winter holiday season. You need a better search engine.

Re: Shopping ...sad but true
 

Hi Julie - my previous shopping habits sound a bit like yours!

We've been in Calgary for 7 years, I work full-time where its business casual most days - I primarily get my work clothes from Laura, and Reitmans. Oh, and Rickis has casual/work blend of stuff. I supplement smarter work pants and skirts with t-shirts, etc from Walmart and Target as I like to change those out more often and you can pick up, for example, some great white t-shirts from Walmart for about $5

TD Square has a number of boutique type stores, worth a wander around.

I also shop at the Bay, and occasionally Sears, for workwear but generally I pick up casual/weekend stuff from there. Marks Work Warehouse has some good casual gear - stock changes quite regularly and you can definitely get warm clothing there!!

Cheap and cheerful stuff, again Walmart and Target. Forever XXI in Chinook occasionally has some interesting finds.

There is a used clothing shop down 8th St SW/13th Ave SW and there is a fabulous vintage store around 11th Ave SW/6th Street. Actually thinking about it there is a great consignment store down near Heritage Station (Vespucci - sp?) - here is a link for some of the biggest in Calgary

Have fun .... If you make it down 8th street SW during the week give me a shout and maybe we can have a coffee!!

J :)

Re: Shopping ...sad but true
 

yeah, this is one complaint i don't get. I do loads of shopping online.

Re: Shopping ...sad but true
 

Me too.

Re: Shopping ...sad but true
 

http://ca.nextdirect.com/en/

http://www.marksandspencer.com/Inter...s2_2of2_intdel

Other than that we got H&M, Esprit, the Bay or the US;-)

Re: Shopping ...sad but true
 

business casual in Calgary for wimmin can mean 1980s faded ski-jackets
(off white with 20 year old day glo pink and yellow) to comfy fleece coat with moose motifs and lake louise etc ; add the younger MEC granola girl fraternity and Kings Road it is not...did i mention the running shoes/trainers

Re: Shopping ...sad but true
 

I hate to admit it but I usually do most of my clothes shopping when I head south of the border for work or back to the UK. I really struggle with a lot of the shops here. For the money they ask, the quality just isn't there, the styles are stuck somewhere in the 1980's - or they are aimed at the flesh-exposing generation (now I sound old). My mum actually commented that one of the dresses she saw in the window this summer looked like it could have been something my Grandmother would have warn!! The pattern - not the style...

I hope you have better luck because after almost 7 years I still struggle.
Helen

Re: Shopping ...sad but true
 

That's because the 1980's are back. Checked out TopShop in the Bay here, it's full of 80's inspired patterns etc.

I do not get the whining?

Re: Shopping ...sad but true
 

I like shopping at Rickis for work wear, although it's very business casual here. As another poster said I tend to mix dress pants with T-Shirts from Old Navy. I usually buy my jeans in Old Navy too. Walmart can have some good stuff as they carry the George brand and Superstore has their Joe Fresh range, but I have only bought workout gear from there.

I love the look of Blame Betty http://blamebetty.com/ although I have yet to shop there.

Top Shop will be opening in Chinook Centre soon (if it's not open already) and you can find H&M in a few malls around Calgary now.

Winter stuff is starting to come out now. Depending on what you want out of your outerwear will depend where you should look for it. For general use (commuting, short times outside) you can use any of the stores I have already mentioned. If you are spending more time outside doing sports then hit Sportchek, or another store thats name escapes me right now, but I know it is located in the Deerfoot Meadows area near Ikea (and quite possibly Walmart).

HTH a little

Re: Shopping ...sad but true
 

ASOS does free delivery to Canada if that helps.

Re: Shopping ...sad but true
 

next to Walmart ; off the shoulder tundra camo with an orange flash ?