Written by Sasha

Hi Sasha. It took me ALL winter but I've finally lost 24 lbs and I am absolutely frothy at the bit to start replacing everything in my wardrobe! Trouble is, I live in a very remote part of Canada so, unless I use my entire new clothing budget to travel to some major shopping opportunities like TO, I'm going to have to restrict myself to ONLINE experiences. Can you give me a few names of good online companies, Canadian (hopefully but not a deal breaker), stylish (yet casual) clothing and stay-at-home-mom prices (maybe?)? S
Pass the lube and strap on a tube sock -- online shopping is the equivalent of porn in my world. And slowly but surely there are some great Canadian stores to hit up.

Here are my favourites:

SSENSE.COM  is a really great go-to. It leans on the high end of things but they carry lines like Cheap Monday and T by Alexander Wang so we poor folk can get in on the action too. But for real, they are a great destination for finding some unique pieces you can’t find in stores.

GAPCANDA.CA launched last year. Under its umbrella they also have Banana Republic and Old Navy. Their delivery is fast and because it’s a Canadian site, returns and shipping are super painless.

DEALUXE.CA is a brand new spanking site that is launching on May 2nd – put it in your favourites. Peeps in the fashion circle are getting pretty excited about all the fun labels (Smythe, Rebecca Minkoff, James Perse, J Brand) they’ll be carrying.

REBORN is a kick ass store in Montreal and they’ve got a great array of designers. They definitely cater to the more ‘fashion savvy’ customer but they’ve got a seriously great selection.

White Crow has more of an indie appeal but they have a great stock of cool basics and everything on the site is really affordable.

A2Zane is a great go-to for accessorizes. From scarves to bags that’s their speciality.

My Little Secrets is a Toronto based site that has a little bit of everything but has a travel angle for most of their products. I’ve never personally shopped there but I’ve heard good things.

BEAUTYPHICA isn’t a fashion site but I thought I’d make mention of it just in case you’re a beauty junkie. It’s just launched and it’s stocked with some of the most covetable beauty products.

And lastly if you‘re looking for some great Canadian baby clothes and items check out PEATOTES.COM and BABYTOT.COM

So S, these are just some of major players in Canada but in this day and age the majority of boutiques and designers have ecommerce set up, so don’t be afraid to explore. And if any of you have readers out there have any hot tips you'd like to share, send them on in. Happy Shopping! xx


Hi Sasha, I recently got engaged to a super rad guy and the thought of going into half a dozen wedding dress stores with my sister, mother and soon to be mother-in-law (all of whom I love very much) is making me want to elope at best and throw myself off a bridge at worst, I was wondering if you could help me out with some ideas for dresses. Basically, I am looking for a lovely, fairly simple, white-ish dress (does not have to be a wedding dress) that screams more DAMN SHE FLY than BRIDAL. Something that is classy enough that I won’t be embarrassed looking at pictures in ten years, but that has a bit of a twist to make it feel unique/a bit funky. I’m also a bit of a sucker for fairy tales and whimsical stuff, so it could (but doesn’t have to) have that feel. I am also hoping to keep it under $1000. Thanks, Q

Ohhh this is exciting - congratulations! When it was time for me to start looking for my own wedding dress my criteria was the same, simple and yes, FLY as all hell. So Q, I got you….

I’ve gotta start with the best. I love me some Marchesa – their designs are jaw dropping. I actually did an interview with the designers a few weeks ago and can I just say how f-cking drop dead gorgeous Georgina Chapman is? Lord. Harvey Weinstein must have brokered a damn good deal if he gets to tap that on the regular. Anyway, had I not had my dress made, I would have bought this dress – it’s spectacular. It’s so simple but that asymmetrical ruffled top is so beautiful. Oh and Marchesa for under a 1000.00 – please, that’s a steal

And (why stop there) here’s another Marchesa dress. If you can work a bit of drama on the big day then I say own that big-ass flower and go for it.

You know J Crew does bridal, right? They have some serious stunners on their site, but this one caught my eye, because well, it’s similar to what I wore. I love a sweetheart neckline and what’s great about the simplicity on this one is that you can accessorize it to the tits. My ‘tit’ piece was a really cool encrusted headband from Jennifer Behr, but if that’s not your steez then a beautiful necklace, stacked bracelets or a pair of emerald drop earrings would be perfect. (Lainey: um, it wasn’t a headband. It was a head PIECE. And she wore it like Nicole Richie, middle part, over the part. SO beautiful. Like, it was stupid she was so beautiful.)

I also love this other J crew gown…come on, pockets…sold. I know its 1500 bones but with the CND dollar on the up and up it's a possibility.

Another dress I love is this Theia gown. This was actually the one and only dress I tried on before I decided to make my wedding dress. The cut was fantastic and the flow of the goddess silhouette was super flattering.

Moving on to something with a bit more of an ethereal vibe we have this dress. It’s so simple and so stunning. I have no other words.

Now if flow isn’t your thing then check out this DVF dress. I love this structured column look and it’s so timeless so you’d never look back at yourself and cringe.

Okay, now switching gears a bit. If you can afford to flirt it up then short wedding dresses are really popular. I love this Reva Mivasgar Posy Mini Dress (you have to scroll though the pictures to get to it). I tried to find prices but no luck. Either way it serves as some good inspiration.

And keeping on the short tip, click here and here for some other options.

Q, seriously, I could go on an on, there are just so many choices out there. So I hope at the very least I gave you some inspiration. Oh and if you’re in the Toronto region and want to get your dress made I went to Nina Duong – I can’t sing her praises enough. Tell her I sent you xx


Hi Sasha! I'm looking for a purse. I want something that's not torture-device-spiked, yet doesn't look anywhere close to be-dazzled. More Dragon-Tattoo, less Gaga. I also want it normal enough that it doesn't scare colleagues away, in a size that won't overwhelm my 5'4". And here's the kicker, can it be affordable / not several mortgage payments' worth? Is this even possible? I hope you can rise up to my challenge. Cheers,A

Obviously bold accessories are a great way to show off personality but just beware -- you DO NOT want an accessory to compete with the rest of your outfit. So look for something that isn’t too over the top. Plus, if you’re going to smack down some dough, make sure it’s more than a one pump chump kind of deal. You dig? Let’s get started.

I love a good stud here and there so this DVF hobo bag or this Sara Berman bag is definitely something I’d lean more towards. The hardware isn’t wham bam in your face but both options still have that edge. And for a really affordable version, check out this Forever 21 bag.

A good bucket bag is a must-have these days and I’ve got another Sara Berman Bag for you to check out - click here. It’s gorgeous! And while the gold grommets and studding give it that tough-ness, its still manages to come off soft and feminine.

And finally cross body bags are right on point for this season. Not only are you entirely hands free but having the weight dispersed across your body means you won’t be a hunchback by 40! YAY! So click here, here, here and here for some goodies. All of them have a “I’m cute but I’ll stab you with my knife’ kind of look…. and if that’s what you’re going for, then by all means.