I loved visiting Montréal (and my bestie) so much last year, I decided to make it a family affair this year, so we took the kids and flew out for a week’s adventure in la belle province. We were also there to celebrate my bestie’s convocation (as valedictorian!) from McGill University. We all had a wonderful time catching up, exploring, and enjoying sights, the museums, the cafes and restaurants, the weather. It was a blast! My highlights were Old Port, Verdun beach (such a lovely surprise), St. Joseph’s Oratory, and all the flowers and murals we saw on our adventures. And, of course, watching my friend walk across the stage and give her speech to the entire Faculty of Arts graduating class of 2024.

And I did it all out of a carry-on! Seven days, one small suitcase*? Truly, my evolution as a savvy travel-packer is complete. While I did travel to Montreal before with just carry-on, I must point out that it was for only five days. Two extra days might not seem like a lot but, trust me, they are. Plus, this time, I also took a smaller tote than before as my personal item. And half of my carry-on was taken up by a gift I was bringing for my bestie. I am telling you! I did good.

My strategy was the same as last year, but refined in execution. I started, as before, with the footwear. Montreal is a destination that involves a lot of walking, so I knew I needed something very comfortable. I packed a pair of Birkenstocks as a back-up, but I wanted something a touch more elegant so I took a calculated risk with a pair of Sorel sandals I recently thrifted. They are black and white and have a somewhat sporty vibe, so that set the tone for the rest of my clothing choices. I decided to stick to a mostly black, white and blue theme, and go with a more streetwear kind of vibe as opposed to my more boho or preppy looks — again, suited to my primary footwear option. I did also pack a very light pair of dressier sandals, but since the sole of it wasn’t cushioned, I did not want to rely on it too much; I mostly took it because I knew I needed one dressy outfit to celebrate my bestie’s McGill convocation.

I wore my heaviest clothes on the plane, natch: my oversized denim jacket, white tee, sweatshirt and sweatpants, and sneakers.

I included the sweatshirt at the last minute, as the weather forecast raised some questions. I picked one that could be mixed and matched with at least 2 other main pieces (the polka dot skirt and the black dress). The jacket was chosen because I know it would go with pretty much anything else, in the event I needed a topper every day. As it turned out, the sweatshirt was entirely de trop as the weather was much warmer than anticipated; even on the plane, it was too hot. The jacket, on the other hand, was the perfect choice. I was able to wear it most days comfortably, thus cutting down the need to slather my arms in sunscreen.

As for the rest, here is what I packed: 2 skirts, 2 dresses, 1 vest, 1 black cardigan, 1 black turtleneck, 2 white tees, 1 graphic tee. The turtleneck and cardigan were hedges against cooler weather; I didn’t end up wearing the former at all, and only wore the cardigan once, when we went to the oratory and I needed something to cover my arms (but not too bulky). You may think 3 white tees (in total) plus a graphic tee would be overkill, but most of my outfits were planned around wearing a white tee, and I didn’t want to have to worry about laundry during the trip. They didn’t take up a lot of room, so it was fine.

For all that, I ended up with some pretty fun outfits even though my goal was practicality not style.

I know these photos look like they were snapped with a potato, but such are the hazards of on-the-go photo shoots. It was so sunny in Montreal that finding a good spot to take pics proved extremely challenging, especially since I had about 30 seconds each day to do it. But I hope you get the general idea. This was, believe it or not, one of my white tees (not a strange grey one). I wore my denim jacket over this, and it was a good topper choice for the weather that day. The sandals proved to be suuuper comfortable too.

This outfit also turned out quite well. However, after 2 days and tens of thousands of steps, the sandals started to really bite into my ankle bones. I tried using bandaids to relieve the pain, but to no avail. This was a real bummer as they were otherwise perfect for walking. I’m hoping that, once my ankle bones stop hurting, I’ll be able to wear these again for shorter periods of time.

This was a bit of an improvised outfit, as we ended up with a last-minute itinerary made up of rather different activities. We hit up Verdun beach in the morning, which meant I needed something that could easily go over my swimsuit; from the beach, we headed to the Oratory, which meant that I had to look presentable and also have my shoulders and knees covered. This outfit ended up working fine. I switched to my Birks, not just for the comfort but also because they’re plastic and, thus, good choices for beach footwear; being black, they can almost pass for regular sandals.

After all that, I needed a change of clothes for dinner and stroll around town. I switched to my Chie Mihara sandals for this, and was pleasantly surprised that, despite the flat sole, they were very comfortable for walking a longer distance.

By the point, the weather had become quite hot, so I only wore the jacket for a little bit. The black top underneath is sleeveless, which helped to keep me well ventilated. The sandals continued to serve me well; very comfortable and also versatile. Not winning any style wars here, but such is the compromise of traveling light and not paying extra fees to Air Canada.

This was the outfit I wore for my bestie’s convocation, and it was a good choice for both the occasion and the weather. A statement belt can do a lot of heavy lifting, and takes up very little room in one’s luggage. Duly noted for future reference.

À la prochaine, Montréal!

* I feel compelled to clarify that each of my family members had their own carry-on. No, I did not attempt to dress 4 people for 7 days out of one bag. There are limits to my packing abilities, friends, and I do not possess Mary Poppins’ luggage.

Over the last few months I have become fascinated with perfumes — the science, the history, the subculture. As someone who is neurodivergent, I have a deep-seated attraction to the ‘rabbit holes’ of niche interests, and perfume is an excellent exemplar. I plunged head-first, like Alice, into a wonderful adventure. A couple of things became obvious very quickly. One, I can’t actually wear a lot of perfumes; many of them give me headaches and/or are simply not fragrances I enjoy as part of my day-to-day sensory environment. Two, I don’t like spending a lot of money on perfume, and perfumes tend to cost a lot of money. So I decided to bifurcate my hobby. On one hand, I want to develop my “nose” for scent by testing as many perfumes as I can, and reading up on the history and art of perfumery. On the other hand, I want to curate a small collection of perfumes for personal daily use that suit my olfactory preferences. I’ve been posting about the first project on Instagram, as I go through a bunch of perfume samples I’d accumulated over the years, and some I’ve managed to get my hands on more recently. As for the second project … well, let’s talk about it here.

For the second nostalgic addition to my collection, after Calyx, I chose a perfume I wore obsessively in my early 20s (along with D&G Light Blue): Paco Rabanne Ultraviolet. Launched in 1999, it’s classified as an “amber floral” scent. To me, it’s all violet, all the way. It doesn’t appear to be sold here in stores anymore, but I was able to score a bottle on FragranceNet for about $60CAD. It was my first time ordering through that website, and I was pleased with the experience. The perfume is much as I remember it: a sweet violet bomb. I suppose it’s not very sophisticated; perfume aficionada Tania Sanchez wrote of it that “bathrooms in hell smell like this” which made me laugh because it’s so random and pithy and very par for the course — she and Luca Turin almost inevitably hate every perfume I love (apart from Calyx). Anyway, here are my less pithy thoughts on Ultraviolet:

First impression: sweet violet with a little metallic/peppery tang. There is only minimal progression from this, apart from a slowly developing fruitiness (probably from the apricot and amber notes). It’s a very warm and sweet fragrance, but not cloying — equal parts floral and fruity. The candy-like violet remains center stage throughout. The longevity is quite good: 5+ hours on skin, longer if sprayed on clothes.

It shares some DNA with Lolita Lempicka, but it’s more peppery and violet-y and has no licorice. I recently sniffed a magazine sample of Paco Rabanne Lady Million, and was surprised by a slight similarity to Ultraviolet — Lady Million is like a very toned down, less violety version of it. I will need to test it in person to see if that comparison holds up.

My next “purple” purchase was inspired by my husband. Well, by his signature scent, to be precise. He has been wearing L’Eau de Issey Pour Homme (by Issey Miyake) for more than 20 years — though, like me, he stopped wearing scent on a daily basis in the last 5 or 6 years. Recently, he sprayed some, and I was surprised by how much I loved it … for me! It’s an aquatic fragrance, so no real surprise there, as that’s one of my favourite categories of scents. I decided that I would buy the women’s version, which I figured would smell similar but with a slightly less masculine dry down. (I have since decided that I don’t mind Pour Homme’s dry down.) I’m glad I didn’t end up blind-buying it, though — aka buy without smelling first — because when I randomly stopped in at a Shoppers Drugmart that carried the Issey line, and did an in-person sniff test, I found the women’s L’Eau de Issey to be very different. It smelled much more floral and lacks the yuzu note, which is a shame because that’s my favourite element in the men’s version. But while I was at the store, I tried another Issey perfume and fell in love with it: A Drop d’Issey. This one, too, is more of a “freshie” floral than an aquatic scent, but what makes it irresistible for me — and my husband! — is the lilac note. I ended up getting a bottle from FragranceNet as well, for about $60.

First impressions: lilacs in the breeze. It’s making me think of white sheets billowing on a drying line in a garden filled with lilac trees in bloom on a spring morning. It’s very fresh, not powdery at all. As it develops, the fragrance becomes very creamy (there is an almond milk note that complements the lilac beautifully) but it remains light and fresh. And very lilac-y. I love it. After a couple of hours, on the skin the scent fades to a ‘clean’ white floral not dissimilar from Replica Lazy Sunday Morning. I usually only spray directly on my skin, but one time I accidentally sprayed a bit on my clothes as well, and the lilac note lingered all day; I would get whiffs of it every now and then and it was lovely. A little bit definitely goes a long way if you’re spraying clothes.

OK, so we’ve talked about violets and lilacs, and if I tell you there is one more “purple” scent to mention, what comes to mind? That’s right: iris. I love irises and I find their use in perfumery really fascinating. The smell of actual iris flowers is rather sweet, but what’s often used in perfume is iris root (also known as orris or orris butter) which has a very different scent profile — it’s powdery with hints of earthiness. To recreate the smell of iris flowers, a lot of perfumes add violet notes. My understanding is that, at the molecular level, iris and violet notes are quite similar, being different types of ionones. (Fun fact: ionone comes from the Greek work “iona” which means violet.) Iris perfumes are often described as melancholy which I find strangely irresistible as a concept — don’t ask me why! Maybe it’s a Gen X thing. Anyway. I spent WEEKS researching iris perfumes online with the goal of identifying one perfume that would represent that note in my collection, in a way that most appealed to me. I knew I wanted something that wasn’t too dry and powdery, but rather with at least a hint of sweetness to it. Orris is one of the most expensive perfume components, so most of the perfumes commonly listed as the ‘best’ iris fragrances are expensive ones. For example, Serge Lutens’ Iris Silver Mist tops most of those lists and it costs $300USD for 75 ml — far outside my budget; it’s also not easily accessible to test. I am ok with blind-buying fragrances up to a certain price point, but we are talking, like, $50 here, not $300.

After many deep dives, I finally came up with an candidate that looked to fit my profile and budget. The downside? It had to be a blind buy. And it was a teeeeny bit more expensive than my usual blind buys. Oops.

Yves Rocher is a French cosmetics brand whose perfumes aren’t super well-known here, so it was a bit of random luck that (a) I came across some reviews of Iris Noir, and (b) found a brand new bottle on Poshmark. Doubly so since it’s been discontinued. I paid $65 (all in) for a 50 ml bottle, brand new in its original packaging, which was close enough to my blind buy threshold to be acceptable. The note pyramid listed for Iris Noir is intriguing — top notes of coriander and bergamot, middle notes of iris and ambrette, and base notes of patchouli and tonka — but some of the reviews I found referenced violet as well, which convinced me to pull the trigger. One of the other perfumes I had on my iris shortlist was Guerlain’s Insolence, which also pairs iris and violet, and Iris Noir was described as a similar, less sweet version of that. I was down to take a risk. And it paid off — thank god! I love Iris Noir, though it’s not exactly what I expected.

First impressions: slightly powdery herbal floral. By “herbal” I mean sort of green and rooty. But within seconds, the violet hits. It’s not as sweet (or metallic) as in Ultraviolet, but it’s definitely violet. Early on, it’s more creamy than powdery, and quite warm. Honestly, on me, the balance tips more towards violet than iris, which isn’t a terrible thing because I love that note, but I do wish I could smell more of the iris. After about an hour or so, it does become more powdery, though I can still smell the violet. Longevity is so-so; after a couple of hours, what remains is mostly just a “clean skin” kind of smell.

Overall, to me, Iris Noir is like a more elegant and sophisticated version of Ultraviolet and Lolita Lempicka. I don’t find it particularly melancholy, though it does have a low-key seductive vibe about it. Having since smelled a couple of the other fragrances on my iris/violet shortlist, I can also say that it’s (a) less sweet and more reserved than Insolence, and (b) more sweet and violet-y than Balenciaga Paris, which pairs violet with violet leaf (and carnation) for a different effect — a greener and slightly spicier fragrance. (The difference between violet and violet leaf is an important one if you are researching perfumes based on the notes. Violet leaf is less sweet and more unisex as a scent profile.)

I will have to use Iris Noir judiciously since it is discontinued and my chances of finding another bottle are probably slim, but I’m very happy to have it in my collection for now. I think I am also going to keep looking for a candidate to fill the “melancholy iris” spot in my collection. Any ideas? Leave them in the comments.

Details: GWG vest, Smythe blazer, J. Crew shoes (all thrifted), Ricki’s skirt (retail)

Thoughts: Well, friends, it’s true: I shopped … retail. But hear me out. Do you remember how long I’ve been looking for the perfect voluminous white maxi skirt (or dress)? More than a year. I thrifted a few “compromises” along the way, but they were not 100% right in terms of silhouette. And then! I was at the mall recently on my mission to spend the Simons gift card, and ended up being pulled into a different store by something in the window display. The store was Ricki’s, which I’m fairly certain I haven’t been in for at least a decade. Turns out, they have some very cute stuff! My SIL found an amazing floral coord set (top and skirt) and I found the perfect white skirt … and dress. As you can see, I ended up choosing the skirt, (A) because it had more volume, and (B) because I thought it would be more versatile overall. I was very impressed with the quality given the price point. It’s 100% cotton, and it’s a nice cotton — thick and pretty opaque because, did I mention? It’s also fully lined. And the lining is the same kind of cotton. Honestly, it was unexpected and a very pleasant surprise. The original price was $70 but I got it on sale for 40%, which was an extra pleasant surprise; I felt it was worth its original price, which is rare these days with stuff I see at the mall. I am very happy with this purchase and will happily tempt fate (and put my spill-avoidance skills to the test) by wearing this very white and very fabulous skirt all summer long. This outfit was inspired by something I saw on IG; wearing white and denim is a no-brainer, but I loved the twist of introducing denim via a vest and using a dressier jacket option as a contrast. It turned out so well!

Details: Ardene top (retail), St. John jacket, BDG jeans, vintage belt (all thrifted)

Thoughts: OK, the story of this (retail) Ardene top is rather more prosaic than that of the Ricki’s skirt. A friend told me there is an Ardene outlet at the City Centre mall, so on one of my rare in-the-office work days, I went to check it out because my daughter is constantly growing out of her clothes and I’m struggling to find her tween-approved options at the thrift store. I’m not planning to make this a regular thing, but I was desperate to find her some jeans, in particular (she has very specific requirements). I ended up buying her a few pieces, including this ivory crop top which I figured would be an easy summer staple to wear with all her high waisted jeans. And it would be … if she didn’t hate how it fit. Sigh. I refuse to let clothes go to waste, so I took it over. The quality isn’t great but it’s the sort of thing I can easily throw in the washing machine, and it will probably last forever as long as I keep it out of the dryer. Anyway, the rest of the outfit: so cute, right? I got this St. John jacket at a clothing swap a few years back, and it’s finally getting its day in the sun. Its style pairs well with the retro 70s-ish vibe I’ve been feeling lately. Case in point: these jeans. Dressy casual in the best way.

Details: Everlane top, Only & Sons jacket, Fossil belt, Ralph Lauren skirt, Coach bag (all secondhand), Mia shoes (retail)

Thoughts: The weather this spring has been inconsistent, but I refuse to let it stop me from wearing my fave summer pieces. Transitional dressing or bust! Basically, that means wearing my long-sleeve turtlenecks and tights a bit longer than I had hoped, but also means I can wear stuff like this skirt. I consider that a win.

Details: Tahari shirt, Silverado jacket, Frame jeans, vintage belt (all secondhand)

Thoughts: This outfit also ended up having a bit of a 70s vibe, largely thanks to the pants and belt combo, I think. But it felt fresh and not, dare I say it, “dated”. The dreaded verdict, LOL! Which, for the record, I don’t really believe in. A mix of current and vintage pieces will rarely look dated; there is a difference between referencing a particular decade and looking like you walked off the page of history textbook — and, honestly, people worry entirely too much about the latter because you’d have to work quite hard to achieve that effect.

Details: Everlane sweater, Hemant & Nandita jacket, Fossil belt, Ralph Lauren skirt, Coach bag (all secondhand), Mia shoes (retail)

Thoughts: Pulled this old Anthro jacket from the storage closet because it had been sitting there for too long. Time to wear it, or part with it. I felt like this was a good time for that test, because its vibes dovetail nicely with my current style; if I can’t make it work for me now, I probably never will. There are little things about it I don’t love — the sleeves are a bit too long and ‘heavy’ for me, the cut is a bit more boxy than I prefer, and I wish it was a bit shorter/more cropped — but I am giving it a whirl. I played off its colour palette to assemble this outfit, and was not displeased with the result. The experiment continues!

Details: Mexx shirt, Fossil belt, Ralph Lauren skirt, Naturalizer shoes (all secondhand)

Thoughts: Just a quick, easy outfit featuring a couple of fave pieces.

Details: Dries Van Noten dress, Toni T dickie, Lida Baday jacket, Boss belt (all secondhand), Warren Steven Scott earrings

Thoughts: Another piece I recently pulled from my storage closet is this DVN dress. It feels a bit too dressy for my current style (primarily due to the more form-fitting style) but it’s a good length and a fabulous pattern, so it deserves a few wears. I played around a bit to come up with an outfit that felt like “me, now” and I think the result speaks for itself.