Photo by Jess Baumung courtesy of FASHION

Let us start off by saying first that we LOVE Joe Fresh. We love it for its convenience: malls are an intimidating thought for moms—crowded areas, food court temptations and a whack of nothing but way-too-trendy-for-mom clothes—so the ability to pick up little Johnny’s entire summer wardrobe within four trips to the local grocery store is a major bonus. We also love it for its price: in fact, today one of our staffers is sporting a pair of last seasons Joe Fresh pumps, price tag $29, and not a scuff in sight or a heel replacement in need.

With that being said, and it pains us to say this, the Joe Fresh presentation at LG Fashion Week left us feeling a little…uh…confused on Wednesday night. While we happily report that much of the styles were on par with what we would expect from the frugal fashion line, the rest was a little too out there even for the most fashionable mommies in our office. And perhaps they were forecasting some trends that we just aren’t aware of, but nevertheless, here are our picks for hits and misses of Wednesday’s show.

Hits:

- Sheer silk Victorian-inspired blouse (with a cami-underneath, of course)
- Knee- and mid-calf-length pleated skirts (sooo comfortable!)
- Knit tube scarfs (What is it?: basically a circular scarf-meaning, it has no ends-that becomes like an over-sized shawl that you can drape around your neck once or twice—as demonstrated in the photo above)

Misses:

- A down ‘mancho‘, as we like to call it (Think a down jacket, but in a poncho-style and for men)
- Quilted down skirts (Remember these in the 90’s? Well Joe has brought them back, as much as we wish he hadn’t—see photo above and judge for yourself!)
- A shearling ensemble, complete with vest and skirt (Our personal distaste for shearling may account for this one, but too much of anything is never a good thing)

The Canadian coat guru has put a new spin on her old tricks. Linda Lundstrom showed her first collection this Tuesday at LG Fashion Week and brought the crowd to their feet. Mixing modern silhouettes (think billowing sleeves, high collars, and slouchy trousers) with her staple fur trim and high-quality fabrics, Lundstrom is appealing to a much wider audience of fashionistas.

The Leparka designer has gone through a bit of a redesign renaissance and we anticipate that practically everyone could find an envy-worthy coat within the collection. We suspect nostalgic 20-somethings will warm up to the black and white buffalo-check lumber jacket, while 40-something mommies will swoon over the many cocoon-styled jackets to choose from. If you can’t wait for the fall line to become available, check out her spring stuff (available in select retailers now) or pick up a copy of the April issue of Canadian Family magazine to see Lundstrom’s take on the paper bag princess frock [page 20].

The Canadian designer is sold at a bevy of shops around North America. And if local manufacturing is your bag, you’ll be pleased to know the Lundstrom line is designed, manufactured and produced in Toronto.