Best Dressed

Posted by Canadian Gift Guide on March 7, 2012 · 100 Comments

With the Oscars hubbub behind us, I thought it time to put the spotlight on another Canadian retailer that can help you become best dressed – at home, work, school, heck the world in general. La Quaintrelle is nestled in the Cape Breton region of the Maritimes, but don’t be fooled just because this sweet boutique isn’t in one of Canada’s biggest cities. They pack plenty of style savvy with their collection of casual, event, and plus-size dresses and all the fixins’ to go with.

And hey, to be honest? I think we all have a reason to be excited here. If you’re familiar with the American juggernaut of cute & flirty dresses known as ModCloth, you’ll know how covetable their pretty, vintage-inspired items are. You’ll also know how much it hurts to tack on a sizable shipping fee + limit your odds of returning an item (although of course, some items are too good to pass up the risk). Which is why I got so excited when I learned about La Quaintrelle – the merchandise evokes a similar pretty, girly aesthetic, without the hefty shipping costs. In fact, shipping is just $7 to anywhere in Canada, no matter how many diaphanous dresses you stock up on. And if one doesn’t work out? They cover your return shipping. Genius.

A Quaintrelle, for the record, is defined as ‘a woman who emphasizes a life of passion expressed through personal style, leisurely pastimes, charm, and a cultivation of life’s pleasures.’ If you love indulging in my gift-guide blog, chances are that describes you, and you’ll easily fall in love with at least a few of the pieces on the La Quaintrelle website. My only warning? Quantities are super limited (meaning you’re that much more likely to feel extra special in your favourite new dress or shoes), so snap up your favourites the instant you lay eyes on them. The price points are completely affordable for gifting your sister, or that friend you love like a sister – basically whoever your weekend shopping trips are most frequently in tandem with.

Now I had two purposes in writing this post. The first, was to introduce you to La Quaintrelle and encourage you to shop, shop, shop. The second was to clue you in that they’ve also just brought in some cute new jewellery, including the brass pieces pictured above. AND to give you a taste of the Quaintrelle’s life, I’m actually giving away the pretty ‘Caged With Elegance‘ birdy necklace pictured in the centre. To Enter:

1) Visit La Quaintrelle and leave a comment below with a link back to which item you’d most like to gift (or get), until midnight on March 26th, 2012.

2) Entries are limited to one per person / per email address / per household (or more if you score bonus entries). A random draw will be conducted on or around March 27th to select the winner, who will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen in their place.

3) Entries are limited to Canadians that have reached the age of majority in their province. Quebec is not eligible to participate in this promotion.

4) Bonus Entry Time: Like La Quaintrelle on Facebook or follow the shop on Twitter, and drop your username / handle in the comments so I know you’ve done your duty. And bonus? You’ll be the first to know when the store is stocking new items so you can be first in line to look amazing.

Love prizes? Check out what else you can win through the Canadian Gift Guide by visiting the Winner’s Circle.