When I feel a little careless, I go shopping in Club Monaco, Banana Republic, J. Crew, Aritzia (wait – this article isn’t about that, how about I just stop here).  When I’m feeling like I’m ready to be thrifty and feel really great about my purchases, I RUN to Forever21, H&M, Target, and Joe’s.  When I’m completely out of control, you can find me in Holts, Saks, Tiffany’s or locked in my house for fear of what I might do.

This story isn’t about my shopping problem, which evidently I may or may not have (don’t answer that), but about a store I used to really like, love actually, and how it has completely fallen off my fashion map, perhaps yours too, and seemingly might be falling off the proverbial map altogether.

We’re talking about Jacob.

For those sticklers, Boutique Jacob Inc, based out of Montreal, is heading down a dark road, one you may have noticed in recent years or months.  Personally, I’ve seen the quality diminish, prices soar (seriously, you’re Jacob, slow your role), and more black, white and brown than I’ve ever seen in one store (even more than Club Monaco!).

Jacob was just granted court protection from creditors “citing sizeable losses and blaming burgeoning competitors from international retailers.”  So what exactly does that mean?  Glad you so eagerly asked you little go getter you!!

Granting protection from creditors (people you owe money too, such as the clothing/fabric suppliers for Jacob) is close to bankruptcy… but please know, its NOT bankruptcy.  Having been granted protection allows Jacob time to restructure its debt payments, so effectively it’s a “restructuring”.  In my opinion, the big wigs at Jacob seemed to have missed the boat on the inexpensive-disposable clothing trend we’ve enjoyed the past few years, something I feel they could have totally jumped on, and maybe even owned 2-3 years ago.  They of course had Jacob Connexion, but it seemed confused itself, totally drab, and not really on trend, and now folded into the regular Jacob stores, another sign things weren’t great for the company.  So, what’s left is for those in charge to shuffle things around.   Perhaps get rid of some people, hire better execs with experience in this type of financial situation, and get Jacob turned around, quickly.  OR, they might look to be acquired by another company.  Who, you may ask, well, one of those rumored companies is Reitmans, Canada’s largest specialty apparel chain – I know, I had no idea either!

This has turned into a long article, but one I thought loads of you might/could/should find interesting… come on, its about fashion, a trend towards US stores moving up north (J.Crew is coming soon, Victoria Secret just arrived), the changing landscape of Canadian/US retailers and a little about business, and dang, its only the morning!

Now go – shop for the holidays, don’t make me feel like I’m the only one, and stay tuned for the next episode of Young and the Restless, opps, I mean, Fashion and the Retail Landscape… who knows, it might catch on!

WOW, Miss. (soon to be Mrs.) Jessica Simpson – you little business tycoon you!!!

Miss Fortune just learned that Jessica Simpson’s fashion empire is approaching a huge marker: she’s about to reach $1 billion in sales.  Yes, I said $1 Billion.

Holy Heck.

While we’ve seen many celeb lines come and go; Heidi’s rather suggestive, inexpensive line, Lindsay Lohan’s $100 leggings line – which actually has done better while she remains in rehab, and many, many more – JS seems to understand her market, price accordingly and well, reap the rewards!!!

For those that haven’t seen her line (in Macy’s, The Bay and other smaller department stores), her products include shoes, accessories, outerwear, bathing suits, fragrances and watches, which hold onto your Jessica Simpson hats, brought in $750 million this year.  Jessica’s clothing empire (not her singing career, or… ahem… acting career) have now launched her to a net worth estimated at $100 million.

Now, I do love me some Jessica Simpson – I loved her reality show, mourned the loss of her marriage (don’t even ask me to tell you that story, my husband reminds me “you don’t know her – right, you know this, you don’t know her”), and her Christmas songs are just too fun, so for me, its not a shock to learn that she does so well in her fashion empire.  She has a niche of consumers that really do love her style (lately, she seems to be covering a bump in her old tight clothing – Jessica, I did this too – its time to let go and shop in a maternity store), so her style seems a little off… oh right, she’s “not pregnant” yet, ok! – but man, her shoes are so comfortable (even at 4 inches), super trendy, and totally affordable, she gets us, her consumer, and that’s what’s made her a roaring success!

So while the haters, hate… Jessica seems to be sleeping on a pile of money, and laughing, literally, all the way to the bank!

As we can all recall, in the worst of the past two years, we hid from malls, online stores and using our VISA at all costs – the recession sucked hardcore.

Luxury brands (I mean, its hard to feel bad for Tiffany, Saks or Harry Rosen) felt the recession big time, with their thousand dollar spenders actually saving or cutting back on the gifts they gave their loved ones, employees and friends.  For example, Tiffany had a hard time selling their multi-thousand dollar jewels in favor of their more mainstream silver necklaces, bracelets and earrings.  Obviously in a recession $200 is easier to swallow than $15,000, granted they still both are presented in the classic blue box (ah, I just got a shiver!)

Well, the tide is a turning, and luxury retailers are experiencing increases in year over year sales, same store sales and enjoying the benefits of fewer sales and deep discounts to move their goods (to our dismay!)

Tiffany’s revenue (the income they earn from sales) in North America & Brazil (approximately 50% of its business) is up 9% from 2009 – great for them, and the economy, right? – but that still trails the shoppers in other parts of the world.  Tiffany Asia is up 24% in revenue, Europe, up 22% and Japan, up 12% from last year, well done overseas shoppers!

So, looks like the big spenders are back, while the more cautious regular folk are still a little timid – which is not a bad thing.  We make less, we shouldn’t be spending 80% of our income in Tiffany’s… ugh, that was disappointing even to write!  But alas, it is true!  Everyone should be spending what they can on gifts and luxury items, particularly this holiday season.  Spend what YOU can, and don’t just keep up with the Joneses…

Dang those Joneses, they have the best freaking stuff!

For those of us who are slightly obsessed with the holidays (hand raised here), Oprah’s Favorite Things episode is an exciting pre-cursor to the season!!

Well, Friday afternoon, Oprah’s Fav’s episode aired – and, without fail, we fell in love with many items instantly!  We won’t go into too much detail to spoil the list for those that pvr’d it – so we’ve attached the link to her site, here, so that you can read about (and price out) each item that made her favorite list, and of course forward to your husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends and moms and dads, I mean as a helpful reminder!

One notable item, for Canadian’s anyway, are the Lululemon relaxed fit drawstring pants.  Now, Oprah has been a fan of Lulu for a while – and we can’t blame her.  Us northerners LOVE us some lulu, and so it came as no surprise to us that she picked Lululemon as one of her must have holiday items.  For any of you that have seen the CNBC special “The Oprah Effect”, with an Oprah seal of approval, a company can expect big increases in interest not only in the featured item, but in the company in general – and so we of course would like to congratulate Lululemon for making her list, and for the success we know they deserve!!

With that, just to tie in a little biz-nass, Lululemon Athletica Inc. (LULU stock symbol for those new to the market) is up $0.35 this morning, to a stock price of $50.98 USD (as of Monday at 11am), and a high for the year was also reached at 10am this morning, $51.69 (or 52-week high as the biz folks say), so again congrats my little Lulu friends!  We wish you nothing but the best with the Oprah effect, in the stock market, and continued success in your expansion across the U.S.  Namaste.