I’m besotted with Anne Fontaine designs. I visited one of their Parisian stores in Le Marais three years ago and have been hooked ever since. There is so much about the brand and the store’s shopping experience that I appreciate over and over again.

While in Las Vegas with family last week, I was able to slip away for an hour of Anne Fontaine magic. Besides the style and quality of the merchandise, what I like most about Anne Fontaine is the small size of the stores, the narrow product assortment, and the expertise of the sales staff. As I walked into the store I was greeted warmly by a sales assistant who confidently and correctly knew my size. Thinking back to my Parisian and New York City Anne Fontaine experiences, it was déja vu. 

The Anne Fontaine brand used to concentrate exclusively on black and white woven shirts and blouses. Although the brand still specializes in those items, it has broadened it’s assortment to include knits, denim, leather, wool and tweed, as well as belts, bags, brooches, necklaces and cufflinks. I like this change because it enriches the brand, but does not take away from it’s focus. The colour palette continues to be 95% white, cream and black with the odd bit of neutral tweed and grey pinstripe thrown into the mix. All items are beautifully made and crisp to the touch. 

The sales assistant was quite good at honing in on my style preferences. I told her that I liked bold pieces with simple lines, and no ruffles. She brought me a couple of extra items that were no longer on display and I loved them all. I came home with two items from Anne Fontaine’s new Fall Collection — my favourite piece and Greg’s favourite piece. I wear my older Anne Fontaine items to death, so I know that I’m going to wear the heck out of my new pieces too. I’m as happy as a clam! 

I came straight off an airplane in the outfit below. We quickly checked into the hotel and were out and about in no time. I chose Gap skinny black trousers with new Anne Taylor crossover halter top, Diesel denim jacket, two toned flats and bright turquoise tote. Comfortable, casual, and effectively resistant to freezing cold air-conditioning.