Global Trend Report '08 - Montreal

Boys have short hair in Montreal now. Beardos have disappeared and facial hair is getting more carefully trimmed (unless guys are growing a play-off beard at the end of hockey season, which happens more often than you would think). The army jacket and lazily untucked flannel shirt combo is a grunge throwback, but this time it’s more fitted, with scarves and buttoned-up collars that make it awkwardly formal. It’s the dead of winter right now, and while some idiots are still wearing Chucks, most guys are going for more sensible footwear like motorcycle boots or Docs, which are popping up like crazy all of a sudden.

More fashion-forward (i.e., gay) boys are going for dark tones and lines that are big and bold. A gray t-shirt, rocker belt, slim jeans, and oversize faux-fur coat seems like a pretty straightforward look from afar. But just when you think you’ve got his casual-goth thing all figured out, WHAM! He takes it to some weird postapocalyptic zone with the Rollerball gloves. Throwing some medievalism into the mix is a classic Quebecois maneuver that we have yet to understand.

Shoes are getting classier. Thankfully, even Montreal kids have tired of limited-edition day-glo sneakers that look like they should be worn by baby astronauts. Necklines are all Vs up here, which borders on gay unless you have a nice chest tattoo to show off. Thick stripes are the pattern of choice, as a twist on Ivy League rugby jerseys. And fedoras continue to be almost impossible to pull off, though God knows people keep trying. For the record: Fuck fedoras.

Peacoats are everywhere. Everyone has one or a variation on one (like with a hood, or longer, or a weird color). Just like guys, girls are opting for sensible winter footwear—high boots lined with fur or fuzzy stuff. If girls do wear heels, they’re often pretty chunky, which gives you both the fetishistic sexiness of a Victorian schoolmarm and the convenience of not breaking your ankle while you’re walking on an icy sidewalk.

Thrift stores in Montreal are a fucking gold mine. The only problem is that you have to sift through tons of crap and get your hands covered with old-people particles before you find the good stuff. Luckily no one from Montreal between the ages of 18 and 28 has a real job, so they have tons of time to waste finding vintage mink coats, veiled hats, granny cardigans, high-waisted pants, and old leather boots. A whole outfit like this probably costs less than a sandwich does in New York.

Photos: Richmond Lam; stylist: Anna Karin Loureiro