This was the first Maurices to open up in Ottawa and although one later opened up in Place…read mored'Orleans that one has since closed, so this one in Carlingwood Mall is the only Maurices in Ottawa. Maurices is an American chain from Minnesota. It sells women's clothes in regular and plus sizes (sizes range from 00-30 or XXS-4XL). Their pants come in regular length, tall, x-tall, short and x-short (although x-short and x-tall are a bit rare). Not all styles have all lengths, but I do appreciate being able to buy pants off the rack without having to hem them. The style here is definitely casual and the target age group I would say is teens to twenties, so younger than me. Quality is that of fast fashion like Zara, Forever 21, H&M, etc. The clothes here are not really my style in general, but I do like their x-short and short inseam pants and jeans (although a lot of the jeans styles are too "distressed" or "rippy" for me, haha). Staff are friendly and helpful.

This might be the first clothing chain I have ever given a five star to, but let me tell you - it…read moreis well deserved! Fairly new to Ottawa, this unassuming store in Carlingwood offers killer selection of clothing, shoes and accessories along with some of the most helpful and kind staff I've ever encountered. My first experience here was a few months ago with a group of girlfriends. We sauntered in on a Sunday afternoon drawn in by a great sweater in the window display. Soon, all four of us (with pretty different styles) were eyeing the accessories, stroking the sweaters and trying on boots. The staff were sweet and helpful but what stood out that time was the vast array of clothing from zeroes to plus and styles for work or play. After popping in a few more times with my sister (who has become a devoted fan), we encountered Diana, truly a one of a kind sales girl. When she found out we were looking for jeans she set us both us in change rooms told us to drop our coats off and get ready to find the perfect jeans. She was brilliant. Once she grabbed our sizes she asked what kind of fit we wanted and we were both sent to try on a stack of jeans each. She was attentive, adorable and super sweet and we both found amazing jeans that we loved (I think this is the first time we've both found jeans in the same store...ever.). This is my first stop next time I need jeans. The prices are more than reasonable and they have an awesome selection. I also scored a super cute pair of ankle boots - hurray! Note: they have a loyalty rewards program and just private shopping parties. Unreal.

RW & Co is a clothing retailer. They have both women's and men's clothes, but no kids' clothes…read more They sell mostly office attire, with a few fancier pieces for semi-formal events. In my opinion their clothes are more fashionable than places like Reitmans, Cleo and Ricki's, with quality being about the same or maybe a little bit higher. I really love their dresses. The cuts are usually very flattering and they often have an asymmetric element to them, which is totally my style, lol. They only have regular sizes here, no petite or plus sizes. They often have sales of 20-60% off clearance items. I've gotten really cute pieces here for less than $10. This location at the Ottawa Trainyards is big, with lots of selection. Their fitting rooms at the back are unisex. Lots of free parking in the plaza.

This used to be my favourite clothing store but I've found that the quality has gone downhill in…read morethe last few years. Most of the garments are now made in China, yet remain a little on the pricey side. There are usually lots of good sales to take advantage of though. My review is for my visit to the Trainyards location earlier this afternoon where I browsed the sales racks looking for a couple tops. I tried a couple on and selected 2 tops. One had a stain on the back of it. I was going to ask about a possible further reduction on the price. There appeared to only be one clerk in he store and she was busy with another customer. By the time she was finished with the other customer I had started to browse the store some more and decided I really didn't want to buy the tops I had selected, so I left.

Joanne's is owned by the same people who own Marianne's in the same mall. Like Marianne's, they…read moresell a lot of Canadian designers and made in Canada pieces. Unlike Marianne's, they don't sell lingerie. Regular prices are not cheap (I'd say about $150+ for dresses, $50+ for tops, $75+ for pants/skirts). However, they often have 50%-80% off sales (and that's when you'll see me in the store, lol). Admittedly, many of their items are frumpy (at least in my opinion), but they have some cool pieces, you just have to look for them. Staff are friendly and nice and their change rooms are beautiful (looks a little like a boudoir). Joanne's is in the Westgate Shopping Centre. Lots of free parking.

So this Marshalls in Barrhaven opened up like 2 years ago in 2018, but I didn't even know it…read moreexisted until recently. When I first moved to Ottawa I lived in Nepean and went to Barrhaven all the time, but back then it was mostly fields, lol. So much development has happened since, but nowadays I am rarely ever in Barrhaven anymore. However, my husband and I were meeting some friends to check out a restaurant with a nice patio out in Barrhaven so we went a bit early to do some shopping...and what are my favourite stores?...Marshalls and Winners, of course (yes, we did them both, lol). So this Marshalls is in a newer plaza complex along with a Dollarama, the biggest Natural Food Pantry I've ever seen, an LCBO, Value Village, Costco and a few other businesses. I'm not crazy about the sprawling suburban plazas, where you have to drive to get from one section to another or you take your life in your own hands as you navigate the parking lots as a pedestrian, but I will endure them to shop at a Marshalls ;) So this Marshalls didn't have the best selection of merchandise. Yes, we are in the midst of the Covid Pandemic and I understand that they have supply chain issues, but compared to other Marshalls during the same time, I find this one rather lacking. I will need to go back when the Pandemic is over to see how it compares to other Marshalls locations during normal times (as my first visit was during the Pandemic). I liked that their Clearance Section was clearly marked, as this is always the first section that I shop ;) It's a big Marshalls so things are spread out and well organized, not like the tiny Urban Concept stores where everything is crammed together and organization is haphazard and weird. Like why is underwear right next to chips? Yes, I'm a city princess, but I hate "urban concept" stores! Anyway, if I'm in Barrhaven, I guarantee you I will go to this Marshalls, but I won't make a special trip to Barrhaven just to go to this Marshalls. Does that make sense? Lol.

I would say that Jason D's review of this store is spot on. They have clothes which are on the…read morepricey end, but in unique styles. They carry a huge selection of Sympli pieces in lots of styles and colours (I personally am not a huge fan of this brand, but I do see the appeal of pieces that pack well (i.e. don't wrinkle and fold down to nearly nothing) and you can mix and match). Their clothing aesthetic I find very similar to Marianne's in Westgate and Shepherd's at Trainyards. So, yes, perhaps catering to let's just say women who would subscribe to magazines like More, or Zoomer. Their kitschy items are fun and cute. They have fridge magnets that say things like "a clean house is a sign of a wasted life," or "housecleaning never killed anyone, but why take the chance?" I hate household chores, so I can relate to these sentiments, haha. They have luggage tags shaped like fashionable shoes, by Fluff. They have quirky handbags shaped like unusual items, like one by Betsey Johnson shaped like an ice cream cone. I love kitsch and I love quirky, so I like looking at the accessories here. They also have a lot of things (greeting cards, magnets, napkins, books, etc.) that divorcees would find funny. They also carry costume jewelry. Lots of statement pieces. A great place to pick up something for that wild eccentric aunt you have, lol.

I have to admit that the name of the store really hooked me. Three Wild Women Living Sublime. Hmm,…read morejust what the heck was this place about? I have listed it under women's fashion because the back half of the store is devoted to very glamourous and fabulous women's (not girl's) clothes. The front half is a collection of kitschy items targeted to women who are more "mature" and may or may not be divorced. There were fridge magnets, greeting cards, aprons and oven mitts sporting saucy and witty slogans. There were also novelty luggage tags, divorce guides and books offering advice for those over 40 and 50. They even had tables with high-heeled legs! It was a hoot to hang out there for a while, but it is definitely aimed at a specific demographic of which I am not really a member.

Schad and Schad Blu are 2 stores that carry some of the better fashions and threads in this city…read morefor men and women. I'm glad Ottawa has some clothing stores with styles outside the GAP, AE, Old Navy, etc. Not that there's anything wrong with those stores but they're pretty boring. Schad carries a nice balance of North American and European brands. The unfortunate thing about some of the North American brands is that they've been run into the ground since the Jersey Shore phenomenon! Brands like Ed Hardy and Affliction are carried here and unfortunately Dom Rebel (based out of Montreal) has been styling a lot of shirts like them recently. Some of the other brands that I'm glad they have include Diesel, Energie, Sand and J Lindeberg. It's not for everyone but I do get complimented regularly. I believe there is a slight mark up on these brands compared to some of the other stores I've been in that carry these lines in Toronto and Montreal but it's not that much and the store owner and the staff are super friendly and super helpful. To get an idea, Chantel (the store owner) once tried on a dress for me that I was purchasing for a friend to give me an idea of what it would look like while being worn! That's pretty damn awesome!

This is a very upscale boutique with unique high end brands. The staff is always very friendly and…read morekind. They have a cute kids table at the back for colouring, which I thought was very considerate and welcoming for families. Expect high prices here. I am always disappointed when boutiques have so many small sizes. Larger people like nice things and have money too ;) (just sayin')

Le Chateau is not a store I shop in often, but it's the place I always go to when I'm looking for a…read morefancy outfit. So though I searched several other stores to find the perfect dress for my cousin's wedding, I ended up at this tried and true store. I walked into the store and saw the perfect dress, but it was a pricy one. I decided to look around. Located in the Carlingwood Mall, this location is about the size of most of their stores, and it was tidy and clean with lots of great deals. What really sets this location apart from any other Le Chateau I've ever visited is the staff. I was greeted by a wonderful employee who instantly seemed more like a friend than a salesperson. She was so helpful, finding me heels to try the dresses on with and giving me tons of encouragement and praise. One of my biggest pet peeves while shopping retail is staff who whine or complain about their jobs, or talk about how they can't wait to leave. These ladies were pumped! Despite the fact that I was there about 15 minutes before closing, they patiently waited and even helped me find a cute shrug to go with my dress without making me feel like I was holding them up. I'm absolutely going to back to shop here. I noticed some more casual clothing and I think I need to stop thinking of it as a "special occasion store." Plus, I love shopping where people actually take pleasure in their jobs. I also love that a lot of their clothing is made in Canada!