Montréal people: Early spring at the market

In Montréal, spring comes late. In early May, the market expands its stalls; shoppers come in early morning, still warmly dressed, but no longer hunched against the cold.

There seem to be two approaches for the transition: the pale and the colours.

Pales: I'm always mindful of the upkeep, but like these very much.

Left: The ubiquitous puffer (by Montréal brand Löle) goes into May in off-white, worn with a long, latte-coloured scarf.
Centre: Mild enough by late morning for a plush oyster grey cashmere sweater. You'd need an eagle eye to see them, but she is wearing pearl studs.
Right: A spring-hued scarf, white mohair sweater and beaut of a black bag.
(If white washes you out, the scarf is a solution.)

Then there are colours worn with black; not yet the riotous burst we'll see by June, but it's a start, welcome as birds' song.

Left: A lightweight, acid-yellow scarf looked fantastic against her gorgeous white hair.
Centre: A richly-detailed coat that's way beyond basic black.
Right: Just to be inclusive! The "Speak-Easy Heroes" are a Minneapolis band.

 I saw some original looks:

Left: Too bad I didn't get a head to toe shot: look closely at her hair. She's wearing a black headband, but her topknot is green, like her jacket! And on her feet, she wore black rain boots with big white polka dots.
Centre: A sapphire puffer jacket worn with buttery yellow trousers, and extra marks for risking those around a tyke!
Right: This retro coat was made of a nubbly wool that looked hand-woven; note the alligator bag.

Touches of red never fail to inject life:

Left: Red plaid boots, leather leggings, big wrap: a classic equestrienne look.
Centre: A coat of exuberant red, green and ochre.
Right: The red scarf and bag add energy to the soft green.
Two of the women are wearing big pearl studs.

Let's have a coffee and a maple beignet! And before we leave, it's not too early to buy a few potted geraniums, we'll just bring them in overnight.