Fashion seems to be available twice a year, in the middle of winter when the spring and summer French Connection confections are presented, and in the middle of summer when the colder weather leggings, pants, and faux or real furs are chosen for our pampered backsides.

Thus we are always behind, or should I say ahead, of fashion by a good six months. Try to buy a bathing suit in June or July. Impossible, except now higher end stores have cruise departments where such clothing is visible in neon colors and all their flowered glory, shirts and bathing suits and other cruise wear, at elevated prices, of course. Those who can afford to go on cruises can afford the prices, goes the thinking, but if you're like me and want a bathing suit in July you'll have to buy one on sale and get the picked over leftovers.

January and July are the months for sales. January for winter clothes, the end of the season for colder garments, and July for summer clothes, as that is the end of the season for summer wear.

Plan ahead, good gentlemen and ladies. Get it while it's hot or should I say, cold? It's the middle of March and somewhere in the world the flowers are blooming. Here in Edmonton, Alberta we're still shoveling snow.

I'm going shopping for a pastel pink and green top to go with my khaki capris. So what that the temperatures are in the minus degrees?

Somewhere on the fashion runways it's summertime.