Clothes to pack for late summer trip to Montreal/Ontario lakehouse?

Your packing list is good (not great; an evening layer is good but I don't think you'll want cashmere; it will likely be too hot, and I might swap one pair of jeans for shorts) for Montreal and way off for the 'cabin.' This is a cottage, yes? Not a resort? Cottage dressing is mostly about 'Does this still reek of bug spray? Perfect, there's my outfit for the afternoon.' Think dark shorts that don't show dirt, loose 'leisure pants' for mosquito-y evenings, a plain dress you can throw on over a swimsuit, and nothing white and nothing in a fussy fabric. Don't wear anything you would be shattered to have a random stick tear a hole in. I would not give a second thought to wrinkles. Shoes should be something that slips on and would not be ruined by stepping in a weird wet patch of something. Less of that applies if you are going to a fancy 'summer house' or the 'cabin' is part of a resort where you have dinner in a nice dining hall, etc. But if it is going to the cottage on the lake as Ontario generally understands it (and they do, en masse), the dress code is closer to camping than anything else. A caftan is the only interesting bit of clothing I've seen anybody pull off well at a cottage. Most flavours of 'stylish' will render you useless for a lot of cottage activities; 'clean and chic' is just not in the mix (outside of the odd dress you pull on over a swimsuit to look presentable for dinner). You will swim and sit on an old dock, haul firewood, battle blackflies. If you don't pack enough can-get-filthy stuff you will end up wearing the same shorts the entire time you're there, but that is okay, too.

I bring four hats to our Lake Michigan cabin. One structured fabric to wear in town, with copious bug spray on the underside of the two-inch brim.http://www.tilley.com/canada_en/ltm8-lightweight-mesh.html (it floats and ties on, so it's good for on the lake.) These were made for cottage country, and I can't recommend them too highly.One cozy cotton/acrylic open crochet hat for bed (when the nights get cold; you probably won't have heating)One brim cap (cadet, ball cap, whatever) provides better viewing angles when I'm out of the sun, and can be soaked in big sprayIf you have a bug spray you know works well, be sure to bring plenty. If you're not sure, use the time between now and then to test out some brands. Getting a skin rash and massive itchies is not a good setting for a romantic adventure.

I'm a Montrealer. My family owns a cabin near the Ontario border. I'm of similar age and build, and it sounds like our fashion tastes are pretty similar. In the city, I usually wear cotton jersey maxi-dresses, loose silk tunics, lots and lots of linen dresses and pants. It's fairly hot and humid in the city but cold indoors, so I usually carry a cotton or linen scarf to use as a wrap. Cashmere will definitely be too hot. I second the mention of Birkenstocks, both in the city and by the lake. At the cottage, I wear linen shorts (American Apparel has some decent ones) with cotton t-shirts, thick cotton knit sweaters when it gets a bit chilly. Nike Frees in bright colours. I usually pack a pair of slim cotton pants for evenings by the fire. Multiple swimsuits. One casual dress for when we drive into town for dinner. Cottage life is totally different. I like to make sure I look decent, so I don't instantly hate holiday photos, but I basically forego makeup and coordinating outfits for a week. It's the best.

I don't travel anywhere these days without a jersey maxi dress. Mine are all striped, but you could go solid, or a different print. They pack well, are excellent for lounging around the hotel/cabin, and with a jacket/cardigan/scarf, make perfectly acceptably daytime clothing.

Bring at least two swim suits (nothing worse than trying to get into a still-wet swimsuit!). The weather has not been too humid at all, and it should be quite temperate by the lake. I favour packing plainish dresses and then just switching out the scarves/coats/hats. With light fabrics you can hand wash and then hang to dry so you don't need to pack a different outfit for each day. Montreal has some AMAZING designers, any chance you will get a few hours to shop and add to the vacation wardrobe?

In these situations the best idea is to pack silk, along with laundry leaves or extra shampoo. At night, you can wash the silk things out in cold water in the sink, then leave them to drip dry in the shower. In the morning, they will be dry and perfectly smooth.

saucysault - Good advice on the two suits (I only own one, since I rarely swim)! Thanks. A cute bathing suit cover up probably won't hurt me, either. Looks better than a damp towel around the waist. I'll have nothing but time to shop in Montreal (we plan to stroll, eat, shop, and leisure about carefree) so if you have recommendations on clothing shops (especially vintage/consignment boutiques that are fairly priced and won't break the bank), do tell!

tel3path - do tell? I only own two silk items, a green silk pencil skirt and a gold silk peasant dress. I never wear them in summer because I fear not only that I will look a sweaty mess in them, but that I won't be able to remove the deoderant/sweat mixture stains from them. Would cold water be enough? Or do I need a new deoderant system? Also, by laundry leaves I assume you mean fabric softener sheets?

A plain t-shirt and jeans can look very stylish with the right accessories (scarf/necklace/belt/earrings/bracelets) and then you can leave the accessories off near the lake, where you will likely be a bit grubby anyway. As mentioned above, it hasn't been a particularly humid summer so far. Have you tried putting http://www.superfeet.com/ in the Keds? That might make them more comfortable for walking in all day. I would wear my Birkenstocks and just up the style a bit further up, but that's me.