Clothing shopping in British Columbia
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Silk Weaving Studio
Weavers here turn out luxurious, hand-dyed silk dresses, blouses, scarves, shawls, lingerie, belts and hats in a rainbow of colors. Visitors are welcome to wander through the small waterfront studio and watch the weaving process in action. Silk yarns and fabrics are sold, too.
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Dream
Dream is one of a cluster of small shops in the area near Cambie St spotlighting emerging young local fashionistas. Hip Japanese girls sift through the hats, T-shirts, thongs, purses, jewelry and other urban funk items for that must-have piece. Surprisingly, prices are not sky high.
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True Value Vintage Clothing
'Value' is a bit of a misnomer since the used duds at this subterranean cave of cool-clothing kitsch are sometimes fairly pricey. But if you really need that 1950s bowling shirt or Jimi Hendrix tour hat, you'll pay anything, right? Bargains are to be had on the musty-smelling sale racks.
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New World Designs
Gothic fetishwear shares rack space with Renaissance ball gowns and brocade corsets here, all of which are a pretty tight squeeze to fit into. Less confining but still a conversation piece are the velvet capes and square-toed witch shoes. Each item of clothing is handmade by the designer-owner.
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Motherland
Selling cute art-house designer wear for bright young things, Motherland defines Main St’s emergence as a fashion center. The clothes – quirky skirts, pants and Ts – are Canadian designed, in-house-made, and well-priced enough that even those on student loans can afford them.
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Hemp & Company
Not your standard West Coast hippy-dippy hemp shop; the top-selling item here is an Oxford shirt that any self-respecting banker could wear to work. About as mainstream as a hemp boutique could be, the approach is to attract non-hempsters with classic clothing lines, hemp soaps and cool vegan shoes.
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Hunt & Gather
A crisp white interior showcases the in-house-designed handmade clothing, bags and accessories here as if they are artworks. Some of them are, including a clutch of elegant classics that will likely become mainstays of your wardrobe for years. It’s making waves across North America, despite its humble size and location.
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Block
Colonizing this Gastown strip long before it was fashionable, this browse-worthy men's and women's boutique still has plenty of reasons for a visit. Check out the ever-changing array of clothes and shoes by designers like Nudie and Bloch London, and save time to peruse the ultra-cool jewelry, much of it crafted by local artisans.
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Barefoot Contessa
The newer satellite store of one of Main St's popular fashion mainstays, the Contessa is all about ladieswear for those who never want to be a clone of a chain-store mannequin. You'll find cute hats, frocks and tops from Canadian and international designers, plus a wall of sparkling baubles guaranteed to brighten up any rainy day.
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Zonda Nellis
Aretha Franklin and one of those princesses of Monaco are fans of this Vancouver designer’s expensive hand-woven and hand-painted evening wear. Nellis is known for her ability to knead luxurious fabrics into simple styles. She also creates a line of accessories, including gold-embossed cushions, beaded necklaces and velvet scarves.
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Organix
Showcasing hemp, bamboo fiber and organic cotton clothing for men, women and children, this popular spot lures green-hued locals and visitors. Expanding in the last couple of years, the store now has room for bedding and accessories (look out for cool wooden earrings from Billy Would Designs) as well as a range of excellent bamboo towels.
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Oliver + Lilly's
This small, white-walled women's clothing boutique just around the corner from the South Granville hubbub is an oasis of great designer duds. You'll find stylish but casual jeans and halter tops from the likes of Heidi Merrick, Ali Ro and Eze Sur Mer, as well as that must-have Madison Marcus Zeal dress that will knock 'em all out back home.
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Roots
Basically a maple leaf–emblazoned version of the Gap, Roots designs athletic streetwear that's unmistakably Canadian; its retro-styled jogging pants, hoodies and toques (if you don't know what that is, this is the place to find out) are ever-popular. If you can't find this store, there are additional outlets – usually in malls – throughout the city.
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Lululemon Athletica
The flagship downtown store of the Vancouver-based chain that made ass-hugging yoga wear a mainstream fashion, this is the shop for that archetypal West Coast look. Sporty tops and pants for ladies are the collection's backbone, but menswear is also part of the mix – at least that can be your excuse as you head in here to meet attractive local women.
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Holt Renfrew
Vancouver's swankiest clothing and accessories department store; high-end label lovers flock here to peruse the artfully presented D&G, Armani and Issey Miyake togs and accoutrements arrayed over several floors. Service is personal and particular from staffers often better dressed than their customers. The awesome end-of-season sales are recommended.
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Goon Pack
This fantastically eclectic gallery and clothing store offers regular art shows where you can meet the local hipsters. It also showcases some of the city’s best, under-the-radar designers on its racks. Look out for duds by Evolt and Paper Bird and check out the unique hoodies and graphic T-shirts that will make everyone back home eternally jealous.
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Basquiat
A minimalist but pricey unisex clothing joint where you'll need all your credit cards to buy an outfit. Despite the price tags, the service is excellent and the carefully chosen selection of international labels is top-notch: look out for Ian, Dondop, Montesano and beyond. Since fashion is followed closely here, the end-of-season sales are truly excellent.
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Brooklyn Clothing
Proving that Yaletown men are just as aesthetically focused as women, this hipster menswear boutique is the perfect spot to upgrade your style from that New Romantic look you've been sporting since 1983. Local designers are well represented – check out the achingly cool T-shirts – and there are dozens of jeans styles so you can finally nail that perfect fit.
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Twigg & Hottie
Just across from Smoking Lily and named after owners Glencora Twigg and Christine Hotton, this wood-floored nook showcases distinctive garments (plus idiosyncratic jewelry) for women from Canadian designers: it's the place to find something that nobody else is wearing back home. If you're in a budgeting mood, peruse the Steals and Deals rack at the back.
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Cherry Bomb
Printing ironic, often retro designs onto American Apparel T-shirts is the main activity at this hipster hangout. If you're not cool enough for a Mr T or old-school AC/DC graphic, head to the back of the store and check out the museum-like array of vintage clothing and accessories. Where else are you going to find that replica Evel Knievel jumpsuit you've always wanted?
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Obakki
Making excellent use of its brick-lined heritage space location, this handsome unisex clothing boutique looks more like an art gallery inside with its polished concrete floors and spruce wood-block tables. It pitches itself as elegant yet casual. Unleash your credit cards for a full menu of highly contemporary made-in-North-America designs with a hint of mod-Asian influence.
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Highend Organics
Carrying tons of hemp, recycled and organic fiber clothing, this counterculture favorite is also one of the only places in the city where you can buy the sought-after Blackspot sneakers produced by Adbusters magazine. Alongside the hoodies, Ts and pants, there’s a head-spinning array of bongs, which should please the customs officers when they find one in your suitcase.
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Smoking Lily
Quirky art-school cool rules here, with skirts, belts and halter-tops whimsically accented with prints of ants, skulls or the periodic table. Men's clothing is slowly creeping into the mix, with fish, skull and tractor T-shirts and ties. It's hard to imagine a better souvenir than the silk tea cozy printed with a Pierre Trudeau likeness. It's a fun spot to browse and staff are friendly.
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Ray Rickburn
Proving that not all of Vancouver's independent clothing stores cater only to women, this excellent men's apparel shop is the ideal haunt for blokes who want to reinvent their look. Patronized by under-30s with an eye on style, you'll find sweaters, skinny jeans and rakishly appealing jackets from the likes of Ted Baker, Fred Perry and Paul Smith. That's right: it costs to look this good.
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Lynn Steven Boutique
An austere-looking white interior enlivened by a tower of paperbacks fashioned into a changing room, this excellent women's boutique is popular with under-30s coolsters looking for classic casual togs that will stand the test of time. Tops and jeans from designers in Toronto, New York and LA (including McGinn) dominate, but expect to also be tempted by the vegan bags from Montréal. Friendly service.
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