This story category covers clothing, accessories, treatments, procedures, products and supplies.

Patagonia Down Sweater

The Coolest—Warmest—Sweaters Are Down

The coolest—and warmest—sweater around is one filled with down.

Patagonia Down SweaterPRICE CHECK | I’m cold, and my husband knows it. That’s why he gave me a sweater vest for Christmas. No, not one of those dorky argyle knitted numbers with big grandpa buttons—like Old School Archie might have worn—but a “down sweater” vest. It’s pretty cool and from the Gap.

Climbers and serious hikers know a down sweater is an ultra lightweight jacket or vest that delivers minimal weight, superb compressibility and superior warmth. Slim, not puffy, a down sweater is most often used as a midlayer or outerwear piece for colder climates, though its versatility and stylish good looks have begun to earn it a place on the street. Lately I’ve noticed more women and men trading in our regional uniform, the light-sucking polar fleece, for a vibrant but no-less-at-home-here down sweater.

Down Sweaters We Love Read more
Woman eye with extremely long eyelashes and golden makeup

Taking Your Eyelashes To Great Lengths

Here’s a take on Latisse, the topical treatment that temporarily lengthens, thickens and darkens eyelashes, that you may not have read before.

Woman eye with extremely long eyelashes and golden makeupBEAUTY SMART | Recently I ran into Christina Tanti, the great friend of a friend of mine, someone I hadn’t seen for several months, and the first thing I noticed about her were her knockout eyelashes. Admittedly I’ve been on eyelash jag of late, what with the ongoing buzz about eyelash enhancement that includes everything from extensions and growth products to Katy Perry–style falsies. “I never noticed your eyelashes before; they look gorgeous,” I cooed.

“That’s because I didn’t have many before,” Tanti replied, uttering the magic word you hear everywhere in beauty circles these days: “Latisse.” Read more

Valerie Monore - Jonathan Skow, O magazine

Truth In Beauty: Val Monroe On Retinoids

O magazine beauty editor Val Monroe reveals how she stays looking fresh.

Valerie Monore - Jonathan Skow, O magazineSAVING FACE | Look at that fabulous face. Can you believe that Val  Monroe, the beauty editor at O: The Oprah Magazine, just turned 60? Last month, when Monroe revealed to readers that she was becoming a sexagenarian, jaws dropped everywhere. I’d assumed that Monroe was in her late 40s. “She’s got to have had work done,” my girlfriend remarked when I showed her Monroe’s photo. “Either that or her picture was heavily photoshopped.”

“I can’t believe she’d do either of those things without telling readers,” I said. “Obviously, she’s had a great makeup job, but otherwise I think we’re looking at the real deal.” Read more

Holt Renfrew Shopping Bags

Shopping The Holt Renfrew Winter Sale

In hot pursuit of luxury labels at Holt Renfrew’s Winter Sale.

Holt Renfrew Shopping BagsBest For Less | As annual sales go, the January clearance at Holt Renfrew is one of Vancouver’s big ones and absolutely worth checking out if you are looking for luxury brands at up to 70 percent off regular retail price.

Yesterday we cruised Holt’s racks with an insider who helped us home in on some incredible deals, listed below. And while our guide happened to be a personal friend, you could have your own guide too, if you want. Holt Renfrew offers complimentary personalized shopping assistance to customers. On-staff personal shoppers work by appointment, which can be made over the phone or by dropping by the store. Their intimate knowledge of the merchandise and where to find everything quickly has got to be nothing short of awesome for time- and/or budget-crunched shoppers.

What We Found At Holt Renfrew’s Winter Sale Read more
SeaFolly Swimsuit

It’s Time To Swim Down To Bikini Avenue

Laurel Zapke stalks a wild bikini along West 4th Avenue, Vancouver’s one-stop-shopping swimsuit street.

SeaFolly SwimsuitSAVE TIME | I’m just in from Cancun. I went there on “spring break” in December like so many of us timesharing fools do before our week expires. Get ready for your own upcoming tropical adventure with our one-stop-shopping swimwear primer: Kitsilano’s West 4th Avenue is swimsuit alley, featuring swimwear shops from Burrard to Blenheim. Read more

Granted Clothing Retro Hockey Mittens

Retro-Vibe Gifts For The Fashion-Forward Tribe

Retro chic items from Vancouver’s Granted Clothing and Native Shoes make fashionable and affordable Christmas gifts.

Granted Clothing Retro Hockey MittensCHEAP + CHIC | Neo-retro fashion is a “time travelling aesthetic”— contemp- orary, eye-catching clothing and accessories with silhouettes and motifs that are vaguely familiar, mostly warm and fuzzy references to true vintage fashions you’ve seen in shops or items you wore when you were younger.

Granted Clothing and Native Shoes are two successful Vancouver companies that design and manufacture outerwear and shoes (respectively) with a neo-retro vibe. Granted makes premium, chunky hand-knit fashions, while Native makes some of the coolest plastic shoes on the planet. Both have a cult following internationally, particularly in Japan where being unfashionable is quite possibly a crime; both have received miles of prestigious fashion ink. Read more

Sorel Boots

Bold, Beautiful Boots For Bargain-Hunter Babes

Fashion writer Laurel Zapke tracks down bold, beautiful and bargain-priced boots for every season and reason imaginable.

Sorel BootsSHOPPING AROUND | In Vancouver, it’s boot season all year long. The Kitsilano Chic girls wear fuzzy boots with bare legs and shorts in the summer evenings, while the uptown crowd wears thigh-highs with five-inch heels in any season. My favourites are soft black leather with a short chunky heel and zipped up comfortably to mid-calf. The only thing I love more than the way they feel is the price tag: less than $100. To help you track down your own favourites, we’ve done the footwork to find the most current styles with price tags under $200. Read more

Leather Hoodie from the Archetype - C. Phaisalakani

We’ve found The Best Leather Bomber In Town

The jacket of the moment is the leather bomber—and the best-priced ones are in Vancouver.

Leather Hoodie from the Archetype - C. PhaisalakaniCHEAP + CHIC | Whoever made up the Fashion Must-Have lists that appeared in Canadian magazines and newspapers this past fall overlooked a must-have that is everywhere on the streets in Europe right now: the leather bomber or members only/British moto jacket cross. Just back from Italy, my friend Amelia says stylish women of all ages were wearing this sort of outerwear in Rome and beyond; ditto, says fashion friend Kristy, who spotted leather bombers around Scandinavia two months ago.

No slouch when it comes to trends, Joe Fresh picked up on the bomber/moto craze, including a $49 polyurethane take on the style in its current collection. And cute though it is, we’re taking a pass because we’ve found a Vancouver jacket we like better made of genuine leather for a killer price. Read more

Lanvin for H&M

Lanvin For H&M: See The New Collection Right Now

The fashion world is aflutter—Alber Elbaz of the House of Lanvin has introduced his exclusive collection for the House of H&M.

Lanvin for H&MCHEAP + CHIC | The most frequent criticism you hear about low-end couture, my term for the guest collaborations between haute couturiers and budget emporiums such as Target and H&M—is that it is never as creative as the designers’ “real” collections. Honestly, I don’t know why anyone would expect it to be. At the very least these retail lines—Alexander McQueen for Target, Sonia Rykiel for H&M, Jil Sander for Uniqlo—are more interesting and imaginative than a lot of ready to wear and almost always decently made. After that, any extra bit of originality is a bonus. Read more

Jessica Biel - Just Bitten Lipstain

Lip Stains: The Best Ones At Every Price Point

Glamorous berry-stained lips are the fashion this fall. Allison Emery picks the top products that deliver the look.

Jessica Biel - Just Bitten LipstainThis fall the trend is smoky, metallic eyes and velvety smooth berry-stained lips. The look is very retro, yet classically cool. One of the great things about this look is that you don’t even need the dramatic eyes to pull off the sexy, colourful lips. In fact, with a very glamorous lip colour, it’s better to keep the eyes soft and simple—neutral shadow, lightly smudged liner and mascara are perfect complements. Smoky eyes can be challenging, but trying a new lip colour is easy—all you need is the right product in a suitable shade. The easiest (and surprisingly affordable) option is lip stain. Read more