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Granted Clothing Retro Hockey Mittens

Retro-Vibe Gifts For The Fashion-Forward Tribe

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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

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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

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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

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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

Brooks Brothers White Shirt

The Perfect White Shirt? We’ve Found It!

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Both on trend and timeless, a classic top-quality white shirt belongs in every woman’s wardrobe. Here’s the best one we’ve found.

Brooks Brothers White ShirtBUY RIGHT | The fashion media everywhere is reporting that “a great white shirt” is a must-have item this fall. This fall? A great white shirt is a fashion basic that always belongs in every woman’s wardrobe. It’s a constant (like a perfect pair of black pumps), a fashion equalizer that does not reflect a particular age or generation. And while it may be “in fashion” right now, it’s definitely not a trend item but a staple.

Which explains why beautiful menswear-inspired white shirts are a perennial with Ralph Lauren, a designer who does not follow trends. In his current collection, Lauren’s elegant black label white shirt Antonia is priced at around $400 (U.S.); his Curt boyfriend shirt, part of the Lauren line, is around $70 (U.S.).

“I have a Ralph Lauren black label white shirt in my closet,” says my fashionable friend Amelia, “but I won’t buy another one. These shirts are fabulous, but they’re an unnecessary extravagance when you can have a of shirt of black label quality—at least I think so—for a quarter of the price.” Read more

Obakki Retail Store In Gastown

Save Big At Obakki’s Killer Warehouse Sale

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When one of Vancouver’s luxury fashion brands has a deep discount warehouse sale, you can bet we’re ready to stand in line.

Obakki Retail Store In GastownSALES WE LOVE | Frugalbits loves fashion at every price point when the clothing offers great value for money spent, but unless an upmarket item grabs us by the carotid, we are likely to wait for higher-end apparel to drop in price. This is why a great luxury brand warehouse sale will always get us pumped: make us rise early, even stand in line for a chance at the pick of the discounted stock. By the time you read this today, we’ll be down at Suite 201, 141 West 7th Avenue in Vancouver, where Obakki’s always-anticipated annual blowout begins at 11 a.m. We’ll be hoping to pick up a few fine pieces from the stylish collection for a fraction of the original price. Read more

Leather Boots - C. Phaisalakani

How To Save Your Damaged Soles

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Here’s a great place in Vancouver to resurrect your downtrodden footwear.

Leanter BootsDARE TO REPAIR | Wellies are the footwear of choice in Vancouver, but I also like luscious leather boots—fashion forward over a pair of skinny jeans or under a sexy skirt. I thought I was safe taking mine on a trip to NYC, but after a sudden downpour found myself wading through giant lakes that formed at the clogged storm drains at every intersection.

Undone and unglued, my beautiful leather boots were unwearable. A curmudgeonly cobbler on the West Side (who shall remain nameless) chided me for splashing around in puddles in my “cheap boots” and advised me to throw them in the bin. Undeterred, I hobbled over to Both Feet on Main Street. The hip young man there took them in hand, and, $15 and one week later, they were good as new. Read more

Moon Overcoat by Alfred Sung - C. Phaisalakani

3 Star Pieces From The New Moon Fashion Line

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A fashionista identifies 3 stars among Alfred Sung’s new Moon fashion basics.

Moon Overcoat by Alfred Sung - C. PhaisalakaniBACK TO BASICS “What have you got for Canadian labels?” my American cousin asked last weekend when she was up from Portland, Oregon. Hannah works at Nordstrom and has a closet full of very nice clothing including some statement pieces. “I’m thinking inexpensive basics,” she said.  “Gap, Banana: a lot of countries have well-priced basics lines; what’s the Canadian version of these?” Read more

Specialty Leggings - iStock

Skinny Legs And All

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Fashionista Laurel Zapke picks her top 10 leggings to take you through fall—both plain and sexy kinds.

Specialty Leggings - iStockBUY RIGHT | Blame it on Betsey. American fashion designer Betsey Johnson, known for her princess-meets-punk designs, has long loved leggings. Betsey knew what she was doing in the 1980s when she paired a cropped black cotton legging with a sheer black full chiffon knee-length skirt attached to a black cotton top with a sweetheart neckline and capped sleeves. I borrowed that dress from a friend in 1988 and wore it with all the glory and pride of a blushing bride. I still wear Betsey today—only now the Betsey pieces are not borrowed, they are mine. And anytime I want a little edge in my look, I just “Betsey” things up with a legging. Read more

Fashionistas & Stylistas Will Want To Act Quick

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THE TURN ON : Frugalbits readers already know we feel the love for JNBY, the Chinese clothing label we wrote about here last Monday. We love the originality of their designs and the fact British Columbia was the first JNBY location in North America, and that we have the only JNBY stores in Canada.

WHAT’S THE DEAL: When we dropped by JNBY late last week we were excited to learn that all regularly priced merchandise (basically their summer collection) is 25 percent off, and select items are 50 to 70 percent off. This includes some interesting shoes, handbags and straps (their word for belts).

WHY WE’RE EXCITED: What can we say, it’s JNBY, good value for the quality any time. The sale is just a bonus.

HOW LONG WILL THE PLEASURE LAST: This sale lasts through the end of the month, July 31.

WHERE’S THE F SPOT: All three JNBY locations: 2201 West 4th Avenue, 2623 South Granville Street and Metropolis at Metrotown. To view the summer collection, visit www.jnbynyc.com
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