COPped a sweater at COP, Lolo Jewellery sale

Have you ever told a nice salesperson you’d return to a store and never did? I admit, I’ve done it. But not this time!

After my South Granville tour I said I’d return to Clothing of the People (COP), but didn’t know it would be so soon. What helped is the Living Social Deal they did two weeks ago – $25 for $50 of clothing.

It did surprise me that they did the deal, since they have SO many reputable and higher end brands. But, they are still a young store so have a long way to go to get people in the doors.

I was looking for my top coveted item – a new Spring jacket – and also browsed a few of the dresses – but couldn’t find what I was looking for. I did however, spot a mesh grey Michael Stars sweater (I LOVE mesh) that was reasonably priced and great for summer. Because of the mesh, I thought I would have to wear a tank underneath each time, but it actually works without one.

Michael Stars sweater – $96 – $25 = $51

On a separate note, I met the talented designer of Lolo Jewellery & Accessories, Lorena Rai last Thursday. You will likely recognize her items from shops like BeautyMark. Well, you’re in luck. She’s having a sale and for one more night only. You can click on the flyer for more details.

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She hunts, she scores! Gastown tour part 2

Having just one hour to do some more pant shopping in Gastown before a conference I had to attend closeby, I ventured to more shops that I hadn’t visited on my first Gastown re-exploration tour.

First stop is One of a Few and Two of a Few (354 Water), right on the corner of Water & Cordova. Two of a Few has all of the men’s stuff, though there were a few new women’s pieces. LOVE the shoes. One of a Few has a little upstairs nook with more designer stuff, and I was looking at a pair of navy pants by GORE for $55. Pretty reasonably priced, but the material was pretty thin I was scared it might be a bit more see-through than I wanted. That was only my first stop, so I went onto the next place.

I couldn’t resist going by the two men’s shops on Water: Lloyds of Gastown (157 Water) and Roden Gray (8 Water). Both very nice, very Gastown-y places without a speck of dust. Lloyds kind of looked like the set of an editorial shoot, and a lot of the stuff is Ben Sherman. I was a bit more impressed at Roden Gray, which just moved locations 6 months ago. It has much more of a selection and a bigger space. They’ll be getting some girls stuff in soon too – only the PLAY COMME des GARCONS t’s were women’s, I think.

I’ve been looking for the Keep eco-friendly shoes I saw at EFW weeks ago, and stopped by Livestock (239 Abbott). Sadly, they do not carry ANY women’s stuff anymore (they do on West 4th), and neither One of a Few nor Umeboshi on Main St. carried the shoes I wanted either. I’m not even 100% sure if the shoes I wanted were women’s, but now I have to hunt down Keep to find out. There are a few more men’s shops to look out for on Abbott. I always drool at men’s sweaters, but Spring is here, so now I’m ogling over the shoes.

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Feb shopping: Good Society denim & Klosit.

I love a good pair of jeans. Even better than a great pair of jeans is knowing you’re helping the world just by buying and wearing it.  This is what happens when you search out Goodsociety denim.

I first learned about Goodsociety through Jennifer Cummer at Main Street’s Lut Boutique, when she was on Shaw’s Urban Rush show. One of the models was wearing a skinny black jean, which Jennifer described as “100% sustainable denim.” I immediately checked out Goodsociety and was blown away at what they do. The black jean wasn’t even a skinny, as Jennifer told me when I finally made it into Lut – it was a slim fit.

Charcoal Slim leg from Goodsociety (actually lighter than it looks here)

I tried the black slim fit, but decided on a pair of charcoal grey slim legs (like skinny) for $129. With a 20% CRAVE Guide discount, got these puppies for $115 including tax. I usually don’t splurge on an amount like this with a pair of jeans, but as I was trying on the pair, I did feel that the quality was there, and any time I can help out the world, I feel good about my purchases. Goodsociety was created locally by Ryan Shantz, the denim is CERTIFIED ORGANIC and made by INDEPENDENT FARMERS IN INDIA who are taught sustainable farming practices. For every pair purchased, 25% (not 25 cents) GOES BACK TO PEOPLE IN NEED. For more info on Goodsociety, go to goodsociety.org. You can also buy a pair at Gastown’s Dutil Denim.

*BONUS!* Lut Boutique will hem jeans for you, for free! You just have to wash your pair once and bring them back to make sure there are no unsightly changes after the hemming is done.

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