Define your style by embracing regional designs
Defining a unique style in the face of fashion rag dictates and shopping mall imperialism can be a challenge: how do you put together this season’s hottest look without well looking pretty much like everybody else? For those who made it out last month to Parkshow — Calgary’s biannual fashion showcase — and marvelled at the bold playful aesthetics of homegrown talents like Marsina King of MaNoKin Design Kirsten Summersgill of POUT Clothing and Aleem Arif of Bano eeMee the answer is clear: go local.
Style let’s face it isn’t just a matter of wearing what some skinny New York blogger tells you is hot right now. It’s a form of personal expression that reflects individual taste quotidian habit local climate and geography. And it’s equal parts ethos and aesthetic.
Lana Selbee gets this. Since 2009 the owner of Kensington-based boutique Eleven : Eleven has been dedicated to sourcing out and promoting the goods on — and from — small Canadian designers. The store operates on a threefold mandate that includes a commitment to ethical production to supporting Canadian design talent and to providing for the needs of customers looking to make a distinctive fashion statement.
“A lot of customers have their own sense of style. That’s what drives them in here — things they can’t find anywhere else” says Selbee.
For those on a quest for the truly one-of-a-kind (in keeping with the store’s recycled ethos) Eleven : Eleven also features a vintage component.
THE LOOK:
Get into spring’s zestiest colour with a tangerine shrug — made entirely from reclaimed materials — by Toronto-based Paper People Clothing (Florence Shrug $78). Accent with a bright paisley clutch by Natalie Gerber Design (Molly Clutch $55) both handmade in Calgary.
Midriffs are big at the moment but how many of us are ready to bare all? Layer up that cropped tube top with a sheer sleeveless open-front shirt by Calgary-based MaNoKin Design ($65).
Short skirts are on the out but everybody still loves short shorts so get leggy with these high-waisted khakis by Nelson B.C. design team Rabbit and Empee ($56). The bubble hemline adds a feminine touch to a classic military look: warm it up during the cool spring days with a pair of tights in one of this season’s vivid hues.
Ankle straps may be all the rage right now but — ouch — that inevitably means spending a lot on cab fare. Try walking a mile instead in a pair of handmade leather tie sandals by Vancouver designer Erin Templeton ($139): these minimalist flats offer plenty of sexy ankle detail without killing your feet.
Pull it all together with a foxy ’tude that says “I am not an industrial fashion food-chain victim.”
THRIFTY ALTERNATIVES:
Independent local design is a smart and relatively inexpensive alternative to big-name fashion but it’s still not cheap. While many of us may be willing to lay out the extra $$$ for a unique locally crafted garment that will stay fresh beyond this season building an exclusively homegrown wardrobe can be intimidatingly pricey. Fleshing out your small core of investment pieces with staples from thrift and consignment shops is still a great way of keeping it local.
Calgary offers a good range of thrift (and vintage) options but sifting through it all can be time-consuming. Find well-edited collections of affordable wearables — for men and women — at the following locations:
Zoe’s Store (1403 14th St. S.W.)
Possibly the most fun you can have shopping on 14th Street. Zoe has an eye for the style of the moment and the whole collection turns over on a monthly basis. Drop by the last Saturday of the month and fill a bag for only $20.
Kit Apparel (1-917 12th St S.E. and 926A 17th Ave S.W.)
Clothing for grown-ups. Well-maintained and neatly presented. No over-the-top ’70s vintage dresses that seemed like a great idea 10 years ago….
Urban Thrift (20 – 3434 34th Ave N.E.)
Near Value Village — like Value Village — but without the sensory overload. A good selection of daily wear for people of all ages nicely styled and presented in an affable environment. Great service.
