The mundane attire of Vancouverites

[Renwaldo]

I found this interesting little snippet regarding fashion sense among the young people downtown.
Showing here: http://www.bcbusinessonline.ca/bcb/sponsored/style-guide/wear-else/2009/09/02/what-vancouver-people-wear

It's interesting because Vancouver is often regarded by tourists as being one of the most open, accepting and culturally diverse cities in the world. However this author feels our fashion minded citizens are too sensitive to the trendy and socially acceptable in their clothing.

Looking at the direction North American fashion took this past season, it is easy to see her point. look up the autumn or winter collections from any major designer for 2011, and notice the excessive amounts of beige and grey wool.  :(

Typically winter lines have always been muted compared to spring and summer, but this year seems... sepia to the extreme.

Speaking primarily of high fashion of course. The mid-price stuff in the malls seemed to be going back to jewel tones this year.  :roll:

Now what are your thoughts ladies and gentlemen? Do you agree with her? Are we really no more fashionable than a bunch of midwest townies in this cosmopolitan city?  ???
What do you guys think will be big starting this spring of 2012?  Your opinions, if you please!  :monocle:

[Kithop]

I now have a bright, nigh-fluorescent orange hoodie, and acid washed, tight jeans to match.  If not that hoodie, a multitude of other hoodies, and simple dark grey jackets.

I know we hit a 70s revival type thing a few years back - I'm (im)patiently waiting for 80s neon to make a comeback.  I don't know if we ever grew out of the 90s grunge look, though - we're not THAT far from Seattle, right?  Maybe that's where all this persistent plaid is coming from. ;)

[Renwaldo]

I now have a bright, nigh-fluorescent orange hoodie, and acid washed, tight jeans to match.  If not that hoodie, a multitude of other hoodies, and simple dark grey jackets.

I know we hit a 70s revival type thing a few years back - I'm (im)patiently waiting for 80s neon to make a comeback.  I don't know if we ever grew out of the 90s grunge look, though - we're not THAT far from Seattle, right?  Maybe that's where all this persistent plaid is coming from. ;)

I KNOW RIGHT!?!?!?!?
Now I like vintage and distressed as much as the next fag, but some things just seem far too over done up here. A plague on the bastard who keeps bringing plaid back every year!  >:( We've seen plaid. We've seen it traditionally for the past hundred years - and now we've seen it in purple. There is nothing more that can be done with plaid. Plaid is finished. It needs to die. Too many times in the past decade has there been plaid.

Neon was big this past summer. I got a couple discounted hoodies on boxing day - pink and hi-lite marker green.  :gay:
I guess that accounts for the washed out monochromatic dying-tree-coloured earth tones this winter.

But what do you think about fashion in Vancouver right now? Are we really 'too safe' in every art form here?
Foreigners accuse of apologizing too much and being too shy and submissive. Perhaps they're right and that's reflected in what we wear. 

[Kithop]

I'd be tempted to agree if I got out enough to people watch and pay attention to it, to be honest. ;)  I guess the closest I can come is window shopping at the mall the past few weeks, and now that I think about it I do see it there - lots and lots of blacks, greys, and earth tones.  Maybe you'll see the odd bit of purple or red, but it's rare.  It was actually kind of a pain to go clothes shopping since next to nothing except maybe the skater-type stores were jumping out at me.

My dad actually got me a nice, simple, navy blue woolen sweater from The Bay or Sears or something for Christmas - I remember wandering around with him and realizing that it all looked the same.  I normally get this kind of choking 'ugh everything is so hot and dry and musty' feeling in department stores, but it's the same for the whole damned mall.  Everywhere looks like the men's section at The Bay, and not in a good way. X.X

[Renwaldo]

I have mixed feelings about agreeing with you.  :(

If the author is right it doesn't say much for Vancouver.

[Kithop]

Is it weird that I get strangely happy in places like American Apparel and I think it's Urban Outfitters or Urban Behaviour (Urban something. c.c) when they have a rack of clothes that looks like a rainbow threw up on them?  Especially, bright, in-your-face colours?  Don't get me wrong, though - I do love me some black; I tend to gravitate towards black with uber-bright-blue accents or stitching.

...You wouldn't think I was straight... XD

[Renwaldo]

Nah, if I hadn't already met you I'd certainly think you were a homo after this thread.  :gay:

[Drake Wingfire]

I wear either camo cargo pants or black "dress pants", random t-shirts of any color and usually a red hoodie. I dress like I feel, and that is 18 haha, I don't pursue fashion trends cause I don't usually spend money that way or that carelessly and I don't feel an interest to try and impress people, but its also due to the massive cynic in me. When I see a sharp dressed person all I tend to think is "he/she is gonna go to starbucks and whine that there isnt the right amount of foam in their

Personally I think its more important to have comfortable warm clothing in winter instead of obsessing over looking trendy and having your balls retract into your rib cage  :monocle: Vancouver is just another big city, I don't see how fashion is really important news, we got the reputation as a melting pot and everyone's idea of a melting pot is that its full of this great diversity as if said place would had a China town, East Indian town, African town, German town etc etc with all their little themes and fashions, when usually a melting pot tends to just make everyone more bland because they are trying to fir the status quo of dressing like we are all going to a funeral (and if you work in an office then it feels like it as well lol)

[Renwaldo]

When you dress up, what impression would you like to leave on people?

[Neox]

When you dress up, what impression would you like to leave on people?

I'd like them to have whatever impression they want, because anyone who is going to make their assumptions about me because of what I wear is not worth my time.

I wear whatever feels comfortable.  I wear a lot of tight, sleeveless shirts because I find I'm always too warm.  I buy cheap jeans at Zellers and Mark's Work Wearhouse.  I think 95% of the things that I wear are from Zellers, Value Village or a 70%-off sale at Bootlegger.  I have 4 pairs of shoes: my training/running shoes, my everyday shoes, hiking boots and work boots.  I wear them until they literally fall off my feet or until the soles get so flat that my diabetic feet start screaming bloody murder at me every time I put them on.

The only thing I wear which I put real money in is my footwear, because I can't stand my feet being uncomfortable (and it's really not a good thing for them to be, since diabetes brings bad circulation in my feet).

But I guess it's the fact that I AM a "midwest townie," that I should really fit the description, eh? =P

[Renwaldo]

I'd like them to have whatever impression they want, because anyone who is going to make their assumptions about me because of what I wear is not worth my time.

Everybody makes those assumptions though. Even if those assumptions are, "Oh look someone who is well dressed, they must be on their way to starbucks to bitch about their coffee and write bad pulp fiction on their macbook." Whether or not you're aware of it you make those judgments every time you look at someone. Perhaps in glancing you might think to yourself, "Oh look, that gentleman has multiple piercings and torn jeans, clearly he doesn't care what the masses think of his style! I like this guy! Bravo sir!"  :gay:

I've found in my experience the 'alternative' people far more judgmental than the so called 'tools.' They're so obsessed with their appearance because they're afraid of looking like they graduated from prep school, and heaven forbid if they're required to conform to a uniform. Snowflakes out-judge tools.  :-*

However, back on topic, what do you think of the article and Vancouver fashion?

[EmoFox]

I find it hilarious that absolutely every single person answered "Why that?" with "It's the in thing" and "it's unique".

[Tony Greyfox]

Meh, if I'm off the clock I wear jeans and T-shirts and hiking shoes, and that's about my level of fashion because that's what I feel comfortable in. The shirts are about the only concession to making an impression, as I've got a nice collection of interesting ones that can be attention-getting if people pay attention to them. *shrugs*

(On the clock I wear bland business casual, occasionally involving suits and ties if necessary.)

[Drake Wingfire]

When you dress up, what impression would you like to leave on people?

I leave the impression that I got better things to do than obsess over what I dress like? I don't wear rags or something. Pretty much like Neox said, I wear whats durable, Comfortable and affordable. Regarding judgements though, I have seen girls in hoodies that are random colors that don't match their pants, though nothing of it, seen guys in leather boots, jeans and a wife beater. Again never thought much of, pretty much cause you can tell the person is just dressing how they like and whats affordable. People who over dress though stand out a lot Hipsters and businessmen/women alike and more time than not, yes the attitude can and has matched their dressing style.

Plus my encounters with formal and "medium-high cost" clothing has usually been a bad one, dress pants that don't hold up to normal every day walking, sitting etc. fancy long sleeved shirts that rip out at the pits because I guess you shouldn't be able to move in them, $120 pairs of shoes that "go flat" in the soles when I have had $70 pairs that have lasted roughly 2 years each of much more intense use. Name brand stuff is hit and miss, most of the time you are just paying for the name, not the quality it seems. Not to say I don't own any "fancy" clothes, I just tend to by stuff based on its reputation. Leather jackets that are not too tight so they wont rip out and are not bought solely on name alone, Blunderstone dress boots (they had a reputation for being extremely durable, so they were actually worth the price)

[Renwaldo]

Oh come on now - you guys are avoiding the question!  :P

Surely you have more to say about your style than that! I wasn't asking how you dress specifically, but how you wish to be perceived at the first glance.  :monocle: When making an impression of yourself to a stranger what is the first thing you want them to think when they notice you? Lets assume you're trying to impress this person.
Everyone seems to want to discuss their own style here, okay so why not? Let's.  :D Share with me your looks. Do you maintain just one or do you have a lot of them?
Now anyone can pull of leather boots and a graphic tee, so what does that mean to you guys? Describe to me your favourite leather boots and t-shirts.

High fashion doesn't always have to mean expensive clothing.
Vintage has been extremely popular these past few years. It's why we keep seeing plaid every bloody year, it's timeless and adaptable!  :(
If you look hard enough, you can find tons of nice clothes in second hand stores. Thing like mens suit jackets and ladies heels in black are basic pieces of everyones wardrobe! They are the foundation of a good ensemble. You can wear any old suit with a white shirt and new tie and fool everyone into thinking it's new.

You don't strike me as someone who wears many suits, but you can apply the same logic to secondhand t-shirts and jeans.  :gay:

Then there are HUNDREDS of labels (legal and otherwise) that mimic the designs of expensive brands for a very low price to the consumer. Every piece of clothing you see in places like Walmart was built around something that was high fashion years before.