July News from the Vancouver Fashion and Retail Scene

Credit: American Gold

LA-based label American Gold is now available at new Gastown boutique Today You Are Special

Don’t miss the slew of Gastown boutique openings or killer summer sales at big box retailers

Time for a summer holiday? Not for the hyperactive Vancouver fashion and retail scene. Brand new Gastown boutiques and pop-up shops are exploding like . . . popcorn.

Main Street storeowners are banding together to offer steals on pricey merch. And the big box retailers are already doing their (big-ass) summer sale thing, allowing the fashionable to stock up on summer bargains with two whole months left in which to wear them.

July News from Vancouver’s Fashion and Retail Scene

J.Crew Summer Sale is On

Although many of us mistakenly rush to buy summer clothes in April, just for the momentary high of buying brights after months of dreary rain, we should really wait until July when the summer sales are underway.

New Robson Street retailer J.Crew has an extensive summer sale going on now. Find steals on everything from summer dresses to beach cover-ups. You’ve still got two months left to enjoy them.

“Big Ass” Summer Sale at Urban Outfitters

The name says it all. My advice? It’s often easier to find sizes on the web than to face the crowds in the Granville Street or West 4th Avenue retail locations.

Today You Are Special Boutique Opens in Gastown

Today, now open at 158 Powell Street, is everything a design-savvy Vancouverite might dream of. The store is particularly easy on the eyes. Think contemporary minimalism at its finest. Owner Amaly Narong, whom you might already be familiar with through her eponymous jewelry line, stocks independent, hard-to-find labels like LA-based American Gold (pictured above) and leather accessories by Baggu.

Converge on Main Street Offers Sweet Deals at Vancouver’s Pricier Boutiques, July 19

On Thursday July 19, from 6-9pm, 20 stores and restaurants along Main Street’s ever-updating drag will offer a “live version of Groupon” with 10-40% off regular prices. Participants include Twigg&Hottie, Beansprouts, Soap Dispensary, Slickety Jim’s and Vancouver Special.  

The Found and Freed Pop-Up Shop Now Open in Gastown

The Found and Freed, a favourite for Vancouverites into “collected” home decor, is back in Gastown at 110 Water Street. Founders Ainsley McIntyre and Lindsay Burke drive about hunting for beauty. They clean it up – or edit, if you will – and repair. The results are on show in their new space, open seven days a week until August 17.