Fashion Forward: B.C.’s Boutique Clothing Brands

Want to support local businesses but not sure where to start? You’ve found the right place! British Columbia has an abundance of variety when it comes to boutique brands by local small designers. With the province being home to people from diverse backgrounds, each of the brands you see have a different story. 

Find out which brands speak to your own story and decide for yourself what best represents both yours and the B.C. spirit. 

Wirth 

This Vancouver-based hat brand offers quality pieces with an emphasis on making a mental health impact. Wirth donates $10 from every hat sale to the Wirth Hats Counselling Fund, which breaks down barriers to access mental health support. Its brand mission is “Making Mental Health Less Big & Scary” by offering sponsored therapy sessions through the fund for those who cannot afford it.

Besides prioritizing mental health, Wirth also puts the human before the product. There are hints of the human touch in its hand-drawn illustrations and imperfect lines in the logo. These “imperfections” are a reflection of the human being behind the piece. Wirth recently went through a rebrand, and is now expanding to clothing in addition to their hat selection. Check them out to support a good cause!

ANIÁN

ANIÁN is a west coast-based and manufactured brand with a focus on creating clothing from sustainable materials. The brand uses only recycled natural fibres from landfills to create timeless pieces that could last a lifetime. 

The 10-year-old brand hopes to create transparency about where materials are sourced, in an attempt to hold larger fast fashion companies accountable and ultimately creating a positive change in the industry. ANIÁN offers both men’s and women’s garments–anything from sweaters to over shirts and even socks! 

Decade Studio

Women’s denim studio Decade specializes in denim products made to fit all shapes and sizes. The designer behind the brand, Molly Spittal, conceptualized Decade Studio in Montreal in 2014 and opened their in-person Denim Shop in Vancouver. 

The brand inspiration came from Molly’s desire to find a pair of denim jeans that would fit her perfectly. She conducted denim fieldwork and realized the pesky back gap is what most women struggled with. The solution? Molly devised a novel blueprint called the Ratio-Fit, which allows space for the hips and booty while perfectly fitting the waist!

The Decade brand not only produces garments that are durable and actually fit, but also ones that are produced ethically and sustainably. Decade’s pieces are made in Northern Portugal, at a small family-owned factory with healthy working conditions. Patrons can be sure that they are buying from a brand with high ethical standards.

Bees & Bones 

If you enjoy flowy handmade pieces made with comfortable materials, Bees & Bones is the brand for you. Designer and owner Brooke Macdonald created this women’s clothing brand to “explore the relationship between lines, shapes, bodies, places and spaces.” This Victoria-based brand features mostly pre-order items, where you can choose your own custom sizing and fabric for each piece. Brooke sews these garments herself, with help from studio assistant Anabel Sargent in B.C.’s very own city of Victoria. 

Most of Brooke’s designs are relaxed and screams (softly) spring. If that’s something you’d like to see on your body, head over to B&B and take a look! 

Jimi Collection

This made-to-order collection is based in Vancouver Island. All pieces are handmade by designer Jayme Hiebert using natural fibers. The brand experiments with a variety of materials, and is currently working mostly with Oeko Tex certified 100% linen. Linen is a woven fabric known for its breathability and its suitability for warmer months. Heads up–patrons should expect an approximately four week wait since most pieces are made-to-order!

ECOLOGYST

Victoria-based brand ECOLOGYST focuses on ethically made garments that restore humans’ relationship with our planet. Its pieces are ethically made in Victoria, and if not, are made nearby in Canada or the United States. 

This B-Corp certified brand has twenty years of research behind it, and reflects the study of ecology in its garments (study of the relationships between living organisms and their physical environment). ECOLOGYST uses natural fibers that can easily return to earth to create “legacy” items that can stand the test of time. From menswear and womenswear to accessories, there is enough selection to build your own ECOLOGYST capsule wardrobe.