Blame it on the Rain

Most of the articles I have written so far for my fashion blog(the one you're currently reading) have revolved around Vintage finds, local designers, and bargains all found on the East Coast. This is because I do truly believe that fashionable people on the East Coast are for the most part very interested in the intersection of community/environmental sustainability and looking damn good. The city of Halifax is so concerned with sustainability that the most rad mag in town(The Coast) prints an annual guide to sustainable consumerism that goes beyond the usual common sense such as "shop at the farmers market" and, "buy local sweaters woven in rural farm communities". But, fashion on the East Coast isn't just driven by a sense of community activism and a concern for the environment. The weather(sadly) also plays a big part in deciding what to wear. It's hard to dress hip when the wind is gusting at 110 kms an hour. The following is a list of East Coast staples(the kind of staples that might make us a constant joke in other parts of Canada) that are weather driven, fashionable, and for the most part sustainable.

1. Wellies/Rubber Boots. Stop light red, taxi-cab yellow, deep hunter green or, funky patterns. You choose. Paired with a organic skinny jean a la Kate Moss and a sexy short coat these fun rubber boots keep your feet dry in the rainy Island or Halifax weather. The cutest Rubber Boots I've spotted in Halifax can be found at Mills Lady's Wear on Spring Garden Road. These boots are Burburry (yum plaid) which is so so very English Rose.

2. A Warm Winter Hat that an East Coast Individual might be Forced to Wear Year Round Due to the Miserable Slushy, Stormy Weather.
Your Best option for a cute-year-round-winter-hat on the East Coast is to buy a slouchy beanie. These hats are the best for several reasons. They can be worn from side to side(like a beret) or front to back,which means you can create entirely different looks with a single item of clothing. The Slouchy Beanie is like a chic toque, meaning that you won't get frostbite by donning one and you won't look like you just spent hours hosing down your back yard hockey rink. The owner of AB Fab on PEI hand knits colorful beanies and they sell for about twenty bucks a pop. Which is quite a steal. Just Us Girls on PEI, a crazy great little fashion cafe also carries a fantastic hat line that uses only organic material. The Bargain Bin at Elsies, or Le Chateau are the best hat places in Halifax.

3. Black Rimmed Glasses-Wide Lenses
My fashion senses are tingling and I'm guessing it's because I have a hunch that big nerdy glasses are becoming a must have(A hunch that is based on the many photos of Sienna Miller and the girls from the Hills rocking this trend), This works for us on the East Coast because a) We are a society of chic nerds who love to read, and b) The crazy wind conditions make contact lense wearing a challenge. American Apparal is currently selling great vintage framed wide lense glasses, but I reccomend hitting up some of the local boutiques and finding a less generic pair.

Scene(spelled wrong on purpose) and Heard in Halifax-Vintage Edition.

Fashionable people(sorry Joel Plaskett) are everywhere in this fair city. Twenty-somethings decked head to toe in studded leather, girls in full on lolita(Lolita?) style, beat up con wearing indie kids, and most common of all urban hippies(note the colorful scarves and Northface gear) can be seen at anytime, and anywhere. I've been in the city for a few days now, and have mostly spent the time scouring the local vintage and thrift stores for deals and killer finds. Most of the used clothing stores are solid gold, but a few fall short. Below is a list of what I believe to be the most fun, and most affordable vintage nooks in the city.

#1. Elsies- This great gem of a store in easily my fave vintage place in the city. The store carries the always fun Orphanage clothing line(also found at The Green Man Vintage and Vinyl), a line that reworks old concert tees. They also sell organic local goat soaps that smell like heaven and might make you clean enough to get in. Easily the greatest thing about Elsies is the two dollar bargain bin. Scarves, shirts, dresses and shoes all float around in this old hope chest until some fashion savy but broke university student scoops them up. Check out Elsies on Queen Street.

#2. Allie's New Boutique- Located on Barrington street, this cool shop's best feature is it's owner. Allie Edgecomb is an aging, super fun, hippie type, whose personality lends a sense of comfortable lightness to the store. The boutique also sometimes features local hand crafted jewelery and textiles-always a good thing.

#3. Dressed in Time- I heart this store. First of all it's located next to Dio Mio just off Spring Garden road. Vintage shopping and tasty ice cream like treats is almost more than I can handle. Second of all, the store's excellent shoe collection is a delight for any chick with a shoe fetish. I saw lace up green booties, red square heeled pinup shoes, and perfectly worked in cowboy boots. Dressed in Time also seems to hire only the nicest and coolest staff who will go above and beyond in order to help out the customer.

Coming up...photos of fun fashionable Halifaxians