A couple of years ago, I went on a mid-afternoon walk along the shops of West 4th. I absolutely love the Kitsilano area. Having lived nearby for a few years for school, it truly holds a special place in my heart. The neighbourhoods with beautiful character homes and streets of little shop fronts made a nice change from the hours spent in big lecture halls.
On this particular day, I was accompanied by my mom as we’re both in love with all the cute these streets have to offer. And in Kits, of course, each place packs its own punch of personality. As the years go by, I much prefer this style of shopping. Compared to big, bright malls, the feeling of being outside in between the walk to another shop is always more refreshing. Not to mention, no crowds! Even if I’m not particularly shopping, a stroll along these streets always leaves me feeling a little warmer inside. This is unlike in malls where my face usually warms up from some weird type of stress caused by being trapped in a huge building of people pushing their way past you. In a place that’s local, there is so much more I get from seeing the people running these shops. I’m assuming many are owned by the people working in them, and often the goodies inside are handmade or carefully selected from other local makers. This is the good type of warmth, the kind you get from being among the passion these people have put into their work. It’s there, it’s visible.
This brings me to Exposure Clothing. This was a store my mom had seen here and there. She loves little shops too, and wanted to take me along for a peek inside. There was so much cosy, I tell ya! It was the fall or winter, so lots of knits and bundle-y things! I didn’t go in with the intention of getting anything myself, but my eyes landed on their beautiful selection of scarves. Well, to be honest, I was on the lookout for something warm and kinda big, yet still chic. And I found it! Actually, I picked up not one, but two perfect winter scarves! Both are straight-forward and simple, which makes them perfect for keeping you from looking like a huge fluff-ball. But, I mean, is there really anything wrong with that on chilly winter mornings? Also, both are surprisingly soft. I hate being too itchy and stuffy, as I’m sure is the case for most people.
This first one is a calming grey. It’s the one I reach for most as it goes with basically anything I throw on. As boring as grey can be for some people, I find that when done right, it can look quite elegant. It’s the perfect winter basic.
The other is patterned — for those days I want a tad more personality peaking through a mountain of layers. Green and yellow plaid, great to carry into Spring as well!
Now, I get that it’s almost pointless to tell you about these scarves seeing that I picked them up a long time ago. But my main hope with sharing this story is to encourage you to get out of your shopping comfort zone if you haven’t already! There is so much more that’s out there than simply at a mall, and likely not everyone you pass on the street will be wearing the same thing as you. I can’t say I’m never shopping in malls again, because that simply isn’t true. But I know for a fact that making a day out of strolling your local streets for one-of-a-kind finds is much more rewarding. Even if you’re just window-shopping (which I LOVE to do — it’s a great way to get inspired for what you already have), it’s always fun to immerse yourself in your city and see what people are making and doing. And, in my opinion, the best part is actually the chilly temps because you’ll share a cosy memory with your shopping buddy! And, of course, you’re likely to pass a neighbourhood café. Hot cocoas for all!
