South Main

BAGGING IT
Local designer Tannis Hegan sells her gorgeous, silk-lined, and wood-handled leather purses ($420) at Mooncruise, 235 Cambie St., 604-685-9575; and Lark, 2315 Main St., 604-879-5275

PREVIOUSLY HIGHLIGHTED

BAREFOOT CONTESSA
Owner Eva de Viveiros doubled our pleasure when she expanded her Barefoot Contessa boutique and gave us more of what we love: Michael Kors, Nougat and Blushing Designs. The shoe selection has also expanded as has everything fab for Fido (capelets from Ruff Ruff, tees from Dirty Laundry). Retro jewelry and romantic ephemera look straight out of the shop’s namesake, a 1954 Hollywood film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner. 3715 Main St., 604-879-1137

BODACIOUS
For zaftig females tired of wearing funeral black, Bodacious—a muumuu-free zone—is a godsend. Svelte friends under size 10 will look longingly at the cute and colourful dresses and pants—some new, others previously enjoyed and all affordable. Many items are available via pre-order. 4393 Main St., 604-874-2811

DADABASE
It's all London-style cool here, from hammer-and-sickles in the window to bulbous Orbit clocks to avant garde art installations. Streetwear for either sex includes the house line of cotton-twill jackets and wide-leg shorts. Updated argyle appears on zip-front sweatshirts, while comic-print sleeves worn from wrist to upper arm revive the ’80s. Here’s where you’ll find the world-famous Government Clothing designed by Dadabase owners Mo and Ignacio. 183 E. Broadway, 604-709-9934

FRONT & COMPANY
It’s a simple concept: two unisex fashion store fronts linked, new and trendy on one side, consignment and vintage on the other. Impulse-buy accessories and underwear are strategically planted to catch your eye as you head for the cashier. 3772 Main St., 604-879-8431

JONATHAN + OLIVIA
Call us crazy, but you’re going to want Acne. The oddly flattering, super-high-rise jeans for women ($299) and straight-leg fit for men ($275) are at Jonathan+Olivia, 2570 Main St., 604-637-6224

LARK
Lark 8th Avenue has moved to bigger and better digs as official dealer of Jorg & Olif Dutch city bikes—their well-edited clothing collection (think Kulpa, Bertoni, Soia & Kyo and Drykorn) is a perfect fit. Lark, 2315 Main St., 604-879-5275

LIFE OF RILEY
The jaunty chapeau has returned from a 50-year hiatus, and Livity Outernational, makers of eco-friendly fashions (usually heavy on the eco and light on the fashion), have stumbled upon a winner with these recycled-material straw hats ($49). 3697 Main St., 604 876-7655

LIVINGSPACE
A fabulous selection of contemporary European lines, modern classics, and the latest pieces from Italian-design heavyweights Ceccotti, Flou Italia, Minotti and many others. At the back of the 10,000-square-foot space find accessories that are well ahead of the trends. Whimsical dish racks and ironing boards by Magis turn household chores into performance art. 188 Kingsway, South Main, 604-683-1116

THE MAIN PLANT STORE
Do you manage to murder even the hardiest of geraniums? Enter The Main Plant Store. Husband-and-wife team Shlomo and Lauren Booklin will give dead-plant pots an extreme makeover—all for the cost of just the plants themselves. 3491 Main St., 604-709-8550

PLEASANT GIRL
At Pleasant Girl check out labels by Dagg and Stacey, a Toronto duo focused on graphic designs; Toronto’s OK47 pretty and playful basics of colourful tops, bottoms and dresses; Hylas and Nymph, the Vancouver label offering cropped pants and jersey knit tops; and an amazing selection of locally designed jewellery set the stage. All of the hardware in the store—shelving units, chairs, lamps—is also for sale. 2541 Main St., 604-677-4024

RETRO ROCK
Modern style innovators like Kate Moss and Karen O aren’t pulling together their eclectic fashion statements just by shopping at posh boutiques. They’re mixing old with new, and high-end looks with a little grunge for that perfect combination of dishevelled elegance. At Retro Rock, you’ll find the means to their aesthetic with a great selection of rock concert T-shirts, fitted leather bombers, gently faded silk kimonos and colourful shift dresses that look great dressed down with a scuffed-up pair of riding boots. 3553 Main St., South Main, 604-872-7667. Other locations: 590 Davie St., West End, 604-872-7665; 2240 Commercial Drive, 604-872-7670

SCOUT
If you can rock this season’s mini or bubble dresses, head to Scout, where there’s a great selection of Rachel Zoe-approved numbers. They carry a ton of Voom silk dresses, as seen on Cameron Diaz. 152 E. Eighth Ave., 604-879-7903

SMOKING LILY
Smoking Lily’s Lady Sparrow tunic ($94) is a mid-thigh-length Japanese cotton dress with an elastic collar that can be worn up at the neckline or off the shoulder. 3634 Main St., 604-873-5459

SOLID THREADS
A secret source for stylists and the wardrobe staffers in the movie business who need top vintage clothing, like an old Perry Ellis track suit, or some other blast from the past, fast. 2-3851 Main Street, 604-872-1929

TEMPLE OF THE MODERN GIRL
The Golden Peanut is an actual peanut in its shell, electroplated with gold and suspended at the end of a golden chain ($18). Shake it and you can still feel the peanut rattling inside. It’s silly. It’s goofy. It’s just plain nutty (sorry), but we love it. 2695 Main St., 604 630-8656

TWIGG&HOTTIE
Mario Fiorini’s intricate, laser-cut rubber accessories, available in black, red and white ($28-$58), belie their humble origins as carpet underpadding. At Twigg&hottie, 3671 Main St., 604-879-8595

UMEBOSHI
Umeboshi is flush with oversize eelskin coin purses from Denmark’s Becksöndergaard Copenhagen. Twice the size of grandma’s coin purse, they have just enough room for nighttime basics: money, cards, cell phone and lipstick ($86). 3638 Main St., 604-909-8225

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