Best Dressed List 2017: Meet Vancouver’s Most Stylish Individuals

Five fashionable tastemakers who dress to impress.

Five fashionable tastemakers who dress to impress.

If there’s one thing we learned from our search for Vancouver’s Best Dressed, it’s that style is about making your own rules: party skirts can be pink pleather, waist-free is the new black, dresses are for men, khakis are for breakdancing and going full suit in a world of West Coast casual can be the ultimate style statement.

The Artist

Name: Chris WeberDay job: HairstylistStyle: “It’s very unisex with a touch of hipster. I love mixing new and vintage pieces.”What will you be spotted wearing most days?Black, white and denim.What is the best compliment someone has paid you in regards to your style?I like when you go to work and people ask you if you’re going out afterward. If they ask you if you’re doing something tonight, it’s because you dressed so well. I’m like, “Thank you. No, I’m actually just going home.”Who inspires your style?Some of my favourite fashionistas are the Olsen twins, because they always wear a lot of oversized clothes that are really dark. I like how they go gender-neutral sometimes. They wear lots of hats, lots of big sunglasses and oversized shirts.How would you describe Vancouver’s style?It’s very mixed. It always depends where you are. East Vancouver definitely has the best style. People are very open to fashion and love showing their own style.Why do you love fashion?You can really express yourself with how you dress. No one tells you what to wear and you get the chance to show the world who you are. I go shopping lots in the women’s section. I go to Topshop, not Topman. I often go to Oak and Fort and all those stores, and I like that you can dress very gender-neutral. You can make big statements.What piece of clothing can you not live without?Hats. They add the perfect touch of edge to my style. And it’s always raining in Vancouver, so they’re a must-have.

The Free Spirit

Name: Stewart IguidezDay job: Dance instructor at Harbour Dance Centre and choreographerStyle: “It’s always consistently comfy, because I love mobility.”What piece of clothing or accessory can you not live without and why?I’ve been collecting hats from all over the world—specifically fedoras. Every time I travel, if there’s a hat that I don’t have, I’ll try to bring one back from out of town. I have a wall full of hats. It’s not ball caps, it’s newsboy hats, berets and mainly fedoras.Are there any past looks of yours that make you cringe?Yes, when I was in high school I was a raver for a bit. Enough said.Has the street style of dance influenced the way you dress?I’ve been really inspired by styling out and dressing up a lot of fitness gear. I’ll dress it up with a vest, and then a cardigan and a fedora. It doesn’t look like workout gear, but I have the ultimate fusion of chic, comfort, simplicity, mobility and it’s very clean looking.What is the best compliment someone has paid you?Someone said, “Hey, I’ve known you for years, and you’ve never had a bad outfit.” Consistency. It was very flattering.In your opinion, what “makes” an outfit?I really like simple but also really subtle details. It could be an asymmetrical shirt that might be slightly tapered on one side—you wouldn’t notice it.Do you ever try to coordinate what you’re wearing with your adorable dog?When my one dog has a pop of red, I’ll usually have a pop of red with a feather in my fedora, so we do kind of always match.



The Dapper Doc

Name: Darwin WanDay job: Family doctorStyle: “You’re always at risk of being projectile vomited on, so you have to tone down what you wear. I don’t wear any Brunello Cucinelli cashmere to work, ever—that stuff is completely off limits.”What will you be spotted wearing most days?A spread-collar dress shirt—my work requires business dress. Also, because it rains every day, I often have a trusty Arc’teryx Veilance Gore-Tex jacket on, too.What item can you not live without?Blundstone 501 Australian work boots—in my opinion, the most versatile pair of shoes in the world. You can wear them to a restaurant or hiking up a trail.Where is your favourite place to shop?London. A veritable smorgasbord of stores catering to every taste and price point. And a Mr Porter biennial sale.If you could raid someone’s closet, whose would it be?Fashion magnate Nick Wooster’s. I’ve seen pictures of his closet. It doubles as an apartment.What is your biggest fashion tip?I think learning the colour wheel is actually really important. Most people, including myself, when we’re born have no clue how colours go together. There’s actually a little bit of science to it. Always bear in mind fit, fabric, formality and colour.Does your profession affect how you dress?Everything has to be machine washable.Can you tell us about @Styleshutter?I decided to take photos of the clothes I’m buying. I have a friend who is into fashion, too, so we said, “Let’s start an Instagram.” It’s basically a side hobby.



The Online Shopper

Name: Adele TetangcoDay job: Co-founder of Garmentory.comStyle: “Long and oversized—things that don’t have a waist. I like to be able to eat.”If you could raid someone’s closet, whose would it be and why?Cate Blanchett in her role as Elizabeth I in the movie Elizabeth. I’ve always wanted to try on a really big ruff.What is your biggest fashion tip?Everyone should own at least one pair of colourful shoes.Who is one of your favourite designers?Rachel Comey has been my favourite designer for many years, for both shoes and clothing. I love everything she does. Like, if she made a pen, I’d buy that pen—that’s how hard-core in love I am with Rachel Comey.When did you start developing your sense of style?Not until I got into my thirties. I think one reason is income: you’re making more money. So it’s being able to afford the things that maybe you wanted before but weren’t accessible to you at the time.Have you given your kids any fashion advice?My oldest (age 17) started rebelling against the things I pick for her because she thinks I make her look too old. I’m like, “Hey, it’s not looking 30, it’s looking really stylish and advanced for your age.” Style is all about the inside, and I know that sounds cliché, but when I wake up in the morning and I pick something, I don’t wear it because it’s cool. I wear it because it makes me feel amazing. I always tell my daughter, “If you don’t feel comfortable, don’t wear it,” because it’s the person under the clothes that’s going to give you your sense of style.

The Expressionist

Name: SushiDay job: Employee at Lush ManufacturingStyle: “Quirky, dark, yet colourful. All things cute and spooky.”Who are your style icons?I don’t really have a style icon, but I’m inspired by Japanese street fashion. They do a lot of weird stuff and I love it.If cost were no object, what would you buy right now?YRU light-up shoes. Oh, how I long for those! They’re my main goal one day.What is your biggest fashion tip?Be comfortable in your own clothes without judging other people’s style choices.Has roller derby influenced your style at all?I think it’s made my style more elaborate. I feel more comfortable in what I wear now.Why is Halloween your favourite holiday?You can just dress up how you want. I love costumes. I used to cosplay as well. So I used to make a lot of my own stuff and dress up.What is your earliest fashion memory?Once I started listening to rockabilly music, the style came with it. That was maybe when I was 18. I started to get more comfortable in dresses and wearing heels, and I put on lipstick almost every day.As a fashion school grad, do you make  your own clothing?Yes. Most of the clothes that I wear I made myself. Lately, I haven’t been making a lot of things, only because I don’t have a sewing machine anymore.What is the best compliment someone has paid you?I think it’s people mostly appreciating the confidence I have, the fact that I can dress as weird as I like.

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