Fashion

A Very Vancouver Gift Guide: Gifts Inspired by the Beach

Fun finds with a coastal feel for folks who love the motion of the ocean.

By Alyssa Hirose /

Step Up

Make sure they’re getting a good dose of Raincouver fresh air (and street cred) with these Weekend sneakers ($165) by Vessi. They’re totally waterproof and machine washable, so no one has to skip the puddles. vessi.com

Close Wave

The soft cotton of the Coronado throw ($80) will keep them warm this winter, but the blanket’s beachy design is inspired by acity on the California coast. Ideal for cozy cuddles inside their bubble. eq3.com

Bottle Service

This season of Patagonia’s 100-percent recycled Black Hole duffels (from $159) used over 10 million plastic bottles—that’s 10 million bottles that didn’t end up in the ocean or a landfill. The bags come in four sizes and a variety of colours, all with a water-repellent finish. patagonia.ca

Tray Bien

Keep special knickknacks on display with Ethnicraft’s Wabi Sabi collection (from $180 per piece) designed by Dawn Sweitzer. These hand-painted trays come in a muted, natural colour palette evocative of crisp coastal days. fullhousemodern.com

Scrap That

Edmonton slow fashion brand Gus Sloan uses fabric cutoffs to craft the Scrap collection (from $15), a series of handmade scrunchies and hair ties. It may be winter, but there’s no seasonal limit on tossing your hair up in an effortless, beachy bun. gussloan.com

Solid Foundation

It’s hard to maintain a sunkissed glow when the sky is cloudy and the couch beckons louder than the beach—this paraben-free, fragrance-free Luminous face primer ($40) will brighten up their face even while the rays are away. evalinabeauty.com

Hair and Now

Why limit that mask action to just the face? Longtime Vancouver brand AG Hair’s Reconstruct hair mask ($34) is a conditioning treatment that uses vitamin C, Abyssinian oil and sunflower seed extract to restore moisture to dry, brittle ’dos. aghair.com