Why We’re Excited About This New Made-in-Vancouver Clothing Line

Kilroe is out to redefine casual office wear—and we are all for it.

Imagine this: it’s 8:27 a.m. and you’re digging through your closet for your favourite work blouse. You find it, rip it from its hanger, throw it over your head and rush over to the mirror. What do you see? Oh, just a smattering of sloppy wrinkles. No big deal, right? You now have three options: (1) wear it and hope the wrinkles are aired out on your brisk walk to the bus stop, (2) hastily try to iron it with your hair straightener (I’m not the only one who does that, right?), or (3) give up and find something else to wear.It’s this type of morning routine that inspired Kathleen Kilroe, a supply chain analyst with an affinity for locally made goods, to develop an entirely new collection of casual office wear for women: “There were specific problems I wanted to solve,” she says, “like having something that looks like a blazer, but is easy to care for—or making the perfect, professional office pant that’s wrinkle-resistant, stretchy and comfortable.” Combine that with her passion for designing basic work staples that are both stylish and comfortable and you’ve got Kilroe.The brand will launch with a small collection of ready-for-work basics: polyester shirts and dresses with cute and quirky prints, silhouette-hugging (but relaxed!) pencil skirts and trousers, and quilted pull-over sweaters all ranging between $150 to $250. “Polyester has a bit of a bad rep thanks to those hot, scratchy suits that people wore in the ’70s,” says Kilroe. “But it’s durable, the most wrinkle-resistant fabric—and it can be made to feel like silk nowadays.” Uhh, we’ll take one of everything, please! Take a peek at the collection below:Kilroe clothing will only be available online to start, except for a pop-up shop and launch party happening this Saturday, November 18. (In other words: you have the perfect opportunity to check out the goods in person!)

Kilroe Pop-Up Shop and Launch Party

Saturday, November 1811 a.m. to 9 p.m.407 W Cordova Streetshopkilroe.com