lffE ana SCYIE Foreign fashion finds and consignment swaps: Shop Vancouver’s boutiques before hitting up the mall By Stephanie Trembath, Life and Style Editor ince Summer never officially arrived, I am slightly thankful that my only Summer clothing purchases extended to a vintage watch for only $36, a pair of kicky orange heels by Kimchi Blue for $60, and a cute grey summer dress from Urban Outfitters I can pair with black leggings and a belt to wear into fall. While my budget whittles smaller and smaller every semester, (did tuition prices increase again or am I making less and less money each year I wonder), I keep trying to find-‘new places to buy clothes that won’t break the bank. A couple years ago I discovered two trendy shops in Vancouver that carry unique pieces of clothing that promise no one else will be wearing the same thing as you, and possibly wishing they had your look, for decent prices. H&M is great on the student budget, but I sometimes feel like I’m a carbon cookie-cutter of every high school graduate in the lower mainland, not to mention the clothes are only good for five to six washes. My two go-to shops if I want something slightly different and funky to wear are located in the heart of Vancouver and are really easy to get to by sky train; just promise you won’t tell all your friends! The Spree carries new and pre-owned clothes, shoes, and accessories, for both men and women. A consignment store and boutique, The Spree offers a wide range of styles and ideas with tons of vintage pieces and $5-10 deals on shirts, shorts, pants and dresses. If you book an appointment ahead of time with the owner, consignment deals are more than welcome, so you can clean out your closet and make room for new fall fashion finds! Admittedly, because the store is smaller there are times when I have left empty handed. However, the few pieces I have spotted and sported at various events receive tons of compliments as they are one-of-a-kind and hard to come by. Like most consignment stores, it really depends on the time you put into shopping and finding pieces to compliment your style. Anti-Hero is my other go-to Vancouver boutique, with huge designer discounts on Italian made clothing. With two locations, one in Yaletown and a newer boutique that just opened in Gastown, Anti- Hero carries clothes for men and women, with a huge range in prices. The boutique offers tons of huge discounts at the end of each season, and carries select brands and styles that vary in price. The Yaletown location, which I frequent, has more menswear than women’s wear; shoes, pants, jackets, shirts, ties, sweaters, and belts. A few of my favourite purchases from Anti-Hero include a leather jacket, suede jacket with shoulder pads, jeans, and two shirts, all of which vary in price: but are slightly more expensive than the clothing from The Spree. For anyone who wants to get a head start on their fall wardrobe, do a little bit of Summer cleansing first; take in your old clothes that you may not fir or like anymore and see what kind of swap you can make at The Spree. Or check out Anti-Hero for some foreign fashion finds. Summer Reads; Eating Animals By Stephanie Trembath, Life and Style Editor we’re having. I’m probably the only one in British Columbia with this opinion since we experience the dreary grey sky all year, but I’ve grown accustomed to waking up to the smell of rain and slight chill in the air. It gives me an excuse to wear my keds and black tights. I’m also taking a summer semester, and there is nothing worse than sitting inside the library researching when it’s scorching hot and all your friends are playing volleyball at the beach. So, I stand my ground; I like the weather we are having. Regardless of my misery spent writing essays and studying for exams, I did manage to stock up on a hefty pile of novels to enjoy between classes and working; I figured I would work on my tan and catch up on some well-deserved leisure reading. Sans tan I’ve worked my way through a number of great books this summer, one especially that I think everyone should at least |: admit; I like the weather attempt to read; Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. A native New Yorker, Foer’s novel examines the process of eating, our eating habits, and draws attention to why we make the food choices we do in society today. Foer’s work reflects his own personal history; dealing with vegetarianism and his decision to become an omnivore, and his struggle in becoming a father and introducing his child to today’s dietary choices and nutritional values. His work closely follows the history of factory farming; giving details of break-ins at secret factory farms, personal letters from anonymous corporate leaders, and stories from past participants in the industry. Eating Animals fuses food philosophy and science with literature; revealing horrific details in the corporate food industry that bring the meat to your plate. Rather than urging his audience to become vegan, to oppose meat, Foer’s novel offers information and ideals to change a nation’s way of thinking, and transform the way we consume meat products. A few of Foer’s words of wisdom; “We’re messing with the genes of these animals and then feeding them growth hormones and all kinds of drugs that we really don’t know enough about. And then we’re eating them. Kids today are the first generation to grow up on this stuff, and we’re making a science experiment out of them.” “Communities living near these factory farms complain about problems with persistent nosebleeds, earaches, chronic diarrhea, and burning lungs.” “We can’t plead ignorance, only indifference. Those alive today are the generations that came to know better. We have the burden and the opportunity of living in the moment when the critique of factory farming broke into the popular consciousness. We are the ones of whom it will be fairly asked, What did you do when you learned the truth about eating animals?”