Oleana Autumn 13 collection

Tomorrow, Saturday Sept. 14th we will present the new Oleana collection for Autumn '13.  We have spent days unpacking boxes from McVerdi, Oleana, and more...  we are brimming with fabulous new clothes and accessories, and more to come.

Our neighbour flower shop, Lusso Verde has once again made a bouquet for us that echoes the colours of one of the new Oleana designs.

You can see the new collection on our new website,

While you are  on the website, you can sign up for our newsletter, and you can also sign up to receive news.  The news page will replace this blog.

We look forward to seeing you as Autumn sets in....we love the season of wool!

New Website

Urbanity has a new website!  It gives you a lot more information about the products that we carry -- telling their story, which is our story.  The website has a news page that will at some point replace this blog.  You can also sign up for our newsletter directly from the website.

Confused?  We try to reach you in every way possible!

We post on FACEBOOK as soon as new products come in, or if we find something that we think is interesting.  Facebook postings are created every day.  You can access our Facebook page even if you are not a Facebook member.  See here:  https://www.facebook.com/myUrbanity 
Facebook postings automatically become TWITTER postings, so if you are on twitter, you can follow us from there.  https://www.twitter.com/myUrbanity

You can sign up for our NEWSLETTER by going to our WEBSITE  www.urbanity.ca and clicking on the link in the top right hand corner.  I send out a newsletter approximately once a month.

Tell your friends about URBANITY!!!
SHARING information is good for us!  If you are on Facebook, please 'like' what I post.  You can also post a comment such as "love it".  And if you SHARE a post, it is amazing how many people will hear about Urbanity.

NEWS:  We just received a shipment from Cut Loose (dresses, tops and pants), and we have more coming.  We have fabulous leggings that just came in, and more Fog Linen in the post.   We think we have a wonderful selection.

Best summer wishes from URBANITY!

17 maj

Urbanity will be closed May 17th.
It is Norway's Constitution Day and Viola and I are going south to enjoy the festivities in Ballard.
See more here.

Cover up!

There are all kinds of reasons for covering up in the summer!
- protection from the sun's rays
- to keep warm on a cool night
- just to layer
- to cover those arms!
We have a nice variety of linen cover-ups to wear over something sleeveless.

Roomy Raincoats

We received these super raincoats from McVerdi in red (shown) and lavender.  They have a detachable hood, are unlined, and totally waterproof.  They are also B I G.  We have them in sizes large xs to much larger xxxl.   They are the perfect raincoat for those who have trouble finding a stylish raincoat in larger sizes.  We have made the price irresistible!

Arrivals!

Lots of boxes have been coming into Urbanity in the past days - read the newsletter here -
http://p0.vresp.com/aAkctA #vr4smallbiz

Oleana Spring Collection Preview!

We are all set to show you the Oleana spring collection!

Join us for a sip and a nibble 

Saturday, March 9th

12 - 5

Spring Preview Rescheduled

Our shipment got stuck a couple of places on the way from Norway to Vancouver, so it will not arrive in time to show you on Thursday, March 7th.

We have changed the day and time to - Saturday, March 9th from 11 - 17.  We will serve refreshments and look forward to seeing you!

Any further updates will be posted here.

You are invited to our Spring Preview!

Spring comes with Oleana 

We always start spring in Urbanity with the arrival of the new OLEANA collection.  The Oleana collection this season is so beautiful, that we want to invite you to a special preview.  Come and see the new designs and learn a little about the inspiration that has taken Oleana's designer, Solveig Hisdal into new patterns and new colours.

 

Please join us
Thursday, March 7th
4 - 7 pm

We look forward to seeing you!
Julia and Viola

Cosy up after Christmas

At the start of the new year to want to start fresh!  We want it to be summer, and to change out our wardrobe for little linen dresses and strolls in the sun.  But the truth is, we have just entered the winter months, and we have lots of cold wet days ahead of us.  To enjoy this beautiful city where we live, we need warm cosy sweaters, and good raincoats.

In Urbanity we take our time transitioning into spring.  We are well stocked with the world's most beautiful sweaters.  And in the evenings, snuggle up under an Oleana blanket while you enjoy a good book.

We still have a number of classic McVerdi raincoats that will keep you cosy and warm.  These coats are classics, and we love them.

If you are going to where the sun shines, we have linen dresses and sweaters that have been waiting just for you!

We have reduced the prices on those clothes or colours that we will not be repeating like this orange raincoat.  Also reduced are reversible coats and vests from Beyond Threads, corduroy lantern pants from Cut Loose, and beautiful silk blouses from TMCollection.  Come in and be surprised!

FINALLY, we have the colour samples for the linen pinafores that we have requested from Cut Loose.  You can choose the colour you want either in the store or on the Cut Loose website.  I will be placing the order at the beginning of next week.

Yuletide opening hours at Urbanity

Urbanity's normal hours are:

Tuesday - Saturday: 11-18

Sunday:  noon -17

Monday:  closed

Yuletide hours this year are:

Open Monday Dec. 24: 

11am - 3pm

Closed Dec. 25 & 26, 31 & Jan 1

We will serve gløgg and goodies on Saturday, December 22nd.  We look forward to seeing you.

Busy December

We were so excited by this wonderful dress from McVerdi, that we decided to do a photoshoot in the hope the press would pick up the image.  We staged the shoot in the Scott Landon Gallery, and asked Jenn Walton from digiwerxstudio.com to take the Pictures.  Suzanne Nairne modeled the dresses so beautifully. This dress is so becoming, and although there is only one left in rust, we still have the dress in beautiful blue Italian corduroy, and in a wool blend.  We also have more styles from McVerdi -- relaxed Danish designs for worldly women!

We are so happy to tell you that we raised $250 for the Unions Gospel Mission on our first Christmas Day, December 2nd.  We enjoyed having Elisabeth Owre demonstrate making her glass beads, and Ratatouille Designs with a wonderful selection of vintage linens.  Cassandra Van Dyck sang for us as we sipped glogg!

Urbanity is all stocked up for the season.  We have lots of scarves of all kinds, sweaters, very cute brooches from K-form in Sweden, and belts made by Vancouver's Denise Wilson.  We also have an array of fun jewellery -- from Patsy Kolesar's silver jewellery to ceramicist Laura Vanderlinde multi-media necklaces.  As always we have a wide selection of socks.  Oleana is well-stocked and we have lots of wristwarmers, tights, and leg-warmers!  We look forward to seeing you!

Yuletide in Urbanity

Yuletide starts in Urbanity this weekend on Dec. 2nd!

It is a tradition in Urbanity that we start the season as they do in Scandinavia, by decorating, lighting candles, sipping Gløgg, meeting and greeting each other, sharing, and giving.

-This year we have invited Ratatouille Designs to show their re-purposed Vintage French linens, and Elisabeth Owre who will demonstrate making her beautiful glass beads.  The work of both artists will be available for purchase.

-We welcome Cassandra Van Dyck back again to sing for us. Cassandra writes her own songs which she sings with the voice of an angel.

-On this day we collect for the Union Gospel Mission, and the good work they do.

Please join us any time between 12 - 17 on December 2nd.
It will be 'hyggeligt'

Small Business Saturday - October 20th

When we heard of this yesterday we made a last minute decision to join in.  We are giving a $100 gift certificate to anybody shopping in Urbanity over this weekend - Oct 19 - 21.  We urge you to use your debit card to make purchases, and look forward to seeing you in URBANITY!  See more at www.shopsmallbiz.ca

Oleana presents.......

OLEANA celebrates their 20th birthday as they move into a new factory in a very old textile building in Ytre Arna outside Bergen in Norway.  Where else is there such a young knitting factory making such beautiful products?  Congratulations to Oleana and their designer, Solveig Hisdal!

OLEANA BLANKETS at the IDSwest September 28-30 2012.  Find us in the Studio North, right beside The District where the 'one of a kind' show makes a debut.

We have a bundle of $5off vouchers for the show.

The IDSwest is a designer exhibition of the highest quality.  (Not to be confused with the Home Show.)

Raincoats from McVerdi have arrived from Denmark!

Some of you have been waiting since last spring for the arrival of raincoats from McVerdi in Denmark.  We have two styles in the wool lined rubberized coat - one with a hood and the other with a big collar.  We also have three thinsulate coat styles--two orange and one blue.  These will repel water, where the rubberized are totally water-proof.  And it isn't actually rubber, it is Polyurethane Elastomer!

We also received some great dresses.  The were going fast today -- 

Just arrived!

Arrived today:  reversible Alpaca Vests - in three different colourways -- have been brought back by popular demand! We only have nine of these, so if you wished you got one last year, now is your chance!  And that is a wonderful Oleana merino-silk pullover underneath - Style 169, scarf 174!

September Surprises

We are patiently waiting for the arrival of boxes of wonderful clothes for cooler, and yes, wet weather!  I have a list of people waiting for raincoats from McVerdi, and I am told they are on their way.  I will call, or post on facebook when they are here.

We have also received the Oleana Winter collection, but have been asked not to post any images until everybody has received the collection and the pictures are posted on the Oleana website.  So, if you are curious, you will have to drop by.

For those of you who ordered Pinafores from Cut Loose, they have also been sent today, so you will hear from me as soon as they arrive-- probably in the middle of next week.  If you didn't order one, I will have a few extras, so you still have a chance.

We will be showing Oleana blankets at the IDS at the Convention Centre the last weekend of September. This is a great show of truly quality design (not to be confused with the Home Show).  I have vouchers to give away that reduce the price of entry by $5.

I love finding really unique, beautifully made clothes to bring to Urbanity. Earlier this month we received an exclusive collection from D-due - a small Spanish company that makes clothes from extraordinary fabrics.  The styles are quirky, and in some cases they have hand drawings on them. Coming from Spain they are made for warmer and less cold weather.

We love winter in Urbanity.  We have surprises coming from Sweden, and Portugal!  And this past week we received a shipment of organic merino wool tops and cardigans from GudrunGudrun.  We have waited for this shipment since October 2011!!

The Torso

We always seem to be wishing we are something different from what we are.  At URBANITY we have clothes that help you to accept the way you are by dressing in a way that works with your body type.
  
Most of us don't have much of a waist any more, so lets just skip it!  From around age 35, we begin to get shorter, and most of that happens in our spine, so our torsos get shorter -- and that is just the way it is!  We gain a bit of healthy belly fat too.......

Yes we have to look after our bodies by eating healthy food and getting exercise, and to do that, we have to like ourselves!!  Dressing in clothes that address our concerns and make us feel great and have fun in what we wear is what URBANITY is about.

We still have some lovely summer clothes for the warm sunny weather we are enjoying.  We are also receiving 'late summer' clothes -- clothes that edge into autumn.  Please join our  FACEBOOK page, to keep up to date!

Important Message! 

Very Popular Pinafores from Cut Loose
For the past two winters we have carried corduroy pinafore dresses from Cut Loose.  They have not been included in the collection this winter, but I am able to put in a special order for them.

If you are interested in one of these super comfortable, dresses please come by and choose your colour - the colours are really fabulous. I will ask for a $50 + $6 tax deposit for each dress ordered.  The final cost of the dresses will be $130.

Deadline for ordering is August 31st - email address is julia@urbanity.ca

Catching up with summer

It has been a while since I wrote on the blog.  I realize some of you don't get the newsletter and are not on Facebook, so the blog is the only way you can keep up with what is happening at Urbanity.

The shop is looking pretty.  We replaced the sandwich board with flowers -- it is a little touch of Copenhagen and the little enclave that really needs a bit of pretty. 

I have a new helper, and she does such a wonderful job with the mannequins and the displays.  She uses Karin Wagner's felt flowers creating wonderful little surprises.  I am really enjoying what she does.   I hope Tiffany will stay for a while - but an academic career awaits her so I can only enjoy her presence a month at a time.

We have a guest artist - North Vancouver  painter Catherine Fields' work is colourful and strong.  The work is for sale, and I take no commission - it is my way of supporting local artists.

We still have a nice selection of summer linens, and as a reward to those who bought early hoping for a long summer, I am offering 25% off on an item of a similar value for a few days  -- July 14 - 18.

More flowers are coming from Swiss artist Karin Wagner. Karin's beautiful flowers and garlands are a way to make a favourite casual dress festive for a wedding, or other special event.  We are proud to carry her work.


We are waiting or more linen pants and tunics from Cut Loose (apparently stuck at the border)....and lots of other summer products.

I am thrilled that an Oleana blanket appears in the August edition of
Chatelaine. The blanket adorns a sofa of a Quebec home, and is shown on two pages.  Do you know the design number of this blanket?  You might have to look at the second image where the design is unmistakable!

We are proud that Urbanity is a favourite shop for people visiting Vancouver from afar.  Make Urbanity your favourite, and tell your friends.