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.

We care...

Last year we bought 6 dresses from Swedish designer "Up The Wooden Hills".   The clothes are made of beautiful Liberty cotton, and on the website it said "The days of ill-fitting clothes with bad pattern construction, too tight seams, stiff shapes and strangling necklines are over."  It was a bit of a shock when the dresses came and they were difficult to get into because there was no zip!  The sleeves, although hanging off the shoulders were restricting and appeared to be set in backwards. We did sell two of them, and rather than throw out that beautiful fabric, I found somebody who was willing to do a makeover on them --take out and re-cut the sleeves, and bring them higher up on the shoulder.  She put zippers in.  We told the two people who had bought the dresses that we were 'recalling' them.  Now the dresses really are comfortable and live up to the claim made by the designer!  The sleeves fit properly, and the dresses are easy to put on.  Now they are pretty, and look great on.  We did this because we just LOVE the fabric.  Now this model can smile!

Nothing like it

If you are looking for something unique, come to Urbanity.  We are the only store carrying Fog Linen clothes in Vancouver, the only store carrying Nygaardsanna, McVerdi, Uno in North America.  If you believe you are unique, then check out Urbanity before you go to the other stores.  If our natural fibres grown in European fields, designed by Scandinavian artists are not to your liking, then sure...go to the others.

Simply beautiful, for you....

The beautiful photographs for the NygaardsAnna catalogue were taken in a ceramic factory by Carl Bengtsson.   We have a nice selection of very simple and interesting linen clothes from Swedish designer Nygaards Anna Bengtsson in a variety of sizes. Even if you don't understand what Anna is saying, I think that by seeing and hearing her you will become closer to these clothes.  Pictured is a linen dress with many small buttons, and a knitted linen short sleeve cardigan. Nygaard is an old Scandinavian name.  Ny = new and gaard means 'enclosure', and is the name for a farm and a courtyard.  Traditionally, farms are made up of buildings that surround a space, or yard.  Your pronunciation will be close if you say New Gords Anna. Nygaardsanna is only available in North America at Urbanity.

2nd anniversary thoughts and pretty things

Tomorrow, May 11th will mark the day, two years ago that Urbanity reopened on South Granville after 5 1/2 years in Gastown.  I have grown very fond of my shop with the narrow window on the noisy Granville Highway!  But just when things seem to be settled, and I dared to extend my buying in Copenhagen in February, there was a shakedown.  Bab's shop has now gone, and an oriental rug shop - the 6th, or is it 7th? within two blocks, has opened beside me.  The attraction of two clothing shops on the scenic side of Broadway is no more.  No more morning chats with Viola as we sweep the sidewalk.  Now I am the only person within the 5 shop span owned by my landlord who sweeps at all!


It was also two years ago I discovered the Northwest Trend show -- a buyers market that happens every two months in Seattle.  I don't go every time, but when I do, I always find something that I think will be of interest to my valued customers.  At the end of March I found a collection of Indian fine cotton lawn nightdresses.  Beautiful cotton, and lovely (machine) embroidery -- so I bought 11 different designs.  We will be making these available for purchase on Saturday, May 12th for $65 each.

$200 Gift Certificate to Urbanity, and more -- The South Granville BIA has a Mom's Day contest happening right now.  You can help promote Urbanity, and win a gift.  Please participate by following this LINK.

May Day

We had a busy day in Urbanity on this first day of May.  We received a box from McVerdi that was full of surprises.  McVerdi collections are cut generously, so I had especially asked for this shipment to include more small sizes, and it did.  These will go quickly, so please don't wait.  This little top (pictured) is made from woven linen.  We have a similar one made from knitted linen.   It is simple and pretty.

The very popular dress has returned in black, light grey, and in pink.  The pink one has a woven stripe, and looks like candy-floss!
We have lots of linen pants.  Lots of the 'bloomers' pictured here in grey.
We have leggings too.
Maria Byman sent us more of her very simple linen/cotton top that works as a cover-up and a perfect layering garment over a sleeveless dress or top.  We know from years past that Maria's summer knits last and last, and hold their shape.