Brrrr...Winter Fashion From the Outside In

DOWNTOWN DUNCAN WALK INS WELCOME

WOMEN I MEN I CHILDREN WASH CUT & BLOW DRY BLOW OUTS • STYLING COLOUR • HI LIGHTS BALAYAGE • PERMS

250 709-2195

261 Craig Street, Downtown Duncan

Brrrr...Winter Fashion From the Outside In

DeAnna Cross is a simpleliving enthusiast and marketing consultant for Prudence Naturals

The secret of fashionably surviving a long West Coast winter entails the strategic combination of key layering pieces. Some layers provide a visual or textural appeal, while others provide a hidden layer of warmth.

Stategic layering of blouses, sweaters, blazers and coats can be easily deployed to enhance your personal style. Warm, thin-to-medium weight clothing pieces are key to a visually appealing layered look. For example, a collared blouse worn under a thin wool sweater layered under a hip-length blazer with a down jacket. Or perhaps a long-sleeve tee worn under a cropped denim jacket layered under a duster-length sweater and a boiled wool coat. Catering to your personal style, final touches might include an Australian wool brimmed hat or a knitted toque with gloves and a scarf. (I don’t know how I survived before finding Parkhurst fingerless wool gloves. I don’t take them off all winter) These colorful touches are perhaps the easiest way to stand out in an otherwise drab winter setting.

Hidden layering is less about fashion and more about warmth. It requires quality fabric and precision fit as these layers lie directly against the skin. In a sense, they become a hidden second skin. If you are seeking warmer

legs --without the thick thermal underwear you might wear on the ski hill-- you may want to try bamboo leggings under your trousers or jeans. Bamboo is warmer than cotton and breaths much better than synthetic fabrics. A thin layer of bamboo keeps the legs cozy warm without adding extra thickness -- even under skinny jeans. The same goes for a long sleeved, bamboo tee. It can provide an extra layer of warmth under a thick winter sweater, without any added bulk.

For feet, merino wool socks are an excellent performer in that they are extremely warm, don’t itch and wick beautifully. Some of our customers swear by layering two pairs of these extra thick socks under their winter boots. This helps to combat even the iciest of toes. (but you may need to up your boot size by one half for this trick)

As you can see, winter layering has so many possibilities, which are both fashionable and warm, so there is no reason to get chilled. By combining visually appealing layered pieces on the outside with hidden layered pieces on the inside, you can be both warm and happily stylish this winter.

Prudence Natural Beauty and Fashion 155 Craig St, Duncan (250) 597-1188

ALI AND AVA REEL ALTERNATIVES

This is a British Film in English, made by Clio Barnard and starring Adeel Akhtar and Claire Rushbrook. He plays a British Pakistani working class landlord and she is an Irish born single teacher who is a single mother of five children. These two very different souls are drawn together through their love of music, despite their divergent backgrounds and personal obstacles. It is a tender portrait of romance blending emotional complexity with a bracing depiction of trauma and grief. The film was nominated for Outstanding British Film at the 2022 BAFTA film awards “Barnard once again proves herself the Bard of the British working class…she abandons her occasionally bleak realism for a kind of stubborn hopefulness, letting the delight of unexpected connection break through the storm clouds” Judy Dry

Ali and Ava January 30th 7pm at Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, 2687 James Street, Duncan. Single tickets $17 Box Office 250-746-2722

Reel Alternatives is a monthly Cowichan Hospice fundraiser bringing Toronto Film Festival’s critically acclaimed films to the Cowichan Valley.