Brooks+Brothers=Bowties and Boaters

It's finally here.

New York's oldest purveyor of prep fashion, like, the original, has opened its first Canadian store in Vancouver. At the opening party on Tuesday, I saw plenty of bow ties. Finally, I'm not alone.

See me (circa 2007), see the boys at BB, plus I also saw one young man, an intern at Fashion Magazine, sporting a frayed, grosgrain. Shabby chic, indeed. I loved it. This is the year the trends takes hold. Mark my word (I've been saying this for the last three, mind you).

More notes:

• One fashion editor  doesn't think Brooks Brother straw hat is worth eight times more than my find at the Bay (bottom). Four times, yes. Eight, no.

• If I had the cash, I would buy pairs of boy-sized penny loafers for my twin terribles ($118).  And I must get them those teeny tiny blazers. My boys will hate me later, it's true.

• I also loved the very affordable repp nylon watch straps. Buy a Timex, get a BB strap ($18) and you can take a break from your heavy and overostentatious piece of Swiss heavy metal.

Brooks Brothers, 1026 Alberni Street, Vancouver, 604-678-2260