Have you ever put up with a jacket that didn’t have enough shoulder or back, so when you reached for something, the cuff rode up your arm to your elbow? Or do you find you have to keep pulling the tops of your leggings up every time you move? Wish there was a logical minded place in the neighborhood to get a wedding dress altered or restyled? Your worries are over ladies. Guys, we get to continue quietly suffering— but then, we already knew that.
Canvas and Cloth, the new boutique that took over the space between Americana Frame and Tuk Tuk, is your new haven.
Proprietress Julia GaRey, jumped in with a push by her friend Rose (formally Roseabode). Both, along with many of their local designing friends, recognized the need for custom fitted and designed clothing. Clothing that ranged from every-day wear such as leggings that stay and move the way they are supposed to, to day-to-day dresses and tops and even bridal wear that is designed with Northwest sensitivities in mind. But that is not to say there aren’t racks and racks of ready to wear goods as well as accessories, too.
Asked if this was about “trendy” wear, the young Julia responded with a pause and a warm smile, “we have couture for the younger set, certainly; but my mother and grandmother would find things they were comfortable with also.” Her in-house label has specialized in classic coats and jackets, but is also expanding into flattering and comfortable knit and woven dresses with classic silhouettes, as well as soft and sexy lingerie.
Comfort is what it is all about. And comfort comes from a correct fit, which is where the diminutive Julia started as a young junior high school girl in Grants Pass. “As you can imagine, it was tough finding anything to wear in the range between children’s and petit.” Still a sub-petite, she finds that even in fashion-forward Portland, nobody was addressing the “Not Quite” body sizes and shapes. So from those first self-defense experiences in rural Oregon she has developed her style of “design from the body; not a pattern.” Even those who are tall have it tough to get fitted correctly.
Nothing makes you feel great like clothes that are tailored to you, but being able to buy them right here in the neighborhood from, a comfortable friendly face is a great second.
Stop in and check out the various local designers’ goods at 4225 NE Fremont Street, Tuesday through Saturday from 11-6ish.