A threesome of hotties in their natural habitat

Rebecca Blissett photos

Wondering what the club kids are wearing this summer? Well, that depends on where you go. If you’re in the mood to nurse a pint in a low-key, retro-cool rec room, head to the Brickhouse Bistro (730 Main Street). There, you’ll find wall-to-wall indie rockers, most of them working a layered look that involves a lot of vintage blazers, skinny jeans, and old-school kicks. Or maybe shelling out big bucks for an exotic cocktail and mingling with Vancouver’s rich and beautiful is more your scene. If that’s the case, Opus Bar (322 Davie Street) is your place. There, you’ll notice the clientele shies away from layers, opting instead for fitted cuts in classic black and white. And if you just want to get all funked up on the dance floor, then Shine (364 Water Street) is where it’s at. The regulars there like their clothes tight and sexy. And more power to them—it is the hottest season of the year, after all.

Shine
We’ll just call this hot number Dancing Queen, because busting moves seemed to be her raison d’être. In fact, shortly before we photographed her, this sizzling beauty was doing a bump-and-grind that involved multiple partners and is no doubt illegal in some states. Her favourite colour is green. (She had the blinding lime eye shadow to prove it—and we mean that in a good way; the bold shade somehow worked on her skin tone.) All about stores like Le Château and Sirens, she said she can’t buy enough tops with wide-open sleeves; her only requirement is that the fabric not restrict her mobility in any way, shape, or form.

"Like, I got to be able to move in them," she said in an exclusive interview in the Shine can. "If I can’t dance in it, I won’t buy it." As for heels, the sky’s the limit. Four-inch spikes didn’t seem to hinder her ability to get a groove on. No surprise, then, that when asked who her fashion icons are, she didn’t miss a beat. "Beyoncé and J.Lo."

Brickhouse Bistro
At the Brickhouse, you can see dozens of indie-rock scenesters with great street style. But for our money, Coral Mercer was a standout. She’s a great example of how to mix new, vintage, and downright cheap. She said she’s been known to spend hundreds for the right blazer, but she’s not above buying Keds knockoffs for $7.99. Her current obsession is scarves.

"I have a huge scarf collection—about two dozen, actually," said the young hipster, who works in customer management for an on-line vinyl store. "They’re just comfortable. And it’s so easy to accessorize with them." For this particular night, she kicked out two gold-toned beauties from Value Village. The Stevie Nicks chic worked great with her black tube top (a gift), purple hoodie (American Apparel), black velvet jacket from Retro Rock Vintage (2240 Commercial Drive), and skinny jeans (Urban Behavior in Metrotown). As for other accessories, she sported a black studded belt and a ghetto-licious chain with a big white plastic heart. Mercer definitely has her own thing going on, and she makes no bones about it: "Trends are for lame-os."

Opus Bar
Dressed head to toe by Holt Renfrew, Cindy Jang is the quintessential Opus regular. She loves to dress up (note the updo), but she keeps her look classy and refined. Even when she’s incorporating a contemporary trend (note the ballooned bottom on her little black Development dress), it’s subtle.

"I don’t want to follow the trends too much—a little bit, but I want to keep it simple," the tiny Korean art student said. "I don’t really have a particular style. I just like to try on anything. But it has to suit my body type. I have to buy clothes according to my height."

For Jang and most of the other regulars at this Yaletown posh pit, budget doesn’t come into play. (Check the Fendi clutch.) Her weakness is shoes, her latest favourite being these Chie Mihara peep-toe sandals, which is fitting because she’s currently into all things Japanese.

"Japanese designers follow trends in a way," she said, "but they also have their unique style and they cater to more petite sizes."