As summer segues to fall, all fashion talk turns to transition pieces. This means nubby knee-length socks ’neath chunky sandals, boy blazers over feminine frocks, and for we West Coasters, the all important rain slicker.

Defeat downpours with Lily + Jae’s Charley Cape ($180). Made of rain repellent waxed cotton with double-breasted snaps, the cute hooded cover-up is perfect topper when caught in an unexpected September shower.

In black or caramel, the cloak can be found at the label’s new four month pop-up shop within One of A Few. There you can also snap up the rest of the sophisticated collegiate fall collection, past pieces and vintage sourced by designer Jude Feller on her global escapades.

Now you're cloaked in style.

Lily + Jae in One of a Few, 354 Water St., Vancouver, 604-605-0685, www.lilyandjae.com

Shopping has its merits, but shopping at Philanthropy has that much more.

The new concept store by pop-up retailer The Latest Scoop sells products sourced by them, as well as items donated by the likes of Harriet Grey jewellery, New Balance, Christine’s Lingerie and Kiss & Makeup that directly benefit local children’s charities. Occupying the old Duthie Books location in Kits, the outpost only stays open for a few more weeks, but receives new merchandise regularly.

Retail therapy just got a whole lot more therapeutic.

Philanthropy by The Latest Scoop, 2239 W. Fourth Ave., Vancouver, www.philanthropybyscoop.com

Was it dumb luck that we scored a vintage Balmain dress for $12? Somewhat, but we also stepped into the right consignment shop.

Shaughnessy and Kitsilano label lovers supply the store with lots of mature brands like St. Johns and Lida Baday, but there are gems for the younger set too. Like a tweed and leather-trim Michael Kors suit ($24), patent ombré Stuart Weitzman wedges ($38), chunky Chloé cardigan ($48)—all nearly new—and our Balmain bargain (pictured).

With winter pieces priced to clear and spring stock about to be put out (like Ferragamo slingbacks and Prada sandals), it’s prime haute-hunting season.

Act II Boutique, 2599 W. 16th Ave., Vancouver, 604-733-5515, open Tuesday-Saturday.

Dazed & Confused fashion editor and Gareth Pugh runway stylist Katie Shillingford has the sartorial daring to dye her hair ombré. We like something a little less permanent.

Which is why we love Lifetime Collective’s Digits dress. Made of silk that graduates from white to midnight blue, the sporty shift is fashion-forward yet utterly unfussy.

It’s already sold out online, but we found the frock at the Vancouver label’s special pop-up shop inside Gastown’s One of A Few. Snap it up before it fades away.

$160 at Lifetime in One of A Few, 354 Water St., Vancouver, 604-605-0685, www.lifetimecollective.com

See photos of the Lifetime pop-up boutique on our Editors' Diary.

Criminals love a good chapeau (see Bonnie & Clyde, Al Capone), and while we aim to walk the straight and narrow we can’t help but steal their stylish caps.

Where we’ll be buying them however, is the new Goorin Brothers hat shop that’s popped up in Yaletown, the first of its kind in Canada. Its Hamilton Street space tips its hat to where those wicked wearers of yore would have frequented, an old saloon or gentlemen’s club, with rugs, aged wooden floors, and leather and velvet chairs.

As for the show toppers themselves, the wide-brimmed Bella ($65) and the handmade Clockwork bowler ($140) are the two hats we’d get in trouble for.

Goorin Brothers, 1188 Hamilton St., Vancouver, 604-683-1895, www.goorin.com

His Valentine’s Day fantasy may be French Maid, but we prefer something with French lace that we can wear past February 14.

And what could be more perfect than a bra and brief in blush tones from Agent Provocateur. In addition to appeasing your significant other, the softly sexy Gypsy set satisfies two spring trends—skin tone shades and letting your lingerie take centre stage.

For everyday wear, let just a bit of the bra peek out from the top of a jacket or dress as seen on the Akris runway. And on Sunday, let the set speak for itself and don’t be surprised if he offers to dust the living room en Français.

Bra ($235) and brief ($175) at Agent Provocateur, 1020 Alberni St., Vancouver, 604-688-2712, www.agentprovocateur.com

It’s time to trade auld for new and exchange carols for Carrall Street.

That’s where you’ll find new boutique, Lynn Steven. What once housed a rowdy saloon where Joe Fortes served drinks some hundred years prior is now a house of style. Owner Nicole Dennis Durnin has stocked her shop with brilliant embellished basics, like white tees covered in studs (Monrow, $105) and little navy dresses adorned with zippers (Isabel Lu, $160).

There’s also cozy knitwear by local line Granted, gemstone jewellery by celeb-favourite Pade Vavra and, come spring, luxe tops by Toronto designer Erin Kleinberg.

But it’s not just the new product that’s worth stopping in for. In the centre of the store, a circular wall made of 5,600 old books conceals the change room—that’s what you call chic lit.

Lynn Steven, 225 Carrall St., Vancouver, 604-899-0808, www.lynnsteven.com

Tact can’t be taught and style can’t be bought, but pretty frocks can be sought at The Fair.

The shop, which started as a strictly virtual venture, has broken ground in Gastown. Inside, owner Tammy Joe and Jennifer Nosek stock Academie, their own line of limited edition silk dresses ($270) and one-of-a-kind repurposed vintage pieces, alongside cool imports from Korea, including wool boyfriend blazers ($130). There are also scores of vintage shoes and accessories, which the fashion-passionate Joe sourced when she was a travelling medical software consultant.

Let's hope this fair never leaves town.

The Fair, 415 Abbott St., Vancouver, 778-882-3565, www.shopatthefair.com

What keeps you warm and gets you noticed? Larry.

The line of scarves, shawls, cowls and ponchos by Vancouver blogger-cum-designer Terri Potratz is knit with Alpaca fleece from the Cariboo that’s spun into yarn on Salt Spring Island. In scrumptious shades of oatmeal, charcoal and mocha, and with deft touches of felt and leather, her latest collection ($75-$600), which just arrived in shops Obakki and Body Politic, was inspired by the rugged landscape of central B.C.

And if some heavy necking with another Larry leaves a mark, this Larry also conceals the evidence.

www.wearelarry.com

You don’t have to be a Pevensie sibling to have a wardrobe transport you to another world, just open your closet door to personal stylist Jessie Carlson.

With a sharp eye and eight years of experience under her belt, Carlson rids clients’ closets of what doesn’t work, consults on what garment gaps need filling and leads three hours of focused shopping to find key pieces that fit different frames. At the end, they walk away with a revitalized wardrobe, and a personal style write-up to help chart a course through the clothes and make future shopping trips more fruitful.

Consider her your own Rachel Zoe, without all the L.A. drama.

The Starter package ($500), by appointment only 604-614-9658, www.jessiecarlson.com