Bare Necessities

Posted by Canadian Gift Guide on December 11, 2015 · 150 Comments

Tis the season for cuddly clothing, am I right? Regardless of how you feel about the white stuff, there is something decidedly lovely about putting on a cuddly sweater, hat, scarf, or simply wrapping yourself in a warm blanket come wintertime. Today I’m introducing you to a fabulous brand that carries an amazing lineup of handmade clothing made from ethical and sustainable alpaca. Ladies & gentlemen, meet Bare Knitwear!

First off – the important stuff you need to know. Bare Knitwear is a Canadian brand, headquartered in Vancouver. Their focus is luxury garments made from alpaca ‘harvested’ all the way over in the Andes mountains. In fact, Bare Knitwear works with a family-run alpaca farm, where the fibres are sorted into natural shades, washed, combed, and spun onto cones before heading to Peru. From there, Bare Knitwear’s products are actually produced by a group of 150 women living in a particularly poor part of the nation, empowering them to learn a marketable skill and make a fair living. The resulting products – like the Mauro Cowl ($160 – all prices in USD) above – are then sold here in Canada. That cowl, by the way, can also be pulled over the head a bit to keep you warm and toasty when waiting for the bus!

Bare Knitwear releases new products in small batches on the regular. Given they are working with a luxurious natural fabric like alpaca, their pieces are designed with comfort in mind. Winterwear is obviously a focus, resulting with luxurious accessories like this gorgeous toque. The Mitch Hat ($89) is available in three different colours – which is a common thread between many of the items, that you’re able to acquire them in a few different neutral shades to match your existing winter wardrobe.

Another favourite pick? I adore this cuddly hand knit Haight Scarf ($210), which can be worn as a shawl, scarf, or wrap – it’s an awesome idea for the gal who’s always shivering in her over-air conditioned office. You can order Bare Knitwear‘s latest items on their website, however they are also sold in a few bricks & mortar retailers in the B.C. region, including:

LynnSteven Boutique (Gastown, Vancouver)

Charlie & Lee (Chinatown, Vancouver)

Nineteen Ten Home Boutique (Main Street,Vancouver)

Wren Boutique (Bowen Island, British Columbia)

Heather Ross Natural Eclectic (Vancouver, BC) *Blankets Only*

Fossellos (Sechelt, British Columbia)

Bella & Wren (Fort Langley, British Columbia)

3 Singing Birds (Whistler, British Columbia)

All in all, shopping at Bare Knitwear is a great feel-good gift destination on a few levels. When you’re gifting someone a piece like the Josephine Scarf ($185) above, you’re not just gifting a very pretty scarf (although it is very nice). First off, you’re supporting a Canadian brand – which is all the more important! Second, you’re buying a gift that has had some real thought, love, and care applied to its creation. And finally, you’re supporting disadvantaged women and helping them to assert their independence. Sharing the story behind Bare Knitwear when you gift someone a piece from their line is the best thing you can do, so we can continue to spread the love for great, altruistic, stylish brands like this!

As a final note, Bare Knitwear is holding a special sale for Canadian Gift Guide readers, this weekend only! Nab 20% off your purchase simply by entering ‘giftguide’ at checkout. Hurry though, this promotion ends on Sunday night at 12 a.m. – but order now and you should still receive your items for Christmas.

Also, I’m of course giving something away from Bare Knitwear! If you’d like to win one of their luxe, cuddly cowls for yourself – you’re in luck! Here’s how to enter for your shot at winning:

1) First of all: you must be a subscriber to the Canadian Gift Guide to enter this giveaway. It’s as simple as finding ‘The Gift of Gab’ box in the righthand column and dropping in your email or clicking follow. Then leave me a comment below by December 21, 2015 with a link to your favourite gift idea on the Bare Knitwear site.

2) Entries are limited to one per person / per email address / per household (or more if you score bonus entries). A random draw will be conducted on or around December 22, 2015 to select the winner, who will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen in their place.

3) Entries are limited to Canadians that have reached the age of majority in their province. Quebec is not eligible for this promotion.

4) Bonus Entry #1: Follow @BareKnitwear and Tweet about the giveaway, linking back to your Tweet in a separate comment below. Please tag @BareKnitwear+ @cdngiftguide and link back to this post.

5) Bonus Entry #2: Follow @BareKnitwear on Instagram and either Regram one of their photos or share a photo from their site onto your own feed (screenshots help). Link back to your shared post in a separate comment below.