Still Life is a boutique that has been around since '84, but has totally revamped in terms of…read moreoffering more of local designers in '07 when the ownership changed. They offer clothing, shoes, accessories, and clothing for both men and women, and the selection is pretty large! Brands include Storm & Marie, Filippa K, Sunja Link, and OSC. After a recent trip to Canada, I've been kind of super obsessed with some Canadian brands and want to hoard some more - there was one designer (Sunja Link) that I really fell in love with, but her new pieces are always out of stock or sold out completely within days! Still Life came to the rescue when they had a certain item in a different color that I was eyeing on, so I snagged it. They were also having some great sales, so I was able to purchase a winter jacket (OSC) as well! I also love that you can count on the fact that the pieces that you receive will be of high quality and made extremely well. I loved the super great deals, the semi-quick shipping (there was a little snafu in terms of getting the package to me, but I just need to request a signature authorization the next time), the careful shipment/packaging, as well as the great customer service follow-up (a representative actually reached out see if I received my order and if everything was of perfect quality!). If you're looking for independent and awesome local Canadian designer goods, check Still Life out! :D +great selection of Canadian designer goods +great customer service! +occasional deals and sales

I was feeling a bit blue because it has been a long and hard pandemic and nothing fits me. After an…read moreafternoon shopping and not finding anything, I walked into this shop and I was very hopeful because everything looked really cute from the get-go. I was looking to buy a few new items. I am also very cognizant that we are in a global pandemic and I have been sanitizing my hands and wearing a mask consistently. I do have an autoimmune issue, so I am aware. I am not the type of person who ignores public health mandates, but I was just so excited to be in this store I didn't see the hand sanitizer to the right as I walked in. AS soon as I started looking, like maybe I had been in the shop for about 5 seconds, this lady storms over to me and loudly demands I use the sanitizer. It was just so abrupt and really rude and embarrassing, I couldn't even respond. Her tone was so off-putting and made me feel like I was absolute trash. I worked in boutiques in New York for years in my 20s and waited tables as a college student and as a graduate student. I never spoke to people like this. Ever. It was clear to me by her really abrasive attitude that I didn't belong in that store so I sanitized my hands and left literally in tears.

The best European collections boutique in Victoria BC, very high quality and amazing customer…read moreservice. Highly recommend!

I've heard a lot about this new store from my friends and decided to give it a try. I have been to…read moreother mid to high-end boutiques in Europe and, to be honest, I didn't expect to see anything even close to those European stores that I visited. To my huge surprise, this store impressed as soon as I stepped in. Very bright and stylish and at the same time inviting and comfy. You can see the store owners put a lot of work and love in this place. In addition to the store design, I was taken aback with the clothes selection and how it's tastefully organized on the rack and the shelves. Kudos to Natalie and Maria! And what a service! These girls treated me as VIP and for this short period of time I was given some beautiful choices for outfits and also the style that would suite me the best. It's definitely not your ordinary store. I'll be back for more shopping! Christina

Mercedes Lane Too is my 'go to' for my wardrobe. The shop has great selection and beautiful decor…read moreto enhance your shopping experience. It is a great boutique for the working girl who wants to look classy and even for the more 'mature' gal who wants to look trendy - and at affordable prices. Last week when I visited the shop I was assisted by Lori who had great knowledge of her stock and was most helpful in selecting outfits that she thought might be suitable for me. Such fun and I always look forward to my frequent visits to this shop.

I have purchased a few outfits love the style of clothing. I've visited two locations the staff…read moreare welcoming, friendly and very helpful. Great experience at both the Victoria and Campbell River locations. Looking forward to seeing the new location in Courtney.

Went in today to get some clothes for a wedding after not finding anything interesting at Outlooks…read more The woman who helped me was amazing. Very knowledgeable, very friendly and not overbearing at all. Perfect service. I have recently lost weight and she knew my size when I didn't just from looking at me. I wanted to go with a black shirt and she suggested I also try white, brought me both, and she was correct when I put them on. I wanted something dressy but also comfortable and they had a selection of great fabrics that are both. The trousers I purchased look and feel like wool but are stretchy and breathable. I budgeted for double the price from Outlooks but ended up paying half with better clothes from here. Will be returning!

awesome store! amazing selection, and great service, would definitely recommend for everybody.read more

Worst experience, after purchasing my wedding dress. Blush knowingly ordered a size too small and…read moresent me to a tailor who called me fat and told me to lose weight. Brought the issue up with Blush, they would pay for alterations. However, at the same time they offered that, they measured me again in the middle of the store. With all of their other customers. "Just making sure it really was our fault." They told me when I picked up the dress, they had purposefully ordered the smaller size.

Completely and utterly disappointed…read more Salon is okay, very cute. Dressing rooms are small but again the ambiance is cute. No private viewing area and crowded most days. I found 3 dresses that I loved within my price range. I was shopping on my own being from Calgary but finally decided on a dress and felt confident in moving forward. I expressed my concerns about the dress being long enough (the sample wasn't) and they assured me upon paying an additional $200 that I would be given extra length. They took my measurements and assured me all would be well. Dress comes in and we make a trip specifically to view the gown with my mom, brother and maid of honour. I get in the dressing room and make a comment that it is too short. Lady suggests I come out barefoot. Come out everyone says its beautiful we start looking at headpieces/jewelry etc. By the end I have forgotten that it is too short. Pay the remaining balance and leave "happy". Get home - remember that it is too short - try it on again and contact the salon regarding it. They have done absolutely nothing. They are still kind (to a degree) but refuse to refund me the money I paid for the extra length at minimum. Only offer for me to bring it back to them for them to try and alter the dress to give it extra length (which will change the look of the dress and cost me a trip out there from calgary). To wrap up this vent-fest I ended up buying another more beautiful gown and have a $2000 unworn un-useable dress sitting in my closet. DON'T TRUST THEM WITH YOUR SPECIAL DAY!!!

A wide selection, but when I asked for a minor or repair sales person became instantly…read morerecalcitrant, but finally agreed, the fix has held.

I was walking downtown with my close friend, who lives in the area. We were searching for an…read moreindependent bookshop to frequent. I came across this shop and decided to have a look around. They had tea samples outside (don't mind if I do! ;-)). I have an increasing interest in upscale and high end vintage inspired fashion, with a unique and otherworldly twist. The style this store projected was victorian, vintage, mixed media, otherworldly, and artsy. The prices for the clothing are on the high end, which is to be expected. I ordered an earl grey tea to go. I really enjoyed it. I love sipping tea while I shop.

Many options! I'm the bride to be and the ladies there are so personal and made dress shopping and…read morelovely experience! The only one that I felt super taken care of and they Knew their store and what dresses they have. They have big rooms and I felt comfortable trying on dresses.

I should point out that this store is under fairly new ownership - and I cannot say enough great…read morethings about Mandy and her team at Shades of White! I shopped at a bunch of stores in Vancouver before coming over to Victoria for some wedding dress shopping. By that point my expectations were fairly low as my experience in Vancouver had not been very good. Shades of White was my first stop in Victoria and they totally turned around my outlook on bridal salons. Every staff member was so sweet and accommodating. They really listened to me and were not at all patronizing (as I had found with salons in Vancouver). The dresses are quite reasonably priced (almost all under $2000) and the selection is excellent. My attendant ended up finding my dream dress!! We shopped around a bit more but ultimately went back to order from Shades of White. They were very clear that the dress was nonrefundable before I placed the order - and the transparency was much appreciated. I was a little wary about the size they recommended because I thought the waist measurement would be slightly too small. But they assured me it would fit - and if I went a size up I would have to have hundreds of dollars in alterations in the bust and hips (it's a lace dress). I thought it was very refreshing that they weren't trying to up-sell me on alterations. The dress arrived SOONER than expected (yay!!) and the size could not have been more perfect. Bust, waist, hips, length - not a single alteration! And this is a sheath dress with button back (Allure 8856 for anyone who's curious). Maya, their main seamstress, is not part of their staff, but rather a freelancer. And she is PHENOMENAL. One of the nicest, most accommodating people I have ever met. Granted she didn't have a lot of work to do on my dress but I ended up wanting the train shortened and a sash made and her prices were reasonable given the detail work associated with lace. To date I have had quite a number of interactions with many different staff members and they have all been wonderful - on the phone and in person. I want to give a shout-out to Ellen who was so helpful when I needed to get another sash at the last minute. Thank you Shades of White!

Our first time in and we will be back next time in Victoria. We had THE BEST customer service. We…read morefelt very heard and cared about. It took awhile for us to find our fit but the two humans that helped us continued to be extremely kind, fun and helpful from start to finish. Super sweet small shoe store with an awesome selection of footwear. Big thanks again from us two over here across the water.

I read the reviews on this and people are insane lol!! I had nothing but an amazing experience…read morehere. I am self conscious about shopping for shoes because I'm a size 11 wide and a lot of the time stores don't carry shoes that big. This store not only had a huge amount of black booties (what I was shopping for) but the staff brought everything to me. I felt like a queen, I didn't even have to stand up once except to test the shoes out. I ended up buying two pairs and the one pair that was a little snug in the toe they offered to widen for free. They were super busy but were still very attentive. I think people are posting nasty reviews because the shoes aren't cheap. I spent about $300 on the two shoes on sale, but thats expected with quality leather. Worth every penny and I think I found my new shoe dealer.