Right out of Haight Street in the middle of Vancouver Island. Very cool shop with great t-shirts…read moreand amazing hats. I purchased a little something to cover my head and help keep the UVs out. Check out the pic on the site and see for yourself.

It's not everyday that one stumbles into a milliner, but Coombs has it. The Coombya has the most…read moreuseful and fun selection going. There is a toque for every sense of humor and practical person. My dates newly purchased sock monkey toque is a real winner. I, however, chose a more fashionably practical little number to match my favorite winter coat. There's more, there are trendy, updated versions of the Canadian Lumber Jack hat. You know the one, fur and flaps abound. The classic old man caps and cute Paddington Bear type for all ages. And let's not forget the owner. Cool as a cucumber playing the best of 60s acid rock, surrounded by a vast selection of all things Volkswagen. Ahh, to be of another generation.

I've noticed a handful of one-star reviews mentioning the owner is rude. That is disappointing…read more I love shopping here. The owner is an eclectic lady who has created such a unique store with wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling treasures. I've shopped here for years and always find a cool or unique scarf for myself or gifts for friends and their children. Everyone loves them! Should the one-star reviewers check themselves? Maybe. I am grateful to have a special store like this to pop into and I know I will always leave with something beautiful.

I came to the smaller store the other day with my daughter which is on the dock and had a wonderful…read moreexperience. The woman working the counter was so kind and friendly. My daughter loved the store. I purchased something. We came back to eat near there and I went down to look again, store was closed but mentioned the one up the street. So again I brought my daughter. She loved some cat ears so she was holding them til we were ready to buy. I even said don't let us walk out without paying, as the store has a lot going on and I didn't want to forget. We went to the other side I noticed the woman behind the counter (not the one from the other day) had just happened to come up there and was looking around. My daughter found a purse she wanted to match the ears but before we could go swap the ears, the woman asked me and ONLY me, "was I done yet" I said no I'm not she proceeded to say "okay well I'll hold those behind the counter till you're ready". Are you kidding me? The ears were $5 the purse was $15. This is not "valuables". It rubbed me the wrong way completely and if my daughter wasn't so happy with them, I would have left the stuff and walked out. It left a bad taste in my mouth. You implying I would, what, steal? In front of my 5 year old daughter? Really disappointing.

I am extremely sad to announce that this store has been closed for a few years but when it was open…read moreit was a good store. They sold good stuff and they provided very good customer service.

Walked by here while browsing the street, killing time between the wedding and reception and notice…read morethis store. The one place in Courtenay that actually caters to my current look and fashion = alternative. I wish I knew how to walk in heels 'cause I feel in love with a pair of Zombie heels. The clothes are $$$, however, a lot of the clothes for the genre are well stitched and put together by some notable names in the fashion genre. I've had a pair of Trip NYC pants for 5 years with good wear. When you think about it it's better to spend a lot on something that will last rather than buying a few pairs of cheap pants. You end up really spending more for the cheap stuff in the long run than just investing in a piece right from the gate. If this is your primary style than I can see why this place would be expensive. I'm a working admin/book keeper, therefore, I only need a few pieces in this fashion line, therefore, investment is minimal. It does annoy me that some things are not tagged for pricing which is an indication that I will need to bring out the credit card. I find the staff very helpful.

La Cache is a little tough to find even if you've been there before. It's so teeny, you could…read moreactually walk right past it ... well, I did & I was looking for it! But it's a great little store with an incredible variety of fashion. They carry Fluevog shoes, semi casual dresses, feminine night wear, pretty affordable silver jewelry. What really stands out though is their service. Even when the store is busy & there's only one person working, you will be acknowledged and looked after. They have an amazing policy for holding items. They impressed me anyways because I asked them to hold shoes that were on sale. Normally, stores will give you grief about such a request. But they held the item for a few days for me. I gave 4 stars rather than 5 only because the store is small so limited in stock. They actually deserve a 4 1/5