A few purchases I made recently, coincidentally all from companies on the Pacific coast —

The Stay Dry Jeans from Duer is a functional pair of jeans with DWR (durable water repellency) treatment. It’s not technically “waterproof,” but is more than enough to keep me dry in light or medium rains for 10 minutes. I’ve also got their plain jeans a few months back, and they are both great — breathable and stretchy fabrics that never lose the shape. They are now my go-to for business casual days (which are five days a week). Now I’m craving their waterproof “All Weather Jeans” — probably a nice pair of pants to have for winter hikes or snowshoeing.

Duer’s No Sweat T-shirt was also a worthy purchase. I got the black one as an add-on for their Black Friday sales (extra 5% off for all the things I buy if I get this tee, essentially making it $16). Just like their jeans, the t-shirt stays in shape after days of wear, and it remains oder-free. Just got another one in grey yesterday for the original $44 — it really is just that good.

I’ve always been skeptic about Lululemon’s socks but finally gave it a try during their clearance sales. For C$9.00, the silver socks are not bad at all: they have their seamless construction, with a design that actually stays on my feet (unlike some other no-show socks that slip off easily). The fabrics are thin but soft to the touch, and have silver to provide anti-bacterial effects. After getting another pair, the two pairs of socks now replaced my 6 other pairs because they rotate throughout the week, and last very well until the laundry time on the weekend. Not to mention the comfort.

Also bought:

• Duer’s adventure pants — nice convertible pants (between slim and jogger) for daily and hiking use (I hope).
• Kit & Ace’s Horizon Sweater — nice and soft merino wool fabrics
• Darn Tough’s ski socks — so good it made me want to forage into their product lines for casual and hiking socks…