If you’re one of the lucky few who get to be in Vancouver right now for the Olympics — or if you’re planning to join us at Vancouver Eco Fashion Week in April — you’ll want to check out the Los Angeles Times’s round-up of the city’s best secondhand-clothing stores.

We particularly liked the intro:

A few years later, lesson learned, I packed carefully for my trip to Vancouver last autumn: my smartest New York-bought parka, layers of excellent textures, skinny cords, comfy walking shoes of real leather, and sneakers for the gym only.

Puffed with pride, I strode the chilly city until, on a corner in the Kitsilano neighborhood, the zipper on my parka broke and I faced an Angeleno’s dilemma: spending a fortune on a replacement I might wear a few times a year versus getting something blah and forsaking my fashion-plate look.

The solution was just down the block at a consignment shop called In Again (1962 W. 4th Ave., [604] 738-2782). I walked in with a dead parka and walked out with a gently used but still très chic Hugo Boss blue suede shearling for a fraction of its original price.

So who feels like shopping?

If you’re a scarf aficionado, you know the Hermès silk scarf is the holy grail of neckwarmers. And if you don’t want to plunk down serious plastic for a new one, there are abundant vintage options available.

But since you don’t want to get burned on a counterfeit, ThePerfectRedBox.com offers a guide to spotting a fake on eBay or in the consignment shop. Among the tips:

Weight The weight of the counterfeits I’ve felt were quite different from an authentic Hermès.  All but one has been much lighter -  most were made of polyester and not silk.  A new 35” x 35” Hermès carrè should weigh in around 63 grams or 2.2. ounces.

When in doubt Weigh it.

Back of carrè Almost every counterfeit I’ve seen had very little detail on the back.  The design on an authentic Hermès carrè can be clearly seen from the back – it is colour saturated.

When in doubt Look closely at the back of the carrè.

Hem Almost all Hermès scarves have hand rolled and hand stitched hems, to the front. There are a few exceptions to this, but generally an authentic scarf will be hand rolled and hand stitched. Many of the counterfeits I’ve seen were very clearly and very pooly machine hemmed/finished.

When in doubt If it looks machine sewn, seek further authentication.

Useful, right? See the whole guide here.

Whether you’re dropping subtle hints of solitaires to your boyfriend or putting the finishing touches on your wedding regalia, every bride-to-be contemplates diamonds at some point. And for those who think green, ethical jewelry choices abound now — from wedding sets to the perfect complements to your wedding gown.

Read on for our top picks from our favorite eco-designers and resources.

Diamond in the Rough

For the girl who eschews the round brilliant, Melissa Joy Manning's diamond slices are a modern take on the diamond solitaire. (Courtesy of MelissaJoyManning.com)

For the girl who loves nature in all its rough-hewn glory, what better engagement ring for her than a diamond slice from Melissa Joy Manning? This 4.2 carat milky white giant ($7,940), bezel set in 18 karat recycled gold, could be the perfect fit. And better yet, 10 percent of all sales through March 2010 will be donated to the American Red Cross’s earthquake recovery efforts in Haiti.

Pearls of Wisdom

Wearing a strapless dress but feeling bare on top? This multistrand pearl necklace (£39) from Eco-Monkey is a youthful (and well-priced!) update on the classic and gives just enough coverage above your decolletage.

Something Old

Check off the “something old” and “something blue” from your list with this vintage diamond and sapphire bracelet ($3,495) from Ross Simons’s estate collection. It’s circa 1980, so it’s not exactly old old, but it is so pretty that you’ll want to justify any reason to buy it.

Modern Vintage

If you want to ensure your diamonds come with a clean background, BrilliantEarth.com’s Diamond Flower Stud Earrings ($1,500) are guaranteed conflict free from Canada. The total carat weight for these studs reaches two-thirds of a carat and are set in a delicate vintage-inspired floral pattern in 18 karat white gold. (Not to mention they don’t scream “wedding jewelry” — you can wear these for life.)

Eternity Is A Long Time

Why not spend it on something classic that will never go out of style? Choo Yilin Artisan Jewelry is a newcomer to the ethical jewelry set, but her timeless trinity eternity bands (price upon request) handcrafted from reclaimed metals should be a part of every bride’s wedding set.

It’s pouring rain in L.A. today and I could really use a pick-me-up to get me in the mood for the weekend. My top contender is this pair of goldtone pyramid stud earrings by Etsy seller BRadleyBB.

I really like how they’re softer than hard-edged pyramid studs, and edgier than too-basic gold posts, like the kind they pierce ears with. And best of all, they’re made from upcycled buttons from a vintage shirt (hence the speckled look of wear).

Oh yeah, and they cost less than a panini. Also available in silver if yellow gold isn’t your thing.

BRadleyBB Zone Stud Earrings in Gold, $5 at Etsy.com.

Hey guys — looking to keep warm this winter? You might have to dig deep to avoid looking as fashionable as “a microwavable kebab.” Hilarious men’s fashion writer Alexis Petridis bemoans the state of faux fur for men in the U.K. Guardian:

Once, they were the height of louche sophistication, the kind of thing the Rolling Stones wore while looking elegantly wasted. Perhaps the rock star’s penchant for fur coats hastened their fall from grace: by the late 70s, they had become associated with a rock aristocracy so irritating that people felt impelled to form Sham 69 and spit at each other in protest. The moral argument has an impact, too. You want fake fur to look like the real thing, but too much and you risk Chrissie Hynde chaining herself to you whenever you step outside.

So, there aren’t many about: I ended up with a too-small women’s one, which made me look as louche and sophisticated as a microwavable kebab.

Mr. Petridis can take heart that plenty of vintage fur exists on eBay from the very era he’s trying to channel. No word yet whether Mick Jagger is ready to part with his old coats, though.

If you ever need a reminder of how much stuff there is in the world, don’t go to the mall — check out an antiques market. Every item for sale there, from silver spoons to vintage shoes to sapphire earrings, is testament to the fact that more than just diamonds are forever.

In the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure of touring two of the world’s greatest antiques markets, held in London’s Covent Garden and the San Telmo barrio of Buenos Aires. Both were overwhelming experiences.

A woven leather belt purchase at Buenos Aires's largest antiques market. (M.J. Prest/EthicalStyle.com)

Set up in Covent Garden’s Jubilee Hall (30 The Piazza, London WC2E 8RA) on Monday mornings, London’s biggest antiques market is almost too big to digest in a single day. Here you can find antique cufflinks and cameo pins in all conditions, from pristine to rusting. Bring a sharp eye and a lot of patience, because you’re going to be digging through a lot of junk. We were particularly enamored with the vintage costume and fine jewelry, including some exquisite collector’s items from the Edwardian era. Our only purchase, however, was a pair of oversize earrings made from peacock feathers, which we scooped up for a single quid ($1.60 in USD).

On Sundays, the San Telmo antiques market in Buenos Aires convenes in the Plaza Dorrego (Defensa 1098, San Telmo, Buenos Aires), the oldest public square in the city. Here you can spend your pesos on not just antiques but everything from handicrafts to leather goods to hand-wrought silver jewelry. While you browse the stalls, tango dancers perform in the square and pose for photographs with tourists.

Argentina’s leather is some of the best in the world so I was on the hunt for vintage leather goods. I ended up purchasing the vintage woven leather belt pictured above, which had at one point been treated with a distressed gold paint that was now artfully flaking off. It was in great condition but I negotiated the price down to 50 Argentinian pesos ($13.15 in USD).

One thing is for sure: Deals are to be had, but typically not on truly valuable items. In San Telmo, I examine a 100-year-old pair of European cut diamond stud earrings set in platinum. At .6 total carat weight, the asking price was $1,000 — too rich for my blood, but the price was fair. I admit, I wouldn’t expect to pay less for a pair of earrings of similar quality in a mall back home.

Want to give antiquing in your city a shot? In general, the one rule of thumb of antiquing is to go with your gut. There is no room for waffling when it comes to such extremely limited quantities. Treat what you find as one-of-a-kind, since it probably is. And chances are you get one shot to buy your newfound treasure before someone else scoops it up or the seller disappears into the ether.

We just saw Nine last night and were swooning in our seats over the gorgeous costumes from 1960s Italy. All that glamour and slinkiness and femininity — meow!

So we were delighted today to find this slideshow entitled “Movie costumes that started fashion trends” on the Los Angeles Times website. Some of them you’re familiar with — Diane Keaton popularizing menswear in Annie Hall, Jennifer Beals’s legwarmers and off-the-shoulder tops in Flashdance, Faye Dunaway rocking the beret in Bonnie & Clyde — but some were surprises. We hadn’t considered that Brad Pitt in Fight Club was the one responsible for bringing back vintage tees and ’70s-era colored leather jackets (particularly among hipster enclaves, the L.A. Times notes), but the timeline fits.

Some of these movies we had completely forgotten about. (Gleaming the Cube and its asymmetrical haircuts, anyone? Time to reorganize the Netflix queue!)

Which of these have at one time or another influenced your personal style?

Antonia Zerbisias, a columnist for the Toronto Star, remembers one Christmas 30 years ago when she received a fur coat from her husband — “a beautiful dark ranch mink, with a detachable hood,” she writes.

This was before the era of PETA, and she says at the time it was a responsible choice:

For Montrealers, fur was de rigueur, a necessary bulwark against the killing cold.

What’s more, in my hometown, the fur industry, which built Canada – for better or worse, depending whether you were a beaver, an aboriginal or the Hudson’s Bay Company – and employed thousands. There was even “the fur district,” with lofty old factory buildings filled with giant sewing machines. In the streets below, men would scurry with racks loaded with skins or finished coats.

That area is dead now and, like Creed’s in Toronto, most of the companies are gone.

But still, according to the Fur Institute of Canada, the industry contributes $800 million to our GDP and employs 60,000 trappers (including 25,000 aboriginals), with another 5,000 in farming, manufacturing and sales.

These days she’s nervous to wear the coat for fear of being splattered with red paint by renegade activists, but she’s held on to it for all these years, revealing that she’s “spent thousands to clean it, insure it and store it.”

To us, it’s a shame not to wear something that’s been in your possession for so long. Do you have anything in your closet that you’re afraid to wear, whether for similar concerns of public backlash or other fears of ruining or losing it?

I don’t remember the year, but I have this childhood memory of my mom getting a brooch from some relative for Christmas. The thing was just ugly. A jumble of beads and ribbon, a lot of pink and primary colors, and two tiny theater masks had been glued onto the monstrosity. She loathed it, and there and then is when I gave up the institution of the brooch. I left cameos and pins out of it, and I never wore a brooch.

Until now.

This summer I inherited a lot jewelry from a relative (not the one who had given my mom the awful brooch!), and became the skeptical yet curious owner of a handful of lovely vintage brooches — something I had long avoided learning how to wear. After some searching the internet and keeping my eyes peeled, I found a thousand ways girls like me have creatively worn their brooches.

The History of the Brooch:

Brooches (or broaches) have been around since ancient history. The Romans would secure their cloaks and clothes with them (togas, anyone?), calling them fibula. (The fibula’s descendant is, you guessed it, the safety pin.) Think Roman, bejeweled Vivienne Westwood.

Today, brooches are excavated in archaelogical digs across the planet, and although they are one of the best indicators the particular date of an ancient find, a brooch from 1,000 years ago wouldn’t be all that out of place on a cute sweater today. Seriously.

A Brooch’s Bottom Line:

Brooches are all about combining function and beauty. If you have to pin something together, down, across, or up, why not use a beautiful jewel to do it?

Below are two lists. One suggests uses for a brooch that combine both function and beauty — the traditional usage of a brooch, shall we say.  The second list is uses of a brooch that are purely for aesthetic value, no function required.

Let’s get on with it!

Functional:

• Nip a blazer in
• Hold a sweater shut
• Use as a clasp for a ribbon belt
• Wrap a winter scarf around your neck and secure with a brooch
• Slip on a silk head scarf and pin in place at the back
• Take a long thin nice scarf and throw one end over the shoulder and secure where the pieces intersect with a pin
• Make a layered ribbon bracelet and secure it with a brooch
• Place front and center, to secure the neckline of a wrap dress or shirt.

Decorative:

• Pin on the side of a turtle neck
• Top a hat with an outrageous decoration to make even Robin Hood jealous
• Spruce up the lapel of a blazer
• Use a cluster of pins to make a lapel where a lapel would be
• Secure it on a necklace of several strands of pearls or beads
• Put a brooch, and perhaps a few more, on the straps of a bag
• Attract all eyes to the neckline of your favorite winter wool dress
• Attach to a headband, off to one side
• Pin the collar of a cowl neck sweater in place.

A Few Last Tips:

I was raised in the South, and while I imagine a progressive woman can wear a brooch on whichever side of her body she chooses, I wear them on the left. It’s proper, traditional etiquette.

And one more thing: Maybe instead of always trying to “hide the safety pin,” we could all try a brooch once in a while. If you don’t feel think the brooch is strong enough to hold something in place, use safety pins, and then cover the metal evidence with a brooch.

As for a vintage brooch that by some happy circumstance has come into your possession with matching earrings, it’s crucial to style them right to avoid looking “dowdy.” My solution has been to tone down my outfit’s complexity — say, basic black pants and a purple cowl neck sweater — but make my hair and overall aesthetic a little more professional punk rocker. Like a high pony tail with a teased-up bump in the front. It’s as close as you can get to a faux hawk in the office!

The sales this Christmas season are off the chain, aren’t they? And not just in the mall, either. We’re spending the afternoon virtually rummaging through the spectacular She’s Fancy shop on Etsy, where all vintage accessories are buy two get one free!

The hardest part is limiting ourselves. The shop stocks one-of-a-kind vintage treasures like this faux fur coat, elegant 1940s enamel and glass earrings, scalloped-edge pumps circa 1980, an origami pleated leather clutch, and a hundred other solutions to your “what do I wear to the holiday party?” dilemma.

She’s Fancy Vintage ’80s Clutch, $14 at Etsy.com.