When it comes to the culinary arts, craft beer is the new black. Gone are the days when Kokanee was the only lager on tap; the popularity of craft breweries is on the rise and with good reason — these beers are as varied and vivacious as Okanagan wine.
Wine tastings have long been celebrated cultural and culinary events, but beer festivals are nipping at their heels; crisp IPAs are paired with duck confit and pear crostinis while raspberry wheat beers are being served with goats’ cheese and radicchio wraps. Obviously, these aren’t your regular beer-hall keg fests, so what you wear needs to reflect the hip (OK, hipster) vibe.
The bottom “note” of this beer-fest outfit is a great pair of boyfriend jeans. The loose cut allows for the cuffs to be rolled either up or down depending on the weather, and the metallic embellishment below the front pockets shows that this pair is decidedly not nicked from your husband’s dresser.
Since we are staring down “now it’s hot, now it’s not” September weather, having a couple of layers on hand will help fend off the chill while you stake your claim in the lineup for house-made BBQ sausage in Phillips Brewing Company’s “backyard”. A super-soft plaid shirt is a West Coast wardrobe staple but add in a geometric-step mohair sweater, and the outfit’s fashion flavour gets kicked up a notch.
Let’s be honest: drinking beer can get messy. Foam pours over pint glasses and the ground gets sticky with hefeweizen, so having footwear that can take the over-pours and surprise spills is a must.
With their elevated rubber sole and grommet detailing, these Chucks are the perfect kicks for carousing around a brew fest. Topping off this porter-friendly outfit is a fabulous three-finger ring, which is super pretty but also pretty tough.
What you wear to a craft beer festival can be just as cool as the ice-cold, ginger-infused brew you plan on sampling.
What to Wear:
Mohair-Blend Sweater, $35, and Plaid Button-Up Shirt, $25, Winners
Women’s Embellished Jeans, $60, H&M
Chuck Taylor All-Star Studs Sneakers, $85, Baggins and Hudson’s Bay
Where to Wear It:
Brewery & the Beast, Phillips Brewing Company (Sept 22)
Great Canadian Beer Festival, Royal Athletic Park (Sept. 6-7)
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Emma’s journey as a style writer has taken her from the gumboots and Gore-Tex of Island living to the glitz and glamour of Toronto’s fashion scene. She brings her eagle eye for trends and her wry sense of humour to some of Canada’s biggest publications, where she always tries to keep fashion fun.
