Funny, Lisa! TBH, I'm still not sure, despite having lived on the south coast of BC for many years, that I'm an accurate reporter because I come from Ontario and my parents were Maritimers and many people tell me I talk like a Maritimer despite having grown up outside Toronto.
Oh, anohter variable -- my parents were older parents, so I also heard words used differently for that reason -- they were not in tune with the slang of my friends' parents.
We always said runners or running shoes, growing up. Sneakers is US. I use the word now, but (I have to admit) with a slight cringe, because it feels a bit false in my mouth.
We also said soft drinks, not soda. Or as kids, "pop," which. think is also American.
Sweaters for sure, not jumpers.
Chips always meant crisps where I grew up but we said French fries or frites for fries.
Nobody ever said the word lippie or sunnie. Lipstick and sunglasses. But I consider those fashion slang and I was not growing up in a fashion world.
Thongs -- ditto what you said.
Vest was outerwear -- waistcoat or something more.
Purse not handbag. But my husband's mother (Massachusetts) called it a pocketbook and my own mother sometimes referred to it as such.
Chesterfield is another word that is not (I think?) used in the states? Synonymous with sofa or couch.
As for what people are wearing -- I'll stick with Victoria.
You do see ball caps and cowboy boots on women. These are worn for fashion and to a certain extent for practicality. You also see denim skirts of various kinds on people of all faiths or no faith but they are not a super popular item.
I would say the biggest fashion regionalism on BC's south coast is the preponderance of waterproof and water resistant gear on everybody of every age and stage of life. People generally dress more casually here than in the east. They make fewer concessions to fashion and more to the weather. People spend a lot more time outdoors on the whole and dress for it and nobody looks askance. You can wear your Goretex and trail runners to the fanciest restaurants. And lots of people do, and rejoice in this -- people uninterested in fashion love this aspect of the life here.
On one level, I understand this; on another level, it depresses me. Not that people are practical! And not that we are outdoors! Rather, I am depressed at times by the uniformity of the look, and the paucity of practical choices that are equally fashionable. I want practicality and cool fashion at the same time. The holy grail!
