kootrocks
Toques & Plaid: Its Unique Vibe on BC's Powder Highway
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Get the latest travel updates, weather alerts, and more to help you plan a safe and responsible trip. Visit HelloBC.com for details.
Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
There’s a sure-fire way to tell that winter has arrived in the Kootenays without looking at the weather. No, it’s not twinkle lights or the light, puffy smoke rising from the chimneys of houses around town. Nor is it the emergence of winter-spiced coffees and ales from our favourite local cafés or craft breweries & distilleries.
kootrocks
In the winter, we pull out our 'coat-of-armour' - the knit toque and plaid flannel shirts & jackets, to be worn until spring!
Invermere, British Columbia, Canada
As the cold weather descends upon our mountain towns, you’ll find us reaching into our closets and pulling out our winter coat-of-armour – the knit toque and plaid flannel shirts and jackets, to be worn until the spring (or summer!) with a certain sense of pride. What is it about the plaid-laden, cozy shirts and uber-warm headwear that make them so suitable for our Kootenay winters? Does wearing a toque all day mean we don’t have to worry about how our hair looks? I don’t think so. After all we’re mountain folk, and if there’s one thing we’re not, it’s sedentary. **Video: The Whiteway on Windermere Lake, a 34-km ice-skating path connecting Invermere & Windermere.
kootrocks
Catch us out in the morning snowshoeing, then fat-biking in the afternoon in our fave toques & flannel plaid.
Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada
It’s not rare to catch us out for a Nordic ski in the morning with our knit toques wrapped tightly around our heads. Then in the afternoon, cruising through the forests for a fat-bike ride or exploring by snow-shoe in our long-sleeved plaid, flannel jackets. Our distinctive outerwear will then take us to the restaurants and pubs without missing a beat or looking out of place. Even in the offices of our cities, the iconic checkered patterned clothing can be found everywhere. I swear, on my last group Zoom meeting, at least a quarter of attendees were wearing their favourite flannel shirts! Beyond the versatility, flannel is also ridiculously comfortable.
kootrocks
Flannel is such an ingrained part of our culture that Kimberley hosts Flannel Fest - to celebrate the love for the best winter outerwear.
Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada
In fact, plaid-flannel is such an ingrained part of our culture that Kimberley even has its own winter festival, Flannel Fest, February 19-26, 2023, that celebrates our love and passion for the greatest of winter outerwear. Watch for Freddie the FlannelSquatch in 2023, Kimberley's home-grown, flannel-wearing, fat-biking, cool-Sasquatch! Maybe that’s it. We belong in the outdoors, we live for the outdoors, and toques and plaid, flannel are like a match made in heaven for our Kootenay winters.