During the Stone Age, dressing for distress was all the rage, because cave people knew tattered threads would make them less likely to be courted by a handsome triceratops. Dress for success with today’s Groupon: for $50, you get $100 worth of clothing, plus a one-hour closet consultation and wardrobe pairing (a $75 value) at Marilyn’s of West Vancouver (a $175 total value).

Marilyn Diligenti-Smith lends her name to the designer-deep women’s boutique, which carries day and evening wear, delicates, shoes, and locally designed artisanal jewellery. Shoppers can play clothing matchmaker by setting up European and North American labels—including Luisa Cerano and Marc Aurel—on blind dates with jeans from Citizens of Humanity and Rich and Skinny. To make flattering adjustments to the boutique’s selection of sizes, which run from 0 through 20, an on-site tailor wields a needle of fashionable justice while patrons comfortably sip tea, coffee, or wine.

Stylists can also help clients weed out their own outdated duds with a one-hour closet consultation and in-store wardrobe pairing, identifying holes in current personal collections and suggesting new outfit combinations. In business for 28 years, Marilyn’s proximity to the ferry terminal provides opportunities for new-outfit sashays and taking new ensembles on their first open-water adventures.