State of Mind

I agree with Sener and Laura. The woman who runs this shop is totally obnoxious. We walked in and weren’t terribly impressed by the selection, much of which was gaudy and overpriced. She was rude and insulting to my husband and me when we expressed that we weren’t immediately interested in a «fashion consultation appointment» and, to be frank, she didn’t exactly just walk off a runway herself so I have no idea where her pretenses of high-​fashion mastery derive from. I’m dumbfounded that she’s able to stay in business with that attitude.

I have to laugh after reading some of these reviews. If you can’t take honest feedback this isn’t your place. Linda has been working in this business for a long time and is damn good at what she does. Yes, she might come across as direct and blunt, but she gets the job done. Plus, who wants to be lied to when something truly doesn’t look good on you? She’ll let you know and let her work her magic.
I have gone to Linda twice now. She dressed both my partner and I head to toe each time. Sure, we spend a good amount of money, but we’re always 100% satisified and sometimes surprised at how amazing she is at putting together great outfits. Her stuff is affordable. We always walk away with at least two outfits (layers and accessories included). Give her a chance, be kind and real (no attitude), go with the flow, and let her dress you up. If I lived closer I would come in regularly for new clothing.
If you give her time, I promise you’ll be happy with the end result. We’re happy to have met Linda, she will continue to dress us for the years to come!

Beware of Linda. She attacks you when you enter. She seems a little off. Upon entering the store I was asked by a sales associate if I was there to see Linda to which I responded «Who is Linda?» Upon hearing this she rushed to the from of the store and asked where we were from. After telling here we were from Boston she said she knew we were from the US because we went straight for the sale racks. She then proceeded to tell us how poorly men from Boston dressed and they all shop at the Gap. She continued to ramble on but I couldn’t take it anymore I had to leave but not until I told her how ridiculous she was and expressed my sorrow for her employee. Thinking back… I definitely want to send friends there. Obviously as a joke!

OMG guys please don’t go there without your Porsche or Lamborghini… !!!
I was there like 20min ago and that lady made me discomfort there, I ever never seen like that owner or worker in Vancouver!!! I tried to look one of Jeans there and this psychopath lady insulted me!!! She exactly said ” don’t touch it, firstly you need to learn our product and blah blah blah…
I’d like to say, that is not your product, that is a one of big company on the World and peoples has information about the Diesel company. Actually I am sorry about that lady because she has no idea about where she’s living! She may dreaming she’s store in the Paris but It smells like shit in front of her store!
I am honestly telling you guys If they understood you are a regular person (not a rich)! you don’t have any chance in there, she’s gonna kick you out.
Even I didn’t ask any information about fashion or her job they started to explain me about her ”she’s stylist like 20 years blah blah blah” and she said ”I don’t know why peoples are shopping from American Eagle or similar stores in Vancouver, they doesn’t know how to dressing peoples…” too many weird discourse.

I checked the reviews for this store only because I wanted to know how many people had the same experience… PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY. My friends and I got shooed out of this store because they were «closing» but it was like 3:18pm. No brooms were involved but HOW IS THIS PLACE STILL IN BUSINESS?
Anyway, you guys should totally check this place out to see whether or not Linda gives you a pass.

Don’t waste your money
Without a doubt, the worst customer service ever. The staff treat minorities with contempt and when shopping with my friend, who is of Asian descent, one woman was openly hostile to him. Poor selection, poor service. Stay away.

That crazy lady needs help. I went in and she tore a strip off me. Saying I couldn’t look on the left side of store. She obviously has money because she kicks everyone out. And I don’t buy this appointment only as a stylist as clothing is nothing great. It’s good to prank your friends into going in though.

This is a euro-​trash-​wear shop run by a middle aged aggro-​bull dressed like a college boy doing laundry. She pulled my boyfriend and me into her poorly designed (not sure there was even a brain cell fired thinking about design) european teen-​boy fashion emporium. That 30 year-​old business carpet and drop-​ceiling look reminded me of the immigrant clothing stores in Newark (Broad and Market) and Paterson, New Jersey. She proceeded to tell us how I was wearing a tablecloth and he was wearing cardboard pants and that west-​coast gays can’t dress themselves. I immediately pointed out the fact that he shouldn’t take fashion advice from anyone looking the way she did. Her face looked pock marked and scarred, she was wearing a do-​rag on her head, an over-​long v-​neck t-​shirt which showcased her bruised arms. On the bottom she had some slashed jeans and big clown sneakers (from Portugal — they MUST be good). She then pulled out an 18 year-​old blond-​twink fashion school freshman who defended the drag king’s honor by asking if we knew anything about fashion. Not being fashionistas ourselves (he’s in design and I’m in sciences), my boyfriend explained to the fashion nymph that he had lived in most of the major fashion cities and I was fairly certain that my Zegna messenger bag cost more than her «eastern-​bloc laundry wench» look. She also insulted us as American’s, which further added to the coo-​coo since she was wearing a t-​shirt, denim jeans, and sneakers. She must have both a napoleonic complex as well as teen-​euro-​boy-​penis-​envy.
Definitely go here, or look in the window even, if you want to be accosted, insulted, and told that you can’t pick out your own clothes. Oh, and if «monotone-​sprockets» is your look.
We were just walking by and stopped for a moment before it slid outside the door like golem and attacked.

The caustic, vitriolic woman who runs this store should not be permitted to run an establishment open to the public. She is clearly a very disturbed person and aside from being the human being with the worst people skills, her psychological state could well be a public safety concern to the public and her employees, cowered in the corner. Her approach is neither funny nor sophisticated and when karma or the police finally close this show down, she will have no one to blame but herself. The naming of this «store» is not only ironic, its scary foreshadowing.

If you like to be insulted by a woman who is clearly on some form of drugs, then this is your store.
We were accosted the second we went in. Her pupils were dilated, and she was talking faster than I could understand. I think this is the place you go to buy drugs, not clothes.
We were told we must not be from Vancouver because Vancouver people don’t talk and don’t understand style. She said that she doesn’t get a lot of gays either because they are arrogant. Bad place to locate a business if you don’t like gay people.
I just wanted to look at the clothes. What is wrong with that? Well, she’ll tell you what’s wrong with that! We finally had to excuse ourselves because it was obvious she wasn’t going to let us walk around the store and we were frightened it would escalate.
I always wondered why this store was closed or empty. Now I know why.
Avoid this place at all costs, if nothing else to teach this woman the meaning of customer service. You can be passionate and obsessed with something without being rude to people. No excuse.

I didn’t get the experience I wanted here. I thought my ex and I would get chewed out, hit by brooms, be wished damnation and all sorts of other things if we stepped foot in here. I have dreadlocks, wear hoodies (with my hood up), shitty jeans, cheap shoes, backpack, etc. I look homeless even on good days sometimes. My ex has a mohawk, cheap jeans, cheap shoes, and was wearing what she later called a «cardboard cotton» shirt. (By the way, I laughed so hard at this that I nearly pee’d myself). I thought we were PERFECT candidates to get the wrath that is Linda. Nope — very much the opposite. She was very helpful and accurate, albeit still feisty. She really does know how to dress men. She had Chris haul off his shirt and after calling him a «barrel» (again, lost my shit laughing. my ex is 145lbs, hardly a barrel), she threw this beautiful shirt on him and he rocked it. I can honestly see Chris buying her clothing.
I don’t doubt for a single second that the stories told about her are true. You can tell by her demeanor and ramblings that she’s a loose cannon. She also seems to have a particular distaste towards Vancouverites, which is something neither of us are, so maybe that made the difference for us.
PS: If you tell her you’re into European fashion she’ll probably be nicer to you. She eats that shit up.
I’ll also note that myself and Chris have a very thick skin and could have and probably should have been offended even with her not screaming at her with some of the comments she made. I feel as though a lot of people out here are much more sensitive than perhaps they should be — so if you’re expecting to have someone pamper you, this isn’t the place for you. If you don’t mind being yelled at or having the occasional dig thrown at you, or enjoy it like we do, this place is totally for you.

This review is a warning for women. Do not attempt to enter this store!
I was looking for a belt for my boyfriend, and from the outside this store looks really hip and stylish. I must have accidently gotten through when the door was open, saw some really cool belts, then I was uncerimoniously evicted by the patron declaring she only dresses men. Ya, but can I look at the belts, NO.
Ok fine, so she only dresses men. But could she put a sign on the door? It’s really not necessary to be embressed like that.
I would give her a 1 Star, but my boyfriend says shes really good at what she does, if you’re the right person and know the rules.

I cannot fathom the type of people who need «expert advice» from an aging woman who carries labels that have long ago climaxed in popularity and trend. There are a dozen other stores in Vancouver that carry the exact same labels as this ridiculous ’boutique’ that would gladly have you try on whatever you like without a brash confrontation the second you walk in the door. It literally boggles my mind that a store like this exists. If you need that much help to simply dress for your body type then it might be time to take a look at the bigger picture. Sorry.

Over the top dedication to one’s craft and clientele — some call it passion, others call it obsession — can be a fine line to tread. In the case of Linda and her store, State of Mind, it would be far too easy (as some here have done) to dismiss Linda as some batshit crazy retailer who needs our sympathy. Linda needs no sympathy from anyone. She knows exactly what she is doing and when it comes to stylish clothing and accessories, few people do it with more precision. Linda is blessed with an extraordinary gift for knowing exactly what works (and doesn’t) for a particular individual. Want boring, snotty attitude high-​end retail service with nothing resembling a customer focus? Visit Harry Rosen in Pacific Centre. Want a passionate, au-​courant, almost savant-​like ability to nail a look that is perfect for you, with a client-​facing (indeed, in-​your-​face!) retailer that not only chooses your clothes for you, but explains why she has chosen thusly? Then it is Linda you want. Sure, it is not the ‘normal’ way to shop. But hey! Why settle for average?
Naturally, outright rudeness and disrespect must not to be tolerated and supported by anyone. Hell, I was once summarily dismissed from her store when I visited Vancouver in the early 90’s. Not a pleasant way to build customer loyalty, certainly. But…
This is not only a narrow but a terribly inaccurate description of the Linda experience. It is true: her style or delivery ain’t for the timid. Linda is nothing if not opinionated about those things she loves. And she means it. In Vancouver, here is someone who really does keep it real, and yes, while it’s a reality that is not for everyone, it is nevertheless sincere (Vancouver — listen up!!). Linda detests mediocrity in presentation and rails against poor taste in clothing choices. Call this arrogant or hypocritical, call it bullshit, call it whatever you wish. But remember: we all have something over which we burn feverishly. For example, I am just as intolerant of bad, syrupy, generic-​sounding music. I may not own a music store but I am a professional musician. I will never lower myself to playing the saccharine hits of today destined for the forgettable waste heap of tomorrow. There. See how easy it is to present one’s opinion of something that fuels a passion?
When it comes to men’s wear, those of us who have experienced Linda’s dedication know it borders on possession. Yes, the service is quirky and different but above all it is exceptional. She looks after you. Period. Leave all previous retail expectations outside. You do not touch, you do not select. She instructs, she chooses, you listen, you try on. You will obey… and you will like it.

The lady who works here scares the shit out of me, literally. She is the punchline of a Seinfeld episode… expect she doesn’t work in a soup shop. In all fairness this is a review dating back to 2 years ago. I have been itching for years to write a review of this place, however, couldn’t remember the name of the shop until I was reminded yesterday on the way to meeting a friend for Sushi. From the most recent reviews I can tell that nothing has changed. It was a lasting impression she made with me on the Village that wasn’t a good one.
I originally came here with the intention of getting some nice high end underwear for V-​day for the guy I am dating. I had no idea that it was by appointment only and just walked in as I would any other store. The door was wide open, therefore, couldn’t see the supposed sign that said,“By appointment only.” I was screamed and and told not to come in followed by colorful insults. For the record I took 2 steps into the store and said nothing, she took control and went all bonkers on me. When I mean screamed… I mean like someone who was off their meds screamed (I volunteered in a nursing home, therefore, this aggressive manner was familiar). I asked if I could make an appointment in which I was screamed at again and said that the guy I am dating is the only one who can make the appointment. I asked politely if it would be okay for me to browse selection and she screamed no. Suddenly I felt like George Costanza who wanted nothing more than a bun with his crab bisque.
With the horrible customer service at this shop and the echoed sentiments I am surprised she is still in business. She probably scares the sh*t out of the property manager thus allowing her to stay open.
As much as she scares me she has for years served as the punch line for a few of my amateur stand up routines.
Now if she worked in soup shop I can see the humor in this. Really I can.

Hah, I love some of these reviews. I don’t really shop here regularly any more… I am older and can’t really pull off the whole bar-​star thing. But I used to have fun coming in here. She can be completely off-​putting and rude but it’s actually kinda entertaining. I remember I walked in there last year with an off purple j williams hoodie i grabbed from holt renfrew — I was looking for an outfit and she stated she would hook me up with something «rockstar!» and promised I wouldn’t leave the store «looking like a stuffed eggplant». Lol!
You probably need to enter this store with the right ‘state of mind’ (*lame joke*) to have an enjoyable experience.
I think my one complaint is the jewelry. We have some pretty cool local designers. Why stock mainstream gear like King Baby?

Linda is crazy, but she’s a master.
Overall: If you need to look sharp, and don’t have much time, go see Linda. You’ll look very well put together and be out of there under an hour.
I’ve never had so many compliments my clothes.
The deal:
Do not walk in off the street and try to go into the store. She should have a sign saying ‘invite only’. She can be brash, she name drops like crazy, she’s very intense. This stuff is also not cheap. Expect to pay $ 1000, or more, for a setup or two.
Don’t let the other reviews scare you off. If you’re dressed like a vancouver slob and walk into her store without calling first, she’ll bite your head off. That’s not how State of Mind works.
The good:
She’s very good. She’s fast. If you have an event you need to be dialed for and don’t have the time, she’s your ace in the hole. Although her name dropping can be a bit heavy, she really does style a lot of celebrities.
She may present something that’s not your style, if you say «Hey, that’s a bit too bar-​star» she will remove it immediately and hone in on what you want. Do not be intimidated by her. Say what you want.
Instead of walking around Robson or Main street for half a day or more, go see Linda. It’s ‘an experience’ you won’t forget.

I’m only reviewing the quality of the insult that Linda hurled at me IN MY CAR, with my boyfriend. We made the enormous mistake of, you know, looking at her, as we were at the red light in front of her shop. She screamed «Fuck off you fat bears!!» at us, as we drove away. So, yeah, it was fairly amusing, but, overall «Meh. I’ve experienced better» in terms of creativity. And it was redundant! We were DRIVING BY, LADY, so we were in the midst of fucking off anyway! Right?
Full disclosure: I did get bullied into buying a crappy Diesel shirt from her years ago simply because I was TERRIFIED of the consequences of not buying it after I’d tried it on. Yes, I’m a giant wuss.
In all seriousness, one has to feel (somewhat) for this woman. She sure isn’t happy, and that truly sucks for her. PEACE, LINDA! There’s another way… xo
–Fat Bear # 2

I have sympathy for Linda, I really do, because she must be mentally ill. And if she’s not? Well, then. That is a different story.
She is a despicable woman. I popped in to peruse clothing for a gift for my boyfriend and she ambushed me, spewed unprovoked insults and told me to leave. I was in SUCH SHOCK that I asked her, with big wide, genuinely confused puppy eyes, «but, why?»
She then called me a bitch. I had been in the store for 20 seconds and spoken 2 words. Her rapid fire, panicked and vitriolic speech was frightening to witness.
On a different day, my boyfriend, who was dressed in Acne jeans and an El Kartel tshirt, had similar service. She actually said «DO you know who I am?» She also accused him of not being able to afford the shop, despite his pricey duds. The weirdest thing? Her prices aren’t that high!
I can not count the times that I have passed her obsessively scrubbing the sidewalk in front of her business (because there are no customers). Seriously, this is just sad. Someone who loves her (if such a person exists) needs to get her some help.

Well, I must have caught Linda in a good mood, because though I was dressed like a slob, I wasn’t chased out of the store. And in fact, she has been running the store for about 20 years — I went in because I remembered it from around the time of the Gay Games, and I couldn’t believe it was still here.
In fact, I remember the one time I made a purchase, I was convinced to buy a pair of designer underwear that she had sold me on, because they were so wonderful and she knew what she was talking about — and I was disappointed afterwards. I didn’t like the fit at all.
But I didn’t remember that, it was so long ago. Just that as soon as I went in the store, she was in my face, talking in a loud voice, with no personal space, telling me the famous people she has styled and asking me what I do for a living. My god, it was like being assaulted. She also told me that gay people don’t shop there, since it’s not a gay neighbourhood (though it’s surrounded by gay businesses). But I can see the real reason.
The word is out. She’s kind of insane, and who wants to buy clothes from someone so loud, obnoxious and pushy? I can see some people might love this type of abrasive personality, but not me, no sirree…