The fashion industry is full of passionate and creative people who strive to create works of art that people can wear and enjoy on a daily basis.

Often times this level of artistry is reserved for haute couture or designer collections. For most people, the prices are unreachable, and they'd have to pass on eating to fit into the latest pair of skinny jeans.

But at Mountain Recreation in Grass Valley, fashion meets function and prices are friendly to those of us who are not hotel heiresses.

Owners Jill and Jason Auld are two passionate people who, like most of us in Nevada County, appreciate the beauty of this area. They strive to share their passion through their carefully selected merchandise.

Fashion metamorphosis

When Jill and Jason took over Mountain Recreation in 2000, they evaluated the store's merchandise selection in addition to listening to the needs and wants of the customers.

They immediately saw the need to expand the selection of women's and men's apparel and began to search out great brands that are based in quality and that mix fashion with function.

Jill, who buys the apparel for the store, focuses on finding new and exciting niche brands that offer unique styling and fashion details.

Customers can still find great staple pieces from Columbia, Royal Robbins, Woolrich and Northface. For those who want something that's more fashion-forward, she carries brands such as Prana, Kuhl and Mountain Hard Wear.

Jill appreciates the roots of Mountain Recreation: People come to the store in search of outdoor equipment and supplies. Jason manages the hard-good purchasing for the store, where he utilizes his vast knowledge on outdoor activities to build a unique product offering.

So Jill strives to ensure the apparel side of the business works with the outdoor gear side. She focuses on apparel that uses the newest and best fabric technologies to create a great selection of functional fashion.

Jill is particularly excited about a new movement in the outerwear industry to make jackets out of a soft, stretch fabric that is waterproof, windproof and breathable. These soft-shell jackets are great alternatives to tradition bulky and shiny rain jackets; Mountain Recreation has a great selection of them for men and women in updated styles and silhouettes.

Holiday must-haves

For the men this season, Jill recommends classic, long-sleeve, button-up shirts in great colors and textures layered with a cozy fleece vest or functional sweater.

For the ladies, Jill suggests sweaters and jackets mixed with fun scarves.

For children, she has a selection of snow-gear perfect for weekend get-aways with the family.

Jason suggests Klean Kanteens, ski and snowboard helmets, snow shoes, a great pair of warm socks or a gift certificate for the perfect pair of sunglasses.

The Aulds offer free gift-wrapping and will ship gifts.

Mountain Recreation is a great place to combine shopping for your own outdoor activities — whether it be hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, snowboarding, or mountaineering — and shop for the holidays.

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Christian Michael Goodwin is creative director of CMG Creative Services, consulting in fashion design and style. Contact him at CMGCreativeServices.com or info@cmgcreativeservices.com.