The other day my friend and I decided to check out some vintage and consignment stores in Ottawa (more specifically, the downtown area). I jump on any shopping adventure, so when my friend suggested this, I was up for the challenge. After doing a few Google searches we both came up with a list of stores. Here are the results.
There were a lot of stores listed in the Byward Market, so we headed there first. We found Workshop Boutique, which was more of a modern vintage than actually second-hand itself. Everything there is made by local and/or Canadian designers, making most of the pieces super cute and unique. However, the price range was not the greatest, as dressed were well over $100 and tops were over $50. Not exactly the bargains we were looking for. Our next store, Victoire, was pretty much the same deal, except it had a very nautical feel, with stripes, anchors, and sailboats decorating the clothing.
Then we hit a dead end, so to speak, hence the title of this post. According to Google, there was supposed to be three other stores in the market- Young Jane's, Gypsy and Company, and Orange. None of them existed at their current address, and we could not figure out if they had relocated or simply gone out of business. In the cute white and mint green building where Young Jane's was supposed to be, there was some sort of spa, and the lady there informed us that the owner of Young Jane's had gone out of the country...I guess taking all her stock with her? At the supposed location of Orange, we found an apartment building with a swanky looking boutique on the first floor, no sign indicating a vintage store of any sort. Walking further along, we came across a small boutique called Adorit, which again had locally made and even eco-friendly clothing at a good price, which was nice.
We then ventured to the supposed address of Aunt Olive's...which proved another dead end. Actually, it was a "green, eco-friendly" cafe (the name escapes me at the moment). So don't go looking for that one either.
We finally hit a gem at Ragtime Vintage Clothing. Another small space, but filled to the brim with everything imaginable, from unwanted Forever 21 dresses to silk shirts and peasant blouses, and costumes from who knows what era. It even smelled like old clothes in there!
Apparently, Livney's Modern and Vintage Wear does exist...except this time we were the ones who could not find it. Google maps said it was in the middle of a field, so it was quite confusing where we were supposed to be. I caught a glimpse of the storefront as we were heading in the opposite direction on a bus back home, and it looked extremely small and as if it was about to go out of business.
The last store we found was AMH (Absolutely Must Have) Style. This store kind of reminded me of a boutique style Value Village: store brands- like Jacob, Le Chateau, Smart Set- for an affordable price; but without the mess and disorganization. It was like the sale rack of stores that you want to shop at, but normally cannot afford.
What did we learn from this adventure? Most likely not to trust Google! Also, that we prefer modern vintage than actual vintage clothing, even if it can be a bit pricey. I think I will stick to my usual stores when shopping (F21, H&M, Smart Set, Dynamite...), and when I want something for a special occasion, I'll go to Modcloth (well, virtually), and Roadtrip Clothing (also located in the Byward Market).
What are your experiences with vintage/modern vintage/consignment store shopping? Let me know!
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Friday, May 01, 2015
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Spring Shopping Haul & Body Issues
I had a chance to go shopping this week! Well, it was mainly for New York, but these pieces will definitely work their way into my spring and summer wardrobe!
Tank tops: Garage Clothing
Skirt: Target
Bikini: Target
Dress: Eclipse
First of all, I know what you're thinking: that skirt is crazy!!! Yes, I agree. But it's actually really pretty, and there are so many colours in it that makes it very versatile! At the start of this year, I made some New Year's Resolutions, and one of them was to incorporate more patterns into my wardrobe, so I decided to take the risk and buy it. Looking at it yesterday with the rest of my clothes, it goes with a lot of things! You will definitely be seeing outfits with this skirt this summer!
To complement that, though, I did fall back on my usual lace-and-floral pattern with this dress. How many lace dresses do I have now? A lot :P But this one is adorable. I saw it on line and could not wait to try it on in store! I'm bringing both the dress and skirt to New York to be styled elegantly (hopefully!) for my evenings at the theatre!
I don't have much to say about the tank tops, because, well, they're tank tops...and they were $5! Hello, deals!
Lastly, I did buy a bikini. And no, I don't suppose there's anything special about that either. Except for the fact that I've been wanting to buy one every summer for the past four years at least. So why did it take me that long you ask? I'll give you a simple answer: body issues.
Which isn't a very simple answer when you think about it. I, like millions of other women (and men) out there, have body issues. The truth is that I am very uncomfortable with the way I look. I have been for years, and it's what has been making me stick to one piece swimsuits for the past years (okay, that and the fact that I was on the swim team in high school, but that's besides the point). Now, I'm not saying that because I finally bought this swimsuit that all my body issues are over and done with, or that I now love my body. I don't. I'm just hoping that the fact that I was able to buy it without hating myself was a step towards eventually accepting the body I have and not going to extreme lengths to try and change it.
It goes without saying that being uncomfortable with your body is a problem in our society. I've seen it in the fashion magazines, TV ads and shows, and even at clothing stores- the negative influence subtly urging people to be a smaller size by promoting weight loss, perfect looking models, and not enough larger sizes. Urging even the people who may not need to lose weight to think twice about how they look.
I'm not saying it's all the media's fault for this, because they have been getting better with promoting acceptance and body peace. It may be the media, it may be a comment from someone you know or don't know, or it may be your own obsessive thoughts pointing out your flaws. What I am saying is that we need to stop hating ourselves for how we look, treat ourselves the way we would like to be treated (would you call your best friend fat? Then why say it to yourself?), and learn to accept ourselves the way we are.
Thanks for reading, as always :)
P.S. Go get that bikini, summer dress, shorts, whatever you've been putting off buying because of your insecurities. I promise you'll feel a little better about yourself afterwards.
It goes without saying that being uncomfortable with your body is a problem in our society. I've seen it in the fashion magazines, TV ads and shows, and even at clothing stores- the negative influence subtly urging people to be a smaller size by promoting weight loss, perfect looking models, and not enough larger sizes. Urging even the people who may not need to lose weight to think twice about how they look.
I'm not saying it's all the media's fault for this, because they have been getting better with promoting acceptance and body peace. It may be the media, it may be a comment from someone you know or don't know, or it may be your own obsessive thoughts pointing out your flaws. What I am saying is that we need to stop hating ourselves for how we look, treat ourselves the way we would like to be treated (would you call your best friend fat? Then why say it to yourself?), and learn to accept ourselves the way we are.
Thanks for reading, as always :)
P.S. Go get that bikini, summer dress, shorts, whatever you've been putting off buying because of your insecurities. I promise you'll feel a little better about yourself afterwards.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Spring Trends 2012
The post you've all been waiting for (well, I have in any case)...
One year ago, I started this blog as an assignment for my grade 12 writer's craft course, and I really enjoyed making posts about fashion (and beauty) so I continued it and here I am a year later with nearly 30 posts and almost 400 page views! Thank you so much to my subscribers and anyone else who happens to stumble across my blog on a random Google search! I have many ideas for my blog so hopefully this year will be as exciting as the last! And now on to the latest trends for spring!
Floral
I am not surprised that floral print is back for another year. Who doesn't love wearing a small floral print to be girly or a bright colourful one to be bold? It is definitely my favourite trend of all time. Here are some ideas to build a garden...in your closet.
Wild Prints
If you're headed to the jungle, you'll blend right in with animal prints, tribal patterns, and earth tones. Silhouettes include shirt dresses, wrap skirts, cargo pants, and cross-body bags.
One year ago, I started this blog as an assignment for my grade 12 writer's craft course, and I really enjoyed making posts about fashion (and beauty) so I continued it and here I am a year later with nearly 30 posts and almost 400 page views! Thank you so much to my subscribers and anyone else who happens to stumble across my blog on a random Google search! I have many ideas for my blog so hopefully this year will be as exciting as the last! And now on to the latest trends for spring!
Floral
I am not surprised that floral print is back for another year. Who doesn't love wearing a small floral print to be girly or a bright colourful one to be bold? It is definitely my favourite trend of all time. Here are some ideas to build a garden...in your closet.
Lace
Also back again this year are the sweet and girly lace edges and necklines in tops, skirts, and dresses. A variation of this trend are eyelets, sort of like a hole punch pattern, but cuter, and also crochet, which is like lace, but with more detail. As well, this year lace comes in all different colours, not just white! Notice that the top pictured above combines floral and lace! So cute!!!
Bright Pants
This trend is hard to miss. Skinny jeans and jeggings are available in every colour of the rainbow this year, paired either with neutral or brightly coloured tops to create fun outfits that you can literally see from a mile away. Here are some outfit ideas from DailyLook. Notice that this trend can carry on into the middle of summer with brightly coloured shorts. I don't have too many ideas for this one, but you can check out American Eagle, Garage, and Aeropostale for more looks with bright jeans and shorts.
Wild Prints
If you're headed to the jungle, you'll blend right in with animal prints, tribal patterns, and earth tones. Silhouettes include shirt dresses, wrap skirts, cargo pants, and cross-body bags.
The Colour Palette and Accessories
Colours that are in this season include water colours such as turquoise, aqua, indigo, and sea green; bright colours especially in the red-orange area (think tangerine, a deep orange), and, of course, pastels such as light pink, mint green, soft yellow, and sky blue.
These colours will be seen mainly in jewellery and other accessories, as well as makeup (especially pastel nail polish, which I absolutely love). Set the trend with dangling earrings, tangerine coloured lipstick, pastel nail polish, or stacks of multicoloured bracelets.
Enjoy looking fabulous this spring!
Photo Credits
AEO Floral Scarf, $19.43, http://www.ae.com
Daisy Dolman Top, $12.25, http://www.aeropostale.com
AE Floral Corset Dress, $39.36, http://www.ae.com
Floral Boatneck Tee with lace inserts, $24.90, http://www.garage.ca
Cooperative Mixed Media Bag, $39.99, http://www.urbanoutfitters.com
Solid Eyelet Woven Dress, $20.00, http://www.aeropostale.com
AE Lace Panel Tee, $29.46, http://www.ae.com
AE Paneled Lace Tee, $29.46, http://www.ae.com
Belted Eyelet Skirt, $22.25, http://www.aeropostale.com
AE Crochet Detail Top, $29.46, http://www.ae.com
See http://www.dailylook.com for the three looks with bright bottoms.
Geometric Contrast Dress, $17.90, http://canada.forever21.com
Sparkle and Fade Roll-Tab Shirtdress, $59.00, http://www.urbanoutfitters.com
Truly Madly Deeply Slouchy Printed Tunic in brown and black & white, $34.00, http://www.urbanoutfitters.com
AE Artisan Dolman Sweater, $39.93, http://www.ae.com
AEO Suede Fringe Cross-body bag, $29.46, http://www.ae.com
Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipcolour, drugstores and http://www.maybelline.ca
Maybelline Eye Studio Colour Plush Silk eyeshadow, drugstores and http://www.maybelline.ca
Sun Medallion Earrings, $6.80, http://canada.forever21.com
AEO Beaded Turquoise and Pink bracelets, $15.48 each, http://www.ae.com
Sunday, February 19, 2012
A Plethora of Fashion News
First of all, sorry for the four week hiatus...assignments, studying, midterms all piled up (but they are done for now!). Though during the times when I should have been studying, I was thinking about my next blog post... I have discovered so much about fashion in the past month that I have no idea how to contain my excitement all in one post!!! My take on spring trends will be coming towards the end of this week (even though there's still snow out there), which will also mark my one year anniversary on Blogger!
Websites I have discovered
DailyLook-http://www.dailylook.com/?showhome=true
Clearly I've been missing out on this awesome, awesome website for some time. Basically, there is a different look posted every day (bet you got that much from the name), and the items go on sale for three days for DailyLook members. The easiest part is that you can sign up through Facebook, which allows you to comment on the look, upload photos of your recreations of the looks, and comment on other member's photos. Also, once you sign up (which I haven't...yes, I know I just said it was the easiest thing in the world), you will get personalized looks based on the outfits or articles of clothing that you've liked. Sounds like fun, right?
Modcloth- http://www.modcloth.com/
I've also been missing out on this one. Modcloth is an online store that sells indie, retro, and vintage clothing with a modern update. The main feature of this website is their collection of cute dresses. (There is a separate link dedicated to floral print dresses- need I say more?) They also sell home decor and offer style tips in their blog. Do the designers Betsey Johnson, BB Dakota, Jeffrey Campbell, and Kensie Girl sound familiar? Browse their styles here too!
Etsy- http://www.etsy.com/
You can find absolutely anything on Etsy, from clothes to jewellery, home furnishings, artwork, toys, patterns, cards...the list goes on. The unique part about it: everything is handmade! If you don't know where to start, my friend Amy makes and sells patterns for the cutest crocheted toys called Amigurumis! http://www.etsy.com/shop/amysgurumis?ref=seller_info
Magazine Comparison
The other thing I want to talk about is actually pretty recent. This past week I received both March issues for Seventeen and Fashion. This was the first issue of Fashion that I got and I was so excited to read something new and...Canadian! This magazine differs so much from Seventeen because it is aimed at adult readers, not teens. The trends are shown straight from the runway, which means high fashion comes with a high price. There are no "outfit ideas" or "runway looks for less;" nope, you get the full designer price (with some pieces from H&M). What I do like about Fashion is that there are actual articles about the trends and fashion, not just pictures of clothes and where they are from. It was exciting to read not only about the trends, but the latest in art, movies, music, books, and TV. A special feature that I enjoyed in Seventeen this month introduced the newest members of the Seventeen Style Council- made up of fashion bloggers (just like me! I wish I was chosen, how much fun would that be?) who all have a unique sense of style. Are the trends the same in both magazines? Yes, yes they are, and you will hear more about them soon! For the record, I like Seventeen for the many outfit ideas, and Fashion for the articles that inspire me to write more blog posts! Browse both magazines online:
http://www.fashionmagazine.com/
http://www.seventeen.com/
Stay stylish!
Websites I have discovered
DailyLook-http://www.dailylook.com/?showhome=true
Clearly I've been missing out on this awesome, awesome website for some time. Basically, there is a different look posted every day (bet you got that much from the name), and the items go on sale for three days for DailyLook members. The easiest part is that you can sign up through Facebook, which allows you to comment on the look, upload photos of your recreations of the looks, and comment on other member's photos. Also, once you sign up (which I haven't...yes, I know I just said it was the easiest thing in the world), you will get personalized looks based on the outfits or articles of clothing that you've liked. Sounds like fun, right?
Modcloth- http://www.modcloth.com/
I've also been missing out on this one. Modcloth is an online store that sells indie, retro, and vintage clothing with a modern update. The main feature of this website is their collection of cute dresses. (There is a separate link dedicated to floral print dresses- need I say more?) They also sell home decor and offer style tips in their blog. Do the designers Betsey Johnson, BB Dakota, Jeffrey Campbell, and Kensie Girl sound familiar? Browse their styles here too!
Etsy- http://www.etsy.com/
You can find absolutely anything on Etsy, from clothes to jewellery, home furnishings, artwork, toys, patterns, cards...the list goes on. The unique part about it: everything is handmade! If you don't know where to start, my friend Amy makes and sells patterns for the cutest crocheted toys called Amigurumis! http://www.etsy.com/shop/amysgurumis?ref=seller_info
Magazine Comparison
The other thing I want to talk about is actually pretty recent. This past week I received both March issues for Seventeen and Fashion. This was the first issue of Fashion that I got and I was so excited to read something new and...Canadian! This magazine differs so much from Seventeen because it is aimed at adult readers, not teens. The trends are shown straight from the runway, which means high fashion comes with a high price. There are no "outfit ideas" or "runway looks for less;" nope, you get the full designer price (with some pieces from H&M). What I do like about Fashion is that there are actual articles about the trends and fashion, not just pictures of clothes and where they are from. It was exciting to read not only about the trends, but the latest in art, movies, music, books, and TV. A special feature that I enjoyed in Seventeen this month introduced the newest members of the Seventeen Style Council- made up of fashion bloggers (just like me! I wish I was chosen, how much fun would that be?) who all have a unique sense of style. Are the trends the same in both magazines? Yes, yes they are, and you will hear more about them soon! For the record, I like Seventeen for the many outfit ideas, and Fashion for the articles that inspire me to write more blog posts! Browse both magazines online:
http://www.fashionmagazine.com/
http://www.seventeen.com/
Stay stylish!
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