Ottawa Vintage & Consignment Stores: Do they actually exist?

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!

Style Icons, TV Edition

Have you ever watched a TV show and thought "wow, I love her outfit!"...every single episode? I know I have, so today I'm giving you tips on how to "get the look" of Glee star Rachel Berry, Gossip Girl star Blair Waldorf, and Pretty Little Liars star Aria Montgomery.

Rachel Berry
In a nutshell, her style would be described as preppy and a little girly (sound familiar?) She wears dresses, skirts, cardigans, knee-high socks, vests; and prints such as argyle, polka dots, and floral.

Her classic look, shown here (right) features a pleated plaid skirt paired with a white blouse and a cardigan. The look is topped off with knee socks and flats. Below are some variations of her preppy look.                  

Rachel Berry also wears many dresses with fun prints such as polka dots and tiny flowers. Her  accessories complement this girly style- headbands, bows,  and simple jewellery.

Looking for these photos, I actually couldn't find one of her wearing jeans- just skirts and dresses! If you find one, let me know!

Blair Waldorf

Similar to Rachel Berry, Blair Waldorf has a very classic, preppy look. Her fashion staples are cardigans, belts, cute coats, and definitely hair accessories. Her hair accessories always add a girly touch to her outfits.

Blair Waldorf's outfits also sometimes have a pop of colour, such as a green coat or red tights.

 

I really like this outfit :)

Aria Montgomery

Perhaps the newest style icon on TV, Aria's style is a combination of girly and boho, with edgy accessories. I think her basic outfit would  include a printed dress, a leather jacket, black tights, and black boots.



She also goes for many vintage-inspired pieces and toughens up lace, ruffles, and shine with black or statement accessories.

Whose style do you like best? :)