Posts Tagged ‘Vintage’

A Touch of Vintage, Riverdale (by appointment)

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

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Ever found an online Etsy store selling vintage and wished you could just rifle though all the retro goodies by hand?

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A Touch of Vintage just happens to be one of those shopping places where you can have your cake and eat it too, so to speak.

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If you’re an online addict, shop away as co-owners Diane Coatsworth and Victoria Adilman-Chan post uber precise measurements for the vintage dresses they sell.

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If you’re a Torontonian and prefer a good retail dig, email atouchofvintage@gmail.com to make a personal appointment in their Riverdale studio.

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The gals stock vintage dresses from the 1950s to 70s for reasonable prices – ranging from $22-$50 or so, with a few extra special frocks going for about $65-$85 each.

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There’s also some fab purses, scarves and accessories – the 1980s red leather purse shaped like a pair of lips for around $22 caught the attention of SheShops.

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You can also find vintage housewares, everything from 196os highball glasses to retro clocks and glassware.

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SheShops had a clock just like this one when she was growing up in the 1970s!

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The girls also tie-dye retro full and half slips in funkadelic colours, and recently have transformed white slips into gorgeous pastel-hued creations.

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Visit atouchofvintage.etsy.com to preview items, for sale in USD. If you pick up locally you save on the shipping!

Check out their Facebook for regular updates.

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Posted in Bargain Hunting, East End, East Toronto, Etsy, Housewares, Online Shopping, Retro, Riverdale, Vintage, clothing | No Comments »

Periwinkle, Bloor West Village

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

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Bloor West Village’s hipster quotient has gone up a couple notches with the opening of Periwinkle, just east of Runnymede subway station.

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In between Runnymede and High Park, the shop isn’t on the bustling part of the Bloor West strip, but one look at the charming building and betcha you’ll be as enchanted as SheShops was when she first saw it.

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Owner Cindy Yong launched her concept in November 2009 and to date houses the creations of about 50 local – ie: mostly Toronto – artisans.

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Paintings, mosaic wall hangings, clothing and accessories, jewellery galore and other gifty items can be had, all at incredibly reasonable prices.

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Many of the artisans represented here don’t have a retail presence save from online Etsy shops, which means you can unearth gems you won’t find anywhere else, very likely by up-and-coming designers.

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SheShopsTO’s faves: brass jewellery by Toronto’s Skarce. The “Steam Punk/Vintage” brass vintage chain with Tiger Eye pendant spied at the store on a recent visit for just over $50 has a lovely vintage-y yet rough-around-the-edges look.

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The watches by May28th have a Swatch-like vibe to them with a dash more whimsy; the artist, another Toronto local, designs one-of-a-kind clock faces and uses chiffon (as pictured here, $59 for the watch) or colourful elastic bands as wrist bands ($39).

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Sushi bunny heads, stained glass, children’s clothing, reworked vintage furniture, candles and soaps, pillows, and lamps round out the roster of available items.

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There are also some imported products by local entrepreneurs – they’re not as special as the other creations but they’re different and still worthy of our shopping attention, like the one-off fashions out of Asia for under $50 each.

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2137 Bloor St. West

416-551-2553

www.periwinkleonbloor.com

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Posted in Artist/artisan collective, Bargain Hunting, Bloor West Village, Cushions, Decor, Furniture, Gifts, Handmade, Jewellery, Lighting, West Toronto, clothing | No Comments »

Mira’s Vintage Boutique, the Beach

Monday, March 15th, 2010

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If you never thought there was a good reason to hit the edge of the Beach shopping district on Queen Street East just west of Victoria Park, stand corrected because that reason is Mira’s Vintage Boutique.

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SheShopsTO expected Mira’s to be some tiny consignment shop.The outside looks so quaint, and that darling awning hanging over the sidewalk, with the words “One of a Kind Consignment Store” printed on it, is just the biggest invitation for deal divas to waltz right in….

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But the inside  is surprisingly large and jam packed with all kinds of fashion goodies. Presided over by owner Mira Staples, the shop carries ladies’ clothing and accessories on a consignment basis, both contemporary and vintage.

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There’s also some new end-of-the-line fashions by the likes of Costa Blanca, Guess? and other fashiony labels, plus new costume jewellery, shoes, handbags and sunglasses at reasonable prices.

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A whole wall is dedicated to vintage fabric and $20 a yard, and if you’re so inclined Mira can whip them up into a set of drapes for you. She also does custom work, mainly in the costume biz, for sports teams, skaters and those in need of uniforms, though she has done dresses too. If you’re lucky you may find the odd Mira original hanging from the racks.

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You can bag a retro Simon Chang or Holt Renfrew blazer for under $50 or so, while the odd vintage wool dress can be had for $40. Make sure you take a peep in the glass counter as there’s a hoard of vintage brooches and rings for good prices. SheShops almost bought an antique gold-tone and jade pin for $40, but it didn’t fit into her life.

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There’s also second-hand hats, blazers and skirts. Sizes appear to vary; this is one of the few consignment and vintage shops this shopper has seen where size 20 is not just an anomaly.

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SheShops found took home an Art Deco enamel pin for $15; a Save the Queen top for $30; and a darling dress made in Italy for $20. Definitely worth a peep and regular visits. And if you’re there near close hit the nearby Vi Vetha Bistro at 2485 Queen Street East for a fab inexpensive dinner – you may be able to get a table without reservations.

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2238 Queen Street East

416-699-4005

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Posted in Bargain Hunting, East End, East Toronto, Jewellery, Second Hand, The Beach, Vintage, accessories, clothing | No Comments »

Danforth Village Antique Market, Danforth & Pape

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

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If you’re the type to walk along the street and never look up, you could be missing out on one of the neatest antique shops in east Toronto.

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Correction: ascend the half staircase to the Danforth Village Antique Market, Finders Keepers for short, and you won’t find a shop per se. The Danforth and Pape Aves. antique abode truly has the look and feel of an antiques market.

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Owner and antiques dealer Ali Medina has been plying his trade for over 30 years, between his European adventures and partaking in several antique downtown market ventures before opening his own on the Danforth.

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No matter that what started as an antique market with 13 or so dealers about three years ago has shrunk to just Ali himself as a dealer. Don’t think for a second that that means the breadth of goods or knowledge is any the lesser.

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In fact SheShops dares you to find an era or category that ISN’T represented at Finders Keepers:

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Rare 18th century Minton china (pictured here; the platter is going for $245 and dinner plates are $125 each); retro glassware; antique lighters; lamps and chandeliers of various eras; enough vintage jewellery to sink a ship.

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There’s more. Carved wood pieces; perfume bottles; clocks and watches; religious artifacts, artwork; pottery, dolls, crystal and brass.

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On a recent visit there were books full of first-issue stamps (and postcards explaining their relevance) from Canada and the USA, with prices averaging $10 per envelope.

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From the kitschy to the creepy, the elegant to the austere, this shop has it all.  And if it doesn’t, let’s just say it’s Ali’s personal mission to find it for you.

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He’s got a hoard of pickers finding stuff for him, and he’s pretty up on what things are selling for and what’s out there as a good portion of his biz is from online selling.

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Prices aren’t bargain basement but they’re fair. And with an ongoing (at least for the last 6 months) 50 percent off jewellery sale, there’s extra incentive for bling lovers to loiter over the jewellery counters a wee bit longer than usual.

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SheShops fell in love with an Art Deco brass and green cut glass choker, signed “Regina”, for $150 with the 50 percent off.

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Other cool items: collectible handmade Canadian dolls by the Marina Guild of Handicapped Artisans, around $95-$110 each.

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Definitely a shopping feat for the peepers. Hope you find some keepers like SheShops did.

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715 Danforth Ave.

416-599-7072

www.findersantiques.info

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Posted in Antiques, Danforth Ave., East End, East Toronto, Greektown, Jewellery, Kitschy, Lighting, Retro, Vintage | No Comments »

Boj Decor

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

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Head to the charming Mount Pleasant Road for croissants and coffee at one of the French cafes there, and after that have a leisurely saunter through the many antique shops there. Whatever you do, don’t go home without stopping into Boj Decor.

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Owner Lucy Kokalov has an eye for style and a funky-chic decor aesthetic all her own. Her shop is a mix of old and new furniture and accessories and pieces she’s reworked herself. The chair, above, falls into the latter category.

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Decor junkies, think Elle Decor magazine and you’ll have a sense of Lucy’s glam instinct.

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Lucy’s got heart and spirit and guts. The shop is named after her late daughter, Boj, and she honours her memory in beautiful ways: these necklaces were handmade by a local artist recovering from addiction and Lucy doesn’t keep a penny of commission.

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You can buy art, books, French soaps and candles, really unique jewellery, and of course uber one-of-a-kind vintage and antique furniture pieces,  like the curvy two-seater pictured here.

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The shop is a showcase for Lucy’s obvious talent for interior design and decor, a talent many a Rosedale home has benefited from. SheShops is in love what she did with this chair.

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Prices for furniture and art aren’t bargain basement but they’re worth if you dig quality one-offs with heaps of style. But you can still find a gorgeous decorative pillow for $40; a lovely paisley wool throw for $100; and soaps and candles for decent prices.

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685 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-545-0088

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Posted in Cushions, Decor, Eye for Style, Gifts, Jewellery, Lighting, Midtown, Vintage, accessories | No Comments »

Continuum Modern Vintage, Danforth & Pape

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

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Continuum Modern Vintage is SheShopTO’s new fave shop. It opened November 2009 on Pape Ave. at Danforth Ave. on the cusp of Greektown, in the space Jane Hall Design used to occupy.

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It would be insulting to owner Daina Liepa to say that the creative pluck of Jane Hall hasn’t left the building – one look at the sumptuous melange of fabrics and colours melding into artfully arranged vignettes and one has to wonder – but Liepa has an eye for style and a creative Karma all her own.

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The shop is difficult to categorize, which is why it’s so fab: first there’s vintage furniture, some of which has been fixed up – or upcycled, as Liepa calls it – by Liepa or her business partner, interior decorator Reg Dohms.

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In store there’s a sampling of gorgeous fabric headboards, cushions and draperies created mostly by Dohms. Don’t worry if you have particular ideas on the fabric front – the store offers custom upholstery, slipcovers, bedding and draperies.

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You’ll also find estate sale jewellery; a rack of carefully selected vintage and retro dresses; and heaps of decorative accessories, some new but mostly vintage, like Art Deco lamps, mirrors … and unique one-off pieces you’d do well to nab if you love ‘em.

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Prices are fair. Dresses (in impeccable condition) are $100-$200; a velvet stretch curtain panel by Dohms is $125; and an original silk pillow in a bright green hue can be had for as little as $40.

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Gift items like lovely Canadian-made candles, vintage plates, and the odd new bowl can be plucked up easy as pie for a gift on the fly.

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But if you’re like SheShops, you’ll want to pop in regularly to check out what’s new, or simply to revel in and admire the lovely wares – there’s always a surprise (a three-tier floral vintage dessert plate? Gotta love it.).

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707 Pape Ave., just steps south of the Pape subway station

416-778-1200

www.continuummodernvintage.ca

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Posted in Antiques, Cushions, Custom-Made, Danforth Ave., Decor, Draperies, East End, Eye for Style, Gifts, Greektown, Jewellery, Lighting, Second Hand, accessories, clothing | No Comments »

The Bead Goes On, Mount Pleasant Rd.

Monday, January 18th, 2010

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The Bead Goes On, on Soudan Ave. just off Mount Pleasant Rd. near Eglinton Ave. East, is a tiny shop packed full with vintage and retro jewellery, handbags, accessories and even some clothing.

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Needlepoint purses, $75-$150.

Fashionistas or just bling or bag happy folk can find everything from vintage croc handbags for a few hundred bucks to 1970s costume jewellery for under $20.

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Costume jewellery rings start at about $15.

SheShopsTO has been lucky: she picked up a gorgeous retro patent-like bag for $10; a Sarah Coventry 1960s cocktail ring for $15; and a pair of blue 1960s super big shades made in Italy for $35. Oops almost forgot about the 1970s carpet bag for $45.

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More dear jewellery is under glass but deal divas will find plenty of costume pieces to sate their thirst for style.

Don’t let the smallness of the shop deceive: in the jewellery cases you’ll find Victorian baubles alongside retro costume bling, sterling silver, and rhinestones.

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Not everything is vintage retro: this Miu Miu patent leather handbag spotted on a recent visit was $125.

On the walls and piled on shelves, carpet bags repose alongside retro croc bags and vintage mesh metal purses.

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There's also retro sunglasses, vintage pillboxes and compacts, and shoes.

Owner Cyndi Calder has a 20/20 vision when it comes to having a stylish eye. There’s a small rack of fur and vintage/retro clothing as well. Don’t forget to take a quick peek at the scarves as SheShopsTO has spotted a handrolled Hermes in the past for under $200.

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256 Soudan Ave.

416-481-7622

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Posted in Bargain Hunting, Gifts, Jewellery, Midtown, Vintage, accessories | No Comments »