Thrift stores and Vintage store galore !!!
So as I was saying, growing up in a "artistic" household, has truly influenced my personal clothing style. In High school I discovered "Village Des Valeurs" it was amazing since I didn't have to wake up early like for garage sales ! LOL
So my wardrobe is mixed with second hand clothing and "new" clothing bought in "mainstream" stores. I think this is very important, I'm all for second hand stores but you need to balance it out. For example, you can buy a full price Levi's jeans but have a shirt you bought second hand for like 4$. It just makes something "old" more fresh by having something new ! And most of all ORIGINAL since no one will ever have that same shirt (since its second hand) Fashion is what you make of it ! And how you create your own fashion is with your body. Just see it like this, your body is your canvas, it is up to you to choose the colors and textures that flater your body. For example, I'm 5'10 hence I'm tall, so I know very well that long shirts or blouse's basically anything that's LONG will suit me. And for short people, if you wear a long shirt it makes you look like you have no waist and even smaller, better yet imagine a kid wearing a garbage bag !
So knowing your body is extremely important, what pieces of clothing work for your curves and which enhances them in a flattering way ! word ! And if you do not know what suits you, next time you go shopping, take a risk! Try on clothing you wouldn't usually tend to buy, try it on and look at yourself in the mirror. Make mental notes of what looks good on you and what doesn't so that you will avoid buying that piece of clothing that doesn't cut it for you. So, getting back to the point about thrift stores and vintage stores. What is the difference ? Here we go, Thrift stores are stores where you can buy second hand clothing, meaning clothes that have been donated to that thrift store (Village Des Valeurs, Salvation Army, Renaissance). The price's are very low, from 99 cents to what? 40$ max for like a coat. In these stores you can find any brand of clothes. So vintage is, generally speaking, clothing which was produced before the 1920s is referred to as antique but clothing from the 1920s to 1980s is considered vintage. Vintage clothing are expensive because they are unique and rare since they are not being manufactured anymore. I will post pictures of vintage clothing that I've bought at "Maison La Belle Renée" so that you, dear reader can see what an actual vintage clothing is. My vintage store of choice is "Maison La Belle Renée" at 1145, av Du Mont-Royal between Christophe-Colomb and De La Roche. (Its about a six minute walk from Mont-Royal metro) This Store !!! When you walk in there you'd think you entered a time warp and were brought back to the sixties and seventies !!! You will find: leather coats, raincoats, a poncho, dresses and skirts. (you really have to dig through the racks!!) and on your left, when you walk in you will see a multitude of funky blouse's ! All of the clothes are on sale (like 5$ for t-shirts, 10$ for the blouse's ect ...) since the store will close eventually BOO !! But let's face it, independent stores like this one is a dying breed. They are being replaced by global coorporations. And the quality of the clothing is much better then what we have now. There's is only one sale's rep and she is the owner, her elderly mother used to hangout in the store but helas ! she stays home now. I must say, the owner is quite a character ! You will see ! The pictures posted at the end of the article are two items that I bought there, as you can see back in the day's they were sold at much higher prices! And also They are made in Canada! Very rare indeed nowadays. I really hope some of you will make your way over there ! It's an experience!
So my wardrobe is mixed with second hand clothing and "new" clothing bought in "mainstream" stores. I think this is very important, I'm all for second hand stores but you need to balance it out. For example, you can buy a full price Levi's jeans but have a shirt you bought second hand for like 4$. It just makes something "old" more fresh by having something new ! And most of all ORIGINAL since no one will ever have that same shirt (since its second hand) Fashion is what you make of it ! And how you create your own fashion is with your body. Just see it like this, your body is your canvas, it is up to you to choose the colors and textures that flater your body. For example, I'm 5'10 hence I'm tall, so I know very well that long shirts or blouse's basically anything that's LONG will suit me. And for short people, if you wear a long shirt it makes you look like you have no waist and even smaller, better yet imagine a kid wearing a garbage bag ! 
So knowing your body is extremely important, what pieces of clothing work for your curves and which enhances them in a flattering way ! word ! And if you do not know what suits you, next time you go shopping, take a risk! Try on clothing you wouldn't usually tend to buy, try it on and look at yourself in the mirror. Make mental notes of what looks good on you and what doesn't so that you will avoid buying that piece of clothing that doesn't cut it for you. So, getting back to the point about thrift stores and vintage stores. What is the difference ? Here we go, Thrift stores are stores where you can buy second hand clothing, meaning clothes that have been donated to that thrift store (Village Des Valeurs, Salvation Army, Renaissance). The price's are very low, from 99 cents to what? 40$ max for like a coat. In these stores you can find any brand of clothes. So vintage is, generally speaking, clothing which was produced before the 1920s is referred to as antique but clothing from the 1920s to 1980s is considered vintage. Vintage clothing are expensive because they are unique and rare since they are not being manufactured anymore. I will post pictures of vintage clothing that I've bought at "Maison La Belle Renée" so that you, dear reader can see what an actual vintage clothing is. My vintage store of choice is "Maison La Belle Renée" at 1145, av Du Mont-Royal between Christophe-Colomb and De La Roche. (Its about a six minute walk from Mont-Royal metro) This Store !!! When you walk in there you'd think you entered a time warp and were brought back to the sixties and seventies !!! You will find: leather coats, raincoats, a poncho, dresses and skirts. (you really have to dig through the racks!!) and on your left, when you walk in you will see a multitude of funky blouse's ! All of the clothes are on sale (like 5$ for t-shirts, 10$ for the blouse's ect ...) since the store will close eventually BOO !! But let's face it, independent stores like this one is a dying breed. They are being replaced by global coorporations. And the quality of the clothing is much better then what we have now. There's is only one sale's rep and she is the owner, her elderly mother used to hangout in the store but helas ! she stays home now. I must say, the owner is quite a character ! You will see ! The pictures posted at the end of the article are two items that I bought there, as you can see back in the day's they were sold at much higher prices! And also They are made in Canada! Very rare indeed nowadays. I really hope some of you will make your way over there ! It's an experience! 
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