QFIN Picks: Vintage & Thrift Shops
It’s that time of year again. Back-to-school shopping. The chaos of finding suitable clothes to wear to lectures that are comfortable yet cute and the search for the perfect pieces to wear out at night. Shopping for the start of the school year can feel like an overwhelming trip to the mall, however, there are much easier and creative ways to find the best items to sport around on campus. Visiting your favourite vintage or thrift shop can optimize your back-to-school shopping with prices edging on the cheaper side (compared to your average retail store) while simultaneously offering unique clothes that feel like you’ve just found your new favourite pair of jeans or jacket. To help in your quest for the best back-to-school wardrobe, some of the QFIN executive team are providing their favourite vintage / thrift stores to visit!
KILOfripe
Emma Walton (sher/her), Production Coordinator: “KILOfripe is located in downtown Montreal and is one of the oldest thrift stores in the city. I found this goldmine when I was bouncing from one vintage store to the next last winter. I love KILOfripe because there is a large selection of pieces for inexpensive prices. My favourite item I purchased is this crazy colourful button up. It has a super interesting pattern and I get a ton of compliments on it! I would totally recommend going to this store if you’re ever in Montreal because the items they sell are bound to enhance your wardrobe. It is the perfect place to find pieces that will help expand your style to be more individualistic when you’re bored of the basics.”
Exchange Stores
Jen Lamarche (she/her), Creative Assistant: “My favourite places to shop second-hand are exchange stores because they make me more conscious of my clothing consumption! Essentially, you bring in your old clothing to donate and based on what the store wants to keep, you receive a store credit and can shop for other donated pieces at the store! The best thing I’ve found from an exchange store was an Opening Ceremony bag. One of my favorite exchange stores in Montreal is Empire Exchange!”
Lucky Charm
Isabella Hamilton (sher/her), Co-Online Assistant: “Lucky Charm is located at 322.5 Queen St W in Toronto and has easily become one of my favourite vintage stores to shop at. I found the store through Instagram (@luckycharmto) and recently visited on one of my trips downtown! They supply a wide range of unique and timeless pieces (the slip dress rack is my favourite!). I purchased one of my favourite patchwork mini skirts from here and wore it on my trip to France, and will definitely be visiting again once I'm back at home!”
Value Village
Rebecca Yan (she/her), Online Director: “If I’m being completely honest, the majority of my closet are pieces I’ve bought from Value Village. Having been to several locations across Toronto, you’re guaranteed to find something unique to add to your wardrobe for a very inexpensive cost. While writing this, I’ve just done my back-to-school shopping at my favourite VV location and found a vintage red Danier satchel that I’m thinking of using for my school bag this year. I’ve thrifted items from sunglasses to sundresses and jeans to jewelry and have always been so satisfied with my purchases. Of course, there is some damage inspection to be done before buying as VV does not prescan the clothes before putting them on the racks. But once you’ve got this down, you’ll be on your way with some of the best pieces in your closet with half the price tag.”
F as in Frank
Kelsi Lee (she/her), Layout Coordinator: “A friend and I were thrift shopping along Main St. in Vancouver, BC when we found F as in Frank. The store has a large selection of curated vintage items, and they have opened a second location in Toronto, ON. The F as in Frank in Vancouver has a separate store in the back called ‘The Rag Machine’ which offers a unique selection of pre-loved items. F as in Frank also has items from the Frankie Collective, which is a great option for unique and re-worked pieces for your closet made locally in Vancouver, BC.”