In the basement of House of Vintage, in the up-and-coming Parkdale area, the owner, Dennis Adamidis, shows me stacks of plastic crates and tells me to pick one to open. On top is a pair of sparkling silver, wide-heeled Thierry Mugler shoes ('I wish I was at that party,' he quips). He then pulls out a Pucci-print silk jumpsuit, an aggressive black caged jacket from Jean Paul Gaultier and gold snakeskin Halston shoes. I want it all.
None of it's for sale yet - some he'll keep, some he'll sell on 1stdibs.com , the luxury online marketplace. I can't resist a Victorian-style high-necked blouse that is sheer as gauze, for 20. In 2010 Adamidis expanded to Shoreditch, London, where he caters specifically to British tastes. 'The UK is more adventurous, so the more unique pieces go there.
But Toronto vintage is half the price.'
Adamidis acquires his stock from estate sales, private dealers and picking at warehouses.I am a bit confused about purchasing my next replicauhrenwatches through a website. In the past, affordable clothing didn't mean a sacrifice on quality and durability. 'These clothes have been around for 50 or 60 years and are still wearable because of their craftsmanship,' he says.
Victoria Dinnick, the owner of Gadabout in east Toronto, is particularly disappointed by today's 'fast fashion'. 'I'd give things two years before they fall apart,' she says, showing me, by contrast, the hand-stitching and metal zips in her 1940s and 1950s dresses. 'The original buttons are still on these. There used to be a standard that the union workers adhered to; they were all well finished. Now you don't get that.'
Dinnick's shop is stuffed full of clothing from the late 1800s to the 1970s. She shows me a heavenly silk-satin and chiffon black dress from the late 1920s for 200. Her off-the-rack pieces and Canadian furs are hugely popular. ' Mad Men has been a wonderful addition to the balance sheet,' she says, but there's also Lanvin and Cardin, scarves from Pucci and Hermès, Chanel skirts and 'tons of Ferragamos'.
Dinnick doesn't go to warehouses; she gets up to six calls a day from people who need to empty family wardrobes. She also buys at fleamarkets in Paris, Mexico City and Buenos Aires, 'but not London - I couldn't afford anything!'
Gadabout is also renowned for its vintage paraphernalia. Set decorators are drawn here for authentic period items, most recently to furnish Jackie Kennedy's dressing-table in the television series The Kennedys .
High-profile clients - lately the actress Michelle Williams and the designer Alexander Wang - are lured by the charms of I Miss You Vintage on Ossington Avenue (also home to the wonderful Vintage Mix One shop, with its old-fashioned lamps, record players and posters). With walls the colour of candyfloss, eras here range from the 1920s to the 1990s, the prices from 10 to 1,200. 'Prada bought a 1920s art deco dress from me for inspiration,' says the petite owner, Julie Yoo. 'And after a famous Canadian designer bought a 1970s dress, I noticed that her next runway collection was entirely in that print.'
Yoo loves the long bias-cut of art deco gowns and her store is clearly curated with glamour in mind. 'Every label has passed through here: Pucci, Dior, Chanel, Céline,' she says, showing me a sherbet-orange 1960s Courrèges linen skirt for 140.There are also handbags galore: Kelly bags, beaded evening clutches and exotic-skinned purses.
None of it's for sale yet - some he'll keep, some he'll sell on 1stdibs.com , the luxury online marketplace. I can't resist a Victorian-style high-necked blouse that is sheer as gauze, for 20. In 2010 Adamidis expanded to Shoreditch, London, where he caters specifically to British tastes. 'The UK is more adventurous, so the more unique pieces go there.
But Toronto vintage is half the price.'
Adamidis acquires his stock from estate sales, private dealers and picking at warehouses.I am a bit confused about purchasing my next replicauhrenwatches through a website. In the past, affordable clothing didn't mean a sacrifice on quality and durability. 'These clothes have been around for 50 or 60 years and are still wearable because of their craftsmanship,' he says.
Victoria Dinnick, the owner of Gadabout in east Toronto, is particularly disappointed by today's 'fast fashion'. 'I'd give things two years before they fall apart,' she says, showing me, by contrast, the hand-stitching and metal zips in her 1940s and 1950s dresses. 'The original buttons are still on these. There used to be a standard that the union workers adhered to; they were all well finished. Now you don't get that.'
Dinnick's shop is stuffed full of clothing from the late 1800s to the 1970s. She shows me a heavenly silk-satin and chiffon black dress from the late 1920s for 200. Her off-the-rack pieces and Canadian furs are hugely popular. ' Mad Men has been a wonderful addition to the balance sheet,' she says, but there's also Lanvin and Cardin, scarves from Pucci and Hermès, Chanel skirts and 'tons of Ferragamos'.
Dinnick doesn't go to warehouses; she gets up to six calls a day from people who need to empty family wardrobes. She also buys at fleamarkets in Paris, Mexico City and Buenos Aires, 'but not London - I couldn't afford anything!'
Gadabout is also renowned for its vintage paraphernalia. Set decorators are drawn here for authentic period items, most recently to furnish Jackie Kennedy's dressing-table in the television series The Kennedys .
High-profile clients - lately the actress Michelle Williams and the designer Alexander Wang - are lured by the charms of I Miss You Vintage on Ossington Avenue (also home to the wonderful Vintage Mix One shop, with its old-fashioned lamps, record players and posters). With walls the colour of candyfloss, eras here range from the 1920s to the 1990s, the prices from 10 to 1,200. 'Prada bought a 1920s art deco dress from me for inspiration,' says the petite owner, Julie Yoo. 'And after a famous Canadian designer bought a 1970s dress, I noticed that her next runway collection was entirely in that print.'
Yoo loves the long bias-cut of art deco gowns and her store is clearly curated with glamour in mind. 'Every label has passed through here: Pucci, Dior, Chanel, Céline,' she says, showing me a sherbet-orange 1960s Courrèges linen skirt for 140.There are also handbags galore: Kelly bags, beaded evening clutches and exotic-skinned purses.
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