I'm pleased to announce that my blogging adventures have found a permanent new home on uniqueetchic.ca! I thought it was time the old blog had a bit of an overhaul (after all, it should be keeping up with me, style-wise) and the name didn't really fit anymore since my 2014 New Year's resolution is done and done!
Unique et chic is, essentially, same sh*t different pile, as they say. Just a much cleaner and prettier pile.
Thank you all for reading and following me the past year and for all your wonderful comments through facebook, emails, messages and on here, they've been very encouraging and have inspired me to keep going! So I hope you'll follow me over at Unique et chic and enjoy it just as much :) Keep those comments coming!
-Britt
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
All good things must come to an end.
Well, 2014 is almost at an end. And with the ending of the year comes the eventual end of my resolution. Another year has passed in the blink of an eye and here I sit, reminiscing about the past year and all that it has brought while looking forward to what 2015 will bring.
It's hard to believe it was 12 whole months ago that I pledged to only buy second hand clothing. Time really does fly when you're having fun! All in all, I think my resolution turned out to be very successful, fulfilling and more than fun! The only other time I've made (and stuck with) a New Year's resolution was the year I decided to floss regularly. My teeth have never looked better.
Anyways, I calculated my purchases from the past year, and here's a snapshot of the results of my 2014 Vintage Resolution:
I started out in January full of energy and excitement for what the coming 12 months would bring, and that energy pretty much continued throughout the year. Not only did I discover a lot of fantastic vintage and second hand stores in Toronto (and elsewhere), but I learned a lot about vintage clothing and the clothing/fashion industry in general and, rather surprisingly, I learned that I much prefer buying second hand than new. To be honest, I didn't miss "regular" shopping at all. Any time I had to venture into a mall or big box fashion retailer for whatever reason (which didn't often happen), I felt overwhelmed and drained by the sheer amount of cheaply made, mass produced crap hanging off racks. It gave me no desire whatsoever to browse or purchase.
Looking back, I couldn't be happier with how the year played out. I love hunting for vintage and second hand - there's nothing like the thrill of finding that one unique piece that fits you perfectly and looks fab to boot (especially if you get a great deal on it). I honestly don't think I can go back to buying new clothes. After seeing all that's out there and knowing that there's so much great vintage just waiting to be discovered, as well as having an awareness of and disdain for the dark insides of the fashion industry, I don't think regular shopping will ever be the same for me again. Also, I realized that there are a TON of vintage and second hand stores in Toronto alone, and last January I somehow believed that I would get to them all. No way. I doubt I even stepped foot in a quarter of them. So much vintage, so little time!
And with that said, I look back fondly on some of my favourite vintage finds of 2014! Here are my top 6, in no particular order (because I had a hard time narrowing it down to 5):
#6: 70s black and teal polyester dress (Mama Loves You Vintage - Toronto)
#5: 80s purple leather skirt (Timeless Apparel - Toronto)
#4: 70s Hudson's Bay Company winter parka (Flashback 2 - Toronto)
#3: 60s black and gold wool dress (Toronto Vintage Clothing Show)
#2: 70s yellow pencil skirt (The Sentimentalist vintage clothing - London)
#1: 70s paisley silk dress (Penny Arcade Vintage - Toronto)
So, you may be wondering, what's the resolution for 2015? Will the blog continue? I guess you'll just have to wait until January to find out :)
Happy New Year!
It's hard to believe it was 12 whole months ago that I pledged to only buy second hand clothing. Time really does fly when you're having fun! All in all, I think my resolution turned out to be very successful, fulfilling and more than fun! The only other time I've made (and stuck with) a New Year's resolution was the year I decided to floss regularly. My teeth have never looked better.
Anyways, I calculated my purchases from the past year, and here's a snapshot of the results of my 2014 Vintage Resolution:
- I spent in the neighbourhood of $800 on second hand/vintage clothing and accessories
- I bought a total of about 45 items, of which:
- 23 were vintage
- 17 were second hand
- 4 were donated/hand-me-downs
- 5 were swap items
- Item breakdown:
- skirts: 8
- dresses: 11
- tops: 18
- bottoms: 1
- outerwear: 1
- other: 4
I started out in January full of energy and excitement for what the coming 12 months would bring, and that energy pretty much continued throughout the year. Not only did I discover a lot of fantastic vintage and second hand stores in Toronto (and elsewhere), but I learned a lot about vintage clothing and the clothing/fashion industry in general and, rather surprisingly, I learned that I much prefer buying second hand than new. To be honest, I didn't miss "regular" shopping at all. Any time I had to venture into a mall or big box fashion retailer for whatever reason (which didn't often happen), I felt overwhelmed and drained by the sheer amount of cheaply made, mass produced crap hanging off racks. It gave me no desire whatsoever to browse or purchase.
Looking back, I couldn't be happier with how the year played out. I love hunting for vintage and second hand - there's nothing like the thrill of finding that one unique piece that fits you perfectly and looks fab to boot (especially if you get a great deal on it). I honestly don't think I can go back to buying new clothes. After seeing all that's out there and knowing that there's so much great vintage just waiting to be discovered, as well as having an awareness of and disdain for the dark insides of the fashion industry, I don't think regular shopping will ever be the same for me again. Also, I realized that there are a TON of vintage and second hand stores in Toronto alone, and last January I somehow believed that I would get to them all. No way. I doubt I even stepped foot in a quarter of them. So much vintage, so little time!
And with that said, I look back fondly on some of my favourite vintage finds of 2014! Here are my top 6, in no particular order (because I had a hard time narrowing it down to 5):
#6: 70s black and teal polyester dress (Mama Loves You Vintage - Toronto)
 |
| Who doesn't love polyester? |
#5: 80s purple leather skirt (Timeless Apparel - Toronto)
 |
| Something good DID come out of the 80s! (Aside from me) |
#4: 70s Hudson's Bay Company winter parka (Flashback 2 - Toronto)
 |
| Good ol' HBC - keeping Canadians warm since 1670 (kind of) |
#3: 60s black and gold wool dress (Toronto Vintage Clothing Show)
 |
| Keepin' it classy! |
#2: 70s yellow pencil skirt (The Sentimentalist vintage clothing - London)
 |
| Can't breathe, but look fab! |
#1: 70s paisley silk dress (Penny Arcade Vintage - Toronto)
 |
| Silky smooth! |
So, you may be wondering, what's the resolution for 2015? Will the blog continue? I guess you'll just have to wait until January to find out :)
Happy New Year!
Last purchase of 2014
It's hard to believe the year is almost over! With all the craziness that happens during December and Christmas holidays looming, I managed to find time to squeeze in a bit of shopping for myself. With limited time left of my 2014 resolution, I decided to make my final purchase count, since I knew it was unlikely I'd have much chance for vintage/second hand shopping over the holidays (the pickings are slim in London, and non-existent in Fort Erie).
So about a week ago, I popped into Mama Loves You vintage during my lunch break. Fitting, since not only is it one of my favourite vintage stores (and certainly helped inspire the resolution), but it was also the store where I bought my first vintage purchase of 2014 almost a year ago.
They didn't disappoint - it didn't take long before this beauty of a knit skirt caught my eye (enjoy the festive backdrop!):
The 90s are alive and well, and keeping my bum warm!
THE DETAILS:
Era: 90s
Label: French Connection
Material: Wool/polyester
Made in Hong Kong
So about a week ago, I popped into Mama Loves You vintage during my lunch break. Fitting, since not only is it one of my favourite vintage stores (and certainly helped inspire the resolution), but it was also the store where I bought my first vintage purchase of 2014 almost a year ago.
They didn't disappoint - it didn't take long before this beauty of a knit skirt caught my eye (enjoy the festive backdrop!):
 |
| Pics are always better with a cat |
 |
| Tutti Fruity! |
The 90s are alive and well, and keeping my bum warm!
THE DETAILS:
Era: 90s
Label: French Connection
Material: Wool/polyester
Made in Hong Kong
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Warm winter woolies
This time of the year, there's nothing quite like snuggling up in a cozy knit sweater before heading out into the cold. I'll be honest, I already do have a LOT of sweaters. But hey, it's Canada, and with 8 months of winter, you need more than one!
I've had a bit of a craving for "new" winter wear recently; (can one crave clothing? Not like a pregnant woman craves dirt or anything...) Last week during my workday while getting some fresh air (and darn cold air at that), I popped into Kind Exchange to see what they had in the warm clothing department. Turns out, quite a lot. PLUS they were having a 25% off sale on all sweaters! Boo ya!
I managed to nab these two cozy short-sleeve knits for the swell price of $25:
Numero dos:
Both are surprisingly warmer than you'd think for not having full sleeves. To be honest, I find sleeves a bit annoying. I usually end up rolling them up anyways, plus my office likes to blast the heat and I'd prefer not to sweat in front of my computer all day...Anyways, both of these are great for layering!
The hunt for sweaters continued this past weekend, when I popped into Common Sort for a wee browse. I came out with a lovely soft grey sweater dress and an exercise hoodie!
And:
Not a bad week of shopping, if I do say so myself! Now to tackle those Christmas gifts...
THE DETAILS:
White wool knit sweater - The GAP
Beige tuck stitch dolman cardigan - Staring at stars (Urban Outfitters)
Grey sweater dress - unknown (no labels)
Exercise hoodie - unknown (no labels)
I've had a bit of a craving for "new" winter wear recently; (can one crave clothing? Not like a pregnant woman craves dirt or anything...) Last week during my workday while getting some fresh air (and darn cold air at that), I popped into Kind Exchange to see what they had in the warm clothing department. Turns out, quite a lot. PLUS they were having a 25% off sale on all sweaters! Boo ya!
I managed to nab these two cozy short-sleeve knits for the swell price of $25:
Numero dos:
Both are surprisingly warmer than you'd think for not having full sleeves. To be honest, I find sleeves a bit annoying. I usually end up rolling them up anyways, plus my office likes to blast the heat and I'd prefer not to sweat in front of my computer all day...Anyways, both of these are great for layering!
The hunt for sweaters continued this past weekend, when I popped into Common Sort for a wee browse. I came out with a lovely soft grey sweater dress and an exercise hoodie!
 |
| avec poches! |
And:
 |
| it's obvious that I don't run. Ever. |
 |
| This will serve me well on bad hair days |
 |
| Did someone say jazz hands? Oh wow look there are holes for my thumbs! |
 |
| HURGH! |
Not a bad week of shopping, if I do say so myself! Now to tackle those Christmas gifts...
THE DETAILS:
White wool knit sweater - The GAP
Beige tuck stitch dolman cardigan - Staring at stars (Urban Outfitters)
Grey sweater dress - unknown (no labels)
Exercise hoodie - unknown (no labels)
Monday, November 17, 2014
Swap 'til you drop
Well I've been a bit neglectful with the blog...perhaps something to do with days getting shorter and the weather getting colder (snow, anyone?), which makes me feel like just curling up on the couch and binge watching The Walking Dead (ever uplifting). Though I suppose that taking a break from clothes shopping does make things easier on the wallet...
Though who says you actually have to buy clothes to acquire them?
A number of weeks back, my friend M.R. and I decided to check out a clothing swap, on the advice of another friend (thanks S.M!) who had had some pretty good swapping success herself.
The swap was being held on a Sunday afternoon downtown in Queen West. The premise was simple: bring along your used clothing you wanted to part with, and in return you could pick up "new" stuff! For a $5 cover, you were given a ticket for every item you brought in, which were sorted andhaphazardly thrown placed into various piles around the room. Essentially, if you saw something you liked, you grabbed it.
Things got picked over pretty quick as soon as a new items were thrown on, and to be honest there wasn't really anything extraordinary to be had, but M.R. and I managed to leave with a few things. Not nearly as many as I had brought, but it was nice to purge a bit and get a couple of new items; (new to me, anyways). A couple items were just practical things I could wear for aerials, but I thought at least two others were shareable. A cute vest and a t-shirt tunic!
So nothing overly spectacular, BUT it just goes to show that if you want to pick up some decent used clothing without breaking the bank, and get rid of a few things at the same time (and have a little fun), then a swap might just be for you! Check out the Toronto Clothing Swap facebook group to keep up to date on their various swaps that happen around the city.
THE DETAILS:
Tunic: Mac & Jac
Vest: Club Monaco
Though who says you actually have to buy clothes to acquire them?
A number of weeks back, my friend M.R. and I decided to check out a clothing swap, on the advice of another friend (thanks S.M!) who had had some pretty good swapping success herself.
The swap was being held on a Sunday afternoon downtown in Queen West. The premise was simple: bring along your used clothing you wanted to part with, and in return you could pick up "new" stuff! For a $5 cover, you were given a ticket for every item you brought in, which were sorted and
Things got picked over pretty quick as soon as a new items were thrown on, and to be honest there wasn't really anything extraordinary to be had, but M.R. and I managed to leave with a few things. Not nearly as many as I had brought, but it was nice to purge a bit and get a couple of new items; (new to me, anyways). A couple items were just practical things I could wear for aerials, but I thought at least two others were shareable. A cute vest and a t-shirt tunic!
So nothing overly spectacular, BUT it just goes to show that if you want to pick up some decent used clothing without breaking the bank, and get rid of a few things at the same time (and have a little fun), then a swap might just be for you! Check out the Toronto Clothing Swap facebook group to keep up to date on their various swaps that happen around the city.
THE DETAILS:
Tunic: Mac & Jac
Vest: Club Monaco
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Crawling for vintage
I've done pub crawls, and even a coffee crawl, but a couple of weeks ago I got to check out the Vintage Crawl Toronto. From 7pm to midnight, 50-odd vintage stores around the city stayed open to welcome vintage hunters, with each one serving up their own variation of deals and sales, snacks and live music.
I missed the Crawl last spring so I was happy to be able to make it out this year. It also happened to fall on a Thursday night, so after aerials training around 9:30 I headed out to explore some of the great vintage stores along Dundas West (there are a lot), which I hadn't yet had the opportunity to do. I popped into a few shops to browse around, but my heart was set on getting to Penny Arcade Vintage, a vintage boutique at Dundas and Ossington that I had walked by a number of times and had always wanted to visit. And I had a good feeling about it. And I was right:
A lovely light and flowy sheer silk dress straight from the 70s! It's in mint condition and fits perfectly. It definitely deserves a better belt (a lovely vegan one is on its way as we speak!) Plus, the store was offering 20% off for the Vintage Crawl. Bonus!
I highly recommend checking out the Vintage Crawl next time it comes around. It's a great way to spend an evening (I mean really, who doesn't love shopping at midnight?) and an even better way to discover some of the amazing vintage stores Toronto has to offer.
THE DETAILS:
Era: 70s
Label: Silksensible
Material: 100% silk
Made in Korea
I missed the Crawl last spring so I was happy to be able to make it out this year. It also happened to fall on a Thursday night, so after aerials training around 9:30 I headed out to explore some of the great vintage stores along Dundas West (there are a lot), which I hadn't yet had the opportunity to do. I popped into a few shops to browse around, but my heart was set on getting to Penny Arcade Vintage, a vintage boutique at Dundas and Ossington that I had walked by a number of times and had always wanted to visit. And I had a good feeling about it. And I was right:
 |
| Pretty in paisley! |
 |
| PAISLEY POWER! |
A lovely light and flowy sheer silk dress straight from the 70s! It's in mint condition and fits perfectly. It definitely deserves a better belt (a lovely vegan one is on its way as we speak!) Plus, the store was offering 20% off for the Vintage Crawl. Bonus!
I highly recommend checking out the Vintage Crawl next time it comes around. It's a great way to spend an evening (I mean really, who doesn't love shopping at midnight?) and an even better way to discover some of the amazing vintage stores Toronto has to offer.
THE DETAILS:
Era: 70s
Label: Silksensible
Material: 100% silk
Made in Korea
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Summer goes, summer goes...
...like the sand between my toes (or so the poem goes). A lot like the seasons in this country, change in this city is constant. Nothing stays static for a second. From the people, to the traffic, to the businesses that make up the neighbourhoods I live and work in. I've lost track of the number of shops, boutiques, restaurants and bars that have come and gone since we first moved to our neighbourhood of Riverside nearly a year ago. Some departures have been celebrated (such as the infamous Jilly's strip club, a remnant of the hood's seedier "glory" days), while others have been mourned, like the beloved family-run Regal Hardware shop, which had been selling their wares to working class folk on the corner of Queen and Boulton since the 1900's.
So I had mixed emotions when one of my favourite second hand clothing stores, Common Sort, moved next store into the vacant Regal Hardware. I was, of course, thrilled that they would now have more space and larger selection of lovely curated second-hand clothing. On the other hand, I was a bit sad to see the official end of a neighbourhood landmark (which was infinitely handier, and a million times friendlier, than the large Canadian Tire on Lakeshore and Leslie).
So this past weekend, with Common Sort fully moved in to their new digs and open for business, I decided to pop in. It was odd wandering around and sifting through the neatly organized racks of clothing, instead of squeezing by shelves stacked high with nails, wires and tools. The last time I had been in those four walls, I was getting keys cut. The old original patterned-tin ceiling was still there and old crown moldings still intact. A few small details were familiar, but all in all it was a completely new store.
Shopping was bittersweet - I may have only been living here for less than a year, but it doesn't take long for the quirks and familiarities of a neighbourhood to grow on you. After all, it's home!
I ended up buying a summery silk patterned skirt and a floral knit dress for a total of $30. I can't stop the tides of change, but I can buy up the last remnants of second-hand summer fashion:
Some things never change.
THE DETAILS:
Skirt:
Label: Forever 21
Material: silk outer
Dress:
Label: Blue Kimchi
Material: cotton
So I had mixed emotions when one of my favourite second hand clothing stores, Common Sort, moved next store into the vacant Regal Hardware. I was, of course, thrilled that they would now have more space and larger selection of lovely curated second-hand clothing. On the other hand, I was a bit sad to see the official end of a neighbourhood landmark (which was infinitely handier, and a million times friendlier, than the large Canadian Tire on Lakeshore and Leslie).So this past weekend, with Common Sort fully moved in to their new digs and open for business, I decided to pop in. It was odd wandering around and sifting through the neatly organized racks of clothing, instead of squeezing by shelves stacked high with nails, wires and tools. The last time I had been in those four walls, I was getting keys cut. The old original patterned-tin ceiling was still there and old crown moldings still intact. A few small details were familiar, but all in all it was a completely new store.
Shopping was bittersweet - I may have only been living here for less than a year, but it doesn't take long for the quirks and familiarities of a neighbourhood to grow on you. After all, it's home!
I ended up buying a summery silk patterned skirt and a floral knit dress for a total of $30. I can't stop the tides of change, but I can buy up the last remnants of second-hand summer fashion:
 |
| Bring it on, Autumn! |
Some things never change.
THE DETAILS:
Skirt:
Label: Forever 21
Material: silk outer
Dress:
Label: Blue Kimchi
Material: cotton
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