A nod to Mod (also titled 'An Introvert's Guide to Valentine's Day: Part 1')

Ah, Valentine's Day, the most romantic day of the year. Having taken February 14th off work this year in order to enjoy a 4-day long weekend, I vowed to make this Valentine's Day the best ever. Particularly because A.H. was working (in the Bahamas, no less...I woke up to find a 'Valentine's card' that had a picture of a porcupine with the text "Sorry I acted like a prick" on the outside, and "And left you for the Bahamas on Valentine's!" written on the inside. Oh, how that man understands my utter disdain for mushy cards. One reason I love him).

Anyways, with the man out of the way, it was a day to focus on self-love. Which, I have a lot of. My Valentine's Day commenced with watching the Olympics in my PJs and was followed by a yoga class; watching Patrick Chan win silver in figure skating; a very relaxing acupuncture appointment; and attending a members-only evening at the Art Gallery of Ontario to check out the Guggenheim exhibit. All by myself! (Because if there's one thing us introverts love best, it's spending time with ourselves.)

I had about an hour and a half to kill between the end of my acupuncture appointment and my 7pm entry time to the AGO. Between the two locations just happened to be Kensington Market.

The vibrant neighbourhood of Kensington Market is known for many things, let's call them the five (six?) "C"s: coffee, cheese, counter-culture, cockroaches (having heard many a story from my mother, a former resident), and clothing. Vintage clothing, to be exact. I don't know how many vintage shops are in the neighbourhood, but there are many, just waiting to be explored!

I decided it was a fantastic idea to kill time by browsing a shop or two. As I ambled up Augusta Ave, I passed in front of Bungalow West and saw a sign that drew me into the store quicker than a chain-smoking 60 year-old to a bingo hall:  

STORE CLOSING - 75% OFF EVERYTHING!

Bungalow is actually two stores on the same street, and seems they were in the midst of consolidating into just one - so Bungalow West was on the way out. Much to my benefit.

I browsed through what was left of their stock and in no time I came across a section of Mod dresses from the 60s. My eyes widened in awe as I delicately sifted through the colourful selection and savoured this monumental moment in vintage clothing hunting. I had yet to come across much Mod in all my second-hand buying adventures, and here in front of me was a plethora of dresses to be had. And they were all 75% off!

Unfortunately, only one was my size. Not that it was a deterrent from taking two others to the changeroom anyways. But, if there's one thing I've learned through research of buying vintage clothes, it's that you should always buy things that fit. You can have items altered and taken in, but A) it may not be worth the cost and B) knowing myself, I'd never get around to it.

I settled on the only one that fit - admittedly, it wasn't my favourite of the three patterns, but with a $12 price tag and still fabulously Mod (i.e. brightly coloured and covered in flowers), who could say no?

Had I been born 40 years earlier, I'm fairly certain I would have been a flower child:

Doot-in doo-doo, feelin' groovy!

So there you have it...my first foray into 60s Mod and a great addition to my day of self-love (and my closet). I love the unique X cut neckline and fitted back, yet open and airy front - with pockets! I think it will make an excellent maternity dress one day (which is NO TIME SOON - let it be known!)

But wait, was that ALL I bought?! I guess you'll just have to wait for my next post... ;)

THE DETAILS:
Era: 1960s
Materials: Cotton Polyester blend
Label: Vanity Fair
Made in USA - so groovy

Embracing O.P.S

What, you might be wondering, is O.P.S? These three little letters have big meaning behind them:

OTHER PEOPLE'S STUFF

Credit for the coinage of this descriptive acronym goes to the man-friend, A.H. Not to be confused, of course, with his other use of OPS, i.e. Other People's Smell - used in such contexts like moving into a new place, taking a whiff of foreign odours and exclaiming something like "We should light some candles to get rid of the OPS." (Yes, that happened.)

I've suggested to A.H. a few times that we should go and check out some second-hand and vintage men's wear for him. And every time, it comes down to OPS. He doesn't do OPS. Why? He's not keen on having pre-worn clothing touching his skin.

So many OPtionS

While writing this, I decided to get a better idea of why he's so against the very thing I'm trying to promote. He wasn't home, so I turned to technology. Our BBM-powered conversation went something like this:

Me: I'm writing a blog post on OPS - what is your #1 reason against it?

A.H: Which "S" are we talking about? Shoes, Stuff, Socks?
         Sangria glasses? Hahaha

Me: Stuff, silly

A.H: I'm mostly no shoes, and nothing that's against the skin
        So, no pants, no t-shirts
        I'd probably do a sweater though
        Oh, and definitely no hats
        Fuckin dirty sweaty hats

Me: Can I quote you on that?

Suffice to say, I didn't get much more insight, other than the fact that he's repulsed by sweat (including his own). But I wonder, how many more people out there feel the same? That the very idea of wearing second-hand clothes is something to be avoided, something abhorred, something...dirty?

Granted, we all sweat. And shed skin. All. Day. Long. But the chances of you contracting a contagious skin condition from wearing second-hand clothing is negligible; (considering, and I'm fairly certain of this, the vast majority of people who buy second-hand actually wash or dry clean their purchases before wearing them. Myself included). I'm more concerned about the chemicals sprayed all over new clothes that are manufactured in another country before shipping. God knows what horrible side effects enough exposure to that stuff could cause. I'll take ringworm any day.

Perhaps it's the smell? If you're anything like this person, (who seems to have a highly developed olfactory bulb), the smell of thrift stores and second hand clothing can be a major turn off. I'll admit, some stores are worse than others for smelling a bit...funky, but to be honest it's something I've never really taken much notice of. I'd much rather deal with the slightly musty smell of a vintage boutique than the overwhelming stench of cologne that smacks you in the face and violently invades your nostrils when you walk into Abercrombie & Fitch; (a mistake, let it be known, that I will never, ever, make again).

It calleth my name...

There are so many reasons why shopping second hand and vintage is a great idea. It's environmentally friendly (and living green is always in style!); it cuts down on excess and over-consumption; it's cost-effective; it supports small, local businesses; and it can give back to the community and charitable causes when you shop at places like Value Village and Goodwill.

And of course, it's fashionable and enjoyable! There are plenty of wonderful treasures to be uncovered, and searching for them is half the fun - and as a plus, vintage clothes are usually of much better quality than today's disposable fashions (both in fabric and handiwork), so you know it will last for more than a few trips through the wash cycle. (I mean, even Macklemore agrees!)

But don't just take my word for it - get out there and discover your own reasons to love buying second-hand and vintage!

So go on - embrace OPS, and feel good about doing something good for the earth and society (and, your wardrobe. Obvs.)

This IS f***ing awesome

The Price is Right

Everyone loves a good bargain. I don't think a single person could deny enjoying that feeling of satisfaction when you've scored an amazing deal on an item that you've been waiting forever to go on sale; or brought something up to the cash to find out it's an extra 20% off; or took advantage of a buy-one-get-one-free promotion (colonoscopies excluded...)

Last week I went with colleague of mine from work on a lunchtime shopping adventure to Kind Exchange on Queen West near Bathurst. (There are actually two Kind Exchanges on Queen West...the other is further east.) A.M-R. had never been before so I thought I would introduce her to the wonders of this nearby second-hand shop. Like Common Sort in my neighbourhood of Riverside/Leslieville, you can bring in used clothes for either cash or store credit (if they decide to take them - if it's out of season, or style, then no-go), or you can shop to your heart's content for second-hand fashions.

Second-hand, as a general rule, is more affordable than vintage (unless you're buying designer...even a second hand Gucci dress can cost as much as the GDP of a small country). The shop had bargains galore, and after digging through the racks, I came across a cute pink blouse missing its price tag. I brought it up to the cash to find out the cost. Unlike a regular clothing store where prices are set and they would just check their system, this was a whole other ball game. The cashier laid the blouse on the counter, stared at it pensively for a moment, and said "We just guess the price by looking at it...hm, Forever 21...I'd say, $5?"

Yep, $5 for a lovely, practically new blouse. I've never shopped at Forever 21 (if it were called "Forever 73" I would consider it), but here I was about to try on an article of clothing probably previously worn by some hormonal teenager trying to look 5 years older and decided it didn't work out so well. To the changeroom!

Et voilà, it fit! With A.M-R. giving her approval, I cashed out - and to my pleasant surprise, found out that the whole store was having a 30% off sale! For those of you good at math, you already know that I ended up paying a whopping $3.50. For the rest of you who daydreamed through grade 11 math and still wonder how you managed to pass since you always looked up the answers at the back of the textbook before even starting to solve equations (god I hope none of my former teachers read this), the blouse cost $3.50 after the discount. "I should be paying you!" exclaimed the peppy cashier. Touché.

So here it is, my $3.50 bargain blouse:

With the money I saved on this gem, I can go out and buy another vintage item! Oh boy!

The Details:
Era: that's like, soooo 2013
Brand: Forever 21
Material: ? (care tag missing)
Made in China. Big surprise there. 
Cost: Three loonies and two quarters!

A Dress to Impress

I love opportunistic finds - you know, when you just pop in somewhere for the heck of it, not really looking for something in particular, then BAM you find something so fabulous that you start stripping off your clothes before you even get to the change room to try it on? (Oh... just me?)

A week ago last Friday was such a day. I had just gotten to my streetcar stop at the end of the work day to head home for the weekend, and (typical TTC) there was a wait of 7 minutes for the next car. Now, 7 minutes may not seem like a long time. But when it's -15°C outside and the wind is howling like an overweight cat on a diet, it can feel like an eternity. So, when you've got a nice warm vintage store right behind you, calling your name, you answer. Every time.

So in I went to Mama Loves You for a wee browse and relief from the cold. I sorted through the racks and grabbed a couple of things to try on, when I saw THE DRESS. Well, I saw a few, actually... but this one in particular was just too perfect to pass up. It was the first item I tried on in the change room and I immediately knew it was meant to be. I did try on three other dresses but didn't even bother with anything else after that. I had made my choice. (Ok, to be fair, there was another one I also liked... I asked the very friendly shop owner what she thought, and she agreed with my first choice. It always helps to have a second opinion!)

So I present to you, in true 70s fashion, THE DRESS:

Flowy and sheer and light; a little something to remind me of the good weather ahead... in another 3 months. But, I love how versatile it is - paired up with boots and a black cardi or just some black oxford pumps. I adore the teal and black pattern and the little button detail on the neck. *Swoons*

The Details:
Era: 70s
Material: Polyester (like everything in the 70s...)
Label: Nancy G
Made in Canada