After my very successful experience at Bungalow West where I obtained one very cute 60s Mod dress for the low low price of $12, I didn't think my shopping for the day could get any better. Boy, was I wrong.
As I walked happily down the street with my purchase in hand, I realized I still had a fair bit of time before I had to be at the Art Gallery of Ontario. I figured most stores would be closed (it was after 6pm, after all), but I decided to wander up Kensington Ave anyways. That's when I saw it.
Stopping dead in my tracks (as dead as one can stop on an ice-covered sidewalk), I turned my gaze to the racks of lovely vintage winter coats outside the fantastic vintage shop Flashback 2, and the sign above them that read All winter coats 50% off. It was a sign. Yes, an actual cardboard sign, but I mean a sign in the metaphysical sense. A sign that was saying "Come hither and explore my glorious racks" (minus the innuendo). But what made me stop so suddenly was the coat hanging front and centre in plain view. A fabulous red vintage Hudson's Bay Company Alaskan Parka. I immediately grabbed it off its hanger and gave it the once over. Great condition, no obvious flaws, looked to be my size, definitely HBC, and $95. Which meant, at 50% off, it could be mine for less than $50.
How had no one scooped this up yet?! Excitedly I took it inside the store to try it on properly (and check myself out in the mirror - what's the point of buying something that doesn't look good on you?) I whipped off my coat and slipped into pure wool perfection. It fit like it was made just for me. I had never expected to buy a vintage wool HBC parka, but the thought of becoming an owner was just too appealing.
I immediately brought it up to the cashier. "How was it?" she asked.
"Perfect!" I exclaimed a little too excitedly.
"$47" she said.
Uh oh, I didn't have cash (as I noticed the Cash Only sticky on the counter). "Do you take debit?" I inquired (knowing full well what the answer was).
"We don't, but our other store up the street does, I can ring you in and you can pay there. But they'll charge you tax - we never charge tax when you pay cash here. But there's a TD bank machine up the street!"
Well, why pay $53.11 when you can avoid the tax man altogether? I told her I'd be back in a flash. I hurried up the street to the little ABM, only to see that it was flashing Machine Out of Order. Curses! Just my luck. I couldn't see another machine in sight along the street, but on my way back to the store I quickly searched on my phone for the next closest bank. Spadina Ave, no more than a 5 minute walk away. I poked my head back into the store:
"It's out of order, but there's another bank nearby...how much later are you open?"
"Oh, another half hour or so." replied the cashier.
"I'll be back in 10!" I blurted out. I didn't care how much runaround I had to do, that coat was mine!
I hastened down the street and around the corner, bobbing and weaving around pedestrians who had decided that a narrow icy sidewalk was the perfect place to try to break a world record for slowest walking. It's not easy to speed-walk in the rather congested area of Chinatown to begin with. With each of these little obstacles blocking my path to buying this particular garment, I couldn't help thinking that someone up there was trying to tell me something, like "Now Brittany, don't you think you've spent enough for one day?" And that's when I gave the voices in my head the mental middle finger, and continued onwards to my destiny to the kingdom of HBC vintage-coat ownership.
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| The coat chose me |
I made it to the bank and cackled gleefully as I withdrew my funds; (well, mental cackling...I would have scared away the couple at the machine next to me).
I rapidly made my way back to the store to pay for and collect my new (old?) treasure. I couldn't believe my luck - I had come across two amazing pieces of clothing in the span of an hour, and had gotten both for a combined total of $59. I skipped elatedly all the way to the AGO; (oh, okay...mental skipping. It was icy, after all).
So without further ado (drumroll please), here is my very Canadian Hudson's Bay parka:
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| So Canuck |
I now no longer have to feel envious about seeing them on other people - I am a proud owner! Igloos and pine trees? Canadian pride 100%.
Can you feel the love?
THE DETAILS:
Era: 1970s
Label: Hudson's Bay Company
Material: 100% wool outer, nylon/polyester inner lining
Made in Canada...my home and native land
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