The Vintage Resolution: September 2014

...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: