Let the bargain hunting begin!

Almost a year to the date, that is the date I first read the Clin D’Oeil “Boutiques vintage et fripperies chics:nos bonnes addresses” article online, I finally was able to make it out to some of the shops featured in the piece by Lolitta Dandoy to experience vintage shopping for myself. I devised a road map with nine pit stops consisting of the shops that piqued my interest and drove all over Montreal in search of the treasures that were waiting for me to find them.

Situated on Sherbrooke St in Westmount, Sharyn Scott was my first stop and it did not disappoint in terms of choice. Price however is another story. Given the great location of the boutique and the excellent selection of luxury goods for sale such as Louboutin, Louis Vuiton, Prada, Hermes, etc it was no surprise that the discounts on the items was not that great. For those looking for the real deal at a discount, this is the place to go, however for those on a budget, steer clear or risk falling in love with a $500 pair of heels!

Next on the list was Déjà Porté, also in Westmount but tucked away on the quieter Victoria St just a couple blocks to the East. A tiny little shop, busting at seems with clothing and accessories, however the potential for reasonably priced finds is high, if one is patient enough to search through the overfilled racks and stacks of clothing underneath. There were a lot of BCBG and Lacoste clothing options, yet very few accessories overall. Maybe I`ll have better luck next time though, as no one particular piece really drew my attention.

Upon walking into the third boutique of the day, Designer Resale on Prince-Albert St, just around the corner from the Déjà Porté, it was love at first sight! The shop was albeit on the smaller side, everything was beautifully organized and easy to see. I made my only purchase of the day, a J. McLaughlin coral silk tunic for only $25! There was a gorgeous chiffon evening dress by Cate Adair, the Desperate Housewives costume designer, that Paula, the bubbly owner of the shop, was willing to let go for the bargain price of about $400, however one would need a black tie affair in order to justify such a purchase.

Hoping back into my car, I drove out to Griffitown to find Era Vintage Wear on Notre-Dame St. The collection consisting mostly of dresses, of course inspired by eras gone by, was colourful and intriguing, although not the style I am typically after, the pieces were well executed and well priced. The space itself is airy and well organized (all items of clothing are hung by color). This boutique is certainly worth the detour for those looking for a taste of the glamour Jackie Kennedy for one so well portrayed.

Sitting right across from the legendary Schwartz’s smoked meat restaurant on St-Laurent Boulevard, is the newly moved and re-baptised Duclos Michel second hand store, formerly known as Friperie Marie-Claude. This place was huge, boasting lots of racks for both men and women, which were full over capacity. Thankfully, everything is organized according to size, so it was easy to spot which racks might work for me, where I did find a Burberry trench (size 38) for $142, slightly too big unfortunately.  Although, I came out empty handed, if I happen to be in the neighbourhood I would definitely pop in to see any new arrivals.

Situated on Rachel St, Boutique Vintage Leora evoked a similar feeling to Era Vintage Wear with its airy space and beautiful displayed clothing. The shop had mainly dresses on offer, ranging from the very casual to the very dressy, with prices to match.  There were some nice hats and scarves too to complete one’s look. Overall, this shop is not exactly my style, but it was interesting to see the creativity in the design of the large assortment of dresses for sale.

Nearing the end of the tour was Friperie Morgane on Van Horne in Outremont. Given the hot and sunny weather, it was no surprise to see that the shopkeeper, Diane, was out for a dip in the local pool. Making the most of my time there, I took the time to look through the store window and spotted a few items that would have been interesting to see up close. I will definitely be returning as the diversity of the items on display at the storefront certainly seemed promising.

Having come full circle, the last stop of the day was The Hunt on Graham St in Ville Mont Royal. This boutique is the smallest by far, however the quality of the items makes up for the lack of space. Everywhere I turned I saw beautiful coats, dresses and accessories. The most impressive collection of real jewellery, no costume or plastic jewellery in sight was in the front display case. It was full of beautiful one of a kind pieces like a raw amethyst ring or a gold Rolex watch or even a cute Fendi coin purse. The Hunt is definitely on my top three list.

After a long, but satisfying day of shopping all over town, I am happy to confirm that Montreal truly is amongst the best shopping destinations I have been to world-wide.  Between the high end department stores like Holt & Renfrew and Ogilvy, the big chains all over town, the outlet malls in the suburbs and the great vintage shops in the city, there is something to make even the pickiest fashionista happy.