Top Designer Resale Consignment Shops in Montreal Quebec
I don’t really like vintage shopping unless it is super clean vintage that has a modern feel to it, so it is hard to find shops I will actually spend time shopping in.
I also hate shopping in stores where everything is crammed into little corners, and Winners or TJ Maxx (to give you an idea) is my nightmare.
I will update this post as I find more shops.
THE HIDDEN GEM: CHARLOTTE & GABRIELLE
353 Prince Albert Avenue, Westmount QC (Map)
Near Metro Vendôme
QUIRK:
Not on the main street, it’s out of the way just past a few houses and past that little Westmount garden walkway. It’s the dark green house on the corner of that street.
UPSIDE:
Everything is priced reasonably.
Things are all in good condition or like new, lots of great brands, Chanel and the like, and the clothing is modern and could be worn by anyone today without alterations (none of that designer stuff that looks outdated or old).
DOWNSIDE:
Hmm… It’s still pricey for designer goods, but not as pricey as if you bought it brand new in a store.
It’s a little small, but what store isn’t? And I cannot really think of a major downside because it’s just so well curated and managed. This might be my favourite consignment shop of all and I am sort of loathe to let everyone in on the secret. 😉
CONCLUSION:
MUST VISIT. I wanted everything in here.
DÉJ A PORTÉ: The Best Deal
344 Victoria Avenue, Westmount QC (Map)
Near Metro Vendôme
(Imagine French accents in that name translating to: ‘Already Worn’)
QUIRK:
Cash only!
But there are some banks up the street (CIBC, Bank of Montreal to name a few), and the prices are all inclusive of taxes.
UPSIDE:
Everything is priced REALLY reasonably.
I found a really nice Hugo Boss jacket for only $135 but it didn’t fit (was too small… and I have a million autumn coats).
Lots of cashmere sweaters but again, not really brands that are well known, some you can see are either vintage or on the inexpensive side.
DOWNSIDE:
Kind of a hole in the wall. It’s dark, you have to rummage a lot.. it’s a bit like Winners for a mole.
Everything is crammed onto racks, it’s sorted by size at least (thank goodness) but about 90% of the items are black, they ALL smell musty/funny and to find a gem, takes at least 2 hours of patience (including trying on things in their kind of ghetto changing room in the basement).
CONCLUSION:
You can find some great pieces here but you have to be willing to sift through a lot of old musty smelling stuff and there is no guarantee you’ll find anything.
They also mixed in stuff from Banana Republic and J. Crew but those items are priced accordingly. I didn’t see any from the lower tier brands like Suzy Shier or Dynamite though.
It’s not properly curated but that’s why it’s cash-only and pretty much dirt cheap for the brands.
BOUTIQUE SHARYN SCOTT: The Chicest
4919 Sherbrooke West Street, Westmount, QC (Map)
Near Metro Vendôme
This shop is literally up the street and around the corner from DEJ A PORTE. Just a little up the ways in Westmount and it becomes a very prestigious shopping address. Only rich folk come to this part of town.
QUIRK:
She has a dog (golden retriever) that is in the store when she is working.
If you’re allergic like I am, beware… I was kind of grossed out to be honest, because if I am paying for that amount of money for a piece of clothing, I don’t want dog hair on it, nor do I want to be sneezing and coughing while shopping.
UPSIDE:
They’re all designer brands, either well known or not.
You are NOT going to find well-known mainstream brands like Banana Republic or J. Crew here, and if you do, it’ll be the super rare piece.
Great finds, albeit expensive. I guess they have to pay the rent some how.
It’s really well kept, well laid out, done by type of clothing item and sorted into “casual, formal, day” and so on. It is the one with the most inventory and one of the best curated shops I have been to. Everything is properly stored on racks and there is SPACE to shop.
DOWNSIDE:
High, HIGH end. You don’t come into this store without expecting to spend at least $100 upwards to a couple thousand or more.
CONCLUSION:
Come here if you want a calm, retail-like consignment shopping experience where things are not crammed onto racks and disorganized up the wazoo. Just be willing to pay $$$$$$ for it.
BOUTIQUE ENCORE: The Most Wearable Finds
2145 Crescent Street, Montreal QC (Map)
Between Metro Guy-Concordia and Peel
This is a very expensive area of town, to give you an idea, it’s near Ogilvy, Holt Renfrew, Hermes, Chanel, etc. It could be considered the Yorkville area of Toronto, if that gives you an idea, and the owner has priced the items accordingly.
QUIRK:
You have to climb a few steps, I missed it 3 times because I wasn’t looking up, and then I didn’t know which door / entrance to walk into.
UPSIDE:
He has men’s consignment here, and not just a dinky little section, an actual area with racks of men’s clothes. Really nice, thousands-of-dollars jackets and so on. He has less Chanel pieces than Sharyn Scott, and a lot more mainstream brands (Club Monaco, Banana Republic, but no Dynamite or Suzy Shier here).
You can also negotiate the prices whereas in the other shops, it was less of a thing. He can give you a discount if you buy more items, just be reasonable.
Lots of great jewellery as well, 2 changing rooms (actual ones!) and the sale rack is a must-sift-through one. You can find mainstream retail for around $20 – $30, mid-tier designer stuff for $80, but no high-high end (Hermes, Chanel, etc). I think I did see a Giorgio Armani shirt or sweater on that rack for $100 though.
DOWNSIDE:
Given the shop’s address, the guy’s gotta pay his rent!!
The prices are about 50% higher than I expected for similar items. I wouldn’t say they’re out of reach for a regular consignment connoisseur of high fashion like I am, but his sale rack prices are what I expected his retail prices to be.
As a commenter mentioned below, the higher-end stuff only seems to be in the men’s section, not the women’s.
CONCLUSION:
Pretty expensive for what he’s selling but the sale rack is a good place to start because you can find items for $22 (J. Crew sweater which is not “designer” but.. hey).
If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, stick to the sale rack, put on some blinders and leave ASAP once you’re done picking through it.
I’d come here because he has stuff that is the most wearable if that makes sense. It’s not old, musty vintage stuff.
Erica Brown says:
Totally disagree that Sharyn Scott’s Golden Retriever brushes against the clothes! This is the most well behaved dog of any breed I’ve ever come across and I’ve never once seen him touch an item in her shop. But yes, I agree that if you are severely allergic, you will probably react in her store as there will inevitably be some dander floating around! However, this shop owner has trained her dog not to bother customers, not to go up to them unless they initiate with a gesture, and is very careful he is not a bother.
Sherry of Save. Spend. Splurge. says:
He is very well behaved and sweet, certainly. But I beg to differ with his fur brushing up against the clothes. I was there and saw him underneath the rack of clothes near the front stairs at the time. Yes, she shooed him away afterwards but I saw what I saw. It is inevitable that a dog would be near the clothes, he can’t walk with shields around him!
Bottom line: If she wants to appeal to all customers, she shouldn’t have pets or animals in there, well-behaved or not.
Minh says:
You should change your description for Boutique Encore. I only saw high end items in the men’s section at least but I’m positive it should be the same for the women’s section. I bought a almost brand-new Lanvin white button-up shirt for only 79$. It was 50% off and the boutique has end season sale like all other shops so it’s a definitive visit in my opinion. The employee that works there was also very helpful by asking what I was looking for and getting every pieces that could fit my size.
save. spend. splurge. says:
Done!
Teresa! says:
Hi!
Will be visiting Montreal for two days only next week, & wondered if you’ve come across any other consignment thrift/stores you would recommend?
Am hoping to check these three out 🙂
Best wishes,
Teresa!
save. spend. splurge. says:
YES! Here’s a list. Montreal consignment shops.
Tanya & Olivier says:
Next time you are in Town visit La Friperie du Village in the West Island, you will be overwhelmed
Morgaine says:
Why didn’t you do a list like this for Toronto??? Not that I normally wear designer brands (thrifted or not) but I would still love to know where you got your great finds 🙂
save. spend. splurge. says:
I am doing the post now. 🙂 Montreal is a lot harder to find than Toronto. I really had NO help from yelp or Google.
Kathy says:
I’m pretty envious of those who can shop thrift stores or consignment stores successfully. I can never find anything I like or that seems in good enough condition to bother purchasing. Perhaps I’m too much of a snob but I just don’t like wearing someone else’s rejects. Even in the more upscale shops, everything seems TOO used.
save. spend. splurge. says:
It depends on how well curated the store is. If it isn’t well done then yes I agree some of those things shouldn’t be sold. The ones I mentioned here, sell almost like new items except for the bargain basement shop (Déj a Porté)