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the clothing is modern and could be worn by anyone today without alterations (none of that designer stuff that looks outdated or old).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.