I apologize for my unplanned absence for the past 6 weeks (!). I have been traveling a bunch, but am now fully settled and ensconced in Montreal. I have a number of posts in mind for the fall, so stay tuned.
For this post, I will talk about procuring secondhand clothing. In the past year, I have thrifted in some of the best cities for secondhand clothing on the planet: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Tokyo, & Paris. WOW. I am now renewing my efforts to find the best that Montreal has to offer on this score. Here is what I have found that I either frequent myself or will be in the near future. Please let me know what gems I am leaving out!
Similar to other cities, there are different types of used clothing vendors here. If you’re new to town, it is important to know that the generic name for stores selling secondhand clothing is friperie. This is a great search term online and a word to look for on storefronts. There are charity thrift stores that accept donations from everyone for resale; there are used clothing stores that offer a more curated (and expensive) collection of items, some contemporary, some vintage; and then there are dedicated vintage stores, even more curated, more expensive, and selling clothes from an era in the past. There is of course blurring across these as well. Unfortunately, there’s a pretty big jump in price and quality from the charity stores to the used clothing stores, meaning that the former’s quality can be lacking and the latter’s prices are pretty high comparatively.
Charity Thrift Stores
These are easy to find and ones that everyone knows. Many have multiple outlets across the city. As I alluded to above, the signal-to-noise ratio at these is pretty low at most of these. You need patience and weekly visits here to find the good stuff. I have gotten lucky a few times. And when you do find the good items, they will be very affordable (fondly remembering the Campers shoes I found for my daughter at Renaissance for $11).
Renaissance
Renaissance is the largest chain in town, with locations all over Quebec. Expect lots of H&M, Dynamite, and Old Navy. But you can also find some great finds in there too. Lots of jeans They also have a ‘liquidation centre’ (aka “the bins”) in Town of Mont-Royal, where things are cheap and even more abundant. (I recommend a huge amount of patience and maybe latex gloves).
Village des Valeurs
Known outside Quebec as Value Village, this chain is all over North America. Again, these stores are big and require some patience. They say that they work with local non-profits, but their connection to non-profits is a bit vague, to be honest. They have lots of additional ways to save by joining their Super Savers Club to get additional coupons and earn points on purchases. Also, when you donate here, they give you a coupon for a percentage off your next purchase.
Salvation Army
This one is under the radar in this town, but the one in Verdun is worth a trip and then you can shop on cute Wellington Street.
Boutique Les Petits Frères
This store in the Plateau is run by Les Petits Frères where 100% of profits go to helping those who are aging in isolation (you can see the work of the organization on the website as well). They also have a collection box on location that is open 24/7. This one is smaller than the others and a bit more curated than the others.
Le Chaînon
Another store run by a non-profit foundation, Le Chaînon is a women’s shelter, and the store has been around on St. Laurent in the Plateau for a very long time. This one gets a lot of foot traffic, so it’s often picked over, but I know a lot of people who donate here, so there is a lot of turnover. I see that they now have an online boutique for the higher-end items they receive. You can donate items around back of the store on St. Dominique.
Buy/Sell/Trade Stores
We do not have the big chains (e.g., 2nd Street, Buffalo Exchange) for buy/sell here in Montreal or anything even really equivalent. But there are places worth exploring!
Eva B/Eva D
This is likely the most well-known of the used/vintage stores in town, located near Quartier des Spectacles on St. Laurent. They do buy clothing every day and give you a store credit for anything they accept. Prices are pretty high for used clothing and it is highly curated. If you shop used to find cool used stuff and rotate things in and out of your wardrobe, you’ll love this place. If you shop secondhand to save money, well, this is not your best bet.
Empire Exchange
This is another curated, selective buy/sell/trade store. You can make an appointment online to bring your items to them for review. They can be highly selective and it is not just a used clothing store. They sell new curated items (clothing, cosmetics, jewelry, etc.). It is definitely a fun place to shop, but not for good deals.
Schwap Club
Schwap Club works on a different but very intriguing format. You pay to be a member for unlimited access to the two spaces they have (St. Henri and Verdun). Membership comes at a price— $115/year. Members can bring guests for $10. And then, in addition, you pay for “credits” that are used to buy clothing OR you can get credits by bringing in items that they accept for exchange. It looks to be very well-stocked, clean, and a nice shopping experience. They also have children’s clothing. I have yet to take the plunge on this one, but this is the year that I am going to give it a go. I will report back.
Vintage/Used Boutiques
There are tons of vintage clothing stores in town, many of them located on St. Laurent Bl in the Plateau and Mile End, others on Mont-Royal Ave (pedestrian only all summer). These tend to be pretty pricey and kind of kitschy. These places are great for window shopping and when you aren’t necessarily looking for anything in particular. Here I want to focus on those that are a little farther afield, with better prices and different visions.
The Little Shop
This gem up in Park Ex is jam-packed full of designer vintage and secondhand items at good prices. Also tons of jewelry, purses, and so much more. The owner is very hands on and has a great eye. One of the few stores in town that attracts shoppers of all ages. Also a fun Instagram follow. And always worth a visit.
Ribotti Vintage
This store is actually on The Main, but only recently moved there. But what sets it apart is that in addition to being a great secondhand store, they specialize in vintage snowsuits, generally one-piece snowsuits for snow bunnies from the 70s and 80s in fantastic colours. A fun snowsuit is a great way to beat the doldrums of winter.
Era Vintage Shop
This is a grown-up vintage store, for event shopping. It is full of evening dresses and and other dress-up clothing. It has a bit of a cult following. Large space in St. Henri.
Popeline
On the far east side of the Plateau (Mont-Royal @ Fabre), Popeline is a great little shop, selling new, used, and consigned items. Prices are better on this end of the Plateau, and they are very selective. You can also bring things here for consignment.
NUAGE Collectif Vintage
This is a collective of numerous collectors who work collectively out of a storefront on Rachel in the Plateau. There are nice things to be found here. Because it is the heart of the Plateau, prices tend to be higher, but they have nice things from a number of different perspectives.
Friperie Phoenix
This is a small storefront on Parc Avenue in Mile End that represents the best of Mile End’s secondhand stores. They have a nice small collection of cute used clothing at moderate prices. There are other similar stores on that same block of Parc.
Online Shopping
While less than ideal in terms of environmental impact and supporting local businesses, it is hard to beat the sheer volume of things available online. It was only recently that these sites started shipping to Canada, and while the prices and selection is not as great as the US market, it still opens up a lot of possibilities, especially if you’re looking for something specific or for brands that are not readily available in Canada.
ThredUP
ThredUp has been available in the United States for more than 10 years. However, it only recently began shipping to Canada. The selection on the site is overwhelming. But this means that you can easily find pretty much anything you’re looking for. It is definitely easiest to approach the site if you know what you’re looking for, rather than just browsing. You can search by brand name and many details about the items. They provide good information about dimensions too Prices are very good (but still in USD) and it is possible that there will be duties owed upon delivery. This is also a place where you can send in clothing and you are given store credit for any items they accept. The rate of acceptance is very low and you do not get a ton in store credit. But they will donate what they do not accept, so it is not a terrible way to reuse and recycle used clothing. Because they have been getting so many items lately, they have also been able to become more selective and the quality has actually gone up in recent years. They also have children’s clothing. (The link takes you to my referral page!)
Poshmark
Poshmark has also been around in the US for quite a while. Now there is Poshmark Canada which is its own marketplace, separate from the US Poshmark. The good news is that items are shipping from other Canadian sellers, so no duties or fees. The bad news is that the selection is not on par with the US site. That said, I have still found some great things on Poshmark.ca and will definitely continue to use it in the future. Items on here tend to be very lightly used or still new with tags and from people who clearly buy too many things. So, the environmental benefits of buying through here are questionable, but it is likely still better than buying firsthand. There are still brands and items on there that are difficult to find in Quebec but more readily available in the ROC.
Ebay
It feels very 2000s to promote Ebay, but I want to put it back on your radar. Many of the items on Poshmark.com (USA) can also be found on Ebay (many sellers have their items for sale on both sites). You can filter Ebay to find those only shipping from Canada to avoid duties, or you can take your chances with individual sellers that duty will not be applied when you receive the package (I have both gotten lucky and unlucky, but clothing often slips through). Ebay can of course be overwhelming and there is a lot of garbage, but if you are looking for a particular item or a particular brand, you can often find it here.
Etsy
For those of you not already hip to this, Etsy is more than just artisanal goods. There are many sellers on Etsy that specialize in used clothing from all over the world. Again, I have had okay luck with getting things duty-free from elsewhere but there are no guarantees. You can, however, filter your results based on the store’s location (within Canada or even within Montreal). I have an entire collection of vintage caftans in my shopping cart right now and even purchased a few earlier this summer.
Perhaps you, my dear reader, know of others that I omitted? I am happy to update my list with your suggestions!
Thanks for this awesome summary!