Vintage is a fancy, abused term used to market old clothing and other collectibles; in reality, we’re talking here about a continuum that runs through quality consignment to no-nonsense, ultra-cheap thrift. My goal is to recommend some of the best of a staggering number of outlets, and those with genuinely interesting older clothes.
Helen Mears opened Mecca (1204 Commercial Drive, East Vancouver, 604-251-7390) ifl the late ‘8os and has thrived since. Her funky corner storefront carries contemporary and retro stock that she characterizes as “classic street clothing.”
Another good-looking vintage location is front and company (3772 Main Street, East Vancouver, 604-879-8431) — actually an assem¬blage of storefronts that includes hip collectibles and clothes. It’s at Main Street and East 22nd Avenue, among a cluster of clothing shops, a number of them carrying old stuff. On the wild and cluttered site is Echo (3288 Main Street, East Vancouver, 604-874-5550); on the other hand, Lines Clothing (3793 Main Street, East Vancouver, 604-871-0998) is orderly and shows loads of costume jewelry.
South Granville is a west-side hub, so expect consignment to market mid- to high-end clothing. Reviews are mixed: one of the bigger outlets, Turnabout (3121 Granville Street, Central Vancouver, 604-734-5313), carries a lot of stock, well displayed, including major designer labels. But more interesting is the Blue Unicorn (3136 Oak Street, Central Vancouver, 604-734-5924). This small store is all froth and fun — and theatrical: studded black pants for a Mexican night on the town, or a broad-feathered eyepiece for a Venetian carnival.
There’s a pocket of vintage-vintage that starts just north of Victory Square in the 300 block of Cambie Street and spills around various corners. Among them is Jezebel (321 Cambie Street, Downtown, 604-687-1719), with some interesting finds.
You’ll find an ever-changing cluster of relatively good consignment stores on West 4th Avenue between Collingwood and Alma streets, as well as some on Fourth Avenue in central Kitsilano.
At the decidedly thrifty end of the spectrum there’s Value Village (1820 East Hastings Street, East Vancouver, 604-254-4282; and 6415 Victoria Drive, South Vancouver, 604-327-4434). My bohemian cousin has been known to outfit her two young teens there, to great effect. The YWCA runs a thrift shop in the heart of a fashionable, high¬income area (6057 West Boulevard, Westside, 604-263-3773) — a bril¬liant location, at least donation-wise. The y also operates a shop in the consignment/vintage heartland (4399 Main Street, East Vancouver, 604-675-9996).
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