Once upon a time, a young woman, oh let’s just call her Emily, was vintage shopping. She tried on garment after garment, in love with their colors, styles and worn appeal, yet nothing fit. She held handfuls of fabric behind her back, yanked hems up a couple inches, glared at long droopy sleeves and was saddened by puckered torsos. The girl, completely frustrated, left the store in a huff, dreaming of vintage items that couldn’t be bought.

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as finding that beautiful vintage item that no one else owns. However, it’s disappointing when it doesn’t fit quite right. Maybe it’s too long, the sleeves are too big or it’s shaped like a large square. Deborah Brosenne, owner of Taxi CDC, a.k.a. vintage re-constructor extraordinaire, excels in making vintage items new again by deconstructing and designing them into a perfect fit.

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The dress from the photo is a onesie dress which is custom made from your child’s outgrown onesies. How great is that? This is a wonderful way to reuse all those adorable pieces of clothing from the first few months of life. This dress will run you $100, but if you don’t have the mad sewing skills to create one, I think this just might be worth the green.

There is an affordable option for girls a bit older, for $40 you can order a t-shirt dress made from vintage/reclaimed adult t-shirts (you can even provide the t-shirt). They are cute, unique and sure to be a hit. My thought process is that a young child could get many years of use out of the shirts, growing from a dress to a top with leggings or jeans.

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“Redewin garments are made from vintage recycled garments. REstore individuality. REvive character. REnew expression.”

All of Redewin’s clothing is made from previously loved (Ah-hem, VINTAGE) clothing which is pieced together to make something new. Our favorite is the patchwork dress pictured here. My three year old is jumping up and down saying, “I need that dress”.

In addition to the adorable children’s clothing, Redewin also carries many fashionable women’s items. Each item is unique and has only one size available, so you are sure to have a one of a kind! The prices are reasonable (of course, shopping second hand is always the lowest cost). Children’s items range from $18.99-$34.99, Women’s items are a bit pricier but look to be well worth the cost.

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Donning the list of Toronto’s Fashion Heroes, named by NOW Magazine, is Natalie Stephenson whose Heart On Your Sleeve boutique in Toronto, Ontario is filled with labels that are only cruelty-free/vegan, sweatshop-free, recycled and/or organic.  Passionate about supporting local designers, she carries only goods from Canadian labels.  You’ll find great eco-brands like Grace & Cello, Passenger Pigeon, deux fm, Sparrow handbags and more.  And if you live or work in Toronto, they have a bike delivery service that costs the same as shipping (if you’re within their bicycle delivery zone). 

Normally Black Friday (11/28) is a huge day for retailers, but HOYS will be closed as they’re  participating in an international event, Buy Nothing Day as “an opportunity to express their ongoing frusteration with rampant, excessive consumption“. 

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Forever Jack came to be after the founder, Jenny Sanford, lost one of her twin sons shortly after birth, a friend later shared the Dragon Fly Story as a way to remind the family that Jack is Forever. Now, Jenny imprints Dragonflies onto her recycled onesies and an outfit is born. You can read their full story on the website.

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Fashionspace.com is a place to showcase, swap and sell,“your independently designed, vintage or 2nd hand fashion and network with other designers, creatives and fashion-lovers.” Think of it as a new way to support independent designers, or shop vintage, and 2nd hand like dig n swap. It’s free to register, set up a shop and to list. Fashion Space is a new, “international social-trading site for anyone who works or plays in the fashion & arts industry.”

The key goal and inspiration of FS is to create platforms for talented designers & creatives to showcase and sell their work. While I wish it was exclusively green designers, there is a ton of trading and recycling going on as well, so it is pretty sweet.

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Dig ‘N’ Swap

Dig ‘N’ Swap has a new solution

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Photo courtesy of David Monniaux via Wikimedia Commons