A convergence of events was such that I went outside entirely alone, no stroller, no toddler, no wild 11-year-old poodle even, for what was it two? three? hours this afternoon. This being an unusual occurrence, I wanted to make the absolute most of the time. Every second had to be spectacular. This is, I realize as I type, a recipe for disappointment. Nothing can live up to that. Even the perfectly lovely afternoon I had.
First stop was a special appointment-only Japanese (as in the owner is from/is frequently in Japan) vintage store. You have to book an hour-long slot. I could see it was pretty near where I live but thought when am I going to have time to do this? It’s down a flight of stairs so definitely not with a stroller and trying clothes on when you have a baby in a carrier (not that I haven’t tried) doesn’t work. But on Instagram it looked so promising.
Well. I booked. I waited until my time slot. I entered an otherwise empty store, apart from the shopkeeper. The moment had come!
And… I’m not sure which I noticed first, that the stuff was incredibly expensive, or that it was altogether ordinary. Just kidding, it was the upwards of $100 (CAD but still) prices on many items. Items from such haute couture establishments as Express, Talbots, American Apparel. A bunch of American Apparel. The same assortment as any middling North American thrift or vintage store but priced rather differently. What was I expecting? Japanese clothes, maybe. Not, like, traditional garb, but the sort of high-end minimalist Eileen Fisher-ish stuff that Muji is a cheaper version of. Or just, anything compelling. (Lots of good vintage clothes are label-less, but still, American Apparel?) I wanted to want something. I wanted none of it.
But I felt terrible. I’d booked an hour to look at clothes. No other customers. The shopkeeper told me to feel free to try something on and I knew I was going to have to do this. But what? The floral romper with slight potential except for the fact that it was clear even on the hanger it would be a bad idea at $20 let alone the $80 it was? A Laura Ashley dress not unlike one I recently purchased secondhand but $130 rather than $50?
Minutes were passing. Precious minutes. I had to do something here or I was never going to leave.
I narrowed it down to a pair of jeans. Was I able to get them onto my body? I was not. A bad outcome for vanity maybe but it did mean I had a socially acceptable reason for leaving without a purchase. I had been there for 25 minutes.
Next stop was an Italian café where, I cannot stress this enough, I did work on a laptop inside. Between lockdowns and lifestyle this had not happened in 3,000 years.
Then on my way home I passed the warehouse-type vintage place that charges by the pound. It’s like City Bakery but instead of a high-end 1996 buffet in New York it’s old clothes in 2022 Toronto. The floral-dresses section probably has something but everything was a bit too stained/polyester/wrong size to be appealing. The denim jacket and leather jacket sections would have been perfect if I were looking for those. But I kept digging and found a pair of surprisingly well-fitting (once I cut them to the right length at home) Wrangler all-cotton (men’s?) jeans and a jacket along these lines but $8 and, fine, missing a button. I have looked up where to get buttons and it would seem there’s a store on Queen West that specializes in these. (“Spoons, eh?” but for buttons.) When will the button outing happen? Unclear but it will, it will!