Community Thrift and Vintage

A couple weeks ago, my very stylish sister was visiting from Calgary. She wanted to go shopping, so rather than hit mall standbys on Robson at a seven per cent premium, I suggested we poke around in Gastown. Of course, with the gentrification, there are designer shops aplenty, and even more stores that are just slightly too rich for our blood. Imagine our delight when we stumbled upon Community Thrift and Vintage at 41 West Cordova. The store, which opened several months ago, has been beautifully renovated in a cozy Gastown style.

In high school  I wore almost exclusively vintage and I still pepper my wardrobe with secondhand bargains on a regular basis. It is exceedingly rare to find this kind of handpicked selection at these perfectly reasonable prices. Better yet, the store is a social enterprise which offers jobs to “women with barriers to traditional employment…and…[donates] all profits back into the community through key programs of the PHS Community Services Society.”

From now on, when I feel that familiar longing for something new (to me) to wear, Community will be my first stop. Check the website for how to donate your used clothing in good wearable condition.