We at riyoko love sifting though piles and racks to find the perfect pre-loved treasure to add to our wardrobes. Vintage, consignment, thrift, swap or mom's closet- we love it all! Here, we share our favourite spots to shop for vintage threads and a few of our most special finds.  

Kristi: Well, truly, I've had more and more trouble finding good vintage here in Calgary. It seems more stores are shutting down than opening up. I have a real soft spot for 70's and early 80's dresses, shoes and purses, and as those eras get further away, the harder it is to find mint items from those times. Luckily, I have really great random luck and sometimes an eye for diamonds in the rough. So here are a few random finds from places still around and some closed down (a moment of silence <3).

Purses from the Shaganappi Sally Anne (Salvation Army) and Pendulum Vintage (now closed):

Dress from Rossana's on Ossington and Bloor (closed for probably a decade now):

Onesy from Divine (buy-two-get-the-third-free vintage Thursdays are always fun when you can find three awesome pieces <3):

And... I almost forgot, my mom had mad style (and still does I should add), and she and I are the same size. These are some shoes she gave me:

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Vivian: My favourite vintage store is Courage My Love in Toronto, Canada. It's great to shop there because they just have SO MUCH to look at! They stock a wide variety of trinkets and off-beat, quirky clothing and accessories. One of the most interesting parts of the store is the collection of beads they carry for jewellery making. It also doesn't hurt that CML is located in one of my favourite places in the city- Kensington Market. 

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Natalia: I'll freely admit that I like the thrill of the hunt and I seldom like to break a ten dollar bill while thrifting. My favourite type of thrift store is packed wall to wall (sometimes in boxes on the floor), holds bag sales and sometimes even has a pet running around. I haven't really come across this type of store in Calgary, yet. I do also really like consignment and Calgary has a number of great shops which serve this useful purpose. I'd suggest Zoe's on 14th (I have enjoyed a bag here),Peacock Boutique in Kensington, and Eleganza on 14th street SW.

To round up a few of my favourite thrift store finds, I'll start with this necklace from the Hillhurst/Sunnyside flea market which has a mini sewing kit hidden in the pendant (side note- this also represents my fist successful haggling attempt).

Next, I have a floral slipdress that I found in my mom's closet, a long navy dress and leather fannypack- bag sale grabs at Zoe's and an orange sequined top from Eleven:Eleven Boutique's vintage section. 

And, lastly, a few more pieces of jewellery- elephant bracelet from Peacock Boutique and rings purchased from Ebay. 

Happy hunting <3 riyoko!