Adorit is such a cute and fun little shop. It reminds me a bit of Courage My Love in Kensington…read moreMarket in Toronto. It has that hippie vibe and smells of patchouli. It has vintage items but also new items. Their new items are all ethically sourced/fair trade, most are made of organic materials and the designers are Canadian. The owner, Emma, is very sweet and is so passionate about the items she sells. She introduced me to 2 designers that I totally love now: Smoking Lily, and Rabbit & Empee. OMG, why did I not know about these designers earlier? Their pieces are gorgeous! Most of the clothes in the shop are somewhat quirky with a bohemian vibe to them, some with slight steampunk elements, but there are pieces that look more mainstream too. They also have unique jewelry pieces, hair accessories, belts and purses. Prices run the gamut from less than $1 (vintage jewelry) to over $150 (new clothing). New clothing starts at about $35 for T-shirts and goes up to $100+ for dresses. The shop is small and is in an old converted residential unit in the Byward Market. If you are looking for a cool and unusual piece, Adorit is the place to go! ;)

Adorit is a lovely boutique in the ByWard Market that specializes in vintage, Tibetan and designer…read morerecycled clothes. The vintage selection is small and it's the only part of the store that has men's clothing, but they do manage to have some very unique finds. The new clothing is "environmentally friendly" and it's often made out of recycled clothing material with some really great patterns. The clothing is usually made in Tibet (fair trade) or Canada, including some work by local designers. The clothes are usually quite nice and Bohemian-inspired, although the prices run a bit high sometimes. However, they often have a sales rack and trunk with some great pieces, including my favourite coat that probably gets more compliments than any other article of clothing I own. They also have wonderful accessories and Tibet products.The owner is very nice.

Wow, this place is OVERWHELMING, and amazing at the same time! I don't think I've ever seen a…read morestore so packed with merchandise. There were great finds at reasonable prices. I'll agree the service was a bit crunchy but adequate given the selection. My friends and I definitely found the most deals here. Go with plenty of time to get lost in the hunt!

I'm a bit surprised by all the negative reviews regarding service. I was asked to put my bag behind…read morethe counter by a younger man when I approached him to ask about trying things on, but he was perfectly calm about it and it's not like he leapt on me as soon as I entered the store. Once I explained what I was there for, he also actively kept finding and suggesting things that were similar to what I had tried on. He and the older gentleman also seemed pretty knowledgeable about the clothes, including the details of the brands they were from in some cases, and when they had arrived at the store. They also had a good range of men's clothing, which not every vintage store bothers to have. The main downside for me was that the store was so packed full of clothing that it was a bit claustrophobic, in a way that made it hard to browse. My arms got a workout just pushing the overstuffed racks in circles and trying to claw out pieces that had caught my eye from between other things. They had clothing hanging from the ceiling which was out of reach, and also in some cases apparently only for display, which made it hard to figure out what could be taken down and tried on (not to mention feeling like I was bothering the staff when I asked them to). The lighting's also dim enough it was a bit hard to see the clothing. The changing rooms are brightly lit, though, which is the important part. I did find two beautiful dresses, which while not actually "vintage" are in a similar style, which in my case was all I was looking for. Some of the clothing, including the dresses I picked up, was priced higher than really cheap, straight-up thrift stores like D'OR further down on Bank, but still in the affordable range for nice clothing (~$35-$70). Some pieces that were presumably actually vintage or just nice enough to warrant it were much higher ($125+). I'd say if you're in the area or if you're the kind of person who really enjoys rustling around in secondhand stores for hidden treasures, it's worth dropping in and seeing if you can find something to take home.

Honestly such a hidden gem. There wasn't a single item of furniture that I didn't want to buy!…read moreReasonably priced, beautifully reupholstered furniture items as well as glasses and trinkets. The owners are super knowledgeable and nice as well!

From the owner: We offer a curated collection of vintage furniture, housewares, barware, art, and decor. Styles…read moreinclude mid century modern, hollywood recency, boho, and art deco. We like an eclectic mix. Discover how to integrate vintage into your home!

I visited a couple of consignment shops with my friend when I was in Ottawa. The Clothes Secret was…read moreone of them. I normally don't visit consignment shops. It's a lot of fun when you do on vacation. I like seeing what folks don't want and what I would wear. My friend pointed out a colour-coding discount legend. Depending on what colour tags are on items, you get a certain percentage off the ticketed price. The discount system ranged from 20 to 80 percent off. This store targets women only. Sorry, guys. I liked how organized everything was. Each rack had specific clothing sizes, with shoe sizes resting on top. I liked a beaver cap and a bunch of purses. I didn't need any, but it was nice to browse. Sadly, women's shoes go up to a size 10.5. I'm an 11. Why can't this store round up?! I did like a pair of pink sparkly sandals. It had velcro straps. It was nearly my size. Bummer. I kind of wish that they had both shoes available, so folks can try them on immediately. Instead, you have to flag a staffer for the other shoe, in a reverse Cinderella situation of sorts. You don't get a prince, but you will get to try both shoes on and walk around in them. There were a fair number of folks in this store. It was cool to see. It was a fun visit. I saw some nice blouses and also some hideous articles of clothing that I never want to see again. I enjoyed browsing around and getting out of the heat. (266)

The Clothes Secret is a consignment shop in Old Ottawa South. They don't have a lot of high end…read morestuff, but they aren't super junky either. They have a colour coding system where every week certain colour tags are a certain percentage off (10-80% off). At the end of the season they will have crazy sales like 90% off. Their regular prices are a bit on the higher side, but with every passing few weeks, the prices drop. If a piece has been there for several months you can score it for 80% off their regular price. They have a good number of pieces that are still brand new with original store tags! I tend to gravitate towards these, lol. I guess they have lots of consignors who a) buy online at sites with inaccurate sizing charts and can't be bothered to return their purchases, b) buy things on impulse then change their minds after the return/exchange period, c) buy items and keep them in their closet then lose or gain weight and they no longer fit, or d) buy items as "goal size/weight" pieces then give up on their goals. To the latter I say: Never give up! Follow your dreams! Well, unless the piece is my size and pretty, then you should definitely put it up for consignment, lol. Staff are nice. The store is fairly large and well organized into sections. They sell clothes, shoes, handbags, accessories (scarves, belts, etc.) and jewelry. Only women's stuff, no men's stuff. Street parking only.

Great for Home Decor and books. The service is non existent. The value is great tho. But be ready…read moreto look and look for a while.

Whoever does the window displays in this store must have been inspired by New York's fifth avenue…read more The diplays change often according to the season and the holiday, whether Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, Remembrance Day, Hallwe'en etc. Inside is an excellent selection of donated items for sale, run by cheerful and dedicated staff. Everything from clothing to furniture to books to dishes. Prices, as you might expect, are excellent and a real plus to anyone living on a reduced income, but also just a great store to browse in anyway to find something that can find a second life somewhere else.

As far as the quirky Dalhousie street shops go, Victoire is the most expensive. Their clothes are…read moreof exceptional quality, but not as affordable for the average person. They have lots of soft fabrics, unique accessories and dresses, all with a vintage, "hipster" feel. The staff is always pleasant and the atmosphere in the little shop is always nice, I just can't seem to bring myself to purchase any of their clothes. Their typical price point is just outside what I am able to justify buying a dress for. Definitely check it out, they sometimes have good sales and you don't lose anything by doing what I do: browsing and dreaming. Browsing and dreaming.

Fantastic. I am not…read morein Ottawa often, but when I am I beeline for Victoire. It is a magical place where unicorns, baby deer, blue birds and super cute and well dressed girls come from. do yourself and your wardrobe a favor and go here!

Schad and Schad Blu are 2 stores that carry some of the better fashions and threads in this city…read morefor men and women. I'm glad Ottawa has some clothing stores with styles outside the GAP, AE, Old Navy, etc. Not that there's anything wrong with those stores but they're pretty boring. Schad carries a nice balance of North American and European brands. The unfortunate thing about some of the North American brands is that they've been run into the ground since the Jersey Shore phenomenon! Brands like Ed Hardy and Affliction are carried here and unfortunately Dom Rebel (based out of Montreal) has been styling a lot of shirts like them recently. Some of the other brands that I'm glad they have include Diesel, Energie, Sand and J Lindeberg. It's not for everyone but I do get complimented regularly. I believe there is a slight mark up on these brands compared to some of the other stores I've been in that carry these lines in Toronto and Montreal but it's not that much and the store owner and the staff are super friendly and super helpful. To get an idea, Chantel (the store owner) once tried on a dress for me that I was purchasing for a friend to give me an idea of what it would look like while being worn! That's pretty damn awesome!

This is a very upscale boutique with unique high end brands. The staff is always very friendly and…read morekind. They have a cute kids table at the back for colouring, which I thought was very considerate and welcoming for families. Expect high prices here. I am always disappointed when boutiques have so many small sizes. Larger people like nice things and have money too ;) (just sayin')

Neon is a good place to go if your style is somewhat akin to the urban punk or skater look. This…read moreplace usually caters to teenagers and young 20-somethings, but they also have a few other great offerings worth checking out. My favourite part of Neon is the upstairs section of vintage clothing. It's a bit pricey, but the pieces are all decent, so you don't have to worry about filtering out the junk. The vintage and main section also have a great selection of shoes. The vintage shoes mainly specialize in cowboy boots for men and women. The main section has a unique array of sneakers that may be difficult to find elsewhere in Ottawa.

I've recently purchased a pair of Dr. Martens from here which I love, and I don't care much for…read moretheir other apparel so this is based on the customer service I received. The chick who served me was blonde with blunt bangs and hitting middle age. She was very pushy, which wasn't the worst part, but she was RUDE. Besides the pushiness, for some reason she had a permanent scowl on her face and with any question or request I made, she'd sigh really loudly and exasperatedly. She'd come by every 2 minutes asking if I made a decision yet, then had the nerve to ask me in a condescending tone/as if it were prohibited why I was speaking Spanish with my boyfriend and where we were from "because she was Latina". WTF man. She was just really, really unpleasant and rude. She must have had a stick up her ass or something.

Trove Fashion is a consignment shop in Hintonburg. I walk by it all the time, but only went in for…read morethe first time with my friend visiting from out of town. I was showing her around the neighbourhood and it was a scorcher of a summer day, so we went in partially for a reprieve from the heat, lol. The space is a bit smaller than I expected from the outside. I found the prices high and the items were mostly just regular clothes. I didn't see any unique pieces. I like consignment shops for unusual pieces, like asymmetric styles, oversized zippers, grommets, origami pleats, etc. I didn't see any at Trove. They do have a mix of luxury brands and more contemporary brands. They had a cute Burberry bag. Staff greet you when you enter, but pretty much leave you alone to browse, which I definitely prefer to salespeople who follow you around asking if you need help, lol. It's not quite my cup of tea, but don't let that deter you from visiting. I always enjoy having more fashion choices in the neighbourhood. Street parking only.

I was fortunate to spend a day checking out stores with a friend in neighbourhoods that I had never…read morefrequented. As luck would have it, we were outside on one of the hotter days that week. As someone who doesn't do well in such conditions for long periods, we often ducked into stores to enjoy their air conditioning while satisfying our shopping curiosity. Trove Fashion was one such business. It was one of two consignment stores that we dropped by. It's located in Hintonburg, a pretty trendy part of the city. I will admit that I don't visit consignment shops often. However, I do enjoy browsing to get style ideas and see what folks have previously loved that may be a valuable wardrobe addition to others. My first thought when I saw the available fitting rooms was how stylish they were. The full-length mirror with beautiful lighting, a side table with accents, and a chair made it feel like you were at home, in your bedroom, trying on items. So classy! The shoe section was pretty decent. There were a few size 11 shoes that looked cool. Looking at these shoes and sandals was almost a premonition to get a new pair of sandals on this trip! As you'd expect with clothing, some items were cool and classy, and others were articles that I would never touch with any pole within arm's length. I liked a cute burnt orange skirt with rounded edges. It had a lot of character. Prices vary, but I find that they run on the higher end at this store. There were a pair of burgundy high heels that were going for $225. To be frank, I don't own a pair of shoes that go into triple digits. It was enjoyable browsing around. The air conditioning was effective. I may need to add air conditioning as a criterion in my summer reviews now... haha (251)