List of some best thrift stores in Montreal!!
Feel the urge to update your closet with the latest flared jeans trend or maybe that leather skirt you have wanted for “oh so long.” But wait, it is the middle or end of the month, and the last thing you want to do is spend excessive and unnecessary money?
If Montreal and Macklemore have a thing in common, it’s a passion for thrift shopping.
There’s nothing like delving into a colorful rack of used clothes and discovering the sweater you’ve been looking for for months or a skirt that fits perfectly and goes with everything you own.
As post-lockdown makeovers begin, it may be tough to update your look in a way that is sustainable, ethical, and doesn’t break the bank. Despite the abundance of big-brand charity stores such as Value Village and the Salvation Army, finding anything suitable can take hours and hundreds of fruitless trips to the changing rooms.
If you’ve been disheartened by previous fruitless attempts to go thrift shopping in Montreal, we’ve assembled a list of a dozen independent second-hand businesses that will rekindle your passion for thrifting.
Stop fighting yourself and go thrifting at some of the top thrift shops in Montreal!
What is Thrifting?
If you’ve ever heard someone say, “I’m going thrifting,” you may be curious about what they mean. Thrifting is the process of reusing pre-owned, upcycled clothing items, accessories, and more at affordable and reduced prices! Items that have been thrifted have been loved by a prior owner, but they are typically in good condition and have enough life still to be helpful to a new owner. As described, thrifting is shopping at a thrift outlet, garage sale, or flea market for gently used products at reduced costs.
What distinguishes a thrift outlet from other stores?
It is a store that offers gently worn clothing, furniture, and other home things at a low cost. We receive contributions from the community every day at Goodwill, so our shelves are always loaded with loads of one-of-a-kind items. The main distinction between a thrift-shop and a retail store is that the products for sale at a thrift outlet aren’t brand new, but that doesn’t imply they’re in bad shape. Thrift shopping is a great way to give those goods a new lease of life.
Shopping in a thrift-store is not the same as shopping at a department store. You don’t always go with a list when you go to a thrift-store. Thrift shopping is more about the quest than finding a specific item. It’s exciting to see what you could find in thrift outlets because they’re full of antique and out-of-season items. Whatever calls to you, whatever you adore, is what you purchase! Furthermore, when you reach the checkout line, you’ll realize that your bill is substantially lower than at a retail store.
Why do people enjoy shopping at thrift outlet?
It’s fascinating to think about what you could find when thrifting. The thrill of the search is what draws most people to thrift outlets. The majority of thrift-store consumers are also creative. They can think beyond the box to envisage new life for a lightly worn object. Clothing in a thrift-shop, for example, isn’t necessarily in-season, but those who buy items at a thrift-store might get creative to express their particular style in a way that is relevant to what’s in-season.
The majority of thrifting store shoppers get lost in the aisles. The rows and rows of ancient volumes. Clothes shelves brimming with old designer discoveries. Board games are no longer available anyplace else. There’s a lot to sort through. A thrifting shop is also a terrific location to locate collectibles, precious jewels, and goods simply impossible to find elsewhere.
If you enjoy the thrill of discovering something completely unexpected and one-of-a-kind, you’ll enjoy shopping at a thrift-store. You never know what you’ll find when you go shopping in these stores. You could go into the store looking for clothing and leave with a stack of books or a work of art.
Why should you shop at secondhand stores?
Experimentation teaches you what works for you and what doesn’t. Investing in these shop garments allows you to experiment with your wardrobe without spending a fortune.
Trendy clothing is available that is not always available at retail outlets. They are not usually from well-known companies, yet they are high quality.
The items you locate here will be significantly distinct from the rest. You are unlikely to come across a twin in public. You will stand out since the clothing you wear are not easily found by others.
Because you spend so little money on thrifted items, it is feasible to get rid of them. Unnecessary stockpiling of products is avoidable. If you buy clothes that don’t fit you after a few days or months, you can give them because you didn’t spend much money.
Finally, thrifting helps the community. A significant amount of money is donated to charity by many thrift businesses. You may also contribute to being a part of it.
What is Vintage Clothing?
The colloquialism “vintage” is generally used to refer to clothing styles of old times, and a general industry-approved standard is anywhere from 20 years old style to a 100 years old style.
Are thrift stores open in Montreal?
Yes, they are!
So, if you are in for such clothing and thrifting, let’s check the best thrifting stores in Montreal.
1) Empire Exchange
They have two locations in Little Italy and one in Mile End.
You are bound to find all your fashion cravings here. Being a clothing exchange-based business, they have appointment booking with their buyers, and they take clothes and cash donations.
This store is the first and the only store in Montreal to offer exchange services. They have been serving customers in Mile End since 2013, and recently opened up their second location in 2018.
You can find everything here, from apothecary products, jewelry, candles, stationery, and homewares.
Address-
5225 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2T 1S4, Canada
Visit their website!
2) Annex Vintage
This and Empire-Exchange can be called sister stores. Thus, a similar funky and artsy vibe will be felt in second-hand clothes.
You might find yourself struggling to keep yourself not lost in all those racks of colorful vintage clothes. They offer a wide range of products, from vintage-clothing, art prints, accessories, homewares, to local t-shirts.
Their vintage pieces are very well curated to match current styles and trends.
Address-
5364 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2T 1S1, Canada
Make sure to check out their website!
3) Ruse Boutique
The vibe at Ruse Boutique is sophisticated and chic.
Authentic pieces can be found here from high-end brands such as Christian Louboutin, Alexander Wang, Prada, and more.
Good pieces get sold out and out of stock extremely quickly.
Address-
5141 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2T 1R9, Canada
Visit their website!
4) Ex-Voto
Relax as you can make Ex-Voto your one-stop store for everything sustainable and local.
Handmade goods from local artisans and vintage garments are sold here.
Address-
6534 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2S 3C6, Canada
Make sure to check out their website!
5) Shwap Club
The idea of exchanging your old clothes and making space for new statements gets you excited?
Then you can get a membership at Shwap Club vintage store.
The cost of a visit is 8$. Annual membership costs 115$ or 155$, which offers unlimited entries.
Registration for the membership can be made in-store during opening hours or can be made online.
You can bring your clothes to give and for each item that they accept gives you the right to another thing of your choice, regardless of price or category. These clothes are sorted based on the order of the arrival of shwappers in a first arrival, first-served manner, and there are no minimum or a maximum number of clothes you are allowed to bring.
For all items that they accept, you cannot recover, and for the rejected items, you can either take them back with you or leave them for donation purposes.
Address-
6682 Jeanne Mance St, Montreal, Quebec H2V 4L2, Canada
Be sure to visit their website!
6) Kapara Vintage
Kapara Vintage’s specialization is diversity and choice.
They have an extensive catalog that offers a collection made from second-hand fabrics and reworked pieces.
They aim towards donating parts of their profits to several local non-profits. Kapara’s ultimate primary mission is to be eco-friendly in every way possible without compromising fashion.
What makes them one of the best thrifting stores in Montreal is their dedication to philanthropy.
Kapara Vintage is not just a clothing store or a clothing brand, but more than that, it is a community that loves and supports each other.
Address-
3903 Saint-Denis St, Montreal, Quebec H2W 2M4, Canada
7) Eva B and Eva D
They are a staple when local fashion sense comes in talks.
Eva B offers one of the biggest second-hand goods collections. They also recently opened another store across from Eva D Saint-Laurent street, the original, where you can get curated designer pieces in the vintage stock that too in an affordable price.
Address-
2015 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2X 2T3, Canada
Make sure to check out their website!
8) Era Vintage Wear
It stands ready to serve you with whichever look you want to embody, let that be 80s prom attire or 60s chic dress.
Here, nothing goes to waste or out of trend.
At Era, the new is meshed with the old to create one-of-a-kind, unique pieces. This store is all about both sustainability and fashion. They have always stayed true to the 3R’s- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and absolutely nothing goes to waste while shopping here.
They spend hours repairing, redesigning, and completely reconstructing almost every design you will find in their collection to bring ready-to-wear vintage pieces of a flair at an affordable price range.
Address-
999 Rue du College #41, Montreal, QC H4C 2S3, Canada
Make sure to check out their website!
9) Le Dressing
Le Dressing is a hidden gem and the best vintage store Montreal when vintage boutiques come into talks.
Contemporary pieces in a wide range and designer brands can be found here.
As per google reviews, their customer service and fitting rooms are extremely good, and the store itself is one of the best high-end thrifting shop that they have visited.
Address-
3854 Saint-Denis St, Montreal, Quebec H2W 2M2, Canada
Make sure to check out the store’s website!
10) Citizen Vintage
Another go-to thrift-store in Montreal is Citizen-Vintage.
Unique second-hand styles are sold here, but they also run their fashion line.
The Studio Citizen, their self-titled collection, is handmade with deadstock materials to give an additional way to enjoy sustainable fashion.
Address-
5330 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2T 1S1, Canada
Be sure to check out the store’s website!
11) Cul-De-Sac
This store has been carefully curated with second-hand clothes of pretty decent quality and a cool supreme vintage collection for both women and men.
Their vintage-clothing ranges from cozy sweaters, puffer coats of the 80s, leather handbags, military jackets to jewelry, and even some exciting selection of home furniture.
This store is located at 3794 Saint Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2W 1X6, Canada.
Be sure to check out their Facebook page!
12) LNF Shop
They offer a carefully curated selection of pre-owned clothing, shoes, and accessories. The retail store is located in the Mile End and is open from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays and from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Be sure to visit them on Instagram @LNFshopmtl; new goods are accessible through the stories.
13) Les Folles Alliees
It is a vintage and thrifted clothing and accessories business. The boutique contains some one-of-a-kind garments for practically every decade, from the 1920s to the present. The shop’s décor is vibrant and colorful, making for a pleasurable shopping experience. Come in to see our antique clothing collections for every occasion.
Address-
Montreal Thrift Stores Online
While shopping at cheap thrift stores Montreal might take a bit more of your hunting skills but discovering pieces of unique style, finding just the item you have been wanting, and of course, the extra savings are entirely worth all of it, no doubt!
You can also check out 9 top thrift stores in Vancouver.
You can also bring your old clothing item for donation at these stores. They generally operate for charity goals, and money earned here goes towards that purpose.
Happy shopping!
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