Do you BELIEVE in Green Drinks?

David "Avocado" Wolfe, spokesperson for the Nutribullet — David “Avocado” Wolfe, spokesperson for the Nutribullet

DO YOU BELIEVE IN GREEN DRINKS?

THE SUPER SIT-DOWN WITH SUPERFOOD SPECIALIST DAVID WOLFE (Aka the ‘NutriBullet guy’)

BY SUZANNE WEXLER

These days, celebs are obsessed with natural food diets, whether its Gwyneth promoting her latest clean-eating recipes in cookbook It’s all Good, or Jenna Dewan Tatum (Channing Tatum’s wife) downing Kimberly Snyder’s ‘Glowing Green Smoothie’ to lose her baby-weight. Indeed, from eating raw to vegan to juicing – or to eliminating corn and bell peppers à la Gwyneth – A-listers are turning to nature in the hopes of cleansing their skin, their souls and their waistlines.

Enter DAVID “AVOCADO” WOLFE, the much-adored spokesperson for the NutriBullet, a $100 blender with a whopping 600-watt motor. Wolfe is a leading authority on the natural foods movement, and has authored nine books in the last twenty years on topics like raw foods, superfoods, mushroom hunting, and natural hormone strategies. On the successful infomercial, Wolfe whips up smoothies loaded with spinach, goji berry, and chia seeds, singing the merits of each ingredient along the way. And thanks to his enthusiasm, mass audiences are now swallowing heaps of kale just like Gwyneth, Jenna, Jessica (Alba) and Fergie. Heck, I’m chugging a leafy mango-berry concoction right now.

But no matter how willing I am to go with the movement’s flow and ‘drink the drink’, the skeptic in me does have a few questions for the bright-eyed bushy-tailed natural foods expert: How do laypeople navigate the incredibly complex world of natural foods? Does a single green drink really do anything? Just like his smoothies, Wolfe’s answers were an unexpected, delightful blend:

From raw foods to superfoods, there are a lot of different diets that you advocate. Is someone supposed to do them all or just pick and choose what’s relevant to them?

It’s more pick and choose what’s relevant. For example, in Montreal, I’ve been able to inspire a number of mushroom hunters. Then there’s the superfood bit, which is something a lot of athletes really tune into.

But how are people supposed to know what they might need, health-wise? In addition to reading relevant books and literature, should they consult a doctor or naturopath?

Great question. Some people like the analytical western data, which is cool. I’m all for it. In that case, they should see a western trained doctor, or integrative doctor, and get analytical data on their hair for example, or blood work, or hormone levels. It’s really good to get that baseline information.

Then some people are like ‘I’m my own best doctor. I’m my own best nutritionist. I’m going to go with my intuition.’ […] And so that’s [another] tool that’s available.

SW: Do you know about Paul Offit? He recently wrote a book called ‘Do you Believe in Magic? The Sense and Nonsense of Alternative Medicine’, plus a New York Times Op-Ed challenging the overuse of megavitamins and antioxidants.

DAW: Yeah. I know who you’re talking about.

SW: I thought you might. So he was saying that overuse of antioxidants might be potentially damaging, and that too much vitamin A and E might cause cancer. He alleges that the natural food industry lacks scientific research and regulation. How do respond to that?

DAW: Here’s the thing. We live in a world where alternative medicine has been vilified by mainstream western medicine. The analytical research that we’d love to do in alternative medicine has been blocked quite strongly by western prejudices for some time. Now this is breaking down in recent years. We’re starting to see a little bit more of the type of research that we’d want to have happen.

SW: So do think there are merits, say, to being on a 10 percent superfood diet, and a 30 percent raw food diet, or do you think people need to go to extremes to see benefits?

DAW: Well I think everybody has to do the piece that makes sense to them. If I make a crazy superfood, super herb drink, I think people feel benefits from that immediately. I’ve seen that. So I’m not one of these people that says it has to be all [or nothing] to get any benefit[…]. But what I like to do is to continue to expand the choices of superfoods and organic herbs and organic foods in general. I also [advocate] eating more fresh, raw food.

SW: Speaking of superfoods, what’s your relationship to the NutriBullet company?

DAW: Well, it’s not my company, but I’m a spokesperson and consultant for the company. And I’ve been deeply involved in the development of the recipes and of the product itself. It’s been a runaway success for all of us. I’ve always wanted to be on TV selling blender foods ever since I can remember, since I was 10 years old actually. To me, the NutriBullet is like a dream come true.

SW: You really dreamed of selling blenders?

DAW: Yeah, I had the dream of selling the blender on TV, and the dream of being the guy who gets people healthy with natural food. All of that came true.

SW: So you definitely back-up the product?

DAW: Absolutely. It’s the best. You can’t get anything like it for under $100 in the world.

*Photo from Jittery Cook

SIDEBAR: RECIPE FROM WOLFE, ADAPTED BY FOOD BLOGGER JITTERY COOK OF http://jitterycook.com

David Wolfe offered a DIY, improv-friendly NutriBullet recipe for Diary of a Social Gal readers with a base of blueberries, raspberries, coconut water, kale and a dash of honey. Optional ingredients included hemp seed (protein), hemp seed oil, or olive oil.

Food blogger Jittery Cook customized this concoction for Diary readers:

David Wolfe‘s Berry Kale Nutriblast Smoothie

1/3 c each blueberries, raspberries
1 c coconut water or enough to cover the other ingredients
2 leaves kale, stem removed, roughly chopped
1 t honey or coconut nectar
2 T hemp seed (or 1 T hemp seed oil, or 1 T olive oil

Combine all ingredients in this order: kale, berries, seeds, sweetener, coconut water. Make sure you stay below the maximum line. Blend in the Nutribullet for 45 seconds. Sprinkle on a little cinnamon. Start sipping right away or carry your smoothie with you in the travel cup provided. Makes a single serving.

Canadiana Craze

Across Canada, many Bay department stores have been outfitted with sections inspired by the striped red, green, gold and dark indigo point blanket. Cashmere robes, cosy knit pillows and giant bins filled with popcorn kernels remind us that, then and now, Canada is about keeping warm.

“Basically, if you think about it, that blanket is to us what the saddle is to Hermès. It’s an iconic piece of our company, and of Canada,” said Suzanne Timmins, fashion director at HBC.

The Bay has attempted similar strategies in the past, but the latest efforts, which also include prints made from historic company archive letters and different blanket colour schemes, have been much more organized, Timmins said.

An old-time Canadiana esthetic happens to be a very popular look nowadays, at home and overseas, which has likely helped The Bay’s branding efforts surge over the last two years.

The famously cool boutique Colette in Paris now carries The Bay’s striped pieces, including a flask and a snowman kit. And Pippa Middleton was spotted strutting to work in London wearing a much-discussed red and black hunting shirt with black pumps, revealing that the heritage look has international legs.

Adding substance to our style was recent news that Canada was declared No. 1 on the Country Brand Index, for the second year in a row, in a study by international consulting group FutureBrand.

Our image of openness, diversity and warmth has made us the most trustworthy nation, brand-wise, in the world, it says.

“We never try to overdo and over-commercialize, but this came right at us,” said Roots owner Michael Budman of the heritage trend, which fits perfectly with the company’s long established strengths. Founded in 1973 by Budman and his friend Don Green after spending many summers at camp in Algonquin Park, Roots has made beaver-stamped sweatshirts part of our national consciousness.

Like The Bay, Roots is riding a trend that it helped kick-start in some way, interweaving stylized nostalgia goodies like soy candles in maple syrup tins and wooden peg games into its inventory of woolly knits and sturdy leathers. But Budman insists its not all fad. “We are totally against disposable fashion,” he said.

The Canadiana craze has actually been building for some time now, notes Andrew Potter, the Citizen’s managing editor and internationally bestselling co-author of the book The Rebel Sell (Harper, $19.95). Potter’s most recent book, The Authenticity Hoax (McClelland & Stewart, $32.99), deals with aligning today’s earthy, 100-mile diet, yoga bending movement with the status-seeking hippie movements that came before it.

He believes Canadiana shoppers are distinct from most organic-only and localista buyers, even though the posh plaid flannels might overlap on occasion. “Canadians have an identification with shared consumerism,” he noted, much like our national obsession with hockey or Tim Hortons. Potter recalled an example in Douglas Coupland’s 2002 nostalgic picture book Souvenir of Canada (Douglas & Mcintyre, $29.95) in which Coupland remembers reading “Captaine Crounche” on a cereal box in Vancouver. The French made him feel connected to “parallel universe country” Quebec.

“It’s patriotism as brand loyalty,” Potter said. “Like cheering for a sport’s team.”

Also building on Canada’s brand, stores like Red Canoe in Toronto opened in 2002, selling RCAF heritage jackets and CBC Radio bags. In 2004, heritage men’s line Wings + Horn was introduced in Vancouver. When The Bay CEO Bonnie Brooks decided to promote the company’s famous point blanket in 2009, she sent the movement fashion forward by seeking top-tier Canadian designers, like Mariouche Gagné of Harricana, Jeremy Laing and Smythe, to redesign the iconic red, black, yellow and green striped warmer.

The fact that many of The Bay’s heritage pieces are not made in Canada does not seem to ruffle Canadian feathers. Nor does the fact that Hudson’s Bay Company is now owned by American Richard Baker.

“What’s ultimately being consumed is the symbolism. As long as there are no sweatshops involved, it’s nothing (shoppers) will get super-fussed about,” Potter predicts.

Indeed, aside from the Cowichan sweater incident prior to the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, when authentic, First Nations sweaters were knocked off to suit the demands of The Bay’s Olympic Collection, resulting in some serious controversy, Canadian shoppers seem to have sobered up to the idea that many goods that look Canadian might not be come from here at all. Quite the opposite, actually.

“It’s like a signature from Canada,” marvels shopper Constance Lafontaine, while touching a striped woolly blanket on display at the downtown Bay in Montreal. Lafontaine had come to the new company-themed section of the store to buy a gift for her friend in Turkey.

Those blankets were never made in Canada, I point out, but in England since being traded for furs in 1670. “That’s perfect. I prefer U.K. quality over made-in-China quality,” she said smiling, pointing to her Black Havana glasses, also made in England. Lafontaine was toting a Louis Vuitton purse.

The attitude at Roots was much the same. Shoppers were generally unfazed about Canadiana items not being made in Canada, even though the company’s new label features a potentially deceiving Canadian flag and old-time writing. (Items made in Canada and not made in Canada may feature similar looking tags).

Marika Julien, who recently moved to Canada from France, was shopping for hats at Roots with her dad, who was in town for a visit. “I wanted to take him to see this brand because I think it’s beautiful and it’s from Canada,” she said.

“It’s OK,’’ Julien said of the provenance of the hat. “Most items today are made in China, like this hat.’’

Both The Bay and Roots have carefully assembled heritage collections to suit diverse clientele: Those with an eye for quality, those devoted to buying local, and then, of course, budget-conscious shoppers who look at the price tag first and foremost.

Michelle Vrana, a college student from Montreal’s West Island, was shopping for a gift for her father. “He loves sweaters and I love Roots, so I thought, why not?” she said.

That the items are not made in Canada is a bit of a disappointment to Vrana: “But it’s OK, because I’m proud to wear Canadian stuff — as in, when stuff says ‘Canada.’ It’s patriotic and I like it.’’

A men’s fashion trilogy, new Americana

*This article first appeared in the Montreal Gazette, and then went viral online at Canadian Postmedia newspapers including the Vancouver Sun, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, etc.

Here’s a little something for the fellas. This fall I was inspired by the new Americana or Heritage look for men and wrote about it on three separate occasions (one’s on ties, another on man bags, and the last is a Q&A with two store owners). I think it’s a great, cozy style, esp. when pulled off correctly!

These mini articles are different from the long, feature stories I typically post on this website — which, btw, is a forum to showcase my work, not to reprint every single article I write in the earnest ambitions of getting sued! (If you wanna read my shorter articles on a regular basis, please Google!!). Thanks for understanding, kind reader.

It’s Dave’s cousin Gilad (hence the giant photo)! He’s modeling for new online tie company Dolbeau.ca. Note the man-bag too, which is article #2 in this man fashion article trio.

MEN OF TIES, Part 1 of new Americana Men’s Fashion

A slightly dishevelled dapper look is all the rage these days in menswear, according to David Caplan and David Gross.

Citing what’s in this fall, the founders of Dolbeau.ca, a new online custom neckwear company based in Montreal, say keep the jeans and button down, throw on a cozy sweater or blazer, but add a personalized flare -say a floral themed bow tie or perhaps a plaid woolly skinny tie.

“In Montreal, it’s not usual yet, but in Toronto bow ties are becoming more popular,” says Caplan, sporting a bow tie himself. “I wear it everywhere,” he says.

“In Scandinavia and Italy, they’re popular also,” says Gross, wearing one of his custom designed solid ties.

Gross was inspired to launch Dolbeau.ca, named after his grandmother’s street in Outremont, after reading men’s fashion blogs like valetmag.com, getkempt.com, streetpeeper.com and thesartortialist.blogspot.com. He says these blogs, not the runway shows, are dictating fashion today.

“Men are looking for special accessories,” Gross says, and the “workingman Americana” look is the prominent style.

“Bow ties or ties are a great way of expressing yourself and standing out,” he adds.

To keep the look unique, all Dolbeau.caties are custom made.

They’re sewn here in Montreal with the fabric imported from such countries as Germany, Italy, France and the United States.

Customers choose their own two-tone pattern, width, tip and tie length (shorter for petite fellows and longer for taller gents or those with large necks).

“We’re catering to people who know their own taste,” Gross says. “It’s a one of a kind piece for a one of a kind person.”

Custom ties are $119, and bow ties are $89, both plus tax in Quebec, and available for purchase on Dolbeau.ca.

A customized line by boutique Rooney, which includes solid-coloured narrow wool ties and diamond tip bow ties, is available at Rooney on 395 Notre Dame St. W. in Old Montreal and rooneyshop.com.

One of the Dolbeau.ca founders David Caplan.

Man Bags All The Rage, Part 2 of New Americana Men’s Fashion

Scott (the Sartorialist) Schuman helped to raise the mystique of WANT Les Essentiels de la Vie bags, founded by Montrealers Dexter and Byron Peart, by last year featuring the brand in the SartoriaLUST pop-up shop at Barneys New York. These days, men of all types, not just street-style photographers, are coveting a good bag to lug around their gadgets.

“Men are constantly travelling with smart phones, iPads, iPods, keys, wallets, pens, passports, etc.,” Dexter Peart said. “There’s a legitimate need for small bags that offer the same function as a lady’s purse, (but) something that retains a certain masculinity.”

So call it a man bag, a “murse” or even just a bag. Just make sure it serves several purposes.

According to the Peart bothers, their O’Hare tote, which comes in leather or organic cotton, is a hit because it has a minimalist design and can be used for multiple purposes.

Still, they agree that most men need four bags: a computer bag, a shoulder bag/ knapsack, an overnight bag and a tote.

“We try to create products that adapt to the contrasting environment that we live in,” Byron Peart said.

A Filson briefcase from ronneyshop.com. See interview below.

Q&A with owners of Boutique Rooney

Alex Danino and Michelle Golfman, who are husband and wife, own Rooney, a men’s and women’s clothing boutique at 395 Notre Dame St. W. in Old Montreal. Next to the shop’s ever-fashionable women’s tops and sweaters, there is a “well curated” assortment of Americana men’s fashion. 514-543-6234. www.rooneyshop.com.

How did you come up with the store’s concept -or, first of all, what would you call the store’s concept?

Alex: Well, it’s a unisex store, and, at this moment, it’s probably split 60 per cent on the men’s side and 40 per cent on the women’s. It’s becoming a bit more of a lifestyle shop, too, with a variety of interesting things that all go toward the same aesthetic, really, be it through books or accessories or whatever. But you asked what the concept is, right?

Yep.

Alex: Well, the aesthetic is my own personal evolution. Initially when we opened the store (five years ago), it was more of a streetwear –

Michelle: Younger.

Alex: Yeah, younger and the commodities were a bit more affordable. There were more T-shirts, hoodies, button-downs and denim. Footwear was more on the sneaker side. Then I turned 30 and then I was sort of like, ‘you know what? I want to get into more of a mature feel.’

So, how are the clothes different now?

Alex: I got into more formal footwear, more like an Oxford-style. And then the brands that I was personally starting to be passionate about, a lot of them are starting to manufacture in North America or sourcing fabrics from Italy and Portugal, so the prices went up, too. But that’s not every product -there’s a real mix. I don’t want button-downs to be above $200. We try to make it affordable. We even have button-downs starting at $70.

I see a lot of plaid button-downs here. How is a $200 plaid shirt here different than one, say, at H&M for about $20?

Alex: Well, you know, they cut corners. They offer a product for really, really cheap and they save money because they need to cut corners somewhere.

Michelle: And they sell to mass.

Alex: Yeah, and so there are two things. You end up with a product that’s not going to last you and then you end up with a product that maybe every one of your friends is going to be in. Although the second part might not be as important, I think the first part is because you’ll end up with a product that will probably fall apart.

And how long should a plaid shirt from here last?

Alex: Well, I mean, hopefully, maybe 10 years, maybe more. And a lot of these products get better with age. Like some of the fabrics they’re using are wax cottons, canvas, denim -and they age well. They get these patinas when you wear them. If you have a wallet in a certain position or if you have something always there like keys, you have your own personal wear, which is kind of cool.

So, it’s a preppy, over-30, worn patina look -is that the style you’re now selling?

Alex: I guess you could call preppy, or you could call it Americana or even Canadiana, like local stuff that’s made in the U.S. or Canada. Also, there’s a resurgence in heritage brands that have actually been around for over 100 years, like woollen products from Pendleton and Woolrich. Then there’s Filson and Red Wing boots that still make the same products. The overall aesthetic is influencing a lot of the new designers, too.

How does a guy wear these heritage products in a modern style, though? Like, right there I see plaid flannel shirt. I mean, what do you call that style of plaid again?

Alex: Blanket check.

Right. So, on the mannequin you’ve put a blanket check button-down shirt, with a tie and an over-sweater: What’s that look about?

Alex: It’s the prints, the patterns, the fabrics that are blended together. It’s not just a white shirt with a black blazer and a black tie. This is texture, which is cool. Because there’s like flannel with a pattern and then the thicker woolly texture. And then you have a tie with its own really interesting weave. So, together you’ve got more of an outdoorsy feel as opposed to something that, say, a banker or an accountant might wear.

Where would a guy wear that kind of outfit?

Alex: To be honest, anywhere and always. I see a guy walking out of his house, you know, or if you’re working in a creative field from marketing to advertising to an Internet company. And it’s cool to see because it’s been a good response. People even younger than guys in their 30s are taking this kind of trend into their lives. Guys as young as high school.

We even sell this book that was a reissue from the 1960s.

I see: Take Ivy, by Teruyoshi Hayashida.

Alex: Yeah, it was made in 1965 by a Japanese photographer and all these images are Ivy League campuses in the ’60s and the fashion is exactly the same today. The things they’re wearing (points to a picture of check Bermuda shorts) are exactly what I sold this summer. It’s really kind of interesting how it’s come full circle, though in more slightly updated ways.

What are some of those updates?

Alex: They’re less boxy. They’re a little more tailored and fitted. But they’ll still have some of the original features like box pleats in a shirt, or button-down collars, but at the same time more of a modern fit.

What do you think is responsible for the resurgence in this style of men’s fashion?

Alex: Good question. Obviously, it’s always been around with J. Crew and things. But now it’s become more popular starting about 31/2 years ago, where you started getting a lot of blogs who are interested in these products, and really going after these old brands. And then it started trickling into the designers.

Michelle: And then there are TV shows like Mad Men and people are wanting to bring that back.

Alex: Yeah. And even now on Boardwalk Empire they dress amazingly; all the clothing’s phenomenal.

Do your customers buy separate pieces or the entire look?

Alex: Overall, it’s the whole aesthetic, the whole package that you see all together. Like some guy in Australia bought a pair of Bass shoes on our online shop, which is an old company that’s easy to find, but it was just packaged on my website. So this guy got a blazer from Our Legacy, a pair of shoes from Bass, I think maybe a book also.

What’s your average customer like?

Alex: Anywhere from 20 to 40. There’s a good section of tourists who come through and then there are a lot of locals. We also have people coming back from Toronto and New York who go on these foodie-type trips.

So your heritage clothes are on the upswing with local gourmand cuisine?

Alex: Yeah, except sadly, there aren’t a lot of Montreal or Canadiana heritage brands. We carry Naked and Famous from Montreal, who do quite well –

Michelle: Otherwise, there’s a mixture of American, Swedish, British …

You’ve described your store as “well-curated” before. What do you mean by that?

Alex: That I take an obscene amount of time to research some of the products. It’s all I do and I love doing it. So, it’s really my passion. I spend all day long looking at products, blogs, seeing what people are doing out there. I look at everything.

Michelle: And all night. All day, all night -it’s true.

Alex: We always focus on the quality of the product, and backstory is important. I want to tell customers where the product is from, who the designer is, so they can walk away knowing what they just bought.

Michelle: It’s that or H&M. Alex: And guys want product. They want product that can last, that are made by hand. That’s what this store is about. It’s not to say that China doesn’t make good product -we sell product made in China, they’re known for knit and they have some of the best machinery -it’s just that the English mill worker has history. They’ve been doing it for 150 years. Wax cotton is part of their tradition. If you wanna get the best product, you have to ask ‘where is it from?’ and ‘where did it originate?’

Dress Like an Olympian

And she wins the silver! Here the amazing Jennifer Heil is wearing her pre-Olympics Columbia Sportswear attire.

*This article appeared, in full or in part, in The Vancouver Sun, The Montreal Gazette, The Ottawa Citizen, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, The Province, Times Colonist, the Leader Post.

Athletic wear is not exactly considered high-style. That being said, as you swish down the hill under the chairlift or swivel around Beaver Lake, looking as cute as possible may have an uncanny effect on your sporting skills.

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Looking Good in Green

Weekend Life cover, Montreal Gazette.

*This article also appeared, in full or in part, in The National Post, The Ottawa Citizen, The Calgary Herald, The Windsor Star, The Leader Post, The Star Phoenix and in industry blogs like ecofashionworld.com and payitforward.org.

It’s vegan, eco-friendly, fair-trade, made locally – and proceeds help impoverished children! The latest do-gooder fashion companies are certainly setting some high standards.

Toms Shoes, based in Santa Monica, Calif., is giving away a pair of shoes to a needy child for every pair purchased. British giant Marks and Spencer has adopted a mission – “Plan A” – to become carbon neutral and to stop sending waste to landfills by 2012.

Meanwhile, Paris’s yearly Ethical Fashion Show, a trade event featuring conferences, workshops and runway shows centred on ecological and social matters, is touring cities such as New York, Rio de Janeiro, Berlin and Milan through next year.

The sustainable-fashion movement is blowing up like a big green balloon, with innovative companies finally adding corporate responsibility to the bottom line.

Problem is, as a consumer, after you try on those perfect-fitting jeans, in the 30 seconds it takes to walk to the cash register, it’s nearly impossible to start weighing ecological matters such as water waste and land use, or ethical matters, such as labour conditions and charity causes.

“Most people get overwhelmed and turn it off,” said Lindsay Coulter, a.k.a. the Queen of Green for the David Suzuki Foundation.

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Refashion beloved pieces so they look like this season’s must-haves

Hossein Padar turned a vintage Missoni Size 10 blazer into a Size 4. Photograph by: JOHN KENNEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE.
*This article appeared, in full or in part, in The Montreal Gazette, The National Post, The Financial Post, The Ottawa Citizen, The Times Colonist, The Edmonton Journal, Global TV Regina, and more.
I have a leather jacket that’s been rebuilt twice already. Each time it costs about $100. I just can’t seem to part with its perfect fit and buttery worn leather — or justify spending $600 on a new one. New boots or shoes? All it takes is $24 to make a pair of vanity heels downtown-proof with a set of rubber treads. That way my darling soles will remain intact until irreparable scuffs do us part.

Behind-the-scenes tailors and shoemakers make this one-woman fashion show go on.Like a modern-day Scarlett O’Hara weaving her drapes into a gown, I’m a diva who will always dress to impress — even if my fortunes or circumstances dictate otherwise. And my need for these trusted helpers is hardly rare.

The best wardrobes I’ve seen are amassed by ladies who conquer their inner fashion victim with the help of a tailor. Perhaps she’s too stout, too shapeless or too lopsided underneath it all? Or maybe she’s an impulse buyer who needs to spruce up all those non- returnable items? No matter — she knows exactly where to turn to stay on top of her game.

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Flipside of Friperies (or second-hand shops)

*This article appeared in The Montreal Gazette. A Montreal friperie guide appears at the bottom of this story.

As a young teen, I used to travel up St. Laurent Blvd., across Mount Royal Ave., then down St. Denis St. looking for the most nondescript, perfectly dishevelled frocks: tattered jean shorts, maybe a plaid buttondown to synch around my waist. I was inspired by earlier 90s vibes, when flashy logos were like darkness visible. To me, these thrift-stores represented the few leftover threads of anti-consumer angst – not a dwindling economy.

Yet since the economic downturn, secondhand shops are getting a double take from both buyers and sellers. This time it’s not Kurt Cobain-revival grunge nabbing the attention. Rather, it’s the high-to mid-end consignment stores, a.k.a. friperies, coming into the spotlight.

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