Summer’s hottest trend is thrifty threads, so the timing is perfect for Toronto’s first Frugal Fashion Week (frugalfashionweek.com). From July 23 to 26, West Queen West retailers are deepening their discounts and hosting super sales and runway shows. Here’s where you can pinch your pennies.
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Chasse Gardée
(1084 Queen West, 416-901-9613, chassegardee.com).
The neighbourhood’s hottest new shoe shop hosts the Frugal Fashion Week launch party tonight (Thursday, July 23) between 6 and 9 pm and takes part in the weekend shop crawl. Snap up these purple high heels by Kash Tent, regularly $585, on sale for $292.
69 Vintage
(1100 Queen West, 416-516-0669, 69vintage.com).
The public Frugal Fashion Week launch takes place at the Social (1100 Queen West) on Friday (July 24) starting at 8 pm. A bar-top 69 Vintage runway show catwalks pieces all priced at $20, followed by a midnight madness sale at the store next door. Party admission $5.
Champagne and Cupcakes
1114 Queen West, 416-533-2253, champagneandcupcakes.ca).
Champagne and Cupcakes, along with other local boutiques including Fawn (967 Queen West, 647-344-4703), Fresh Collective (692 Queen West, 416-594-1313) and HUH (847 Queen West, 416-645-1702), serves up extra markdowns for Saturday’s (July 25) West Queen West shop crawl.
Drake Hotel
(1150 Queen West, 416-531-5042, thedrakehotel.ca).
There are three sittings (9:30 and 11:30 am and 1:30 pm) for Saturday’s Frugalista Brunch at the Drake. Your $35 ticket includes a three-course brunch, fashion shows and access to the WQW Underground Boutique in the hotel’s basement, where labels like Promise to Repeat Vintage (promisetorepeat.com) sell their wears. Head to the Drake and discover Promise To Repeat’s colourful leather belts (above) in various sizes and colours priced $15 to $25.
Thieves
(1156 Queen West, 647-435-4880, thieves.ca).
The shop crawl continues Sunday with in-store fall previews and bonus incentives at boutiques like Thieves (pictured), Preloved (881 Queen West, 416-504-8704) and TVAL Skincare (799 Queen West, 416-815-7627). At Thieves, find the Hornbill T-Shirt on the model left, regularly priced at $96, on sale for $76, and the shorts discounted from $196 to $125.
A portion of proceeds from Frugal Fashion Week benefits Windfall (windfallclothing.ca), Canada’s only new clothing bank.
