Roam, if you want to

For a good twelve years of my life, I was absolutely terrified of going down to Queen Street. I had heard some stories about the area, and well, I would not let go of the fact that Queen Street was to be quite frank, "scary". I simply would not budge. Until one day when my mom decided she would take my sister, Lexie, and I on an adventure. Not knowing our destination, Lexie and I got in the car and waited anxiously to find out where we were headed. To make a long story short, after a long day of exploring, we had discovered a city within our city. Now, Queen Street is probably my favourite place in all of Toronto. I don't know if it is the quaint boutiques one could spend hours perusing or the fact that it is the closest thing we have to the happening streets of New York City, Queen Street is where its at.

Now that you can feel my steamy love affair with the ever fabulous Queen (we're on a first name basis now), you understand that on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon where else would I go to have a good time? A week prior I had been doing some research for A.V. (Arbitrarily Voguish) and I came across an article in Fashion magazine highlighting some vintage stores right here in the Tdot citayyyy. Naturally, I freaked out and told my mom we HAD to go asap. The next thing I know, one of those gorgeous Saturday afternoons had come along and it was time to get cracking!

Our first stop was 69 Vintage. When we entered the store, I was immediately overwhelmed with the insane amount of vintage boots. From bright reds to soft grays, there wasn't a colour of boots you couldn't find. The store itself is not incredibly large however they sure know how to pack a lot into a small space. Racks of dresses, jackets, plaid and sequins filled the room. After a few rounds throughout the store, I had narrowed my purchases down to an embellished sweater and a beaded purse.

Information:

1100 Queen St. W.

Toronto, Ontario

416-516-0669

I was already so excited and our day had just begun! We arrived at our next destination, a more high-end vintage shop called I Miss You. The shop was very nicely put together and easy to navigate as the clothing was organized by colour. Although there were a lot of nice things, in my opinion the best pieces were kept on the shelves behind the counter (including a stunning over-sized bag from French designer Courrèges us girls had our eyes on). Our visit did not include any purchases, however I would be sure to check it for yourself!

Information:

63 Ossington Ave., Unit K

Toronto, Ontario

416-916-7021

Next on the agenda was un petit magasin titled Stella Luna. Personally, I thought that the clothing in this store was a bit too old for my style, however I did manage to snag a one of a kind missoni looking dress I plan to wear to my father daughter dinner dance. It was the closest I've come to "love at first sight" when I caught glimpse of the floor length ensemble (which I plan to make mini) with a jewel trim surrounding the neck line. Needless to say, I was in heaven!

Information:

1627 Queen St. W.

Toronto, Ontario

416-536-7300

After a fun-filled day out on the town, our feet were aching and it was time to call it quits! On our way back to the car we could not help but stop in the presence of an aromatic pastry shop. Modern and white with some bursts of colour, Nadège is an absolute must! Lexie and I both chose warm chocolate croissants as our treats, with Mojito and Peach flavored Macarons for me as well. For our parents, something a little more bold and sophisticated. A large almond pecan tart perhaps? There were so many options to choose from making it awfully hard to decide, however another option included the decadent "Marie Antoinette": a white chocolate base shaped like a skirt from the time of the French revolution covered in miniature macarons.

Information:

780 Queen Street West

Toronto, Ontario

001-416-368-2009

Above (left to right): Nadège business card, freshly baked croissants, almond pecan tart, the super chic "Marie Antoinette" surrounded by other chocolate treats

My sister used to be strongly opposed to the thought of a store that sold preworn clothing, saying it was "gross" and "disgusting". Now if it's vintage, she loves it, as do I. Quick tip before I say adieu: even if a vintage store is disappointing during a visit, be sure to check back as there are always new items being added to their inventory. You don't want to be the girl saying "I can't believe I missed the vintage Chloé boots!!"

Adieu, adieu, to you, and you, and you. xx