Wednesday, October 02, 2013

Say Yes To That Vintage Dress


We’re letting you in on where to find the perfect vintage dress in Toronto for your special day. We’ve narrowed it down to three top vintage boutiques that have the best selections to “WOW” you.

The Cat’s Meow

                  Topping the list, this little gem is located slightly off the beaten path- but boy is it worth the trip. This is no Kensington market vintage scavenger store. Here you will find a wide selection of wedding dresses - and unlike Kensington you will not just find one diamond in the rough. Here you will fall in love with every single dress you see. Each piece has a unique and distinctive quality unlike any modern wedding dress. From hand beaded 60’s couture cocktail numbers, to 1950’s silk chiffon “fit n’ flares” (see iconic Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch). However, if vintage is not your thing, that’s OK. Owner Louise Cooper also accepts modern high-end pieces for consignment! You can walk down the aisle in a classic white Marchesa gown with a crystal studded Bow detail bust, and a layered, flower petal- like train (for a fraction of the price might I add). By no means is The Cat’s Meow affordable for the average Joe, but everything is priced very fairly for what you are getting.

Divine Decadence

                  Located in the heart of Yorkville, Carmelita Blondet’s vintage couture boutique feels like more of a museum than a store. She has the largest selection of dresses dating from the early 1900’s to the 1930’s in all of Toronto. Which, as you can imagine, is very impressive considering these dresses are getting harder and harder to find. You can definitely check “something borrowed” off of your list by wearing a spectacularly preserved, 1920’s silk gauze gown adorned in lace. However, if you’re looking for something cheeky, you could try 1970’s, cocktail length, raw silk Pacco Robanne covered in small mother-of-pearl flowers starting from the neckline, cascading down to the hem.  Still missing something but cant put your finger on what it is? We will bet its something blue. Not to worry, Divine Decadence has that covered too. Carmelita has a beautiful selection of 1950’s Swarovski crystal jewelry- and she always keeps an eye out for the blues- a bridal favorite. As lovely a place as Yorkville is to shop, to pay rent for a store in such an upscale area must cost pretty penny. This is unfortunately reflected in the prices at Divine Decadence. The special ones don’t come cheap here. Vintage wedding gowns can run you as much as $5,000! But, if you have the budget, this shop is definitely worth a splurge! After all, you only get married once! Hopefully…      

Cabaret

                  Cabaret vintage is located on the ultra-trendy Queen Street West. Owner Tao Drayton grew up around vintage, gaining an extensive knowledge of 1920’s to 1970’s fashion from his father whom he inherited the store from. Unlike Divine Decadence and The Cat’s Meow, Cabaret offers men’s vintage suits. If you dream of your man looking like Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (we sure do), this is probably the place to recommend for him! If carrying men’s suits is not convincing you to make Cabaret a stop on your dress hunt, the fact that Cabaret makes modern replicas of their vintage frocks should! Shopping at Cabaret, you don’t have to fret if the dress you fall in love with is a size zero and you’re an eight. As long as you get there early enough (it can take around six weeks for a replica to be completed) you can find the vintage dress you love and have a modern version specially made for you. Okay, so it wont be authentic vintage- but will anyone really be able to tell? The seasoned veterans at Cabaret create replicas that can stump even the vintage pros. Vintage prices at Cabaret are the most affordable of the three shops on our list. Here you can find the dress of your dreams for as little as $300. 

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