by Amy Matychuk
I know it’s a bummer to be back in school having to wear uncomfortable business formal clothing to networking events. However, I found that business formal was much less of a bummer for me when I could buy interesting, fairly priced, ethical pieces at cool hipster consignment stores instead of making my feet sore walking up and down malls buying overpriced fast fashion. Here’s a list of some of my favorite places to go in Calgary for consignment clothing. The areas I generally stick to are Kensington and 17th Ave, so this is just a small selection—I’m sure there are many more to be discovered, so please let me know if you’ve found any gems that should be added to this list.
Feisty Consignment in Mission: 2100 4 St SW #12
Feisty has a wide selection of pieces organized by clothing type and size—almost too wide of a selection to get through the entire store in one go. One of my favorite things about Feisty is that they color-code their labels, and two of the label colors are always on sale for 50% off! I got a very hipster lace top from here for the sweet sweet price of $10.
Peacock Boutique in Kensington and the Beltline: 1145 Kensington Cres. NW & 1415 11 St SW
Peacock Boutique is my go-to for unusual, sophisticated pieces, organized by clothing type and color. In my experience, they’re selective about what they stock, so you’re less likely to find pieces from fast-fashion establishments like Forever 21 and H&M. Although they have two locations, both of course stock completely different things and so they’re both worth visiting. Pieces I have from here include a black and navy velvet sheath dress and a large cozy geometric sweater.
Danielle’s Consignment on 17th: 908 17 Ave SW
Fair warning: if you shop consignment for the lower prices, Danielle’s may not be the place to go. It has an excellent selection of chic business-appropriate pieces, but many of them have hefty price tags. There are a few more reasonably priced gems, but you’ll need to search for them. If you’re worried about your wallet, check out the sale racks especially. I haven’t yet bought anything here, given the plentiful cheaper options.
Kensington Konsignment: 130 10 St NW
New to Calgary as of this summer, Kensington Konsignment has a wide variety of clothing, including workout wear, shoes, business formal, coats and jackets, jewelry, accessories, and even some bath and body products. Its organization can tend toward the overwhelming and while it is organized by size, the store takes a while to sort through, so give yourself time. That said, I have a fabulous Banana Republic sheath dress from here that was $30—more proof that malls are a waste of time when you have consignment stores!
Trend Fashions: 120 10 St NW
Trend actually has four locations: Calgary, Edmonton, Canmore, and Chestermere. The Calgary location is organized by color and clothing type, and as such, takes some time to sort through in order to find items in your size. They do take fast-fashion items, but also have a larger selection of basics than some other stores. Literally half of my wardrobe is from this store. Seriously, ask me in the hall, at least one element of my outfit every single day is probably from Trend.
Velour Clothing Exchange on 17th: 200, 1022 17 Ave SW
My first visit to Velour was just a few weeks ago, on the hunt for shoes. I ended up with a great vintage pair of lace-up black leather boots for only $35. I also learned that Velour is Calgary’s first dedicated buy/sell/trade clothing store, and they’re organized by clothing type for BOTH men and women—the first ever gender-neutral consignment store I’ve ever found. Myra Miller, the founder, told me that while taking the focus off gender helps shoppers expand their personal style, it also creates a more welcoming environment for trans and non-binary shoppers. I’m a big fan!
ON MY LIST TO VISIT:
SalvEdge Boutique on 17th
The Clothing Bar: I’ve never been here but I am told they feature a 50% off sale on workout wear every Friday from 3-5!
