Recently, I wrote an article for Blank Magazine’s début issue, called The New Classic: What Kind of Clothing Will We Be Passing Down in the Future? As with any interview, all of the juicy quotes didn’t make it into the final edit. (I had to keep things under 1,500 words.) But I didn’t want them to go to waste! So, I’m sharing them here instead.

Julie Yoo of I Miss You Vintage shared a bit about her favourite hand-me-down garment with me:

“My mother passed on a lot of her fashion jewelry to me and I love one particular 1970’s agate link necklace. It’s not a designer brand or made of any precious materials but the polished agate links are really beautiful and it has such a cool vibe. It reminds me of how hip my now mom was back in the day. I enjoy imagining what she must have been like at my age every time I wear it.”

It got me thinking about some of my favourite vintage or hand-me-down items. The main one I talk about in the article is my mom’s leather jacket from the eighties. However, I had to mention another of my all-time favourites: a delicate, decades-old Dior blouse.

I bought it three years ago at a secondhand pop-up on College Street. It’s the most fragile shirt I’ve ever touched, made from pure silk in a loose-fitting silhouette and punctuated by lustrous abalone buttons. It’s beyond gorgeous.

Even though, now, after multiple nights on the town, brunches in the city, and endless hours spent typing my life away at work, it’s begun to show signs of wear-and-tear, I can’t stand the thought of not having it in my wardrobe. 

3 Women in Toronto’s Fashion Industry on Sustainability, Personal Style, and What to Do with Unwanted Garments

Julie Yoo, owner of I Miss You Vintage

MMM: How often do you shop for new clothes?

JY: My job requires me to be on top of what’s new on the runways but I’m not always swapping my entire wardrobe for this season’s newest look. I have always had a strong personal sense of style that is more about what I like rather than being trend-driven.

It’s always great to incorporate vintage items into a contemporary wardrobe and I think most style savvy people do that. I really enjoy the hunt of shopping for pre-owned finds and sometimes it takes frequent trips to get lucky with that special find.

Paula Nguyen, co-founder of Pradegal

MMM: Why do you care more about slow fashion vs. fast fashion?

PN: I see slow fashion as a lifestyle choice. It’s about slowing down and living with intention, choosing minimalism over abundance, quality over quantity, and buying less but better. I’ve become more mindful of how I consume, how I live, who I spend my time with and I’ve incorporated those values into Pradegal as well.

Zowie Reid, founder of Rebirth Vintage

MMM: What should you do with clothing you no longer want?

ZR: When it comes to getting rid of any unwanted items my first choice is offering it to any of my friends that I think would love it. If no one is interested, I’d recommend trying to re-sell it yourself. There are a ton of websites and apps which allows users to easily sell their new and used items.

It’s very important as consumers that we do our part to try to further extend the life cycle of our clothing as it further contributes to the current landfill and pollution crisis, which is heavily affected by the fashion industry.

Grab a copy of Blank Magazine here.

Read more: 13 Small Canadian Brands to Shop & Support Now

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