Local vintage and secondhand shop Hawk & Sparrow offers unique, sustainable and affordable clothing for everyone
Hawk & Sparrow is a vintage, secondhand boutique, located downtown at 126 James St. N. Other than vintage items, they also sell secondhand designer and a mix of everything to accommodate everyone’s styles.
“I don't just do vintage, I also do secondhand designer and then . . . a mix of things. So you can expect a 1950s sweater with a ritzy top and then a Louis Vuitton bag. There's a wide range of brands,” said Sarah Moyal, the founder of Hawk & Sparrow.
Before launching Hawk & Sparrow in 2011, Moyal had a strong fashion background. She worked for Dsquared2 in Milan at their headquarters and did styling in Toronto.
She always wanted to open a clothing store. Originally, she had wanted to open a new clothing store, but she realized that buying inventory would be too expensive for her, so she switched over to second-hand. It worked for her, and it made her more interested in secondhand clothing.
“It's just so much more interesting to have one of everything. And every one of them is so unique,” said Moyal.
Moyal has experimented with making Hawk & Sparrow accessible through online platforms such as Etsy, but she now focuses most of her energy on the store itself, as she has found that it has been getting busier.
Moyal aims to make her store accessible and safe for everyone.
“I would say it's accessible to everyone and any direction of style that someone wants to go. If they want to play it a bit safe, we have that. If you want to go wild, we also have that,” said Moyal.
I would say it's accessible to everyone and any direction of style that someone wants to go and if they want to play it a bit safe, we have that. If you want to go wild, we also have that.
Sarah Moyal, Founder, Hawk & Sparrow
Most of the items are $5 to $25, and there are $5 mystery bags all year round. Moyal is also open to negotiations. She hopes that her customers will continue to find their favourite pieces at Hawk & Sparrow.
“I hope that people will kind of find their unique style here, that they'll discover something about themselves, that they'll not feel a pressure to dress a certain way or follow a certain trend, that they'll just feel free to dress how they want, how they feel,” explained Moyal.
I hope that people will kind of find their unique style here, that they'll discover something about themselves, that they'll not feel a pressure to dress a certain way or follow a certain trend, that they'll just feel free to dress how they want, how they feel.
Sarah Moyal, Founder, Hawk & Sparrow
Over the years, she has experimented with different directions –– such as only vintage (an item from another era, usually from the 1930s-70s), vintage artisan (very old and rare pieces from the 1800s-early 1900s that are typically made by hand) and only designer –– for the shop. The current iteration of her shop has had the best reception from the Hamilton community, and she intends to keep it this way for the time being.
The Timeless Vintage Market brought a unique curated vintage collection back this fall
The Timeless Vintage Market came back this month on Sep. 16 on 11 George St. and 32 Hess St., featuring 20 Ontario-based vendors of curated vintage. Some of the vendors included Snafu, Vintage Meets Hype, Streetsville Vintage and more.
The Timeless Vintage Market started hosting events in 2022, and Sept. 16 marked their fifth market. They tarted hosting vintage markets in Hamilton because they realized that other big cities in Ontario had vintage markets, while Hamilton did not.
They started planning their Sept. 16 market in April, and they rented out two buildings to improve wait times, issue they faced in previous markets. They aimed to have a variety of vendors and had them curate their own specific niche, from y2k to women’s wear.
Niche markets have become more popular over the past few years, especially vintage markets, which are collectives that curate second-hand clothing. They provide a one-stop shop for a variety of vintage items.
“So, there [are] some people [who] like true vintage, which is stuff between the 50s [and the] 80s. [There are some p]eople [who] specialize in [what] they really know; women's wear is popular right now, especially in the fall season,” explained David MacMullen, the founder of DropSpot Vintage and the coordinator of the Timeless Vintage Market.
So, there [are] some people [who] like true vintage, which is stuff between the 50s [and the] 80s. [There are some p]eople [who] specialize in [what] they really know; women's wear is popular right now, especially in the fall season.
David MacMullen, founder of DropSpot Vintage and coordinator of the Timeless Vintage Market
They also selected vendors that have their own following, so that they could also bring their own audience to the markets. This allows the market to reach the most amount of people they can.
They decided to introduce items to students this time and carried items other than clothing.
“This time, we decided to introduce things specifically for students, because we have people coming into the shop all the time asking, “Hey, can we buy posters or vinyls?” So, we've gone ahead and gotten a bunch of vendors that are going to be carrying those items for the market,” said MacMullen.
There is a sense of individuality and personality to each piece that some people love about the slow fashion movement. For others, like MacMullen, there is excitement in the collector's aspect, and they’re always on the hunt for a unique piece to add to their closet.
“So, I think that for sure, I've always just liked finding other things to add to my closet that I really enjoy. And definitely right up there is like finding pieces that other people are super excited about,” said MacMullen.
So, I think that for sure, I've always just liked finding other things to add to my closet that I really enjoy. And definitely right up there is like finding pieces that other people are super excited about.
David MacMullen, founder of DropSpot Vintage and coordinator of the Timeless Vintage Market
They hope that attendees were able to enjoy the experience and picked up something worthwhile, especially since vintage items tend to be better quality and more unique than fast fashion.
“I would really hope that people just think it's a crazy experience. Obviously, they find something that they're super excited about, whether that's something to wear or something to hang up in their room,” said MacMullen.
I would really hope that people just think it's a crazy experience. Obviously, they find something that they're super excited about, whether that's something to wear or something to hang up in their room.
David MacMullen, founder of DropSpot Vintage and coordinator of the Timeless Vintage Market
The Timeless Vintage Market has their next event in Toronto on Oct. 28. Be sure to check it out!
C/O @ourovintage
The owner of Ouro Vintage shares her love for all things vintage
Once you fall in love with vintage, it is difficult to escape it. Each item carries a unique history and these stories, combined with a sense of nostalgia associated with the items, invoke feelings of comfort. Discovering unique pieces hidden in warehouses and thrift stores also holds an element of adventure.
Growing up with parents who were antique dealers, Eady’s passion for vintage developed naturally. She loved learning about the stories behind vintage pieces and different eras of clothes. In 2017, she turned her interest in hunting for rare, quality vintage items into Ouro Vintage where she currently sells second-hand clothes, accessories, shoes and home items.
Ouro Vintage originally launched online under the name Daughter Daughter, but after changing its name to Ouro to be more gender inclusive in its name, Eady opened its brick-and-mortar location in Barton Village in July this year.
Through Ouro Vintage, Eady hopes to share her love for vintage and provide people with more options for eco-friendly, second-hand shopping. In an era of fast fashion, second-hand shops like Ouro Vintage encourage upcycling and reusing clothes to reduce waste, preserve water and lower your carbon footprint. In line with the theme of sustainability, the pieces offered at Ouro Vintage are timeless, minimalistic and chic to ensure they last a long time. Eady also mends damaged pieces for the store herself and tries to avoid microtrends.
“I just hope people shop vintage or thrift or anything second-hand and hopefully, we won’t contribute to the problem with fast fashion,” said Eady.
Although born and raised in Burlington, Eady opened her business in Hamilton as she was drawn to the city’s arts scene. She recalls going to concerts at the Underground when she was younger with her current spouse and wanting to be part of the creative community here. Hence, as soon as she could move out at the age of 17, she relocated to Hamilton. She has found her community here and it has become her new home.
“The communities and scenes in Hamilton are really rich with creativity — everyone you meet is into something creative. There’s so much talent in Hamilton. I love Hamilton,” said Eady.
Eady was concerned about opening the brick-and-mortar location during the pandemic. She worried the reception would be low, but to her surprise, it was met with lots of positive support.
“I thought it was actually probably a really bad time to open a store. It wasn’t my original plan, but I ended up getting a lot of responses and the community has been really great. All my neighbours have come and introduced themselves and they’re all so nice and supportive. I’m really happy with it. It’s always been a dream,” Eady said.
Before opening the physical location, Eady also struggled with maintaining her work-life balance. Like most of us working from home during the pandemic, it was difficult for her to set work hours and boundaries. She would answer messages and work on social media posts in the middle of the night instead of enjoying her time with her children and relaxing. Having a separate space for the business has helped her to be more organized and take her mind off work when at home.
Outside of operating the second-hand shop, Eady is an artist. She graduated from Ontario College of Art & Design in art, with a degree in sculpture and installation.
In 2009, she and her husband Sean Gadoury founded a collage collective, Group of 7 Billion. The duo started the collective by selling their collages made using hand-cut pictures from vintage books at the monthly Art Crawl on James Street North.
Since then, Eady and Gadoury have regularly attended art shows and events including Supercrawl. Their art pieces are available on their Etsy shop, website and Ouro Vintage.
For Eady, Ouro Vintage represents her childhood memories, her parents and her love for objects with a history. She has plans to sell other artisan goods and wholesale gifts at the shop in the near future, but she says she would like to keep the business as small as possible for as long as possible.
Ouro Vintage is a place of classic and wonderful second-hand pieces. Discover a new way to live more sustainably and fulfill your antique dreams by shopping second-hand.
Tucked away in the basement of the Hamilton Antique Mall (233 Ottawa St. North) is Dollywood Plus Vintage, a vibrant pink, Dolly Parton-bedecked, oasis of vintage fashion and body acceptance. It is owned and operated by Jessie Goyette, who is a vocal advocate for the plus size community. Last year, Goyette organized the Hamilton Plus Size Flea Market and received overwhelmingly positive feedback.
This past summer, Goyette applied for a booth in the Hamilton Antique Mall. She was accepted almost immediately, and she says the response has been incredible.
“I had people coming in and buying up everything. I had people messaging me, telling me how this is something that they’ve never seen before or been a part of and how there’s no spaces explicitly for plus size people that are run by independent folks in Hamilton, or even in the area in general. Especially focusing on vintage. That pushed me to keep doing it,” said Goyette.
While the body positive movement is slowly gaining traction, there are still many spaces that do not offer options for plus sized people. Having to choose from a tiny selection of ill-fitting clothing is all too common, particularly for anyone looking to express themselves through fun and innovative fashion. Additionally, having only plus-sized options reinforces the narrative that plus sized bodies should be hidden away. Dollywood Plus Vintage looks to battle that narrative through body acceptance and positivity.
“It isn’t just about clothes, and selling clothes. It’s about paying attention to a group of people that are just as deserving to express themselves the way they want to, and embody themselves in whatever way they choose,” said Goyette.
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For Goyette, body positivity means celebrating plus-size bodies.
“I think fat bodies in particular are often devalued or seen as bad. It’s important to acknowledge that people with fat bodies are desirable and worthy of anything that anybody else with a body is. Regardless of their health, regardless of how you whether or not you perceive them to be living healthy or not, that doesn’t matter. I think it’s a human right to be able to express yourself and feel comfortable with who you are, and not be made to feel uncomfortable about the space you take up with your body,” said Goyette.
Going forward, Goyette plans to expand beyond clothing. Zines, buttons, patches and stickers are all in progress.
“I want to have different types of media, literature and art that explicitly speak to the experience of plus sized people in Hamilton,” said Goyette. She hopes that this will foster a sense of community and acceptance that isn’t always easy to find.
Dollywood Plus Vintage itself is bright and happy. Any spots not filled with unique clothes are covered with pictures of Dolly Parton, the Grammy award-winning country singer. The VHS copy of Steel Magnolias rests next to zines and patches. Goyette says that Parton’s song “Wildflowers” in particular speaks to her.
“Wildflowers are still really beautiful despite them not being the norm. They have the capacity to thrive and to overcome anything, regardless of where they are. That, to me, was something that carried over to the fat experience. Much like the wildflower, fat bodies are beautiful in their own way and are dynamic and able to bounce back from anything that society might throw at them,” said Goyette.
Dollywood Plus Vintage has only just begun, and if the initial response is anything to judge by, it will be around for a very long time. Goyette hopes that one day we will live in a world where there’s no need to have an article about a plus sized store because, hopefully by then, it will be so normal. Until then, Goyette’s store can be found in the basement of the Hamilton Antique Mall at stall 01L, and is well worth a look.
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As Ned Stark said: brace yourselves, back-to-school shopping is coming. Every fall, students are pressured to buy the trendiest, fashion-forward outfits in order to both fit in and stand out (at the same time, effortlessly). This is particularly overwhelming for university students. We are encountering more new people and ideas than ever before, and that is often expressed through changes in personal style. Clothes allow you to experiment with different identities until you find the one that fits you.
While it can be freeing to reinvent yourself through clothes, it can also be financially taxing to buy an entirely new wardrobe every year. But fear not! Here are some tips and tricks for navigating back-to-school shopping that will save your wallet and your sanity.
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If you know and love Queer Eye as much as I do, you’ll know that Tan France, the fashion expert, recommends finding a ‘hero piece’, a statement item to build an outfit around. This hero piece might already be in your closet. When the first week of school comes and you are stumped for outfit ideas, a hero piece can form the foundation of an outfit that you feel comfortable and confident in. Just one item of clothing can transform your whole outfit.
Change up your closet with clothing swaps! Threadwork (a sustainable fashion club on campus) usually has a swap in the McMaster University Student Centre each semester. It’s a quick and easy way to refresh your wardrobe while cleaning out some of the items that you no longer wear for free. There are also clothing swaps in the community; The Pale Blue Dot (240 James Street North) frequently has them, as does the Hearty Hooligan (292 Ottawa Street North).
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Thrift stores are your friend. Places like Out of the Past (308 Ottawa Street North), The Giving Closet (1162 Barton Street East) or Hawk and Sparrow (126 James Street North) will frequently have pieces that are more affordable and of higher quality than what you might find at the mall. If you don’t have the time to go in person, there are even online thrift stores, like thredUP. If you’re looking to free up some space in your closet, try donating your old clothes to avoid throwing them away. If you take them to Plato’s Closet (505 Rymal Road East) or Style Encore (989 Fennell Avenue East), then they will even pay you to donate them. This is a real thing! Check it out!
Rescue your beloved old clothes by taking them to a tailor or cobbler. My life changed when I realized I could get my worn out pants repaired for $20 rather than having to face the horrors of trying on too-small jeans in a dimly-lit dressing room. Not to mention, repairing old shoes means that you don’t have to go through the time and effort of breaking in a new pair. Your ankles will thank you. Thankles?
Not only do these four tips help you save money and live better, they also help to minimize your contributions to ‘fast fashion’ (buying clothes that won’t last and then throwing them away). The fashion industry puts out a huge amount of pollution every year. Clothes that fall apart after a few months are not only damaging to the planet, but they are also a strain on your wallet over time as you keep having to replace them with increasingly expensive options. Buying good quality pieces or repairing the pieces that you have helps to keep clothes out of landfills.
You shouldn’t feel guilty for buying new clothes or following fashion trends if that brings you joy, just keep these sustainable options in mind. Remember, by November we’ll all be wearing sweatpants anyways, so wear whatever makes you happy and comfortable!
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From April 6 to April 17, the Studio Art program’s 2019 graduates will present the annual SUMMA exhibition. Entitled Counterpoint, the show will be curated by Hamilton textile artist Hitoko Okada. For the first time in over 30 years, the McMaster Museum of Art will not house the show due to its ongoing updates. The exhibition will instead take place at the Cotton Factory.
McMaster Studio Arts is a small program, with the fourth year class consisting of only 19 artists. With instruction on a range of media and a focus on environmentally responsible practices, the program has produced diverse artists who care about the world around them. Counterpoint means “to combine elements” and is fitting considering the amalgamation of their various styles and the balance they try to strike within their individual works.
The graduates organized the exhibition themselves. While it gave them a chance to learn more about the lives of professional artists, it also taught them to work together. Coordinating among 19 people was not easy and after some bumps in the road to find the perfect venue, they are all relieved to see the show finally coming together.
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Fernando spends a fair amount of time in nature, drawing and photographing the landscape around her. Back in the studio, she takes the colours, textures and lines from the environment to create the emotional and abstract landscape paintings that she’ll be displaying at Counterpoint.
“For me, [Counterpoint is] about… this the balance between the organic and the artificialness in my work… [I]t's taking… different colors… , textures and mark making and creating harmony and balance between all those different things within one image and creating a sort of peacefulness in that work,” Fernando explained.
Throughout the process of organizing the SUMMA show, Fernando learned how to survive as an artist. She feels that she now has an art practice of her own and regards her peers as professional contacts. As she leaves McMaster to pursue teaching, she will take those skills and contacts with her.
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For Lee, Counterpoint refers to the way her class’s wildly different works complement each other. Having spent four years critiquing and supporting one another’s practice, the exhibition represents the harmony between their different themes and materials.
The Korean-Canadian artist explores traditional Korean materials in her work. She portrays these traditional materials in a modern, digital format and then incorporates threading to unite the two ideas.
“I always get confused between Canadian and Korean aspects of myself… [T]his sense of detachment, trying to attach to something or being porous, kind of like a sponge, absorbing a lot of different cultures in order to make up my singular identity. And just like maintenance of this traditional and modern form of art,” Lee said.
Currently aiming to go into interactive design, Lee feels she learned the reality of being an artist. She has been exposed to the business side of the art world by learning to solve problems creatively and produce even without inspiration. The program’s push toward using materials to convey subtle themes has evolved Lee’s art practice.
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Cooper didn’t have a lot of purpose behind his art when he entered the studio arts program. Four years later, he feels he is a more deliberate artist and currently explores ideas around memory and coming of age. At Counterpoint, he will be presenting acrylic paintings of Westdale, where he grew up.
“[W]ith my work, I just try and talk about what that experience was like… [D]ifferent places… might not necessarily be important to other people but I guess I have certain memories there,” Cooper said.
The fact that this is the last art gathering of his university career saddens Cooper, but he knows the entire class is proud of the show. Despite the challenges they faced, they demonstrated that they could accomplish anything with collaboration. The different backgrounds and art practices of the class would not seem to mesh, but Cooper feels a nameless common thread unites their work.
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McVeigh believes process and environmentalism brings together her diverse class’ work. A self-identified environmental artist, she explores interactions between living things with one another and with inanimate objects. Having grown up in a small town near Point Pelee National Park, she spent a lot of time in nature growing up.
McVeigh’s work for Counterpoint is a series of photolithographic prints. This long and old process of creating images is meaningful to her. She tries to present her dystopian and nonsensical images in an aesthetically pleasing way with vintage elements.
“I use a lot of vintage imagery in my work… [A]fter World War II… there was the baby boom and they created a very unstable environment where it was a throwaway society. Nothing was fixed, it's all just thrown away… And then it wasn't until the ‘90s when the environment became a very serious topic,” McVeigh explained.
Her work is personal, but the program has made her more comfortable with speaking about her art. By sharing these narratives with her classmates and professors, they all grew close. She anticipates that this graduation show will be bittersweet, but there is a lot from her time at McMaster that she will be taking with her. She learned to critique her own work and reach out for help, which will help her as she pursues a career in sustainable architecture.
After graduating with her Bachelor of Fine Arts with minors in theatre and film studies and music, Conti will be going into teaching. Her teaching program will focus on educational art programming in the community, something that Conti is an advocate for. She is excited about the fact that Counterpoint will bring her program’s work off campus and into the Hamilton community.
Conti will be showing a five-piece installation consisting of floating boxes with deconstructed paintings in them. Her work revolves around her experiences with depression and anxiety to open a dialogue about mental health.
“[S]o for this body of work, there's five different stories to which I'm telling, one of which is the story about my mother's cancer. Normally… they're more negative experiences that I'm trying to understand in a more positive way. So my strokes are colors that are brighter in trying to… accept these experiences and… learn from them but also move forward,” Conti explained.
With her theatrical background, Conti sometimes feels as if she is performing herself. There is vulnerability in her portrayal of her life and she explores privacy versus vulnerability in her work. However, her time at McMaster gave her the confidence to tell her story through theatre, music and art.
The graduation show will open with a reception at the Cotton Factory from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 6. The graduating class looks forward to sharing their work with the Hamilton community.
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By: Drew Simpson
A maroon building nestled between shops on King Street East right before Jarvis Street is home to VintageSoulGeek. As the aged gold letters spelling out the shop’s name suggest, it’s a vintage boutique selling clothing, jewelry and accessories. Owned by couple Nik and Connie Bulajic, where Connie is the curator and Nik calls himself the shop boy or shop keeper.
As the curator, Connie carefully picks the clothing pieces that make the store’s selection. Much of her method remains a secret, but Nik simplified it to her following trends and just knowing what people want. He calls her a huntress and trusts her intuition while he runs the other aspects of the shop.
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Many describe visiting the store as an experience. Although the walls are simply white, there’s an earthy undertone to the place. The pictures hanging on the wall mirror the tone of the hung clothing. The right side of the shop from the entrance is where you’ll find jewelry, broches and Nik at the counter.
The left side of the store is where all the clothes are. From lavish fur coats to hats sitting on golden mannequin heads. At the very back you’ll find stunning gowns. Every component of the store comes together to contribute to a home-like feeling.
“The store is just built on love and I think people can fell it when they walk in here,” explains Nik.
Walking through the store is like walking through your grandmother’s closet as she narrates the story each clothing holds, but the closet is warm and it smells good. Although vintage clothes are second-hand, Nik assures they steam everything. So in truth, they smell like nothing, while the cinnamon air freshener fills your lungs as pieces grab your interest.
Perhaps an earlier visit to the store would’ve felt like going through a time machine to explore fashion pieces from the 1800s to 1990s. A visit today speaks volumes to how much modern trends and fashion influences are drawn from the past. The Great Gatsby themed clothes and jewelry tags are easily recognizable by even the youngest of shoppers.
The store itself is also quite young. Even though it opened up four years ago, it has many returning customers who describe VintageSoulGeek as a great place to buy gifts and shop for clothing that’s affordable. While their highly anticipated annual garage sale took place on Nov. 25 and boasted many $5 items, the store is a place where you can find unique additions to your wardrobe all year round.
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For almost 50 years and over three generations, Connie’s family has been vintage fashion collectors. Her grandmother started collecting pieces in the 1960s, then her mother started in the 1980’s and Connie picked up the passion in the 1990’s. However, the idea to sell some of that collection originated out of necessity.
“It all came out of necessity. When Connie and I first started dating, I knew that she and her family were collecting but I didn’t understand the vastness of the collection. Once our relationship bloomed and we purchased a home together and started our family that’s when all the stuff just started coming in,” explained Nik.
“She came home one particular day and she had to rent a truck to grab everything that she purchased from this place. That was before we had our business and it was like… if you want to buy more stuff, we have to start selling stuff,” explained Nik.
With three bedrooms-turned closets in their home, Nik describes their entire house as a giant closet. There were more than enough clothes to fill a store. Beyond the store’s contents, there’s about a thousand pounds of jewelry. To this day, over half of the store’s contents are from the family collection.
VintageSoulGeek started off with online sales before gaining exposure from vintage trade shows where they encountered their first of many instances with the film industry. Katy Holmes wore three outfits in Return to Chamelot that had pieces from their collection.
Now VintageSoulGeek holds some prestige. It outfitted the cast of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and the Oscar-winning movie, The Shape of Water. Pieces from the store will also appear in the upcoming Netflix movie, The Umbrella Academy.
While VintageSoulGeek pieces will catch eyes on big and small screens all around the world, the little shop will always be unique to Hamilton. Beyond the vintage wardrobe, the pieces speak to decades of family history and an exciting future for the Bulajic’s business.
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Since 2000, Tammy Ziegler and her business partner, Stephen Connacher, have relocated their Hamilton vintage shop twice. The first move was a few shops down from their original location on King Street, but their most recent decision was a big jump to 308 Ottawa Street North.
In an effort to avoid dug-up roads, traffic congestion and the uprooting of trees that will accompany the city’s looming Light Rail Transit project, Ziegler and Connacher decided to move out their vintage collection before it bites the construction dust.
“We were in a really old section so they’re going to be digging all that up and underneath the road are going to be really, really old sewer pipes so you know they’re going to be in our section for a long time digging and it will be awful,” explained Ziegler.
Always in tune to their customers’ needs, the Out of the Past duo asked shoppers back in January whether the move would be the best next step. The responses were supportive even though this meant the shop would be further away from the downtown core.
The Ottawa Street opening at the end of February was met with excitement, especially from locals who were excited to see a vintage store open in the area. While the name is yet to be painted, the characteristic cat emblem in the storefront window has been inviting regulars and new shoppers in.
The Ottawa Street North community is known for its extensive collection of fabric stores, but the street is also home to record stores, bakeries and new restaurants. Out of the Past may be the newest addition, but it’s an already established and recognizable brand in the city.
For some people, the move made little impact as they rely on the vintage store’s online presence on Instagram to find pieces and place them on hold. Out of the Past picks their favourite and most unique finds to share on the daily, creating a more convenient model for shoppers that are unable to regularly visit the store.
Connacher first started the Out of the Past Instagram account back in 2013 by posting pictures of customers in their vintage clothes, but it soon evolved into a successful online marketplace. Not everything placed on hold will be sold, but it brought out more new people to their store.
Today, Ziegler recognizes her regular customers and long-time friends of the store, mostly by their unique attire and the friendly experiences she’s had running the vintage shop over the years.
The shop has been open for nearly two decades, but both Ziegler and Connacher’s love for vintage and antiques began way before the beginning of Out of the Past.
Connacher, who grew up in Hamilton, had his own vintage shop in the 1980s in St. Catharines. He and Ziegler met at a church sale and they started selling antiques together at the Saint Lawrence Market in Toronto before opening the first Out of the Past store in St. Catharines in 1993.
“I didn’t have a job when I was a teenager because my parents had an antique store. I actually got them started because after I would [sell] at flea markets I would say ‘c’mon let’s get a table’ and I nagged and nagged,” explained Ziegler.
Eventually Ziegler’s parents became interested in starting a store on their own, and when Ziegler got her driver’s licence, she would spend her Saturday mornings driving her mother around yard sales.
Ziegler decided to go to Brock University for a Bachelor in Administration and she became a certified management accountant for a while before deciding her heart was into starting her own vintage shop.
“I’ve always been into it. I love digging for junk, like a treasure hunt, right? It’s fun and why not have fun doing what you like,” said Ziegler.
Ziegler hunts for her treasure and primo pieces at other thrift stores, yard and church sales, but now Out of the Past mostly relies on vintage wholesalers. Thousands of pounds of clothing are sorted through at a facility, and every week or two Ziegler picks up hard to find pieces to add to the Out of the Past collection.
Even when travelling, hunting for vintage is on Ziegler’s mind. She’s sourced pieces from Montreal to Halifax and Los Angeles. For Ziegler, hunting for vintage is addictive. She enjoys shopping for items for other people.
“Part of the fun is the reward that you get from finding people who are interested in the products that you’ve sources. And trying to find interesting things that’ll excite them,” explained Ziegler.
Ziegler’s goal is to find the perfect unique items that will make her customers rummage through racks of vintage clothing in awe. No matter where Out of the Past is, the store will continue to be on the forefront of the vintage community.
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The sun shone through the glass windows of a small family-run restaurant in Hamilton’s east end, bouncing off metallic clothing racks and bright yellow walls. What once was Donairs At Gage had transformed into a Plus Size Flea Market for a Saturday afternoon.
Shoppers poured in and out of the former restaurant, rummaging through fashion forward pieces and unique plus-size finds, including a vintage red rain jacket that caught a few eyes.
A DJ played music throughout the busy afternoon as shoppers posed for photos with pineapple-shaped balloons in front of a cheerful lemon-printed backdrop. Jessie Goyette walked from booth to booth, making sure her event was the warm and welcoming experience she had hoped for.
The Plus Size Flea Market was one of the first of its kind. Several marketplaces have been popping up around Hamilton, but Goyette felt that they always had limited sizing or didn’t carry pieces that suited her. She knew others felt the same way.
Goyette is very active in the Hamilton community. She’s an advocate, artist and current Leadership in Community Engagement student at McMaster University and founder of Safer Gigs Hamilton. Naturally, she decided to take matters into her own hands and carve out a space to celebrate plus-size fashion.
In a matter of three weeks, Goyette seamlessly put together the entire event. Around 10 vendors were present, including well-known names such as White Elephant and Girl on the Wing, with a selection of pieces size 10 and up.
Edencole Dresses, located on Ottawa and Cannon, had a selection of affordable dresses, tops and leggings at the market. Birds of North America, a contemporary, vintage-inspired clothing line by a Toronto-based designer, Hayley Gibson, was also a vendor.
The market also had independent vendors like the Mermaids Purse, a colourful collection of vintage goodies from the 1950s to the 1990s curated by Chelsea Ward and Snake Pit Vintage, Goyette’s own clothing collection.
“I have an interest in fashion. [With] all the really exciting new businesses that are popping up all around Hamilton, there are a lot of people in the plus sized community who don’t know that these businesses have plus size options,” explained Goyette.
“I know from personal experiences that it can be super intimidating to go into a new store when you’re not sure if you’re going to leave empty handed [or] fit into anything in the store. So I wanted to celebrate… and highlight all the businesses that you can go into.”
For example, Girl on the Wing has a beautiful selection of plus sized bathing suits that not many people are aware of. The shop also offers custom orders on swimwear so that shoppers can feel comfortable in just the right fit this coming summer.
The Mermaid’s Purse collection offers unique pieces that radiate creative personality. Ward gravitates towards colourful and over the top items, like a fun selection of geometric earrings, a blue crushed velvet blouse and a silver housecoat from the 1950s, which all made a debut at the market.
“Being a size 12/14, I will admit I have struggled to find clothing that fit my personality in my size. The outdated belief is that curvy and plus size women don’t want to stand out any more than they already do, therefore for years there has been a lack of fun, unique pieces for women with shape,” explained Ward.
“I believe women of all shapes and sizes should have a wide variety of clothing to choose from in order to find what makes them feel good. Everyone has a right to rock something beautiful and shine in the clothing they wear.”
For Goyette, the main idea behind the flea market is not just about shopping local, but rather about building community, confidence and self-esteem. It’s all about celebrating positivity and inclusivity, while also creating a space where like-minded people can meet and share their ideas and experiences.
The idea of hosting a Plus Size Flea Market had been at the back of Goyette’s head for quite some time, but she wasn’t sure how the community would react. As soon as her idea turned into reality, it received an overwhelming amount of positive support. So much so that Goyette is already making plans for another market during the summer.
As unlikely as it may seem, the little donair restaurant became the backdrop of a bustling community of individuals eager to meet and connect over clothing and conversation.
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When Katherine Moore posted a picture of a vintage style Morgan & Co lace dress on her West Village Vintage page in May, she had no idea how much her little Instagram shop would turn into a thriving business.
Known as the Hammer girl who hunts and sells fun antiques, Moore’s collection is made up of over 900 unique items that she proudly displays through thousands of pictures online. Her shop is a nod towards her love for collecting vintage and desire to share it with her Westdale Village community.
Despite starting her shop a little over five months ago, Moore had been collecting vintage pieces since she was four years old.
“I loved penny sales where old ladies sold stuff, [I would] touch everything and I used to think everything was so expensive and beautiful, like obviously a four-year-old would think that, but looking back I always did enjoy it,” said Moore.
Moore is now a second year student in English and Multimedia at McMaster. She still loves to collect beautiful vintage, but now focuses more on exploring and learning about the history behind the items she comes across.
West Village Vintage came to be when Moore realized that her collection was starting to outgrew her home. The shop was the perfect solution to continue collecting vintage, without having to keep all of it.
“The main reason that I do it now is for the people. I love hearing comments like ‘my grandma had this, or my parents had this’ and [my clients] don’t know where to go and find it, so I like finding it for them and giving it to them,” explained Moore.
Finding the perfect pieces for her shop and clients can be a challenge. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time. Much of her collection pieces are from spontaneous road trips with her mom.
“Sometimes we’ll drive two hours away to an auction and just go and look… My mom and I have a lot of fun at garage sales. We usually drive out, if we see a yard sale we’ll stop, or a little antique shop, pretty much whatever happens on the road,” said Moore.
Their Toyota Yaris may be small, but the vintage hunting duo never fail to take home the most amount of antique treasures.
At first, Moore relied on her natural instincts when sifting through pieces and assessing their value. She would often look into the history of an item on the spot or if she has a good feeling, she’ll take it home and do the research then.
With practice, Moore was all able to retain the information she’s learned and can now appraise items herself. Her vintage shopping superpower is the ability to easily identify the year and make of antique washboards.
Moore’s instincts tend to be spot on and West Village Vintage’s charming aesthetic has been met with positive response from eager customers and supporters.
However, her shop’s success does come with challenges. Moore spends countless hours hunting antiques, organizing them in a tote system, wrapping them like Christmas gifts, talking with customers and keeping track of orders.
She also goes out of her way to ensure pieces are affordable and conveniently delivered for students, often leaving little profit for herself. The West Village Vintage is driven by genuine passion.
“I like doing something that feels like it’s mine in a way… It’s kind of like my baby, I love seeing the growth of it. Even watching the page change, the way the images look and I like getting the positivity of the comments,” explained Moore.
“I love hearing back from people who bought something and they’ll send me pictures of where it is in their house.”
What the future holds for West Village Vintage is unknown, but Moore is working hard to continue growing her brand. She’s excited to see her antique pieces fill more homes, with exception to her brass, a secret collection the antique lover will continue to hold onto.
The West Village Vintage can be found at @westvillagevintage on Instagram and will be at the Christmas in November Market at 459 Ofield Road South in Dundas on Nov 18.
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