Toronto Vintage Clothing Show Shopping list Fall 2023

The Toronto Vintage Clothing Show Fall 2023 show is HERE!  It's this weekend and I don't think I've slept a wink this entire week because I'm too excited. As many of you know the vintage show is where I buy a bulk of my vintage clothes so I am keeping my fingers crossed I find some gems to add to my closet!  The Toronto Vintage Clothing Show is taking place on Saturday September 30th and Sunday October 1st at the Queen Elizabeth building at exhibition. It's super accessible by train (Short walk from exhibition station) or by car. Tickets are $15 but if you sign up for their emails you get a discount ! If you want more information you can check out their website here or you can follow them on instagram here. I've been going to the show for years now and it's seen me go through different decades during my style evolution. Over the past couple of years I've been more focused on 1940s and 1930s so thats what I'll be looking for this year. Let's get started! 

THE SHOPPING LIST 

1930s/1940s Dresses

As always dresses are my weakness ! I cant help buy want to buy them. I'm going to be a bit more picky with the dresses I buy and look for particular cuts and colours. More muted dusty colours and feminine silhouettes. I know the 1940s has a lot of menswear (utilitarian) inspired dresses with shoulder pads but I'm looking for more 1930s/early 40s where the lines are still flowy and the sleeves have a small puff to them. High necklines and fun decals!  I would also be interested in a peplum detail. Think Allie from the Notebook or Lili Collins character in the last tycoon.

Short Sleeve 1930s/1940 Knits 

This is something I started wearing this summer. I've been loving short sleeve knit tops for summer !  And yes I know we are going into the fall but vintage shopping has no season lol. If I see a summer piece I like I'm going to get it! I also have a trip coming up mid October and it would be perfect for it! I want some short sleeve knit pieces that have an interesting pattern or detail like the ones below.

1930s/1940s Blouses

Blouses ! Why are they so hard to find! I want some nice fitting 1930s/1940s feminine blouses. Most modern blouses I find are oversized and I can't seem to find ones that fit properly, so I have my fingers crossed that I find one at the vintage show! I am looking for both short and long sleeve.

Cropped Knit Cardigan 

Ok so this is something I do want for the fall ! I would love to find some cropped knit cardigans. I wear a lot of long plaid/wool skirts in the fall/winter so I find cropped sweaters look best when paired with them. Otherwise long cardigans look a bit more... grandma-ish lol. I have a couple of cropped ones and I love the look !  I want cardigans that have a knit texture or pattern, my ideal colour would be chocolate brown!

1930s Hats

Ok you guys know I can't go into a vintage store/show and not look for hats! Some girls love shoes or handbags but I'm definitely a hat girl! I really want some 1930s hats, especially in white/cream.  I would also love a navy blue or grey. I want more every day hats that I can just throw on and will match a lot of things. I have a few statement hats already so I am attempting to stay away from those.

1930s Handbags

Ok I debated even putting this on the list because realistically I have enough handbags. So I will only get a purse if its a unique 1930s handbag. I couldn't really find a picture of what I'm looking for because I'm not looking for anything in particular. I'm hoping I just stumble upon something amazing and that its from the 1930s.

Basic 1930s/1940s Skirts

I know I have a lot of skirt but I am looking for some plain basic wool skirts that I can wear on the daily. I have a bunch of plaid ones but sometimes I want to wear tops that have patters, but I can't because of the skirt. So I am looking for a chocolate brown or navy. Although I would be happy with any skirt from the colour palette at the end of this post (You'll see it at the very end). Oh and the skirt has to have pleates on the bottom half of the skirt! Or a be a beautiful knit.

1930s/1940s Matching Sets

I talked about this in my last post. This year I've been really into suit sets so that is on my shopping list too! Wether its a suit set or a matching knit two piece! A colour that isn't neutral would be amazing ! 

Crochet Brooches 

For jewellery I don't have much that I'm looking for. The main thing I would love would be a crochet brooch. I got one last season and I'm obsessed with it! Its so cute and from the 1930s. I think they are a great way to accessories a knit sweater or the lapel on a blazer.

Heart Jewellery 

Last but not least I would LOVE some heart shaped jewellery. This should come to no surprise if you've been following me for a while. I am obsessed with heart shaped jewellery I always have been since I was little. I have my favourite every day necklace from WWII, a heart shaped locket. So I would love to find a heart shaped brooch, or bracelet,  bonus points if its wartime jewellery. 

.......Basically anything you can find in the video below

Here is the colour palette I am looking at 

Of course I don't expect to find everything on this list. Vintage is really unpredictable and sometimes you find the perfect piece but its not in your size (or price range). However I would be thrilled with finding just one item from this list. This is more so to give you an idea of the types of things I'm currently into and what I'm searching for. The one things I'm avoiding is black clothing and accessories. I have way too many black dresses and hats so its the last thing I need. What is on you vintage shopping list?  

Cooling Down

I am trying my best not to start blog posts talking about the weather. I've noticed over the past few months that I do that all the time and it must be really boring to read. Since this is a fashion blog the weather is a big influence on the outfit I'm wearing, so it just feels natural to talk about it. But even as I type it out I feel like a boring person. Let lets go straight into the look!

For this outfit I am wearing one of my favourite new suit sets, I got it at the Ian Drummond studio sale a few weeks ago and its incredible!  It actually also has a matching coat but its not quite cold enough for it yet, so you'll be seeing it later on this year. It's a 1930s reproduction suit set in an incredible muted maroon. I love the details that are on the labels of the blazer and also the beautiful button on the belt. I was never really into suit sets until last year, I think its because up until that point I was only seeing modern/80s/90s suit sets at thrift stores, and lets be honestly they are ill fitting and unflattering. I know suit sets have been pretty trendy these past couple of years, all the fashion girlies were wearing these colourful suit sets and they all looked amazing. But they were all pant suit sets so I wasn't really that interested. Looking back I never really liked pants if I'm being honest I remember wearing skirts and tights to school or shorts and tights, I avoided pants as much as possible. Not because I find them uncomfortable (Although skirts and dresses are more comfortable) but because I find them really unflattering on me and I don't feel like myself. I guess its because my style is very feminine? I even wear nightgowns because I can't imagine wearing pyjamas pants. Sorry I'm rambling... conclusion I've been into1930s/40s skirt suit sets lately ! And this suit set was the perfect addition to my closet. 

 Ok lets talk about the shoes!! I am obsessed with these maroon shoes. They are the American Duchess  Marjorie shoes in Cordovan, They are perfection! Look at the details along the top of the shoe and also the button! I am so excited to wear these these all throughout the fall. They are up on their website for preorder,  you can click here if you want to order yourself a pair! These were actually my first pair of American Duchess shoes and wow the craftsmanship and quality is fantastic. They fit me like a glove and I can tell these will last years even with constant wear.  They are leather so that also aids in their longevity, it's the most sustainable option when shopping for shoes. I used to have a closet full of fun coloured heels that I would buy anywhere (lower price point), but most of them only lasted a few wears. I've completely changed my shopping habits over the past few years and shoes were something I still struggled to invest in. American Duchess changed my mind and I will be making smarted choices when It comes to footwear. 

And last but not least I topped the look off with this brown hat that I got at the Toronto Vintage Clothing show! WHICH happens to be coming up this weekend ! I have been loving this style of hat lately ; I have this brown one, a red one which you can see in this blog post, and a black one that you can see more recently in this blog post. I'm not sure what this style of hat is called, they were very popular in the 1930s and I love the way they fit my head. They are round at the top but flatter than modern hats. I'm not sure if I'm describing it properly but after trying on every hat that crosses my path I notice a difference. I would love to find a cream hat like this so that I can wear it in the spring/summer.  Maybe I'll do a blog post talking about everything I'm shopping for at the TVCS ? What do you think ?? 

Old Stock Exchange

I can't think of a better feeling than stepping outside on the first day of fall and feeling the crisp air, the sun shining above you and the excitement of a new season all around. That was the case this morning and honestly it was perfect . I was going to take the subway but decided to walk the 25 min instead to enjoy the moment.  The start of a new season is always exciting, mainly for fashion. I always feel the most creative in the fall, maybe its because we can layer more so outfits become more interesting. I have more fall hats than I do summer ones so I always get excited when I can start wearing them again. This particular hat is one I thrifted about a year ago and its my first time wearing it... I still can't believe I found this hat at a THRIFT STORE for a couple of dollars. It's in perfect condition and it might now be my new favourite hat. As for the outfit I am wearing this 1940s peplum top that ties in a tiny black bow at the front (Etsy). I paired it with this midi black wool skirt that I also thrifted. I actually debated getting rid of this skirt but I'm glad I kept it! I'm already picturing other outfits I can make with it. It was a cooler day so I layered a black cardigan over the top. For accessories I wore black t straps and a 1940s popcorn bag that I got recently at the Ian Drummond studio sale. 

You are probably confused by the title of this blog post but the doors I am standing by at the doors to the old Toronto Stock Exchange. The building was built in 1937 and at the time it was considered the most modern stock exchange in the world. Now its the design exchange which helps promote Canadian designers. Luckily the original  building still stands and is one of the few Art deco buildings in Toronto. I was walking by and the doors matched my outfit perfectly. It feels like I stepped back in time. What are you the most exited about for fall??