In a narrow shop in Kensington Market crammed wall-to-wall with antique wares, a girl sits cross-legged on the floor, parka tossed aside, rifling through a basket of silver beads. Behind her, her friend tries on seven different suit-vests until he settles on his two favourite options. “Holy Cow” by The Band ripples through the speakers as they shop.
A variety of eclectic treasures have found their way to family-run vintage shop Courage My Love. A favourite among Torontonians, the store is known for its glass beads, nifty trinkets, exotic jewellery, and cheap vintage clothing and accessories. Cece Scriver of Courage My Love provided some insight into the appeal of vintage clothing, and why old, to her, is better than new.
The Varsity: What do you think lies at the heart of people’s love of vintage?
Cece Scriver: Originality. The thing about vintage is that it’s not cookie-cutter. You have to know what you want and what you look good in. It’s individuality and originality.
TV: Do you think old is better than new?
CS: Yes! The reason why we started our business was because, in 1975, we realized that recycling was good — making something once and wearing it five times, rather than making something once and then buying something new… [We] remade stuff so it was in fashion — so we’d take things that were out of fashion and turn them into in-fashion.
TV: Is the authenticity of vintage being lost now that it’s trendy to buy new clothing that has been manufactured to look old?
CS: That’s when you know you have to change. If you don’t change, you’ll get stuck in a rut. Now, it’s harder to find actual vintage. We have had to always change with the times. My mom and I are good at figuring out what people want before they want it. We try to fill the niches that no one has.
TV: Can you describe your favourite item of vintage clothing?
CS: I wear a lot of hats. I wear a lot of old men ‘40s hats. I collect [Afghan] Kuchi dresses as well, from the ’30s. I have, like, ten of them — they’re hard to find, and I love them. I never wear new stuff. Just my jeans… I won’t pay more than $20 for something. I will for a bottle of wine, though.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.