Queen Street Market

Kealan Sullivan of high-style shop 69 Vintage recently announced a new marketplace for art, craft, fashion and vintage lovers - The Queen West Market, upstairs at 1100 Queen Street West.

The second floor space (previously Spin Gallery) will be the new home of the market and its 35+ artsy vendors - including a farmers market.

Open every Saturday and Sunday, 10 - 6 all year round.

Designers and Merchants: There are many options available to sell your wares from renting small carts to larger spaces. For vending opportunities and more information, go to www.queenwestmarket.com.

A Fidelity Rainbow

Fidelity Denim - A Canadian Company

Introducing a rainbow coloured collection including cranberry and fuscia; metal navy and lime green and curaco and plum.

Price: $140
Available in Toronto at Over The Rainbow, Mendocino, Body Blue
(Elsewhere Joelles, Leslies, Agent 99, Denim 101, Something Irrestible, Swank, Mimi & Coco, Tea Leaf, Foosh, Bamboo Ballroom, Lucys, JJ Whiskey)

www.fidelitydenim.com

Acid Wash @ Jones

Acid Wash is back! Available at JONES at 557 Queen Street West or www.shopatjones.com

Fit: Tight
Waist: Low
Legs: Super slim
Style: Acid wash with zipper detail
Price: $109

Win FREE tickets to the Clothing Show!

Win tickets to Toronto's best designer and vintage sale, The Clothing Show - May 2-4, 2008.

Just send in a Head-to-Toe photo of yourself dressed in a mix of local designer duds and/or vintage finds, with details, to win two (2) free tickets to this massive 3-day clothing event! The first five (5) people to send in their photo and outfit details wins! All winning pics will be posted on the site.

Send photo (less than 1mg) to rachel@torontostreetfashion.com

Etsy: Visions of Spring

Although all the fashion magazines are packed with SPRING collections and colors, the snow in Toronto just won't let up! Warm weather clothes and strappy footwear in bright hues and monocramatic shades, the trends of the upcoming season, decorate shop windows - while we continue to bundle up in heavy coats and salt-stained boots:(
Etsy, the uber-shopping site for global crafters, is a fabulous spot for some inspirational sunshine and great deals on new accessories and clothing for every season!

These are some fun local finds. All items are one-of-a-kind originals so its essential to check back often!

1. Charlene Serdan Designs
Beads, beautiful rocks and jewels crafted into timeless accessories. Shown: A cluster of czech glass beads and turquoise on sterling earwires. Length of the dangle 1.6". $22

2. Picnicbybarbfeldman.etsy.com
Fun, affordable polymer clay shaped into lemon pie, birthday cake and salmon and lox! Brunch plate brooch, 1 1/4" $14.

3. Elizaveta Yankelovich a.k.a. Kameleon
Eye-catching, eccentric necklaces made-up of toys, lego, sunglasses and hair rollers...! Elizaveta will be showcasing at [FAT]. BoBBLes neckwear $34 plus $6 shipping

Stand Outs

We all want to stand out when it comes to fashion. In the sea of black - which is the staple colour of winter fashion it seems - you need killer accessories.

With fashion week only eight days away, now is the time to augment the terrible black hole with bold design that blasts out colour and style. TSF recommends silk neckties in electric colours made by designer Jane Haselgrove, available from The Rage [13 Kensington Ave] and eclectic, mad necklaces from Elizaveta Yankelovich a.k.a KAMELEON stocked at Boutique Le Trou [940 Queen St West]. One of a kind is always the best way to impress!

New Vinyl @ Magic Pony

Limited Availability!

Magic Pony is a contemporary art space, urban culture curator and underground shop for fashionable tees, designer toys and carefully selected 'street' reads - a Toronto treasure trove for those who appreciate originality and collectible vinyl!

1. Devilrobots, the legendary Japanese toy wonder team known for cute but wicked toys (Tofu Head, Evirob, Cracle, Maffy), has teamed up with Kidrobot and released upon the world an assortment of mini Kiiros! The bizarre and incredibly emotional Kiiro is one of Devilrobots many strange creations. He boasts an unusually large bellybutton that sheds tears when he is sad.

2. Wish Come True, Series One Friends With You
These six new figures have weighted bottoms and built-in bell chimes, giving each one a playful rocking motion and a subtle, soothing sound. The series features six primary characters plus 3 bonus chase figures that have yet to be revealed - magical toys that sing magical songs!
Mini figure series, 3 to 4 inches tall. $9

3. Dunny: French Series
MON DIEU! This Fifth Republic experience features 18 defenders of Liberte, Egalite and Fraternite including Superdeux, Genevieve Gauckler, 123Klan, SupaKitch, Easy Hey, Tilt, Mist, Skwak and Tizieu.
Blind box assortment. $8

MAGIC PONY, 694 Queen St West Toronto tel: 416.861.1684

Annie Thompson Closing

Sale Sale Sale!
674 Queen Street West

Iconic fashion designer and artist Annie Thompson is closing her Queen Street West storefront after almost 20 years on the block.

Although she just came through one of her most successful financial years, she tell the National Post, "I want to get off the treadmill of always making stuff for the store. I've become this production animal, and from a creative standpoint, I don't feel that I've had enough integrity in what I'm making," she says. "I want to be free and creative and see where the wind blows me."

Annie Thompson is best known for her artsy, sculptural and textured creations: stylish yet practical clothing for women and unique home decor. Although her boutique closes by the end of March, she is looking forward to working on several Canadian and international solo and collaborative arts and fashion events including a gig at the Toronto Art Expo and Toronto Alternative Fashion Week installation.

See more art www.anniethompson.ca

What's new at Deva

Moped Lug's everyday take me everywhere bag. The best are discreet magnetic closures saving you from a Velcro migraine (featured on Oprah). $40 in all colors

Foxy Solar Earrings $20 and plenty of other Foxy Originals.

Espe Gogo Green Cell Holder $12. Also, look for Espe's new funky eco-totes.

http://www.devashoppers.com

Enterprise the Showdown Vintage way

By Daniel Wilson

The clothes may be 20 to 80 years old, but the Toronto team of Showdown Vintage and eBay are taking vintage fashion out of musty old Kensington basements and into the most modern market; cyberspace. Showdown Vintage is an eBay seller that operates like a small independent boutique, posting new items every couple days and maintaining a consistent standard and fashionability.

Celebrating their 2nd anniversary this May, Showdown Vintage has become one of the hottest online stores for beautifully cut, flawless vintage fashion. “When we’re picking,” says Showdown’s Staysail, “we are looking for beautiful, well made, well cut pieces. Cut is key, and we personally try on every item we pick to make sure the fit is nice.”

Going picking five days a week in four different rag houses means that the Showdown team has amassed a huge collection of clothes that every four to six weeks they open up to the shopping public that doesn’t want to bother with the digital complications of online buying. “This is the third time we’ve had this sale and every time has been hellish weather!” laughs Staysail, but even with the minus 30 wind chill, their February sale saw more than a 100 brave shopping souls become happy customers.

Relying only on Facebook and word of mouth, the Showdown sales have been growing steadily. Staysail remarks that this has been their busiest yet.

Pink sparkling wine, grilled tuna and beef tenderloin, and creamy curried chicken dip with home-made sweet potato chips, the vintage rock soundtrack and candle light made the Showdown sale feel more like a sophisticate boutique opening than a free for all rummage. Most of the items arranged on rolling racks were under 50 dollars and had witty tags like “drop dead RED” and “a gal can never have enough fringe”. The next event is scheduled for some time near St. Patrick’s day, and in the mean time they are looking for new models for their online images – “nice legs and good skin are the only prerequisite,” says Staysail, “ vintage clothes need different models than normal catalogue.”
For more information or contacts go to http://www.showdownvintage.com/.

The Team: Staysail, Mick Jackson & Andrew Pepall

Eyewear 2008

Eyewear experts from around the world gathered in Paris last October to preview the best in frames at SILMO 2008. Vintage, techno and luxury were at the forefront and Toronto's Josephson Opticians were there to capture the highlights. (click link for locations)

Vintage: thick and heavy plastics in dark finishes taking strong influences from the mid-late 80’s. Includes Oliver Peoples’ 20th anniversary collection, the Vintage Entourage of 7, Paul Smith, L.A. Eyeworks and the iconic vintage inspired label, Oliver Goldsmith.

Luxury reigns this season with decadent jewel pieces from Gold + Wood and frames adorned with gold and diamonds from Cartier’s Panthère de Cartier collection. Other notable collections are Chrome hearts, Kieselstein-Cord and Lindberg.

Techno Frames in all colors will captivate the modern professional with their sleek and industrial aesthetic. The best include IC Berlin and Mykita stainless steel frames.

Favourite and most notable eyewear designers Robert Marc taped into his dark side, taking influences from the Film Noir genre, while Alain Mikli returned to his bold and vibrant acetate roots.

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Toronto Designer Eyewear (short list)
www.torontolife.com/guide/fashion/eyewear for descriptions

Josephson Opticians, 60 Bloor St. W. (at Bay), plus five other locations. 416-964-7070
Rapp Optical - with a signature line designed and hand-made in Toronto, 788 College St. (at Ossington) 416-537-659
Karir Fashion Eyewear, 138 Cumberland St. plus two other locations, 416-975-0536
Specs & Specs, 311a Queen Street West, 416-979-3937
Optic Creations, 5025 Yonge Street, 424 Dundas St. West
Spectacle, 752 Queen St. W. plus two other locations, 416-603-0123

Hanging out at Toronto's Boutique Le Trou

Susie Love cuffs | Elizaveta Yankelovich a.k.a. Kameleon neckwear

Danielle Meder of final fashion

Boutique Le Trou, 940 Queen Street West
Full of high-quality Canadian designers including SD&R, Phillip Sparks, Nada, Lucian Matis, Zoran Dobric...

Toronto Life: On the Block

I recently renewed my subscription to Toronto Life magazine - an exclusively T.O. monthly mag with current politics, Urban Decoder, restaurants & entertainment, people & fashion and themed CityGuides. ($24 year includes 10 issues of FASHION).

Although I tend to hold on to stacks of copies (for reference??), I'm often on the Toronto Life website in the Shopping section and its shop reviews, fashion faces profiles and Good Stuff Cheap.

One of my favorite sections is On the Block, where the writer looks at specific areas of the city (Parkdale, Yorkville...) and reviews 5-10 shops in that neighbourhood, complete with a map pinpointing all locations - a great resource for planning your next shopping/browsing outing!

Go Green: Hatley Organic Tees

'Bitch' tee $10sale | moose pjs $26sale | bear boots $50

Nature-inspired sleepwear, loungewear and outerwear for the entire family are Hatley’s claim to fame! At their sunny new 1000sq.ft. boutique at 2648 Yonge St., this family-run global clothing and housewares company showcases their new collections. In true Canadiana-style, little moose and bears adorn pjs and rain boots, all which have been featured in magazines from Lou Lou to Vogue Bambini.

New to its roster The list of Hatley's enviro-friendly manufacturing process extends to using unbleached hang tags, biodegradeable and compostable fabrics, non-chlorinated bleach and recycled paper for catalogues. They plan to go 100% organic by 2009.

Based in Montreal, Hatley boutiques are scattered through Canada and the products are sold all over the world. Shop Hatley Nature, 2648 Yonge Street and online www.hatleynature.com

Shop MADE for local goods

by Siya Chen


For all of you fashionable and design-minded individuals, MADE is open for longer hours for your last minute shopping this holiday season. Visit MADE and pick up a small or big piece of uniquely CANADIAN design. Be it the magnetic utensil holder, funky cushions, or crazy fun Milk crate table. Knowing that all products at MADE are designed and made by fellow Toronto and Canadian designers, shopping at MADE is a truly rewarding shopping experience!


MADE, 867 Dundas St. West, www.MadeDesign.ca

Loft Shopping Party - Forget the usual places!

Every month a couple Canadian designers get together to show their lines in an informal loft shopping party hosted by Rowena Jozic of babu et moi. Jozic, who showed her collection at Toronto Alternative Fashion Week last year, is a fantasy lover's designer. Her elfish coats (in turquoise and brown) are both funky and practical--a must for us Torontonians buried in snow.

Also showing this month were Maria Serrano of Maria Serrano Shoes. These beautiful Argentinean shoes and boots are 100% leather and incredibly comfortable.

Bijoux by Karen Racicot also had a display of one of a kind silver and semi-precious stone jewellery.

Jozic plans to host this party--complete with cocktails and cool beats--once a month. Keep checking our site for information on the next sale!

69 Vintage $-Mass Shopping Fete

69 Vintage held its annual Christmas Holiday shopping party, December 12, 2007 at its Queen Street West location. There has been a 69 off-spring location in Kensington ya know! Revellers drank spiked egg nog and festive berry juice whilst stripping down and slapping on vintage treasures in full view. Daniel Wilson, L'Oreal Fashion Week DJ, scored a cool green bomber coat. Leanne Delap, Globe and Mail fashion writer, acquired a chic gold link belt. Anna Von Francis, Pink Mafia Boss, played dress-up for guests. Jen, El Presidente of the new Toronto web site Shedoesthecity.com, was glamorous in a shiny silver dress. The boutique was packed to the gills with holiday joy! Of course, 69's Kealan Sullivan rocked it the most in thigh-high black boots and fur hat - Mistress of her domain.

Favorite Shop in Toronto: Lileo

Lileo is almost a spiritual destination in the city - for spendthrift shoppers, artsy metropolitans and aristocratic fashion fiends who can easily find love and belonging in aisles piled high of exclusive labels, coveted literary collectibles and the latest and greatest in stylish lifestyle finds for men, women and kids.

Co-founded by Syd Beder, a Toronto fashion veteran (most noted for bringing brands like Big Star, Indian Motorcycle and Lululemon to Toronto) and yoga enthusiast, who brought life to Lileo after experiencing his own personal spiritual discovery, this Lileo derives from Galileo (astronomer/scientist) and is fueled by similar notions of light and discovery.

Go to full review here >>

One of a Kind Holiday Gifts

Everyone knows that malls nearing the Christmas and holiday season are nightmarish! Although malls usually provide a one-stop shopping experience, staying away can be stress free and pleasant!

Prickly Pear | Philo-soapy | Adhesif Clothing Co. | Wendy Ryan Folk Art | Moonrox | Tsunami Glassworks

The One of a Kind Christmas Show and Sale, Thursday, November 22 - Sunday, December 2, 2007
Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place $10-$12

Over 800 artisans deliver the latest in fashion and accessories, gourmet treats, art, toys and fine crafted creations. Complimentary childcare, wheelchairs, parcel check.

Meet some designers at last year's One of a Kind Show & Sale here >>

New @ Preloved

New warm re-made @ Preloved, 613 Queen Street West

Studio 1686: Wardrobe from Films

Studio 1686, a new sleek and boxy apparel shop by Marya Duplaga, movie wardrobe stylist opened on the far west end of Toronto's Queen Street this past weekend. Studio 1686's unique selling point is clothing sourced from film studio wardrobe departments. Men's and women's designer fashions gently worn or not at all are on sale for a fraction of what you would pay anywhere else!

Designer snapshot:

Moschino jeans for $85 and Juicy Jeans for $45. A sleek selection of mainly black evening dresses. A stunning coat by L.A.M.B for $245. Trousers by Valentino, Versus, Marni and Issey Miyake. Think of any designer label and you will most likely find it here. Shoes and jewllery are also available.

The boutique also offers cosmetics by R.H. Studio, which feature natural minerals.

It is far out of the normal shopping district of Queen Street West, but worth the trip if you want to save money. The are also a few vintage shops and a great little cafe in the neighbourhood.

1686 Queen St West (east of Roncessvalles)

416.533-5400

T.O. Loves Ms. Love

Susie Love is Toronto's most gabbed about gal these days as her quirky jewellery shows up on fashionistas including Jessica Biel who recently wore a necklace to her Fashion File interview. With L'Oreal Fashion Week only weeks away, Susie slaves away in her studio creating jewellery for THREE shows this season including David Dixon and Ula Zukowska!

Daniel Wilson sat down with the girl of many talents and tastes...

Susie Love loves mint chocolate chip ice cream. She likes almost any colour and takes her coffee with lots of sweetener, milk and cream. She is a dog person who has landed herself with two cats, and Susie is finally getting around to reading Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone.
Susie Love channels Picasso’s ceramics into her fabulous plastic jewelry which lately has been seen on every fashionista in Toronto, including Robin Kay. For six years she was also a certified wildlife rehabilitator.

The bubbly sometimes frenetic energy that Susie approaches life with has paid off well in her career as a jewelry designer. In nine short months she has been commissioned by The Royal Ontario Museum, Fashion Export Award winner Katya Revenko, Boutique Y5 in Yorkville and vintage fashion mecca 69 Vintage. And she’s just getting started.

Susie just finished work on a Nuit Blanche installation at Y5 before throwing herself into L’oreal Fashion Week preparations where she has been asked to be a part of the Toronto Fashion Incubator’s Media Breakfast. Oh, and she’s doing pieces for the Toronto Wildlife Centre’s annual gala.

It’s no wonder Susie wishes there were more than twenty four hours in a day, or that she didn’t have to sleep. Though she admits to sometimes having her head in the clouds Susie’s feet are planted firmly on the ground where she grows grapes for the juice we drink spiked with Grey Goose through the interview. As for the future she is proud of how far she has come and aims even higher, “designing for Tiffany’s or Holt Renfrew would be a dream of mine.”

For semi-regular trunk sales and private commissions: susielovestar@hotmail.com and myspace.com/susielovesfun.

Available: Y5, 5 Yorkville Ave, Mink, 550 College St, Model Citizen, 913 Dundas St West, Melanie's Closet, 829 Dundas St West, Made You Look, 1338 Queen St West.

Soos for Hope

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and together Deva, the Canadian online accessories store and our fav designers SOOS have designed the Deva Cluster of Hope Bracelet ($40).

This beautiful bracelet is made of glass and crystal beads with a rose quartz heart as well as the breast cancer pink ribbon charm. The chain is silver plated with a sterling silver toggle.

For the month of October Deva will donate $10.00 of each sale of the Cluster of Hope Bracelet to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. www.devashoppers.com.

For the month of October Deva is offering $5.00 off every purchase of $50.00 or more. Please enter coupon code "oct07" to receive your Deva discount!

Jacflash Indie Glam on Queen West

by Siya Chen






Father-Daughter Duo Jaclyn and Geoff Genovese opened up the much-needed Indie-glam boutique Jacflash on West Queen St. West.
The beautifully designed store is stocked up with unique and hard to find independent brands from New York, Europe, Australia and Hong Kong. While the black sequined top by Alice + Olivia worn by Jaclyn at the opening night is definitely one of our favorites, the TorontoStreetFashion gang is even more happy to realize that there is a listening booth for independent music at the store. Goodie bag to go for the opening party is the stylish white leather water bottle holder. Now we could finally be fashionable even for those dull exercise routines!

Jacflash, 1036-38 Queen West

Meet Joe Fresh

By now you may have seen the new Joe Fresh print and tv ads in Canada. Who is Joe Fresh you ask? Canada's latest mass-produced, budget basics brought to you by Joseph Mimran, the man behind Club Monaco and Loblaws Superstores, where the line is exclusively stocked.

We have to admit that Joe Fresh's cheap chic is our latest guilty indulgence (it's just soooo inexpensive!). With plain ol' tank tops, Joe skinny jeans and especially children's items, it makes shopping simple.


And now they've even added an "Innerwear" (or underwear) collection with the same aesthetic and price in mind! Thongs, boyshorts, push-up bras, camisoles, briefs and hipsters in co-ordinating styles and colours are available at unbeatable prices. ($5 - $25)
(I must say that although we don't love the fact that the Joe Fresh collection is mass-manufactured in developing countries, we do prefer that is it a Canadian company being sold in Canadian stores!)

The new Joe Fresh Style Innerwear collection is now available in Real Canadian Superstores across Canada.

Crash, Burn, Yorkville

I heard that the new Chanel boutique was opening last night so.....I crashed the party. Hey, what do you expect - street fashion has no rules! I arrived late, suitable dressed in head to toe black, swinging my fake, second-hand Chanel quilted bag irreverently. Funny that nobody at the opening even came over to say hello - huff can't expect everyone to have manners. What to do? I chatted with the help; who were friendly enough. The new boutique has two levels crammed to the ceiling with more Chanel than you can shake a stick at! As most of the guests had left, I took photos of mannequins dripping in Chanel accessories.

The highlight of this reckless venture was creating my fantasy Chanel shopping list. And the ridiculously expensive Steinway & Sons piano, designed by none other than Karl Lagerfeld. If you have $97,000 laying about you can buy one. It is pretty cool for a piano; hand make in Germany and limited edition of course.

Still feeling reckless, I decided to keep crashing through Yorkville. Next stopping at the new boutique 119 Corbo [119 Yorkville Ave]. Owner Linda Perisa was holding court with some fine looking ladies, who are ready to sell you the latest in Chloe, Mui Mui, Sacai, Stella, YSL and Prada Sport. Ended up at the after party at some bar around the corner with well known Toronto fashion names all getting pretty merry on booze and good looking men. All in all, it was fun, but not really my scene. It was a fun peek inside another world, but with that I headed back to where I belonged - the streets which are Toronto Street Fashion.

Ambiente Store Opening

TSF was invited to the media launch of Ambiente (416 Queen St.), a cute little store selling an amazing assortment of candles. All the candles, priced from $2 for tealights to $170 for a dramatic oversized pillar, are made in Canada using long lasting food-grade paraffin with no animal by-products. Our fave fragrances include lemongrass, clementine and pomegranate!

Ambiente also offers soaps, creams and bath products.

Boyfriend Chic

Hey, hey! Do you wanna be my boyfriend? Check out boyfriend chic this fall 2007.

Not saying that Avril spawned this trend, but a trend it is this fall. Boyfriend chic is about girls wearing boys clothes with their own stuff - like wearing a boy's oversized jumper over a halter dress.

If you don't have a boyfriend that's okay. I suggest you pretend you do and get your butt down to Preloved on Queen St. West and pick yourself up one of the men's cardigans before they sell out. Preloved sales associate Daniel Wilson says, "Lots of girls have been buying this cardigan. Of course because it is in fashion, but also because it is soft and comfy. This look is perfect for the gal who dresses up like she has a boyfriend, but she doesn't."

The Preloved cardigan is long and made from re-worked fabrics and a new cardigan blank. It features side pockets and cute elbow coverings. They are $79.00 and are going fast. Oh by the way, guys can buy them too. Each one is different and one of a kind; so not to worry 'bout anyone else having the same cardi as you.

FYI Preloved is getting more men's fall stock over the next couple weeks. Check out the super cute HeartBeater shirt for men.

photos of Daniel Wilson and Sonja Andic

New Queen Street H&M Party - Just like Fashion Week

The new Queen Street H&M opening party reminded me of the first blush of Fashion Week.
The placed was crawling with fashion people from editors, stylists, models, fashion bloggers and photographers. Everyone who is anyone in fashion was there last night. It was so fun meeting up with the Toronto fashion community and getting to shop at the same time!

Fast fashion devotees were stumbling around H&M buried under the weight of clothes and accessories. The only draw back here was there were virtually no mirrors in the shop. Just a few free standing mirrors here and there - ridiculous! Do you know how vain the fashion community is - we need our mirrors!

Whilst strolling around the two floors of the new shop I ran into major fashion devotee Jeanne Beker standing in an aisle trying on vests one after the other. All the while, clothes are falling off hangers on to the floor around her. "It's like being in a candy store," she tells me. Jeanne is not the only big-wig shopping for her life as I am practically railroaded by FDCC President Robin Kay with an arm load full of garments. Unfortunately she tipped her mojito down the side of most of the clothes. Oh, did I mention there were two open bars - very smart way to get people to open their wallets. All shops should serve alcohol really; it would be better for the economy. Anyways, Robin tells me that for Fashion Week she is just going to pitch some tents at Nathan Phillips Square. And by the way could I write the press release? Ya, you bloody bet I will - anything to save going down to Liberty Grand in no-man's land. My stylist for the night Jefre Nicholls is thrilled, "Let's all pitch tents for Fashion Week!"

Besides the drinking and non-stop fashion gossip there was some good stuff to be bought at H&M. Of course the women's selection far exceeded what was on offer for men. A few of the men I spoke to were disappointed. They feel the men's section just offered a few basic goods, and most of the stuff you could find at the Gap or better yet Zara. I did a wander around the men's area and have to say the highlight was the underpants and socks selection. The briefs are super cute with lots of colour and designs and I loved the 'Monday to Sunday' sock pack.
It was a super party! Anyone who missed it will be kicking themselves today. And I must say the catering was fabulous - for my next event I will book Catering with Style.

Second-Hand Goods

Saturday is my traditional day for hitting my local thrift shops. I scored today at my St. Clair West Salvation Army. Netting myself a bunch of girly purses that I am going to use as goodie-bags for a friend's birthday party. It is a sustainable way to use gift bags and it is a gift in itself! The bags r