location: 273 Augusta Ave
phone number: 416.598.0204
hours: Mon– Fri 11 – 6:30, Sat–Sun 11 – 6:30
payment methods: cash, Interac, Visa, MasterCard, AmEx
directions: Off Spadina, take Baldwin, turn right on Augusta, in Kensington Market.

Bungalow is one of the pricier vintage stores in the Kensington market area, but all items are good quality so you are getting your money’s worth. They sell new and used clothes, furniture and housewares, including items from the forties right through to stuff from present day. A lot of their things are remakes of vintage items. A Bungalow remake of a summer dress goes for about 50$. Used skirts are 20$ and up, and set of retro mixing bowls is 35$. Sadly, like a lot of stores, Bungalow doesn’t carry plus sizes which is a problem. Finding plus sizing in vintage is a common dilemma to begin with. In general, because of changes in diet and lifestyle, people are a lot bigger than they used to be. (The average height of a Victorian woman was only 4’11”.) Also, sizing and measurements have changed drastically. (A 1970’s size 8 or 10 is the equivelent of a modern 4 or 6. Tiny 1950’s cardigans are labelled as 34s and 36s.) In terms of Bungalow’s remade fare, this also means that the sizing labels are no longer applicable to the garment you’re choosing. Often items labeled size 14 are not size 14, so go by the look of the garment rather than the tag. The décor at Bungalow is very appealing, with clean lines, clean floors and wide open spaces. Compared to some of the more crowded racks of other vintage stores, it makes for a relaxing shopping experience. Look for more furniture in the basement. The staff is friendly and helpful, even decked out in full retro gear – so you know they love what they do.
Bonnie DeKuyper & Coco Buck