Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood is home to The Doll House, a boutique filled with sassy and smart dresses by the Damzels, accessories, and even some baby attire. Worn pays a visit to the delightful design duo behind Damzels in this Dress Rory Lindo and Kelly Freeman at their store.

What does the dress mean to you?

Rory: The dress is a staple.
Kelly: It is everything is our world. Its a way to instantly look put together and stand out in a crowd.
Rory: Its great if you’re lazy. You can put on a Damzels dress and look pretty cute instantly.
Kelly: We’re fans of vintage and the ultimate hunt and putting together the ultimate outfit. But the perfect dress for everyday is easy, and doesn’t need to compromise your style.

Any comments on the re-emergence of the dress in fashion this year?

Rory: Everything is cyclical. We saw that huge boom in the 1990’s, so it was time.
Kelly: Fashion got lazy. It went extremely casual. We have new fabrics that are so comfortable like bamboo. So, you can feel like you’re wearing sweats when you’re not.
Rory: And you can wear comfortable things without having a quote on your ass.

I’ve had my Damzels in This Dress Roller dress for nearly 6 years and its really stood the test of time. What makes a dress stand the test of time?

Kelly: We get that a lot. The store was a chance for us to connect with customers and hears stories about our dresses.
Rory: We’re never out of style, because we’re never really in style. Our merchandise doesn’t really follow style.
Kelly: We don’t believe in style with an expiration date.
Rory: We want people to have a real chuck for their buck.
Kelly: We want people to adopt the flavor of the season without making it rule their world.
Rory: Our girls have style. They know how to do that.

How was your participation in Toronto Fashion Week?

Kelly: Not our first year, but a hiatus. Our first in three years.
Rory: Three-four.
Kelly: We did it a few years back when it was at the Liberty Grand. That was our swan song for a while. We made a zombie film when we did [the show] at the Carlu.
Rory: ..leaving everyone with a good taste in their mouth.
Kelly: But, we wanted to focus our energies on a retail store. A lot of people we’ve talked to said that [the zombie show] was the first show they went to, and it turned them around.

Zombie film?

Kelly: Yeah, we’ve shot two films. Rise of the Damzel Swamp Zombie in 2003, which was the last time that we did Fashion week. It was a film about flesh eating zombie girls.
Rory: We were the first people to put zombies back into popular culture.
Kelly: We brought that back again this past fashion week. We ended with a film and started back with a film Day of the Dolls, Dawn of the Damzels (2007). Its a kind of Pinocchio story about a couple of zombies who find a home in our boutique here in Leslieville.
Rory: But, there is a little bit of killing along the way.

We often hear about Parisian-women, but what about Toronto women? Do you think that there is a Toronto-woman?

Rory: Toronto women are more vintage inspired. We have a lot of good vintage available, which why they like our line because we have a lot of vintage-like stuff.
Kelly: People tend to say that we’re so New York or so L.A. But, people from Toronto are not really from Toronto. Its more that…
Rory:attitude
Kelly: yeah… they’re adventurous. Livin’ large. They want to make the most of it
Rory: Women here have good hair cuts.

Top 10 Damsels to put in Damzels
1) Ginger from Gilligan’s Island
2) Kelly Ripa 

3) Tura Satana

4) Liz Phair
5) Maggie Gyllenhaal
6) Betsey Johnson
7) Ann & Nancy Wilson
8) Sophia Loren
9) Dita Von Teese
10) Sarah Silverman

interview and photography by Zorianna Zurba

previous WORN ASKS:
Robin Gray of Organic Metal Gallery
Regine and Katie of Victoire Boutique
Lola Lamb, Montreal Burlesque preformer

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review coming soon…
photography by Amanda Silliker

review coming soon…

photography Melissa Kuril

While many consider Friday the 13th to be very unlucky, Richard Goulet and Claudine Verstraelen have proven the opposite to be true. Noticing a lack of gothic stores in Montreal, the pair opened Cruella on Friday, May 13th, 1996. The store started as a subculture thrift store that appealed to Montreal’s alternative scene. More than a decade later, Cruella has developed into a specialty boutique with a house line – Cruella – as well as other popular brands like Lip Service.

“We cater to many alternative styles,” says Jojo, a long time employee at Cruella. Browsing through the fairly crowded store on a Friday evening, I’m pleasantly surprised to see the variety of people shopping at a Goth store. Among the leather-clad mannequins, fishnets, and coffin displays, I find a sketer teen and even a young man in a business suit.

The store has a wide selection that appeals to many: punk, glam rock, rockabilly, psychobilly, and emo. Woman can find dresses in patent leather, lace skirts from floor length to short ballerina, and corsets in every conceivable pattern and material. The men’s section includes long black trenches, pants in various colours and cuts, and hoodies with alternative logos and prints.

Then there is the impressive accessories collection that decorates the walls: black platforms in every size and height, chains, spiked chokers…there is a lot to choose from. Cruella goes beyond the stereotype of Marilyn Manson and provides a bit of black for any wardrobe.

profile and photography by Sarah Gelfand

Upon walking into Frou Frou Vintage, you are faced with a vibrant lime green pop of color. Located in a former locksmith shop, the owner Matthew has incorporated the former past of the store into the present decor. The store has a cozy feel to it, from the instant you walk into it, Matthew is friendly, chatty, and willing to help out with anything you may be looking for.

As a youngster, Matthew followed his uncle to estate sales and auction houses. He noticed that no one was ever interested in the clothing, but rather antique furniture was the big hit. Taking advantage of the lower bids the clothes brought in he started to amass a small collection of his own, Matthew wanted to share his passion for vintage, and “share the goodies” and so Frou Frou was born.

The store is entirely decorated with kitchsy accessories like little Eiffel towers, (Matthew is obsessed with all things Parisian) a beautiful antique chandelier that serves as the store focal point, 60s phones and vintage chairs, the store is filled to the brim with a wide selection of dresses from nearly every era, jacquard jackets, cute capes and a small mens section. Also is a great collection of jewelry, bags, vintage luggage, shoes and the odd piece of furniture.

Frou Frou Vintage is definitely a gem in a plethora of so-called vintage stores, many with slim pickings. This store hasn’t succumbed to raising prices on everything vintage, like so many have - the average price range is $20. You’ll see when you walk in, this store will brighten you and your day up.

profile and photography by Adey Farah

This year the TWB celebrates their 35th year in Toronto. Given the rising position of independent bookstores on the endangered species list, let alone non-profit, feminist bookstores, I’m reminded of how lucky Torontonians are to have a community that refuses to allow them to disappear. TWB is no different, their survival has depended on an extremely loyal customer base and their academic affiliations with professors who order course material through the store (found upstairs). Several things make this space unique: books are sorted and shelved in ways that give prominence to authors from queer or marginalized communities and they have substantial sections dedicated to zines and chapbooks as well as to anti-racism and critical race theory, globalization and South Asian, First Nations and Aboriginal authors. Heavy theory stuff is balanced by all the amazing fiction.Stickers, calendars, independent music, patches, and t-shirts from local and/or radical artists fill the rest of their shelves (perfect source of gifts for that certain hot feminist/anarchist you’ve been checking out lately) and they carry the DVDs Blockbuster is busy trying to ignore (docs, trans stories, etc.). All the staff I spoke to—the majority of which are women or trans-people of colour due to their affirmative action hiring practices…yay again—knew the place and the literature inside and out. They also order lots of books for their customers. Staff backgrounds and interests remain true to the political views and arts and community-oriented mission of the store, so you can be sure they’ll offer good advice or at least fascinating things to talk about. Supporting revolutions (whether personal or political) is as easy as stepping through the front doors.

The bookstore is also a venue for alternative, radical and activist activities. They host an impressive number of book launches every month and teach 3-5 courses every season (anything from White Anti-Racism workshops to Burlesque lessons to learn-ins about Sex Work). Tap into community events happening in the city by checking out their bulletin boards. They also have partnership initiatives taking place on the last Friday of every month. On these days, 10% of sales go towards groups like No One is Illegal or Frontier College (literacy organization). These profiles aren’t supposed to be gushy, but I can’t help but want to encourage us all to go check this place out and to spend, spend, spend to Save the Indie Booksellers. Amazon ain’t got nothing on these guys.

profile by Amanda DeLong

Sub V’s bright yellow interior and attractive display of clothes in the window first intrigued me. The store, located on Sherbrooke street in NDG just minutes from Vendome metro, attempts to bridge the gap between street artists, graffiti and more mainstream clothing. Michael, the manager, explains that Sub-V was started with two graffiti artists and Bombingscience, an internet site on which people could post their street art. The duo decided to use their interest in and knowledge of graffiti to start the store. The clothes, jewelry, graffiti books, shoes and graffiti supplies that the store contains were, as Michael explains, a natural progression. Sub-V maximizes its small space and ultimately contains a mix of unique pieces from local designers as well as mainstream brands from New York and LA. The clothing is a mix of plain t-shirts, casual wear, printed hoodies and brightly colored shoes. The prices range depending on the brand. Sub-V carries labels such as Uranium, Avive, Nike and LRG. Promotions on various items are also frequently held. Sub V holds monthly art shows to encourage the communities’ artists and bring in the public

This is no small thing – first, because she is cool and beautiful and I want her approval and, second, because I was very nervous about wearing The Dress to begin with.

The garment in question is a 1940s rayon day dress. The fabric is dark, dusty blue with a yellow graphic pattern that reminds me a little of honeycombs. It has a collar and buttons leading to a pocketed peplum in the front. It gives the impression of a jacket-and-skirt combination, but the smooth line of the fabric in the back is all dress. It’s hardly tight, but it’s definitely fitted. As the dress gets older and the threads holding it together more brittle, I’m constantly finding loose seams I never knew existed. They are hidden and essential. They give the dress its subtle, perfect shape.

It used to belong to a friend of mine. I remember seeing her wear it in the nineties when grunge made second-hand cool again. She was a vintage girl from way back, all rolled hair and cat-eye glasses, but when she wore it with army boots, the dress looked chic and modern. A few years ago (and much to her dismay) the dress that had been one of her favourites just stopped fitting right, so she offered it to me and I gratefully accepted.

I haven’t worn it since.

The first thing that stops me is that it’s not as sturdy as I generally need my clothes to be. Though I like my dresses and I like my heels, I also like my bike. A couple of times every year I take the dress out of my closet and try it on. Then, inevitably, I find a loose seam, an unstitched stretch of hem, an open pleat that needs fixing. As I sit and mend, I wonder what I would do if I was riding my bike, or getting up from my desk at work, and felt the entire back of the dress give way. (I once wore 1930s vintage gown to a wedding and, upon leaving, looked down to find the whole side of the dress had opened up from ankle to thigh. It was very traumatic.) When I’m done sewing, I put the dress back in the closet.

But the second thing that gives me pause is the dress itself.

There was a time when it was absolutely normal that every dress (or blouse or jacket) in a girl’s wardrobe was a structured thing. Even pantyhose had a discernable leg shape, slips had proper bust lines. Hell, I have mid-century house-coats with more detail than the outfit I wore to my prom.

A sixties ad photo for a girdle with garters.
Suck it in, baby.
(Photographer: Frank Horvat)

This dress comes from that time, but I do not.

While style and trend are as desirable as ever, fashion priorities have changed to reflect the demand for function (can I wash it?), fabric (am I comfortable?), and affordability. The more internal structure in a garment, the more expensive it is to make and buy – and the less people a single size-run will fit when it’s done. It will probably need special care in cleaning and storage and, more than likely, it will dictate the movement of the wearer. The dress that started all this is a simple day dress, meant to be functional, but it brooks no slouching (even without heels, this dress makes me an inch and a half taller) and demands regular attention from a dry-cleaner and an iron.

Manufacturers embrace these new priorities, too. Stretchy clothes with minimal detail are easier to mass-produce and fit a larger number of consumers without having to provide customized sizing. Of course, they don’t fit anyone really well, but we’ve learned to expect that. If you don’t want to spend a fortune on tailored clothes, that’s what you get.

But the thing is, while it’s all nice to say we’re looking for comfort or we’re limited by cost, we’ve become incredibly aesthetically lazy. Even the people who can afford to dress better don’t. Celebrity gossip pages are full of pictures of the rich and stylish wearing tee shirts and jeans and leggings and Uggs.

Uggs? Ugh.

And what a commotion when an actress wears a really structured gown on a red carpet! Then she is both classic and daring, and the designer a visionary. Funny to think all of that was normal, once.

A disheveled look used to be cool because it was rebellious – a statement of contempt for constricting mainstream expectation. For women, girdles and bras and high-collars were the binds of patriarchy, for men, neckties the noose of middle-class servitude. I guarantee most girls born after 1985 don’t even know what a girdle is. Most of the men in my office wear “dressy/casual” jeans (if there is any such thing) to work and no one bats an eye. So who are we rebelling against now?

Sixties icon Peggy Moffit
modelling the Rudi Gernrich “No Bra” bra.
Comfort is winning.
(photographer unknown)

I look great in this dress – and I know it – but it’s easier to throw on a pair of leggings and a loose, jersey shift. I don’t have to think about it, and no one else does either. The silly thing is, between writing for Worn and editing and doing the odd bit of stylist work, I’m pretty much thinking about fashion for half of any given day. What the hell am I avoiding?

My shoulders slouch for a minute, but The Dress disagrees. Like wearing high heels, there is something about the fit that requires more formal stiffness. As soon as I sit down, and without any thought, I cross my legs (instead of sprawling them out under my desk the way I usually do). My arms stay at my sides and my hands rest gracefully on the keyboard. The Dress knows what’s best for me – and you can call me a masochist, but I like it. Freedom is nice, but it means nothing without a little taste of discipline.

Even if you’re not broke, I advise tightening your belt now and again.

c.b.