location: 35 Kensington Ave.
phone number:416.546.2413
hours:Everyday Noon – 6 pm
payment methods:Cash, Interac, Visa, MasterCard, AmEx
directions: Off Spadina, take St. Andrew, turn left on Kensington

One might say that King of Kensington, named for an old TV show starring Al Waxman (whose statue presides over a park just a block west), carries an impressively large selection of dresses, boots, hats and other items ranging from the forties to the eighties. Many of the items are from the fifties and sixties, with lots of cowboy boots, and vintage t-shirts peppered in. You may find some costume-y pieces here, but it is mostly everyday, wearable stuff.

K of K itself is a large, roomy store, decorated with vintriloquist’s dummies, spooky mannequins and pinball machines. The space allows for easy browsing and access to clothes and the staff adheres to a more hands-off approach, so you’re in for a peaceful, zen kind of shopping experience. The sizes are on the small side which, sadly, is nothing new when it comes to vintage. Prices are reasonable, though, with most pieces ranging from $20 to $40, and the clothes are interesting, in good condition and worth the money you’d spend to own them.

Like most of the other vintage shops in Kensington Market, K of K keeps some racks of clothes outside. Don’t skim past them – they really do have some great finds. It’s definitely worth stopping by when you’re in the Market.
profile by Bonnie DeKuyper & Coco Buck
photography by Melissa Kuril