Location: 4832 boul. St-Laurent
Phone number: 514-499-9898
Hours: Mon–Weds noon–6pm; Thurs–Fri noon–8pm; Saturday 11am–6pm; Sun noon–6pm
Payment methods: cash, debit, Visa, Mastercard, Amex
Directions: Take the 55 (St-Laurent) bus north from St-Laurent metro and get off at Villeneuve. Preloved is on the west side of St-Laurent, between Villeneuve and St-Joseph.

Preloved is more than a store; it’s a concept that defies labels or definitions. How do you define a line where every piece sold is unique? The distinctly Preloved designs are consistant, but each are constructed from different recycled clothing. One new sweater can be made of parts of four or five old ones, and each sweater of the same design will be made of four or five other sweaters. All through the year you’ll find racks a-plenty of shirts, from a simple tank or tee-shirt to cozy zip-up hoodies, though Preloved is most famous for its each fall/winter collection of wool and corduroy sweaters and spring collection of dresses made from former bed sheets.

Founder Julia Grieve started Preloved in Toronto* out of her own love for retooling vintage pieces. Today, the store carries three lines: the original preloved, handcut by preloved (which really is all hand-crafted!), and youngest bloved, a line available for women only made from all-new, mostly bamboo fabrics. And yes, there are indeed children’s sizes available for the fashionable kids in your life, launched with the fall/winter 2007 collection.

Don’t go to Preloved having pre-judged—but if you do, the friendly staff will set you straight. They describe the designs as “cutting-edge funky” and are quick to remind that we’re talking “designer, not hippie wear.” Since the store’s beginnings, design and fit have been the priorities, with the vintage pieces coming in after. This is how the bloved line came to be—what doesn’t work as a vintage puzzle happens with deliciously soft bamboo-cotton blends.

Preloved pieces cover approximately 2-12 in designer sizes. A lot of work has gone into each piece and Preloved is no friperie, so prices run from $39 for a tee-shirt to approximately $169 for a detailed dress or jacket. If you’re on a budget, keep watch for the biannual end-of-season three-day sales, when everything in the store is up to 60% off.
Lise Treutler

*See the Preloved store in Toronto at
613 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON
(416) 504-8704

update: sadly the Preloved Toronto store has buned down along with some other amazing Toronto stores. Will be missed & look forward to the relaunch!