location: Cours Mount-Royal
phone number:514.284.1333
hours: Mon - Weds 10am-7pm; Thurs & Fri 10am-9pm; Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 12am-6pm
payment methods:cash, interac, Visa, Mastercard, AmEx
directions:217 corner Peel & St. Catherine, take the cours mont royal exit of Peel metro.

Sometimes we all need a break from the dark, musty, crowded little independent stores we go back to weekend after weekend. But what’s the alternative? We all know that downtown Montreal can be an overpriced tourist trap, with a Guess superstore on every other corner (no disrespect, Mr. Marciano; every girl should own at least one denim bustier) and zero creativity. Luckily for us, Three Monkeys has carved out a niche right in the core of centre-ville and filled it with interesting, affordable, and even locally designed and produced clothes for boys and girls who’ve stumbled into the Cours Mont-Royal looking for respite from the monotony of Ste-Catherine St. The store has a bright, open space, friendly staff, and a clear aesthetic vision that can best be described as haute-skate.

On offer is a mix of independent Canadian lines like Travis Taddeo (I loved the patent leather pencil skirt, $90), Montreal’s own Industry and G-Life (t-shirts and sweatshirts from $30-$120), and bigger brands such as WESC (mostly in the men’s section, but there are some wicked sweaters which look great in the smaller sizes) and Cheap Monday (that highly covetable Swedish wonder brand). A rotating list of featured designers is given pride of place by the entrance, showcasing the store’s particular mash-up of girly party clothes (sequins sequins and more sequins! Dresses range from about $70-$150) and pseudo-punk staples (a wide range of men’s and ladies Vans shoes, for instance).

Hitting the between-seasons sales is a sure way to find amazing prices on still-wearable seasonal stuff. At 50% off, the winter coats were an especially great deal (full price $150-$350). New stock and whole new lines arrive often, so everything in the store feels timely and fresh. More permanent stock includes a great line of cotton basics called pure & simple (American Apparel prices, without the accompanying ambivalent feelings) and an exclusive Three Monkeys/Montreal Series t-shirt collaboration (Montreal landmark screen-prints, $38 each). In all, the store seems to be both rooted in Montreal’s local design scene and to have a big appetite and discerning eye for laid-back fashion from all over.
Laura Snelgrove