Secondhand children’s wear is great in theory, but trawling through crowded used clothing stores with poorly labeled goods makes a bargain seem less valuable.

At A Size Too Small, you’ll find the opposite problem. The curated children’s clothing and toys site features a mix of stylish new items and secondhand pieces that are so beautifully presented, it’s tough to believe they are used. Our favourite new pieces include Little Dace dresses ($70) and this unbelievably stylish Nico.Nico blue trench (pictured, $130.) Their “found” garments include a ridiculously cute worn denim shirt ($12), and an amazing pair of red and white retro baby shoes (pictured, $20.)

Of course you had better get in there fast, the found pieces are one of a kind, and in one size only. So prepare to be the one shedding those tears if you miss out on something fantastic. —Alexandra Suhner Isenberg

www.asize2small.com

The vibrant Mile End food scene welcomes a new (furniture-loving) member to the family.

Brooklyn is part café, part vintage furniture and home accessories showroom. The front space serves up delicious espresso ($2), breakfast staples (try the Brooklyn Egg Sandwich, $6), as well as lunch and dinner items (we were tempted by the BBQ smoked veal with fresh tomato salad, $12).

Caffeinated and fed, we wandered into the showroom where we lusted after a midcentury modern lounge chair and ottoman set ($1,400) and almost walked out with a vintage yellow cooking pot with wooden handle ($35).

Our home décor and stomach will thank us for visiting often. —Christine Laroche

71 St-Viateur St. E., Montreal, 514-564-6910.

We usually travel with a functional but soulless black rolling suitcase, leaving us longing for the old days, when nothing but a glamorous Louis Vuitton trunk covered in vintage hotel labels would do.

At least we can still write home in style with a box of 30 postcards of vintage labels ($75) from the Louis Vuitton Collection, representing great hotels of the world, like the Hotel de Crillon in Paris and the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok. Lore has it that the labels were artfully placed as a way for hotel staff to secretly communicate to each other what kind of tipper a guest would be.

Perhaps we’re ok with our unlabelled suitcase, after all.

At Louis Vuitton, 1307 Sainte-Catherine St. W., Montreal, 514-849-6520, www.louisvuitton.com

In an era of throwaway fashion it’s good to have something solid to hold on to.

Pearls Before Swine is handcrafted jewellery that creator Himo Martin calls “heirloom pieces.”  For his custom collection of black heart pendants and rings cast from wisdom teeth, Martin buys bricks of gold and silver that he melts down and hand-casts into mini link necklaces ($549), clutching wing pendants ($1399) and cluster chains ($499) that can be manipulated at whim. Add imperfect Akoya pearls and you’ve got soulful pieces you’ll want to pass down to the grandkids.

In the meantime, wear your weight well.

At Reborn, 231 St. Paul Street W., Suite 100, Montreal, 514-499-8549, www.reborn.ws

We're definitely not a smother mother, but neither are we a slummy mummy.

Perhaps that's why we're drawn again and again to the gorgeous wares at Nonchalant Mom.

We can attest personally to the loveliness of the pillows and delicate angel wings of Atsuko et Akiko and are lusting for their new sparkly masks and dressups.

We also love the Fleamarket section for its vintage toddler spoons and forks.

Which we will so nonchalantly integrate into our carefully curated collection of original Beatrix Potter bowls and Birks silver cups… not that we care, or anything.

www.nonchalantmom.com

For those dull days when you feel like tossing all your furniture and starting from scratch, we suggest a few deep breaths and a visit to Style Labo.

This adorable new antique boutique specializes in industrial vintage, from stainless steel 1930s desk chairs to oversized medical lamps from the '50s ($850), each piece lovingly chosen according to the owners’ coupe de coeur. We had our own love-at-first-sight moment when we spotted a double-sided aluminum school clock ($350), and a slick '70s make-up commode from Italian designer Fanini Fain ($390).

One or two statement pieces like these and you’ll have officially put a ban on bland.

Style Labo, 122 Bernard St. W., Montreal, 514-658-9910.

Does your little Violet cry out to be clothed in baby Victoriana?

Of course not, but how adorable to bring her out on Christmas eve in a white eyelet slip dress circa 1890? The pristine vintage baby clothes at online store Belle Heir like this batiste gown from 1925 or this antique French romper trimmed in lace may not be Christmas pudding-friendly, but this is just for the picture, right?

View styles and shop at www.belleheir.com

We love vintage, but not the slog to find the perfect pieces.

So we were thrilled to stumble upon a charming little Mile End spot Unicorn Boutique selling lovely vintage items, balanced with original pieces from Canadian designers like Eve Gravel, Dace and Ashley Watson.

There are also eye-catching threads from Rittenhouse and Swedish Hasbeens whose revamped leather and wooden clogs are fast becoming a Montreal favourite (from $235).

Unicorn Boutique, 5135 St-Laurent Blvd., Montreal, 514-544-2828, www.boutiqueunicorn.com

Love vintage but hate wading through racks of smelly, ill-fitting polyester?

Fashion mavens in-the-know have a standing appointment at Dej a Porté in Victoria Village.  This tiny consignment shop carries only the best (dry-cleaned) designs including MaxMara, Escada, Steilmann and Issey Miyake. 

We love the shop’s charming proprietress Jeanine Wilmot, who points out all the clothes in our size. On a recent visit she steered us to a gorgeous black Dolce and Gabbana blazer. Coo coo for Chanel? Wilmot will call you when a certain jet-setting client comes in with a stash. Or, make an appointment to unload your own oh-so-last-year glad rags. The store takes 50 per cent but the rest can go towards your fall wardrobe from Holts.

And the beat goes on…

Dej a Porté  (Ready to Wear) Again, 344 Victoria Ave., Westmount, 514-217-9772.

Big event, but no budget?

While buying a killer dress and returning it the day after the party might be one (unethical) way to solve your fashion conundrum, we’ve got another solution for you.

Check out www.swapstyle.com. Thousands of die-hard shoppers from all over the globe are saving their pennies by swapping or selling their favourite items at a fraction of the cost. From vintage purses to wedding gowns, designer labels to skinny jeans you’ll find everything you need, without checking your ethics at the door.

www.swapstyle.com