Did you know you can read Vic Fits in print? 📰 Much of why I moved to Substack was to inspire y’all to get off that phone. Pop by the following wonderful shops in the city to snag a free copy!

Cherry Pick Vintage - 547 Johnson Street, Upcycle Clothing Collective - 517 Fort Street, Botched Vintage - 1044a Fort Street, Luna Collective - 1048 Fort Street, Patchouli’s Vintage - 560 Johnson Street, Edited Curated Consignment - 550 Yates Street, Pounds - 589 Johnson Street, Snack Vintage - 569 Johnson Street #300, Alphabet City Books - 808 Yates Street (at the back of Habit Coffee) 💌

7/4/2026 📍Fernwood - HEAT FASHION SHOW

The fits, BEYOND the runway, at HEAT. You all killed it!

7/2/2026 📍Fan Tan Alley - Submitted by Arrayaan 🌟

SUBMIT A FIT!

7/8/2026 📍Cherry Pick Vintage

7/8/2026 📍Johnson Street

7/10/2026 📍Government Street

7/10/2026 📍Phillips Backyard

7/12/2026 📍Pride Parade!

SUBMIT A FIT!

7/13/2026 📍Cheers Vintage Collective

7/13/2026 📍Johnson Street

7/13/2026 📍Market Square

Thank you for reading July Fits!

Ohhh how I love summer fits. The mild days don’t stop this city from turning it out!! And thanks again to all who supported HEAT. What do you want to see next? 🌟Never hesitate to reach out to collab or make a suggestion for Vic Fits, and subscribe to be kept in the loop of all my fashion escapades.

Subscribe now

See ya in July! STAY FITTED.

This is the second fashion show I’ve directed in 7 months (what?!) and it was an absolute fever dream. Unlike Artificium which was a year in the making, HEAT came together in 2 months, with a tallllll budget, 0 funding, and fully orchestrated by yours truly. A massive thank you to the volunteers who made the day possible, and made this show which lived in my head, overheating for months, happen.

This was not a traditional fashion show. It was not Pharrell’s expensive fake beach Louis Vuitton presentation. It was the beach. Not Mark Zuckerberg’s new Meta skateboard-themed store, baby: it was the skatepark. As I attend more “traditional” fashion shows and cook-up more “non-traditional” ones I’ve realized that you gotta bend the rules to execute what you want to execute.

Case in point was Nitro, who DJ-ed the runway on the fly. This was a must, as I wanted the songs to blend into one another, leaving the viewer disoriented like biking headphones clad, on a hot summer day. Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, Soulsonic Force, J Dilla, Illa J<3. A lot of the inspiration for this show, especially the music, came from Spike Lee joints. I really hope this show felt like a love letter and thank you to the Black and Brown communities that created so many of these subcultures’ styles.

The Runway:

The 0dds Against Us

The 0dds Against Us, is built around overcoming adversity and turning setbacks into something meaningful through self-expression, resilience, and creativity.

Sonder Studios

The word Sonder means the Profound realization that every individual is living a life as vivid and complex as your own. Sonder Studios was founded by and ran solely by Bodhi LaPerriere since 2024. Sonder Studios is heavily inspired and influenced by 90s street-ware, vintage military clothing, and 2000s high fashion.

Mayflower Textiles

Mayflower Textiles is a clothing project created to share Anna’s love of sewing and fashion with the community in a sustainable way. She has a love of sourcing vintage fabrics and materials to create one of a kind pieces that are both cute and durable. Many of Mayflower Textiles pieces are inspired by Anna’s favourite designers, characters and early 1900’s fashion styles.

Scrapped Studios

Scrapped Studios is a reworked clothing brand focused on elevating and prolonging the life of second-hand clothing. Each piece is thoughtfully designed and upcycled in British Columbia, transforming existing garments into unique, one of a kind pieces.

Ette Designs

Named in memory of Kiara’s late Aunt Jeanette, Ette (eh-tt) is a brand built from love, legacy, and purpose. It’s more than just clothing — it’s a movement rooted in confidence, ethical artisanship, and the celebration of African heritage. These are the three core values that guide everything Ette does.

Pollyanna Cowgirl

Pollyanna Cowgirl is a sustainable fashion brand that focuses on creating one-of-a-kind pieces from second-hand materials. Blending a playful and sensual design style that prioritizes versatility, Pollyanna Cowgirl encourages its wearers to explore what it means to have "personal style.”

Fashion Show Field Notes:

The behind the scenes of the runway: a time-stamped look at running a fashion show

8:00 AM: Wake up with friends from Toronto who flew in for the show the night before. Freak out together and consume Haribo gummies, Cool Ranch Doritos, and Yerba Mate for breakfast.

10:00 AM: Zoom to Long & McQuade with Dad (shoutout Dad) to pick up hundreds of dollars worth of equipment. Duking it out with other event organizing homies over renting gear, getting what we need, exchanging guest lists to our respective events, and putting my goated sound guy (JP) on the phone with the goated Long & McQuade folks (who later attended the show and offered to assist with equipment on the fly) because my brain has already left the building.

11:30 AM: Print a totally legit number of fashion show brochures (ZINES!) at the public library hours before the show (made two nights before). So proud of these. Viva la print!

12:30 PM: Load chairs (neighbours lend some extras), equipment, and finish the custom Vic Fits tattoos that arrived the night before. Fold all the zines (shoutout Mom and Toronto friends), shower, spray paint tons of shit, and spray paint “vic fits” onto my grandfather’s (sorry Dad) white tank top about 10 minutes before leaving (paint was still wet in the car).

2:00–6:30 PM: Set up. This... was a blur. My blueprints and spreadsheets actually paid off. My volunteers, models, vendors, and friends were seriously the BEST and so on top of everything. Couldn’t have done it without them

The show: If you haven't gathered already, I was pretty stressed before the show, but as soon as the runway started it all melted away. I realized what a FUN with a capital F this show I created is, got to take in the amazing designs and models do their magic against a golden hour backdrop, enjoy the sight of my friends/family/dog (dog!) hollering in the crowd, and dance to all the tunes Jude was laying down. When the runway wrapped the vibes were still high. Before the volunteers and I could even clear the chairs out of the way folks were skating, biking, rollerblading, and playing basketball. BLAC ASPHALT was DJing and From Underground were playing Al Green tunes. I couldn’t have dreamt up a more perfect afters. Having folks come up to me later and tell me they were playing volleyball, or sitting in their home, or walking their dog, or leaving work, heard the music and came out to the runway as a surprise was incredibly heartwarming; was my intention for this show. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again—community is the most overused word by this generation —but all kinds of people coming together for a free arts event and celebrating eachother: that's THE POINT.

Next Day: Sleep in, pay all of my amazing designers, models, musicians, volunteers (let’s normalize this). Go to the beach, go to another beach, cry (its not a gabrielle elhav production if i don’t cry from gratitude and overwhelm the next day), eat cupcakes and pick orange flowers with friends to celebrate. <3

THANK YOU! I am beyond grateful for you all for sticking around on all of my wild adventures—the zines, the shows, the blogs, all of it. I’m beyond proud of the featured designers, the models, the musicians, and the COMMUNITY for showing up. I love it when Fernwood Fernwoods. If you want to learn more about this show there’ll be an article in the local newspaper The Martlet soon. And if you ever want to run something like this with me or are looking for assistance, head over to my professional portfolio gelhav.com and reach out.

Thank you for bringing the HEAT.

📰 Usually, you can read this month’s issue in print, but the Vic Fits paper boy (me) is running late. I’ll update when the print issues are hot off the press and in shops!

OK NOW LET’S GET INTO THE FITS:

6/7/2026 📍Fort Street

Karen is wearing all second-hand pieces. Look at those bangles! If you see her walking around downtown, compliment her outfit. She’s always stylish.

6/20/2026 📍Pandora Avenue

Was about to hop on the bus but MISSED IT to take this pic. The perfect summer fit. Wearing a second hand dress, Steve Madden boots, and purse from Cheers Vintage Collective!

6/27/2026 - Submission 🌟

“This Ben Sherman jacket was my uncles before he passed away.”

6/15/2026 📍Downtown - Submitted by Judy Woo🌟

Skirt is second-hand, top made from Printhole, and sewing by Routine Coffee !

Would you like to submit a fit? It can be your own or someone else’s! If we don’t cross paths, this is the way to get your fit on the map.

SUBMIT A FIT

6/18/2026 📍Fernwood Skatepark

Behind the scenes for a HEAT photo shoot ! Andre is wearing a shirt from local artist Rosa Rowyn (IG:rosarowyn) pants are Levi’s 513, boots are SAS footwear, and bracelets and rings are thrifted. His ring says foxy ;)

6/18/2026 📍Millies Lane

David is wearing all second-hand pieces, Mari Mekko collab with Adidas sneakers, and a bag from his favourite artist from Denmark!

6/13/2026 📍Botched Vintage - VIC FITS CLOSET SALE

Thanks for pulling up to my closet sale this month y’all! This was a fundraiser for my fashion show, and I saw so many wonderful faces. We ended up donating three large boxes of clothing to WIN, Wear2Start, and Cool Aid.

6/7/2026 📍Fairmont Empress, Chamber of Commerce Business Awards

Full Issey Miyake outfit? At a corporate event?? Thank God for small mercies! What an absolute gem. My pic truly doesn’t do the look justice.

This one…this one’s special. In town from Seattle for one night. Every piece here had a story. I’ll update the details soon, there’s too many to remember. ⭐

6/20/2026 📍Little Fernwood

This pic doesn’t do the fit justice 😭 All the pieces are from China and Taiwan!!

6/23/2026 📍Capitol 6 Theatres

T-Shirt is Desigual. Skirt is from a market in Ecuador. Jakcet is thrifted Zara from the Netherlands! Jewlery is thrifted, from Anthropologie, and from her mom.

6/15/2026 📍Copenhagen, Distortion Festival (Victoria girls around the world) - Submitted by Maria 🌟

Ella and Sabine! Ella’s arm cuff was recently bought at a flea market in Copenhagen and then the rest of their fits are a blend of second hand pieces.

Viva la analogue! 📰 You can read this month’s issue in print. Pop by the following wonderful shops in the city to snag a free copy:

• Cherry Pick Vintage - 547 Johnson Street

• Pounds - 589 Johnson Street

• Snack Vintage - 569 Johnson Street #300

• Patchouli’s Vintage - 560 Johnson Street

• Vintage After Death - 523 Pandora Avenue

• Edited Curated Consignment - 550 Yates Street

• Alphabet City Books, Habit Cafe - 552 Pandora Avenue

• Upcycle Clothing Collective - 517 Fort Street

• Botched Vintage - 1044a Fort Street

• Luna Collective - 1048 Fort Street

• House of Savoy - 1869 Oak Bay Avenue

OK NOW LET’S GET INTO THE FITS:

5/5/2026 📍Uptown Blvd - Submitted by Maria @mm_go_design 🌟

Collar knitted by her mom for her to wear to kindergarten! Shoes are y2k Gucci. Military Jacket is American Eagle from 20 years ago (a high school fav).

5/5/2026 - Submitted by Clay W! 🌟

Matching fits for a date to the bug zoo!

Feel free to continue submitting fits until May is over! I’ll add them to this newsletter. :) Or, submit a fit to be included in the June issue! ↓

SUBMIT A FIT!

5/8/2026 📍Lower Johnson Street

Wearing Hoodrich jersey and jorts, thrifted leather jacket and satchel, and Adidas denim sneakers with some phat laces.

5/8/2026 📍Lower Johnson Street

Odessa and Hanna are the coolest. Odessa (left) thrifted her skirt and sweater, got the pants from a thrift store in Esquimalt, got her leg warmers from Spirit Halloween, and all of her jewlery and bone hair clips are from markets or family in Mexico. Hanna (Right) got most of her clothing and jewlery from flea markets in Germany, specifically Munich. The shoes are DC. 3 years ago she started collecting jewlery from flea markets and wearing many pieces from her childhood, but recently she lost a bunch on the bus. Keep your eyes peeled and bring them home to her! 🚌

5/8/2026 📍Cherry Pick Vintage, Lower Johnson Street

Caelyn’s bag and top are from Cherry Pick Vintage. Shoes are Frank Me Down which you can find at Cheers Vintage. Glasses are from Kits Eyewear. Chic wrist brace is from your local pharmacy!

5/9/2026 📍Lower Johnson Street, Submitted by Beau 🌟

Wearing the Reebok x Icecream Board Flip sneakers. Originally launched in 2005 but recently reintroduced in new colourways.

5/9/2026 - Submitted by Sona 🌟

All thrifted/borrowed except for the jeans! Worn to the snail mail concert 🐌💌🎶

5/9/2026 📍Eyefinery, Fernwood

This gorgeous monochrome fit is all from Japan!

5/10/2026 📍Pounds, Lower Johnson Street

Zina is wearing a top and hat from Pounds!

5/15/2026 📍Government Street

Met Michelle on a smoke break outside of Roberta’s Hats and she brightened my day. Hat is from Roberta’s and she put the thrifted patch on herself. Clothes are second hand, and the brooch is from her friend—she thinks it looks like a seagull and so do I. Bag is from Lux de Ville.

5/17/2026 📍Topaz Park, Highland Games!

Mr Christopher Mackie of Carrickbaith??? Hello??? This was my first time at the Highland Games and SHOUTOUT TO THE SCOTS they did not disappoint with the fits. Many of these pieces were passed down to Christopher, and I am seriously in awe.

5/24/2026 📍Fernwood, Cream Bazaar

All of Ken’s jewlery made by them! @fluid_chains on IG

5/25/2026 📍Trounce Alley

Isabella’s fit is an amalgamation of loved one’s pieces <3 Dress from Davey <3 Coat is from Naomi <3 Purse and Vivienne Westwood Necklace from her grandparents <3

5/26/2026 📍Yates Street

Lowkey chased after this girl for a fit pic. But it was fine because we ended up having a great convo in which she enlightened me that her SKIRT is actually just TWO DRESS SHIRTS buttoned together??? I am trying this asap. Everything thrifted.

Thank you for reading May Fits!

Subscribe now

Thanks for turning it out as the seasons change and for submitting your outfits when I miss them. This summer is looking exciting…

⭐ Next month I am hosting a closet sale, Vic Fits & Friends, at Botched Vintage! June 13th! 12-5 PM! Save the freaking date!!! More info will drop on @vicfitsbc soon.

⭐ A Vic Fits summer fashion show is on the horizon at the beginning of July…wanna get involved? If you are interested in volunteering, modeling, playing music, vending sponsoring (please), or anything else, reach out to me!

What do you want to see? Never hesitate to reach out and collab!

See ya in June! STAY FITTED.

Viva la analogue! 📰 You can read this month’s issue in print. Pop by the following wonderful shops in the city to snag a free copy:

• Cherry Pick Vintage - 547 Johnson Street

• Upcycle Clothing Collective - 517 Fort Street

• Botched Vintage - 1044a Fort Street

• Luna Collective - 1048 Fort Street

• Patchouli’s Vintage - 560 Johnson Street

• Edited Curated Consignment - 550 Yates Street

• Pounds - 589 Johnson Street

• Fluevog Shoes - 566 Johnson Street

• Snack Vintage - 569 Johnson Street #300

• House of Savoy - 1869 Oak Bay Avenue

OK NOW LET’S GET INTO THE FITS:

4/1/2026 📍Cedar Hill Cross Road - Submitted by Audrey! 🌟

Local musician Olivia Hahn! Love the rhinestones, hot pink, and custom jacket. Submitted by Audrey! 🌟 Would you like to submit a fit? It can be your own or someone else’s! If we don’t cross paths, this is the way to get your fit on the map ⬇

SUBMIT A FIT

4/2/2026 - Submitted by Bjorn! 🌟

Robin jeans half Lauren leather jacket with 2 scarves and Thrasher van's.

4/9/2026 📍Fluevog Shoes, Johnson Street

Spotted this spectacular fit at a Fluevog anniversary event. Free wine and fits up the wazoo! This lovely woman just bought the pair of Fluevogs she was wearing. Her fantastic zebra coat is from a friend.

4/10/2026 📍Pounds, Johnson Street

There is just…too much goodness going on here. Pieces range from all over the world: Berlin, Japan, etc. Lots of second hand items as well. Wish I got this person’s contact to follow up with them about every single piece here, down to the RINGS. IF THIS IS YOU, HIT ME UP!

4/16/2026📍Fernwood, William Stevenson Park

Defne is wearing a poncho from a Vancouver thrift store, vintage Salvatore Ferragamo flats from her mom, and a necklace from the beautiful city of Urla in Turkey. Everything else, including the purse are hand-me-downs from her roommate.

4/16/2026📍Johnson Street

Ria is wearing all second-hand pieces. I love the double denim and booots. The ring is from her ex-fiancee! Oop!

4/20/2026📍Lucky Bar- Submitted by Audrey! 🌟

Aria’s fit, including jewelry, is fully thrifted!!

4/23/2026 📍Yates Street

This lovely outfit was captured on a post-shift break. Working as a baker, her favourite Cheers boots are always covered in flour.

Thank you for reading April Fits!

Subscribe now

Although this month was sunny and beautiful, my head was in the books finishing exams, and your fits truly put a pep in my step each day when I left the library. Thanks for turning it out as the seasons change and for submitting your outfits when I miss them. This summer is looking exciting—a Vic Fits fashion show is on the horizon—and I am looking to post more on Substack beyond monthly fits! What do you want to see? 🌟 Did a fun collab this month with the Fernwood Makers Party on a video for their hand-cut fashion market :) Never hesitate to reach out to collab or make a suggestion for Vic Fits!

Leave a comment

See ya in May! STAY FITTED.

I am excited to announce that starting this month you can read the Vic Fits monthly newsletter in print version! Viva la analogue! 📰

👀Pop by the following wonderful shops in the city to snag a free copy:

• Cherry Pick Vintage - 547 Johnson Street

• Upcycle Clothing Collective - 517 Fort Street

• Botched Vintage - 1044a Fort Street

• Luna Collective - 1048 Fort Street

• Patchouli’s Vintage - 560 Johnson Street

• Edited Curated Consignment - 550 Yates Street

• Pounds - 589 Johnson Street

• Fluevog Shoes - 566 Johnson Street

• Snack Vintage - 569 Johnson Street #300

• Subtext Books UVic - 3800 Finnerty Road

& more to come!

OK NOW LET’S GET INTO THE FITS:

3/5/2026 📍UVic Fine Arts Building (Sprung 🌸)

UVic Fine Art Grads held their annual Sprung fundraising event this March!

Uri turned it out. He is wearing a leopard skin pillbox hat made by his mother (an homage to the Bob Dylan song of the same name), a 2000s Obey Work Jacket from a vintage store in Vancouver, a second-hand made in Canada crochet short sleeve, and pants made by Jackson Frazer, (Thank Euphoria) a fashion designer in Van. Shoes are Steve Madden (thrifted from Value Village) and glasses are Versace Made in Italy that he found in the sand at Jericho Beach.

3/5/2026 📍UVic

Submitted by Clay W!

Tie is from their extensive collection of sports-themed ties, this one is based on a Normal Rockwell painting!

Submissions allows you to submit your or someone else’s fit and be included in the newsletter! If we don’t cross paths, this is the way to get your fit on the map ⬇

Submit a Fit!

3/14/2026 📍Fernwood, Hanami Blossom Market

All second hand! Matching handmade earring and necklace set whewww.

3/17/2026 📍Market Square, Green Cuisine

Kelsey wearing the most perfect St. Patricks Day fit. Glasses from Kits and the necklace says “made with love.” <3 Everything else second-hand🍀

3/24/2026 📍Johnson Street, Pounds 🛍️

Ken’s iconic hair has to match this spring time cherry blossom fit 🌸🌸🌸

Bag is vtg Guess from POUNDS (duh) and leg warmers are from FBMarketplace.

3/25/2026 📍Fort Street, Upcycle Clothing Collective 🛍️

Ran into Lainey while dropping off physical copies of this month’s newsletter at Upcycle Clothing Collective. Perfection down to the tabis.😚

3/25/2026 📍Yates Street

Both wearing all second-hand pieces! Handmade denim bag on the right.

Unintentionally matching hats! :)

Thank you for reading March Fits!

Hope you are enjoying Vic Fits, Newsletter Edition 🌀

Subscribe now

See ya in April! STAY FITTED.

Before we get into it, I just want to say thanks for joining me on this new long-form way to connect! I know that Instagram offers a quick look, but I hope this monthly newsletter is able to shine a brighter light on the details and people behind the fashion in this city. 🌟

2/25/2026 📍Fort Street, Victoria

Anna is wearing shoes from Snack Vintage, a second-hand hat from Montreal, and gloves she crocheted herself!!

2/25/2026 -📍Coopenhagen (?!)

Bridgette’s fashion is “inspired by her environment.” Submitted by Marie Lou! ⬇️

SUBMIT A FIT!

2/17/2026 -📍Montreal — Seconde Vintage

Found myself at my fav second-hand clothing store in Montreal this month, Seconde. Mary is wearing a second-hand jacket from “Clerk” and insane pants/skirt from Sample (Toronto brand!)

2/14/2026 -📍Victoria

Aisling submitted this fit for Valentines day, wearing a 100% silk heart skirt found in a free pile, silk red ribbon gifted to her by her friend Darby, and a silk bustier by Ulla Johnson.

Subscribe now

2/14/2026 -📍New York — Public Serv-ce Fashion Show (?!)

Attended New York Fashion Week this February (what??) and interned at the Public Serv-ce Show. Hair artist Kayra Theodore (right) was styled by Latoya McCloud (left) !

2/13/2026 -📍New York — The Real Real

On my first day in New York, I caught a pic of this guys vintage Pele Pele jacket while shopping at the Real Real. Its a “quintessential New York” piece.

2/10/2026 -📍Fort Street, Victoria

Will is wearing a Sterelolab tee (from the concert, I’m so jealous) a Casio watch, and Holesome ring.

2/5/2026 -📍Victoria

Submitted by Madeline! Nat and Kendall are both wearing fully thrifted fits!

Thank you for reading February Fits! Hope you are enjoying Vic Fits, Newsletter Edition 🌀

Subscribe now

Got to capture fits all across North American this month—covering New York Fashion Week was truly a dream, and I couldn’t do it without ya! Thanks for submitting fits, following along, and staying fitted. Cherry blossoms are out and layers are coming off, I can’t wait to see the fits next month!

1/1/2026 New Years!📍RUSH

1/2/2025 ⭐ Submitted by Jenna

Vic Fits Submissions allows you to submit your fit and be included in the newsletter! If we don’t cross paths, this is the way to get your fit on the map ⬇

SUBMIT A FIT

1/8/2026 📍Cinecenta

Share

1/11/2026 📍Cherry Pick Vintage

1/17/2026 Closet sale📍Little Fernwood

1/17/2026 📍Little June

1/17/2026 📍Little June

1/17/2026 📍Market Square

⭐️ Submitted by Maria

Would you be interested in in-depth style interviews with Victoria's best fitted? ⬇️

Leave a comment

1/18/2026 📍Cinecenta

1/26/2026 📍University of Victoria

Share

January Fit Takeaways:

New Year! New Fits! Seeing a lot of people with elevated versions of what they wore last year—higher quality knits and bags. I personally invested in some chic base layers (all second hand). The combination between sunny and freezing saw many in trench coats and scarves but also sunnies and garden clogs (spring is almost here!)

It’s a learning curve for all of us, but this newsletter is a move off of Instagram and into more long-form fashion content. Think interviews, zines, fashion shows. If you have any feedback for this new era of Vic Fits, dont hesitate to reach out. Next month, expect fits from various parts of the world, and fashion show coverage…

1. Brendon — 3/14/2025

Photographed Brendon outside a party. He said all of his best pieces come from his mom and sisters. I was and still am in awe.

2. Randy — 6/12/205

Met Randy on my way to work, on Johnson Street. Wearing a leather satchel from Mexico that his friend bought for ten dollars a long time ago. As well as a hand painted vest. His idea of a true “outfit” is the kind of ensemble his mom used to make him for square dancing. Spark up a conversation with Randy if you see him downtown (he thinks it’s a lost art) he may just call you the most beautiful thing he’s seen all year.

3. Leda — 6/17/2025

Captured after Leda and I’s first meeting at Habit Cafe for our fashion show Artificium. Wearing Nike Air Rifts from Ebay, a leather bag from The Relove Market, and ten commandment earrings from Vintage After Death. This one holds a lot of sentimental value. <3

4. Miles — 8/8/2025

Met Miles outside a coffee shop in Fernwood on my lunch break. Had just moved to the island from Saskatchewan and was wearing some amazing second hand pieces from there. Really special.

5. Erika— 9/13/2025

Met Erika on the way out of a music show in Gordon Head. Wearing thrifted pieces from Prince George. Its always so cool to meet people who know about Vic Fits! She made my night. :)

Thank you! To all the lovely people who I had a chat with and photographed this year. I am endlessly grateful.

Can’t wait to meet more of you in 2026. I’ll be posting monthly roundups of fits rather than daily, right here, on Substack!

To be clear, I’m not totally against reselling. Everyone has bills to pay, and I’d much rather support clothing resellers than fast-fashion giants. However, I think it’s worth reimagining how we buy and sell clothes. Both consumers and sellers should regularly reflect on their choices—why they buy, sell, and what they’re supporting in the process. Fashion is evolving, from the creative process to the resale economy, and with it I think fashion discourse should evolve as well.

Second-hand shopping didn’t start with reselling. Growing up in London England, half my wardrobe came from charity shops. These stores operate differently from consignment shops; items are donated freely, with proceeds going to non-profit humanitarian organizations. While thrifting was once considered a mark of poverty, it’s now a cultural phenomenon—a fun, affordable way to build unique wardrobes. The eternal class exchange: Rich appropriating style from the poor and poor aspiring to dress like the rich. But with its rise has come a rash of reselling, which brings its own complexities.

Reselling involves buying second-hand items cheaply and selling them at a profit. I first encountered it during the pandemic through Depop. Eager to reinvent my style, I bought trendy items—La Senza corsets, Ralph Lauren sweaters, Vivienne Westwood knockoffs—for upwards of $50. When I got tired of them, I resold them at a markup, using buzzwords to justify the price (e.g. vintage, y2k, second-hand). It became a cycle: Influenced, buy, resell, repeat.

Living in Toronto introduced me to an abundance of second-hand clothing stores, but Victoria feels different. The city’s small size and large second-hand consumer market makes the many reselling merchants and businesses a blur of dry rot tees tagged at astonishing prices. While larger cities offer more variety, Victoria’s oversaturated resale scene often feels repetitive, leaving little room for discovery.

Is reselling inherently bad? Not...necessarily. It’s reminiscent of mining—finding a cheap diamond in a sea of stone, and marking it up for consumers—except mining is actually dangerous. Resellers often claim sustainability as a cornerstone of their work, saving items from landfills and promoting second-hand over new purchases. However, is finding a piece at a rag yard for $10 and then selling it for $50 sustainable? The term sustainability indicates a long term cyclical impact; "saving" a handful of pieces from the landfill to resell at a high price does not encourage a disruption of any fashion cycle. If anything, it encourages overconsumption through micro-trends, yet more wasteful cycles under the guise of sustainability. I wouldn't be surprised if what is pulled out of a rag yard is dumped back there within a year.

Still, though it may not be the most sustainable, it isn't ruining second-hand shopping...right? Many resellers claim to be particular when buying, sparing "essential" items that low-income people may require (e.g. winter coats and undergarments). So if a reseller does not shop for essentials, they usually curate their business by brand names or a niche/core/style. Putting aside for the moment how certain second-hand conglomerates have raised prices in the past few years, (since much of this has to do with inflation and other pressures), consider the following: Some of the most stylish individuals I've spoken with and photographed for Vic Fits have been low-income folks, often those living day-to-day on the streets of Victoria. Some of the most liberating aspects of their lives are recognition and choice. People who thoroughly rely on second-hand shopping are not devoid of taste! They too consider what they wear, maybe even more so than those with more to spend on clothes. No one is immune to fashion. Snatching up every nice piece on the thrift store rack denies the existence of someone else who might not have many resources to look their best.

Reselling however serves some significant purposes, and the upsides do seem genuine. I own many pieces that I have bought from second-hand stores and independent resellers! Firstly, it can be helpful to shop from a curated collection. Sometimes you covet a particular piece, and would like to not buy fast fashion. A reselling business can offer a collection of your favourite styles making shopping convenient – my favourite pair of jeans is a pair of Levi’s I got at a vintage shop. Secondly, starting a reselling business provides opportunities for young entrepreneurs interested in fashion to dabble in the fashion industry, and share their love of fashion with their friends. Reselling businesses make up a majority of Victoria markets and storefronts; go to any market or walk down any street downtown and I guarantee you will see at least two vintage or second-hand stores. The allure many of these businesses have, beyond convenience, can be a first step into playing with fashion. What I take issue with is how this curiosity and love for vintage clothing has been marketed in a fast paced saturated way, and what I believe spoils what is at the heart of Victoria’s art scene.

When resellers, fast fashion stores, even your Pinterest board, curate clothes and fashion inspiration, they do it in a way that perpetuates microtrends, making it increasingly difficult to justify what we like and why we consume. We no longer prioritize the material or origin of clothes; what we are drawn to is what we are sold. Resellers rely on trend cycles in the same way fast fashion does, on telling the public what looks good and selling it to them– and maybe that's just business–but it surely isn’t sustainable, inspiring, or changing anything in the fashion world. No one wins the fast fashion debate, and no one remotely wins the reselling debate.

So what does the future of Victoria’s fashion look like beyond more vintage stores, Facebook Marketplace moguls, and second-hand markets? How can we enjoy fashion without creating waste, spending too much money, or feeding into every single trend? Drawing on the ways we engage with art and with each other can help begin to answer these questions. Everyone seems to be in a personal “style crisis” nowadays, constantly redefining and envisioning their future, most fashionable self. Less people, however, seem to be in a personal musical or literary crisis. Fashion is an art form that is so easily commodified that the illusionary passion many of us have for it becomes indicative of what we buy/sell/own. However, I don’t think that a person who has been to more concerts likes music more, or a person who owns more books likes to read more. A key issue with the way we engage with fashion is intertwined with the way we engage with each other. The current fashion culture speaks for itself, we no longer seek out what we like. When we see a friend bopping their head with a pair of headphones on, we ask them what they are listening to. Social awareness is key to discovering and consuming what we are drawn to. When on a walk, we pass by a cute little library and open it to discover hidden literary treasures we’d never heard of. This element of curiosity, of not knowing what we will find and being open to receiving whatever we do, aids in self-discovery. These two activities can be engaged in a way where we are not relative to anyone else. Fashion does not allow this, what we like is on display, it’s who we are, and what we are wearing. Thrifting could be similar to the past experiences. In a sea of varied affordable clothing, we grab a drink with our friends and roam the aisles, random pieces catching our eyes. However, reselling makes this harder. From marked-up prices to narrowing our search by trends, our need to consume has tainted natural engagement in fashion. Reselling has exacerbated this by exploiting niche vintage and designer markets for monetary gain on a small scale (a scale which should be sustainable, small batch fashion is where it’s at) and using an essential service (cheap clothes) to do it. Victoria has a wonderful art scene. Some of the best live music shows and free art galleries I’ve ever witnessed. What if we engage with fashion in the city the way we engage with these forms of art? We try out different genres, share resources, and stay curious and ever-changing about what we like, why we like it, and where we put our money.