Fresh Collective

Beautiful, Canadian and often locally designed clothing. Pieces made to fit women’s bodies. Fabrics that are washable. Great style for casual or professional. I love the silk screens, fitted dresses and the unique patterns. Three stores in the city. These are not cheap clothes but they are ethically made and unique.

I hit their winter sale yesterday and am SO glad I did! I got an amazing pair of Miz Mooz’s sandals for $ 29!!! I know it is snowing and miserable outside, but those shoes somehow make this weather bearable knowing eventually this too shall pass and those funky blue sandals will be on my bare feet! And if I wasn’t on a budget, I would have deffo bought that cute green dress with the sweet pattern. Only $ 39!!! I love the clothing here as well as the jewelry. Totally worth coming in here for a gander!

It’s a small boutique of local clothing & jewellry designers. Most of the essentials are there. Though the only pants they had were yoga jeans. I bought a couple of tops, a skirt, a cardigan, dress & some shoes. Love that the designers are local. Jamie was so great at helping me pick out stuff!

Fresh Baked Goods is a co-​op of local artists who make cute things that you just want to buy in heaps but it is not for those who are faint of wallet. Yeah, no sweat, $ 20 for handmade underwear, and what’s another $ 75 for a skirt that has a simple lace trim?
I am a loyal shopper, really! I love that everything is local and unique but I find a lot of the designs a bit too mismatching for me to wear in general and I only get stuff when my mom is treating me. Typically I buy dresses from Laura Jean, who runs the joint, but I did pick up some cute subway station key chains and generally drool over the jewelry.
My favourite purchase? My sushi dress.
As for the staff, they’re really great. One time I was in Kensington and my dress literally split in half down the back and I didn’t know what to do. Luckily I was just down the street from FBG and the woman working there managed to ply me out of my dress (I’m not kidding!) and send me on my merry way home (which is thankfully just a few blocks from there). I turned my dress in for repairs but I am still waiting for the results.

Once, not too long ago I went through this crazy knitting phase. I learned to knit and purl with a connected set of sticks, I bought yarn and wool and books and delved into my new hobby with gusto… I was determined to make scarves and funky hats, wool booties and sweaters. I even contemplated making and trying to sell my masterpieces, but like many hobbies that come on a whim, it passed as quickly as it had come into my life…
Until two days ago.
I happened to be in Kensington again (a place I love but don’t go to as often as I once did) and I stumbled back into Fresh Baked Goods. No, not a cookie shop, but a funky store packed with knitwear and unique and cute clothing and hand made jewelry. As I browsed the tiny shop, that old nostalgia started creeping in. I even saw a DVD for learning how to knit and I was inspired again!
This store was founded about 10 years ago by a knitter who made sweaters and all things knit-​able. They once had a knitting bee (class) in the shop but have since removed that part of Fresh Baked Goods, and now just do the selling. Fresh Baked Goods is actually a clothing label (from the founder of the store) and all of her creations are sold there (and their sister store on Queen St).
Fresh Baked Goods also sells many other hand made knit ware and designs by over 30 local creators. The prices are not cheap, but they often have items for sale, and if this kind of clothing or craft is your thing, you’ll love this store!
I haven’t knitted anything in years, but just walking into Fresh Baked Goods has inspired me to pick up my sticks again and start working on that scarf I left unattended years before. FBG is definitely not just a store, but a collective of a unique subculture that is no longer something just for your grandma. If you are into knitting, or just starting out, you must check out Fresh Baked Goods!

(pointing) Ooh, look how cute! (pointing) Ooh, I want that! (hands to mouth) Oh, what a great idea!
Obviously, I have a hard time keeping my hands down in this store. The weird thing is, I also have a hard time taking those hands, reaching for my wallet, and following through with a purchase… even for those deliciously cutesy-​pootsy reversible print bags that I’ve been eying for the last three weeks.
Overpriced? Eh, moderate. But this place really resembles the closet of my knitting/​crafty friends, and I feel like an impostor. Maybe when I learn how to cast-​off and visit Michael’s on a daily basis, I would actually have an easier time opening up my purse strings and wearing this stuff with sincerity.