Local vintage and secondhand shop Hawk & Sparrow offers unique, sustainable and affordable clothing for everyone

Hawk & Sparrow is a vintage, secondhand boutique, located downtown at 126 James St. N. Other than vintage items, they also sell secondhand designer and a mix of everything to accommodate everyone’s styles.

“I don't just do vintage, I also do secondhand designer and then . . . a mix of things. So you can expect a 1950s sweater with a ritzy top and then a Louis Vuitton bag. There's a wide range of brands,” said Sarah Moyal, the founder of Hawk & Sparrow.

Before launching Hawk & Sparrow in 2011, Moyal had a strong fashion background. She worked for Dsquared2 in Milan at their headquarters and did styling in Toronto. 

She always wanted to open a clothing store. Originally, she had wanted to open a new clothing store, but she realized that buying inventory would be too expensive for her, so she switched over to second-hand. It worked for her, and it made her more interested in secondhand clothing.

“It's just so much more interesting to have one of everything. And every one of them is so unique,” said Moyal.

Moyal has experimented with making Hawk & Sparrow accessible through online platforms such as Etsy, but she now focuses most of her energy on the store itself, as she has found that it has been getting busier.

Moyal aims to make her store accessible and safe for everyone.

“I would say it's accessible to everyone and any direction of style that someone wants to go. If they want to play it a bit safe, we have that. If you want to go wild, we also have that,” said Moyal.

I would say it's accessible to everyone and any direction of style that someone wants to go and if they want to play it a bit safe, we have that. If you want to go wild, we also have that.

Sarah Moyal, Founder, Hawk & Sparrow

Most of the items are $5 to $25, and there are $5 mystery bags all year round. Moyal is also open to negotiations. She hopes that her customers will continue to find their favourite pieces at Hawk & Sparrow. 

“I hope that people will kind of find their unique style here, that they'll discover something about themselves, that they'll not feel a pressure to dress a certain way or follow a certain trend, that they'll just feel free to dress how they want, how they feel,” explained Moyal.

I hope that people will kind of find their unique style here, that they'll discover something about themselves, that they'll not feel a pressure to dress a certain way or follow a certain trend, that they'll just feel free to dress how they want, how they feel.

Sarah Moyal, Founder, Hawk & Sparrow

Over the years, she has experimented with different directions –– such as only vintage (an item from another era, usually from the 1930s-70s), vintage artisan (very old and rare pieces from the 1800s-early 1900s that are typically made by hand) and only designer –– for the shop. The current iteration of her shop has had the best reception from the Hamilton community, and she intends to keep it this way for the time being.

Katherine George 

Silhouette Staff

It’s not uncommon for university students to be unemployed, slaving away at minimum-wage jobs or drowning in student debt. As a result, leisurely activities such as shopping can easily become stressful activities. Fortunately, shopping for high-quality clothing does not always have to come at great expense. Both men and women can make minuscule changes to their shopping habits that will allow for increasingly better purchases on a penny-pinching budget.

The most obvious way to save money is to avoid shopping at designer or brand-name stores. These stores may have high quality items, but they tend to be over-priced. Instead, choose department stores such as Winners or Marshalls. Department stores are often overlooked by individuals because people do not have the patience to search around in stores that seem to operate in a disorganized manner. But, they carry brand names and high fashion items for a substantially lower price.

Shopping on a budget is also about replacing money with time. In order to find that right piece of clothing, the shopper must be willing to search through piles clothing in order to find that special one. Keep in mind what you’re looking for when you venture out looking for an outfit. This way, you will avoid purchasing items on impulse that are not needed.

In addition, before you leave to go shopping, take an inventory of what you already own. This will also prevent any unnecessary purchases.

If you are shopping for a specific night, whether it is a formal event or even just a weekend out with your friends, you do not necessarily have to purchase an entirely new outfit in order to create a new look. While you are shopping, consider an accessory to an outfit, like shoes, jewellery or, you’re male, a tie or dress pants.

Finally, hit up the clearance rack. Push aside the shame of walking towards the red sale sign and dig through looks from earlier in the season. Just because an article of clothing is not fresh on the racks does not mean that it is not worth your time.

With help from these few small tips, shopping for high quality clothes does not have to come with burning a hole through your wallet. It can be affordable and maybe even leisurely again!