Montreal Shopping Trip

Lucky's favorite stores in Montreal's Mile End, Plateau & Village neighborhood!

An above-street-level perch and bird-and-branch-filled windows give this sunny, craft-centric newcomer a treehouse vibe. Crocheted earrings dangle from saplings and Little Otsu journals are arranged on stumps, while ghost-shaped salt and pepper shakers and DIY needlepoint postcards line the cubbies along the walls.

Understated and loft-like, this three-year-old stop from fashion-design-school friends Véronique Saine and Annie di Lalla specializes in well-cut, timeless-feeling styles. There's J Brand denim in the darkest of washes, woven Loeffler Randall flats, Orla Kiely raincoats, and elegant dresses from Drykorn and Development by Erica Davies.
141 Ave. Laurier Ouest, 514-270-5415

Much like Montreal's version of Gap, this small spot specializes in straightforward tanks and T-shirts, all made in Canada and under $25.
4276 Blvd. St.-Laurent, 514-849-6053

Packed with midcentury-modern home stores, Rue Amherst is the best area to shop for antiques; Boutique Jack's is its crown jewel and spans almost an entire block. Reasonable prices and a perfectly curated array of collectible goods—molded chairs, mod '60s plastic lamps, German pottery—justify its popularity.
1860 Rue Amherst, 514-596-0060, jacks70.com

As the undisputed trend hive of Plateau, this wide-wood-planked space boasts an impressive roster of labels that traffic in a certain brand of forward-thinking, nonchalant cool: Vanessa Bruno, Vivienne Westwood, Humanoid. One room is for women, the other for men, though there's plenty to desire from the latter side too, like canvas duffels, tough rockerish jewelry, and gold-stenciled wallets.
3650 Blvd. St.-Laurent, 514-844-8788

Light wood shelves that hold just one of each item (the inventory is in the back) make this basics-centric, family-owned operation feel like a library. Long cashmere cardigans and layerable tanks in a rainbow of shades are bestsellers.
1062 Ave. Laurier Ouest, 514-278-6016

This gallery/boutique devotes itself to rotating themes: On our last visit, it was focused on amazingly hip renditions of babiche, an ancient weaving tradition from the plains of Northern Canada (where you find it on snowshoes). Gorgeous rickety chairs with seats woven from hundreds of different colors of thread, pendant lamps, and side tables were mixed in with other, more permanent offerings, such as limited-edition fragrances and china that looked like old-world delft porcelain at first glance, but on closer inspection was emblazoned with images of graffitied taxicabs.

Being green is huge in Montreal, and this year-old home emporium is hard-pressed to keep its eco-conscious, sustainable products in stock. There are delicate bud vases crafted from recycled glass, summery bags crocheted from hemp, and pillows stitched from vintage fabric, as well as a slew of organic beauty lines all proudly made in Canada.

In a city flush with creative types—from its independent music scene (the Stills, Arcade Fire, and Chromeo, among others, are all based here) to its legions of designers—it makes sense that small collectives are a big business. This bilevel space is just another excellent repository for the area's talents: Handstenciled geometric T-shirts by Mauve Naïf, slide-size paintings, and pinafore-like dresses by Valérie Dumaine are among the loot.
1649 Rue Amherst, 514-678-2923