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Fashion & Style

Beef with Space FB

Posted by Staff / March 15, 2005

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I have a serious soft-spot for Space FB (Francois Beauregard). I found this clothing store in Montreal, and to my complete and utter joy, they opened a store right on Queen St. West, by Vice. They have great colours, and the BEST styled shirts: long, slender and range in necks and front details. Don't even get my started on the super sexy wool jackets from Fall.

But let's discuss quality... It breaks my heart to buy a t-shirt (for $39 I might add), take it home, wash it once, and find 3 teensy holes have sprouted. Then the shirt is returned (I groan at the now-sale price of $19), exchange it, take it home, wash it once... and again, find 2 new sprouted holes?! Would you believe that this happened a third time? Cuz it did... So I've decided to throw in the towel and sew them up with different threads and aim to look hobo-chic. All I want is a good looking tee, that will last more than 6 washes, is that so much to ask for, really?

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Now American Apparel has swept Toronto with locations on Queen, in the Bloor/Yonge Underground and on College St. I am always in awe at how attractive that store has managed to display plain cottons. But again, let's get down to quality... do the AA shirts EVER stop shrinking? The colours stay sharp, they don't twist into ridiculous warped art projects but I do have an entire collection that shrink an inch every few weeks.

So I am drawn back to the spot that has been true to me all these years: CHOCKY's (B. Silverstein & Son)! All the colours under the rainbow, and $6 a tee, pre-shrunk, thick dandy fabrics ($8 for boys). Sweatshop free? Don't hold your breath on that one.

CHOCKY'S
352 Queen St. West
Toronto, ONT.
M5V 2A2
416 977-1831

Discussion

13 Comments

Danielle / March 15, 2005 at 12:16 pm
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Buying t-shirts is my most hated experience. Time and again I am baffled by their shape shifting ways. I used to buy piles of 2/$20 at Thrifty's before it became Bluenotes, but now the quality parade is over. I'm not too angry with AA yet, though the difference between M & L is ludicrous.

For boys t's I suggest Gilden, but my jury is hung with t's for da ladeez. Chocky's forever!
Danielle / March 15, 2005 at 12:21 pm
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My GAP! I totally forgot about you. I just realized that I found you recently and bought up 3 of the same shirt. Dryer friendly and though they cost a little more....it seems so far to be worth it.

PS - a little birdy just mentioned Smart Set as a good call.
Laura / March 17, 2005 at 10:36 am
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I have pulled out my emerald greeen top o the morning tee from space fb and felt a little more ventilation than usual. A hole right on my chest - I don't want my clothes to have expiry dates, merci. And although I was having hate-on for the ubiqutous American Apparel, at least their overpriced wonders are staying in one piece. But the amount of AA stores opening in the city is making me nervous - is it the sweatshop free GAP/starbucks invasion of our marketplace???
ziggy / March 17, 2005 at 07:22 pm
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these c1othes are so 60's
Kaitlin / July 4, 2005 at 05:22 pm
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Hi, i work for space fb on queen, i would just like to let you know that we had those shirts (or material i should say) for a short time and we discontinued them as soon as we were aware of the problem, and gave a credit to anyone who brought them back. Sorry you felt so stongly on this issue, we're nice people next time come into the store and talk to us.
thanks, kaitlin
ali / August 31, 2005 at 09:03 pm
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i lo9ve ur clothes i go to ur sttore aLL THE TIME...ITS MY FDAVORITE PLACE TO SPEND MONEY OTHER THAN LULU LEMON AND ARITZIA!!!
KEEP IT UP....!!!BEST WISHES...XOXO
SeXiLeXi / September 3, 2005 at 06:19 pm
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I LOVE YUR CLOTHES!!!!!!! ALONG WITH ARITZIA AND LULULEMON !!!!!!!!!!
Jess Barron / May 24, 2006 at 04:47 pm
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Hey its jess just checking out some of your cloths...Love your cloths ans lululemon...
~Jessica barron~
Lola J, Trenchenboberta / September 17, 2006 at 11:31 am
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Personally i prefer the nude that to clothes...but when i am clothed, its in designer all the way. I wouldnt even buy pj's from the gap or fb or any of these other places you speak of
sarn / February 16, 2007 at 12:02 am
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I sorely miss Space FB on Queen Street. It was my go-to-store since my love of shopping has disappeared in the last 2 years.

However, I do agree that the quality was a bit questionable at times and I'm glad it was addressed.

Sorry Kaitlan, don't take so much offence to the fact that the quality was sub-par.

I still miss you Space!

s
linda / September 25, 2007 at 07:58 pm
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Is "FB" aka Frederik Beauregard the former designer of Body Action Design in the United States?
hannah / October 7, 2007 at 11:52 am
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does spacefb have a website? love their stufs but can't seem to find it in the states.
leslie / October 23, 2008 at 11:13 am
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chockys now closed :(

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