Clothing from the past

Meow Vintage, a one-of-a-kind store much like its commodities, recently opened up in Uptown Waterloo on Dec. 3. Kara Munn, the owner of Meow, spent three months with the help of her husband renovating the 1890 historic home into the boutique it is today.

For Munn, starting up was initially a part-time job that became bigger over time, while also studying the tricks of the trade for the vintage business and selling clothes online as well as the Toronto area.

The store is focused on women of all age groups and when asked what makes Meow different from other vintage stores Munn stated that, “I try to be as affordable as possible. And I try to keep my things under $50 unlike other vintage stores.”

Munn’s vintage clothing consists of collections from the 1940s to the 1980s.
In regards to how the store got its name, Munn felt that it reflected her own personality. “I collect vintage items. I also collect vintage cats. I’ve always had a lot of animals but particularly cats, right from when I was a kid I had a collection of vintage cat figurines,” said Munn.

She also thought, “the name ‘Meow’ was short, memorable, and also fun. I think that the word ‘meow’ sounds very vintage because in the 1950s girls were often referred to as kittens, and guys would often say ‘meow’ when they saw a hot or good looking girl. It wasn’t in a derogatory way though.”

Another great thing about vintage for Munn is the fact that it’s currently coming back in popularity and is a great way to recycle.

Munn commented on her price ranges saying that in her mind, “If it’s trends, then I wouldn’t spend a lot [of money], but if it’s a classical piece or something then I would spend more.”

Munn however continues to have faith in vintage style. “People are more creative than ever,” she said. “They’re putting together different outfits and different styles from different periods of times and mixing things more. They might wear a 70s jacket with a 50s dress.”

Meow Vintage is a store driven by passion and interest and Munn herself stated that she was genuinely surprised vintage clothing ended up being her career. “It did take a while [though],” she said, “It didn’t happen overnight.”

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