Take one look around Cedarwood Collective’s new store on Christina Street and you know you are going to walk away with a unique piece.
The store features a carefully-curated collection of thrifted fashion and decor. Las Vegas casino ashtray? They got one. Vintage Tragically Hip Festival t-shirt? Yup. An assortment of cowboy boots? Do you even have to ask?
With sustainable fashion and moving away from fast fashion having its time in the spotlight, Cedarwood Collective’s owner, Jamie Sidock, couldn’t be happier with the shift. It’s something she’s been practicing for a long time.
“I think we all have seen how finances have changed for a lot of people and that’s been a big contributor to the shift change,” says Sidock. “People can’t afford to buy new clothes all the time and when you need something there is something that already exists. So why not divert that from the landfill and give it a new life?”
While thrifting itself is becoming more and more of a popular pastime, sometimes there isn’t the time to get lost in a thrift store. The Cedarwood Collective is everything you want to find on your thrifting adventures all in one place. Let’s be honest, Sidock is that friend we all wished we had, who can go into a thrift store and pull out a t-shirt, jeans, and a dress that makes you go, ‘where have you been all my life?’
“The vintage community in Sarnia is a neat little subset that maybe a lot of people don’t think exists in the community and the age range of people who are supportive goes from teenager to whatever age you are when you want to stop buying things,” explains Sidock.
While curating collections and running her own business is now at the forefront of Sidock’s mind, it wasn’t always. The new shop owner used to be an environmental technician, which is what brought her to Sarnia in the first place.
“I moved for two projects in the area, and when I moved here that’s when I started to think a huge part of environmentalism is also a part of fashion and these are two things I care equally about,” says Sidock, adding “however, the fashion industry is a huge contributor to the landfills, so I had that mind where I’m doing the thing I went to school for but ultimately I’m building this passion on the side.”
When the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic saw a shift in her field, Sidock wasn’t ready to move. She opted to stay in Sarnia and put her service experience to use at Greens, a plant-based restaurant while continuing to develop her passion project in vintage clothing.
“Greens is actually what built my community here in Sarnia, and gave me the actual desire to stay here,” says Sidock.
Next for Cedarwood Collective is to eventually start selling even more sustainable fashion, as Sidock wants to repurpose or alter textiles to have new life as something else.
“The main goal is always diverting from the landfill at the end of the day for me, the more that I can, the more that I’m happy and feel successful…the core values of the business are the sustainable side of things and changing someone’s perspective of it,” says Sidock.
It’s been a journey for Sidock to get to where she is now, something that isn’t lost on her.
“I’m excited to see how the next couple of months go with the space and making it more like home.”
Cedarwood Collective is located at 176 Christina Street North.
Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday: By Appointment
Thursday/Friday: 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.