How this New West store is bringing back Y2K fashion

Would you believe there is a way in New West to travel back in time?

It doesn’t require any state-of-the-art machinery, just a visit to Uncommon Clothing Co. at River City Market. Stepping into the space on the second floor, you’re greeted by pairs of Nike Shox, Christian Audigier T-shirts, Ed Hardy hats, and late ’90s/early 2000s cuts of denim.  

The duo responsible for this throwback—owners Michael Bardero and Krista Broddy— is passionate about vintage clothing. Aside from running the store they’re sourcing everything, whether it’s visiting estate sales, or buying things off people they meet on the street.

“Sometimes we’ll be walking down the street, and we’ll be like, ‘Oh, nice sunglasses!’ ” says Bardero, as Broddy chimes in to say they once bought a racing jacket from a stranger. “It’s kind of how we got the whole ‘uncommon’ name. That’s how we source our stuff. We like to bring the different, uncommon pieces, and bring them back from the dead,” Bardero says.

Uncommon Clothing Co.’s Y2K advice:

• What brands have done well? “Ed Hardy is our big seller,” says Bardero, although many customers have been open to trying new aesthetics. “What’s [also] been doing well for us is tacky.”

• Don’t be shy. “You’ll see people who will come in, who are starting to get away from their comfort zone,” explains Bardero. “We’ve noticed people love loud prints, bright colours, rhinestones.” Both Bardero and Broddy agree it’s fun to experiment.

• Accessories work wonders. Accessories are a timeless way to change up an outfit. If you don’t want to commit to a funky shirt or a pair of jeans with patches and/or bling, try an old school bag, a pair of sunglasses, or a hat. 

Between running the store and the other things they have going on in their lives—Broddy is currently attending Douglas College—it’s incredible to see how much Uncommon Clothing Co. has grown in the last few years. Their business started on Instagram about two years ago, with Bardero and Broddy selling clothing online.

It was on a day Bardero had dropped Broddy off at class when he happened to wander into River Market, and he noticed the space was available.  

“He was like, ‘This is perfect! This is it for us!,’ ” says Broddy, who adds they loved the tight-knit, supportive environment of the market. “We have people who come by and say hi to us all the time,” she adds, noting that they have customers who will stop by to chat, or sometimes pass on clothing with incredible stories attached. “They’ll tell us a story about a jacket, about how they wore it in the ’70s or ’80s,” says Brody. “It’s really, really cool.”

The pair have become so enamoured with the way they’ve been welcomed, they’re hoping to move to New West from Surrey. “Everyone seems to know each other here and everyone’s just so friendly. It’s got a cool aesthetic, it’s a little bit different. We like that it’s not so refined, but it’s got character to it,” says Bardero. 

Connect with Uncommon Clothing Co. over Instagram and TikTok.