Posh boutique has been a Beach fashion legend for more than three decades

By JULIA SAWICKI

Everyday, Aileen Selkirk gets to be surrounded by what she loves most: fashion.

Her boutique, Posh, located at 2016 Queen St. E. is a Beach staple, housing stunning textiles, silk scarves, high quality fabrics such as alpaca and yak wool, skirts of all lengths, blouses to last a lifetime, and cashmere sweaters that are as chic and cozy as the store itself.

Selkirk grew up in the Beach and opened here first store in the neighbourhood, Texas Rose, in 1977 at just 17 years old.

With only some borrowed clothing hangers from a nearby dry cleaner, and an empty shop, Selkirk went around putting up posters in the city, asking for clothes to be sold on consignment, pressing and pricing the pieces herself.

According to Selkirk, her business model at the time was mostly just “winging it.”

She said she’s always been interested in clothes. Dressing “outrageously” in high school and styling her Barbies as a child. Selkirk said it helped her discover more about herself, and pulled her into what would soon become her life’s work.

“That was my self expression. I feel that clothing is a creative outlet,” she said.

Selkirk closed Texas Rose in 1984, before opening Posh in 1989. Since then, Posh has become the community go-to for high quality garments and unique pieces, drawing in residents for more than 35 years. 

Posh prides itself on the standards of the clothing that’s carried. Most items are sourced locally, from around Canada or from countries in Europe. On a walk around the shop, Selkirk showed hats from Poland and Germany, locally made accessories and jewelry, and blazers and jackets from Spain.

She also works with some of her designers, suggesting alterations or reworks, curating each article of clothing meticulously. Selkirk could proudly tell you where every piece at Posh is from, along with materials, production processes and the people behind them.

“The basis of my store is all sustainably made, no modern slavery. I research all the places that produce the clothing and accessories for me, so I know everything about them,” she said.

In her time between closing Texas Rose and opening Posh, Selkirk moved to the Caribbean, where her experience there contributed to a personal need to make sure all her clothes are made decently, with fair wages and safe working conditions. She said that she saw what underpaid workers and dangerous environments did to people, and became “acutely aware,” of it at a young age.

She said she is happy that more people now seem to be making a conscious effort to either upcycle, or buy sustainably.

“I work with small companies that are completely transparent. There’s no ‘greenwashing’, which happens with a lot of big companies,” explained Selkirk. “I source from around the world, but I do a massive amount of research, because I don’t want to sell anything that I don’t feel good about.”

Selkirk credited a lot of the store’s success to Beach residents, and the support they show for local entrepreneurs and artists. Through community support, ethical practices and quality materials, Posh has become a Beach fashion legend, and Selkirk is thankful for the people around her. 

“I’m very fortunate that I have a lot of customers that have followed me through my whole journey. And they are very loyal, and then they tell their friends, and they tell their friends. There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t have somebody come in and tell me that they bought a dress from me, say, a linen dress, and they bought it 20 years ago and they’re still wearing it because the fabrics hold up so well,” said Selkirk.

“I’ve always sold quality, and people understand that. If you buy a really beautiful blouse, that’s timeless.”

Selkirk also has an excellent relationship with those who visiting the store, remembering customers that come in by name, warmly greeting them and acting as a personal stylist. The passion she has for her work and customers shines through as she matches the perfect top, to the right pair of linens.

For more information on Posh, please visit  https://poshshop.ca/pages/about-us?srsltid=AfmBOooSSZH3BxIGbtb7XqRBTx1QBQsRTLMlS19NvXuvP-QeP31gH4SF