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DYL Fashions continues to provide for vulnerable women in Medicine Hat after flooding. Jayk Sterkenburg/CHAT News
IN THE COMMUNITY

Store providing for vulnerable women in Medicine Hat opens new location

May 16, 2025 | 3:03 PM

DYL Fashions Consignment and Thrift Shop will continue to make fashion accessible to every woman in Medicine Hat after a relocation of its basement store.

Three weeks ago, the store’s Bargain Basement thrift store section downstairs was impacted by flooding.

Everything was lost, including thousands of articles of clothing and shoes.

Instead of waiting for the basement to be rebuilt, DYL Fashions wanted to be able to continue serving customers in need as soon as possible.

Owner Stephanie Sissons said a separate shop was opened nearby to continue operations of the store’s thrift section.

“We [initially] opened the Bargain Basement thrift store to make fashion accessible to every woman,” she said Friday.

“The vulnerable women, the women who are on a budget,” she added.

“Women who were rebuilding their lives. We wanted to be a part of that.”

Sissons said “fashion vouchers” are also given to community groups where women can benefit from them.

Locations include the Women’s Shelter, The Mustard Seed, Nurture Pregnancy Centre and Saamis Immigration Services Association.

A percentage of DYL’s sales also go towards the Women’s Shelter.

Sissons said fashion vouchers are given to community groups where women can benefit from them. Jayk Sterkenburg/CHAT News

The shop is currently looking for and accepting donations for the new location, to continue to help provide an affordable alternative for vulnerable women.

Sissons said the store appreciates anything the community can give as fashion can change someone’s life.

“When you’re going into a job interview, or maybe for these women who are going to court to fight for their children, anything like that,” she said.

“When you’re in an uncomfortable situation. When you have an outfit that makes you feel confident, it changes everything,” she added.

“We want to help women get that. We want to make that accessible for anyone who needs it.”

Sissons said the store is trying to fill a gap where clothing might not be all that women need.

She said The Mustard Seed does have a supply to provide people to need warmth, but DFL wants to “give fashion”.

“It can make you feel better about whatever you’re facing,” she said.

Sissons said the Bargain Basement’s new location will open May 24.

The store is located five doors down from DYL Fashion, where Gravity Sports was previously located.

Gravity Sports has relocated across the street from DYL Fashions because of an opening of its current location, the owner told CHAT News.