Paranada

I am compelled to write a review for this store. I bought my first drum here 17 years ago, and recently went back and bought my young kids a drum. The store is as I remember it, and the owner is an honest, soft spoken gentleman, who remembered me 17 years later after I described the drum I bought way back then. Please take a peek at the store and it’s wares, they are sustainable and super unique, and they are kind and knowledgeable. Two thumbs way up.

I have a few remarks about this store, as a traveler and as a purveyor of fine clothing.
Most of Para Nada’s cool hippy clothes are NOT fast dyed, which means there’s no fixing agent added to the clothing to prevent fading. The first time I bought a colourful sweater from this store in my naïve 20’s, I was shocked at how much colour bled out of this «cool machine wash, hang dry» piece of clothing. A friend of mine ignorantly put her fast dyed shirt from Para Nada in the wash with other clothes, and it dyed them all the same colour to her horrible chagrin.
Para Nada gets most of their clothing from the same place that every trendy hippy store does: Nepal or India. You can buy clothing by the pallet there, meaning you can buy hundreds of pieces at cost. They’re all cheaply made, usually under questionable conditions, and then hyper-​saturated with dye so they look bright and wonderful for the western consumer. Unfortunately, after the first wash most of the dyes come out.
You should always try washing such clothes in cold, salt water, or use a fixative. Unfortunately, these hyper-​dyed clothes from south Asia will never retain all their dye. It’s basically a marketing gimmick for people who love colourful clothes. You’ll be disappointed after the first wash.
Recently a friend gave me a hand-​me-​down shirt that was a beautiful, saturated red. I looked at the label and it said «Para Nada», and handed it back to him. No thanks! I don’t want to have to hand wash clothes that will pour out dye and make my bath tub red!
Para Nada has an absurd markup on these clothing pieces as well. Most hippy stores sell plain shirts for about $ 10 – 15. Para Nada? You can see prices of up to $ 30 for a shirt there. These shirts after only a couple of seasons begin to suffer from technical problems. The buttons fall off, the edges become frayed. They are not built to last. In India and Nepal, these shirts are not worn by locals because they are too cheap to last in the climate. These clothes are made cheaply in developing nations to be exported to the west at significant markup, and Para Nada’s is one of those stores who has been happy to jump on the bandwagon.
If people only knew what the wholesale cost was vs. what Para Nada is asking for at retail, they would never go back to this store. Their Mala beads are the biggest offense of all, marked up by at least 50%, if not more. The local warehouse in Vancouver that sells them to business owners sells them for $ 10 – 20 a piece max. These aren’t «unique pieces», they are sold en mass from Asia to the west so that yuppies can think they are buying authentic spiritual relics of the orient.
My final gripe with this store is the smell. Is the owner not aware that there are a lot of people in the modern world with sensitivities to fragrances? My friend can’t even WALK BY Para Nada on the street because it could trigger a migraine, let alone walk into the store. I’m sorry to be crass but anyone who thinks Nag Champa is the most wonderful incense in the world doesn’t understand the fake crap that goes into it. Speaking of incense, theirs is the most expensive on Commercial Drive! You can buy Nag Champa by the carton in Little India instead of paying for individual packets at exorbitant prices at Para Nada! It’s one thing to sell incense, it’s another to be burning it all the time. Most stores know to keep things fragrance neutral.
The only redeeming factor of this store is the fact that it sells drums and decent carvings that I haven’t seen elsewhere. On the whole though, as a textiles store, I have seen Para Nada’s prices go up and up over the years, with little improvement in quality. Maybe their rents are getting too high? I don’t know. Either way, after years of being disappointed I won’t be going back.

Paranada is absolute heaven for folks like my mum who have a strong alternative side. For me, it’s a great place to get her birthday cards.
The store usually exudes the smell of incense into the street, and the window displays show a variety of unique clothing, and trinkets. They have a great collection of First Nations and First Nations inspired cards, tons of clothing, hats, scarves, jewellery, and incense to buy. It’s quite the treasure trove if it matches your style.
Personally, it’s not my go-​to, but that said if you’re in a mood for hunting I’m sure there’s something for everyone in here.

Infused with the smell of incense. You walk into this place and know immediately what you’re in for. Lots of hippy clothing, amazing nicknacks, drums, hats, whistles, etc.
So kind of a fun random place for gifts.

I’ve been here off and on for years with friends. Personally it’s not my style, however, some of my friends on the Drive love the neo hippy fashions. The minute you walk in you’re overwhelmed by the smell of incense. I am a little sensitive when it comes to fragrances, therefore, this place is hit and or miss with me when it comes to senses. I appreciate the concept of it, however, find very little to purchase. As for the customer service I will admit that it is hit and or miss. Prices can be over top for some things which seems economically out of reach for most of their intended audience.

Same sassy service after all these years.
It’s amazing how you can go to a shop a few times over the span of 10 years and find it exactly the same. Bitchy, self absorbed, rude staff who will scorn you for trying things on, follow you around and even mock you for asking questions or attempting friendly conversation. I watched in amazement as an old man tried on a few hats and requested help, she basically said; «How can I help you –look around and choose one yourself!»
As for the merchandise, it’s Hippy style garments, the usual overall selection you find so many places on the drive, however they do have a good selection of Djembe drums if you don’t mind buying with out trying. God forbid you actually play them in the shop.

Cool! Nice summery dresses and tops and hats.
They also have drums all over the place.
I love the «peasant”-type skirt that I got here, and a blouse that was girly shaped but dark brown to balance it out. They were get one, get 50% off!
The first problem I found was when I went down the street to another store, and I made the security thing there beep, since the security tag in the skirt had not been removed. When I got back to Paranada, they had been closed for a few minutes, but after several tries of waving through the window in the door and pointing at my bag and skirt, the lady who had helped me was able to take the tag off for me.
The second problem I encountered was when I got home and took my new clothes out of the plastic bag. The thick smell of incense… I had noticed it at the store, but didn’t think of the clothes absorbing it (duh). Unfortunately, I am sensitive to strong smells, and I could only wear it after hanging it to air and spraying it with water many times over a few days.
After that, it was fine. I am overall happy with my purchase.

I have NOTHING bad to say about this store at all… I am a sucker for the beautiful peasant skirts, dresses and t’s there. A few years ago, I bought a sexy halter top for only $ 8 (on sale). They have great sales. It’s also a good place to look if you want bongo drums and exotic jewelry.

If you are a «drum circles are cool» kind of person, you’ll probably also like the hats they sell here. Especially if you like clothing made from hemp, and almost definitely if you smoke it. And if you like bright colors and do things like hacky sack, you probably won’t mind the smell of incense that enshrouds this clothing/​jarimba store.
The prices seem all right, although they might be out of reach for a real hippy.

Paranada is the place to come for all of your free-​trade and global gifts. This spacious store is chock-​full of interesting objects, trinkets, clothing and accessories that are sure to catch your eye.
Beautifully patterned dresses in silky materials for under 50 dollars are a steal, while unisex hand-​knit hats and toques are great for the winter season. Paranada also carries a grand collection of bongo drums both small and large as well as gemstone jewellery from far away lands. Keep your eye out for Tibetan freedom flags and support the cause!