Really cool store and when I went there was a sale on many items. I came out with a ring and the woman at the till was very helpful. She had an amazing eye for ring size and was very patient with my selection. Probably more expensive than the average store but pretty decent value for my silver ring! read more

They have some wonderful knitted toques from Nepal and other hats,jewelery and incense products.I saw there hats on display in the window and that drew me in.I don't usually like to enter a small privately run store as sometimes feel awkward and shy.The girl behind the counter was kinda of reserved so I wasn't feeling a very welcome or appreciative vibe and I like to connect when I come in as I might come back. read more

Paranada Traders - These are the items I bought,the Toque was 20% off for only $20 and the other cap was $10 - Women's Clothing Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This is a store for hippies and New Age types looking for funky clothing, jewelry, and related items like incense and bags. Prices are not high, and the selection is broad. I bought a head wrap/turban that I have never seen anywhere else. The jewelry also seemed reasonably-priced. No one bothered me as I took my time looking around. Lots of fun. read more

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. read more

Paranada Traders - Women's Clothing Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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. read more

Paranada Traders - Women's Clothing Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Nice little hippie/wanderlusty store that I've been frequenting for a few years now. I've never bought clothes from them before but they seem ok for quality, selection (mostly loose Indian/Nepalese style beach/flannelly pieces or embroidered shirts and the like). Prices are average for clothes - not bad for everything else. Cheap incense and sage Wands which I recommend - they include juniper, cedar and other stuff for $9. read more

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. read more

See all

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. read more

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. read more

I've browsed in there a few times and made one purchase. The item I purchased was a silk wrap skirt. When I tried it on I noticed that it had a small rip at the hip, which isn't really visible at all when it's been put on. I asked the shopkeeper whether he could patch it or give me a discount, and he sold the $35 skirt to me for $5. The shopkeepers are helpful with sizes and colours. I haven't looked at their jewellery or incense, but I intend to when I need some. I don't want to encourage impulse shopping, but often the thing you love will be gone the next time you go back. They'll probably still have something similar though. The store is always full of fun colours and lovely-smelling incense (if you like strong incense smells as I do). Most of the stuff is made in Nepal. There is some logic to how stuff is sorted, but if you're not a patient browser your best bet is to ask a shopkeep. read more

Archetypal Commercial Drive hippie store, lots of bright, colorful, folksy clothing and a nice selection of Indian / Tibetan incense. I came for the incense and was happy with what I found. read more

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! read more

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 naive 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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

This funky little shop has something for everyone. You can't beat its prices. Extremely reasonable. Majority of wares from Nepal. I bought arm warmers for $16; cut off at the fingers. They were sold out of mitts, so, I compromised and bought arm/wrist warmers. I've been shopping around town for a couple of weeks, and these are the cheapest. I wasn't willing to shell out $30 - $40 for BR and Roots prices. I'll be back because they have a whole rackful of scarves for $12. So, if you're looking for a good deal, shop at Paranada. I support indie shops. read more

i like this store they carry lots of cool stuff and i go there often, however the service isn't so good. Most of the time the staff is unfriendly, and unhelpful which is unfortunate cause it is a really cool little shop. read more