No Frills is so hip with the Parkdale crowds that T-shirts inspired by the highlighter-yellow discount grocery chain sold out in 45 minutes.

The people behind Parkdale Life (@parkdalelife), a popular Instagram account that documents day-to-day life in the ’hood were really excited when Vi’s No Frills at King St. W and Jameson Ave. reopened. So to celebrate the neighbourhood’s non-food desert status, they had T-shirts made, featuring their page name and No Frills’ distinctive banana logo.

They advertised the shirts in promotional photos that wouldn’t be out of place in an urban outfitters ad — except one T-shirt-clad model leans on a row of grocery carts, and two others, in full tattooed hipster glory, ham it up with an actual ham.

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They sold them for $25 each (along with matching hats for $20) at a one-day event last week, pulling in $1,300 to benefit the Parkdale Community Food Bank. They were so popular that the group is planning to sell another batch in the coming weeks, one of Parkdale Life’s administrators said in an email to Metro.

“There is so much to say about this No Frills,” the administrator said. The group prefers anonymity to “keep it about the neighbourhood, not about personalities.”

“There are so many people in the neighbourhood that need accessible and affordable groceries: people without cars, low-income folk, the elderly, and just everyone. It also feels like an unofficial community hub.”

No Frills is surprisingly low-key about Parkdale Life’s blatant appropriation of their brand.

It fits right in with their new marketing campaign, which focuses on the message “cheap is the new sexy,” said Mary MacIsaac, vice-president, marketing of Loblaws’ discount division.

“Being frugal is a badge of honour now,” MacIsaac said. “It’s a pounding-your-chest No Frills pride. We’re trying to put some fire on that.”

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By the numbers

32 per cent — The proportion of Parkdale residents who are low-income, according to the 2011 census.