Preloved Fall 2008

by Daniel Wilson


Picks available @ Preloved include Amelia vest (made from vintage trousers) | Butterfield skirt $139 (made from 3 vintage trousers) | Miss Vale sweater $149 (made from 5 vintage sweaters)
Norrell sweater dress-$129 (made from 3 vintage sweaters)

Earlier this month, Toronto's mecca of well-made re-worked clothing, Preloved celebrated its phoenix from the ashes with its new store opening. A relaxed crowd drank Steamwhistle and crunched nachos in the gorgeous new space. Though roughly the same square footage, this new store feels vast compared to their flagship that was lost in the February Queen Street fire. Exposed brick walls and warm woods frame huge windows looking out at Trinity Bellwoods and a garden in the back of the store. Preloved’s loyal fans would follow them anywhere, but they are sure to be thrilled with the new digs.

Preloved, 881 Queen Street West

Trove @ Over the Rainbow

The fall 2008 line-up at Over The Rainbow pushes eternal summer style into the cooler months. Not to be missed: distinctive LA influences among new brands in stock and enough graphic tee's to keep even the trendiest Torontonians on par with the West Coast.

Keepin' it Local
Always on the hunt for the hottest new finds, Over the Rainbow picked up Toronto-based Trove Clothing. Founders Jesse Burnett and Carly Mandelbaum are gaining popularity with their casual, cottag-y tees, hoodies and sweats made of 100% organic cotton. (reminds me of Cotton Ginny in the 80s). Made in Canada.

Over the Rainbow
101 Yorkville Avenue

Andrew Buckler in Toronto

Menswear Rockstar Outfitter Opening in T.O.
By Daniel Wilson

Photos from the Buckler Fall 2008 show

It is only with hopeless inadequacy that I can describe one of the finger foods and the Andrew Buckler store opening bash as potato skins. Tiny fresh new potatoes were cooked to perfection and scooped out to be stuffed with velvety caviar (and quite possibly small pieces of angels) and served to cigarette panted fashionistas screaming niceties at each other of the sounds of electrified rockers Holy Fuck.

It was good that the flat screen behind the bar showed the Buckler runway presentation on loop as the store was too packed to actually see any of the clothes on the racks. The models fit with the labels shank-sharp tattooed image and they oozed enough sex appeal to make me blush. Buckler somehow manages to make preppy staples like plaid button downs and sweater vests scream 'fuck you'! The makeup perfectly stated that either the models did nothing but lie in the sun in Speedos all day, or that they were in need of a good bath. Rather sexy either way.

The Buckler boutique is the first in Canada and is sure to become a destination for stylish boys with money that are bored of Got Style.

Andrew Buckler, 700 Queen Street West

Designer Skivvies on Queen West

Almost Naked is a new specialty shop in Toronto offering super hot designer underwear, luxe-loungewear and accessories from European lines Diesel, Energie and Miss Sixty; UK designers Fred & Ginger and Shultz; and even Canadian label Ginch Gonch. They also carry Ed Hardy boxers and briefs and boast the largest Canadian collection of provocative Marlies Dekkers (Netherlands) among others.

The new two-level boutique has an earthy feel with its poly-resin panels with real bamboo branches embedded in them, hardwood and concrete floors and a wooden trough of white stones lining the staircase. Two corner change rooms with mirrors inside offer a private haven for trying on intimates.

Almost Naked, 479 Queen Street West

Eyewear 2008

Eyewear experts from around the world gathered in Paris last October to preview the best in frames at SILMO 2008. Vintage, techno and luxury were at the forefront and Toronto's Josephson Opticians were there to capture the highlights. (click link for locations)

Vintage: thick and heavy plastics in dark finishes taking strong influences from the mid-late 80’s. Includes Oliver Peoples’ 20th anniversary collection, the Vintage Entourage of 7, Paul Smith, L.A. Eyeworks and the iconic vintage inspired label, Oliver Goldsmith.

Luxury reigns this season with decadent jewel pieces from Gold + Wood and frames adorned with gold and diamonds from Cartier’s Panthère de Cartier collection. Other notable collections are Chrome hearts, Kieselstein-Cord and Lindberg.

Techno Frames in all colors will captivate the modern professional with their sleek and industrial aesthetic. The best include IC Berlin and Mykita stainless steel frames.

Favourite and most notable eyewear designers Robert Marc taped into his dark side, taking influences from the Film Noir genre, while Alain Mikli returned to his bold and vibrant acetate roots.

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Toronto Designer Eyewear (short list)
www.torontolife.com/guide/fashion/eyewear for descriptions

Josephson Opticians, 60 Bloor St. W. (at Bay), plus five other locations. 416-964-7070
Rapp Optical - with a signature line designed and hand-made in Toronto, 788 College St. (at Ossington) 416-537-659
Karir Fashion Eyewear, 138 Cumberland St. plus two other locations, 416-975-0536
Specs & Specs, 311a Queen Street West, 416-979-3937
Optic Creations, 5025 Yonge Street, 424 Dundas St. West
Spectacle, 752 Queen St. W. plus two other locations, 416-603-0123

Shop MADE for local goods

by Siya Chen


For all of you fashionable and design-minded individuals, MADE is open for longer hours for your last minute shopping this holiday season. Visit MADE and pick up a small or big piece of uniquely CANADIAN design. Be it the magnetic utensil holder, funky cushions, or crazy fun Milk crate table. Knowing that all products at MADE are designed and made by fellow Toronto and Canadian designers, shopping at MADE is a truly rewarding shopping experience!


MADE, 867 Dundas St. West, www.MadeDesign.ca

69 Vintage $-Mass Shopping Fete

69 Vintage held its annual Christmas Holiday shopping party, December 12, 2007 at its Queen Street West location. There has been a 69 off-spring location in Kensington ya know! Revellers drank spiked egg nog and festive berry juice whilst stripping down and slapping on vintage treasures in full view. Daniel Wilson, L'Oreal Fashion Week DJ, scored a cool green bomber coat. Leanne Delap, Globe and Mail fashion writer, acquired a chic gold link belt. Anna Von Francis, Pink Mafia Boss, played dress-up for guests. Jen, El Presidente of the new Toronto web site Shedoesthecity.com, was glamorous in a shiny silver dress. The boutique was packed to the gills with holiday joy! Of course, 69's Kealan Sullivan rocked it the most in thigh-high black boots and fur hat - Mistress of her domain.

Favorite Shop in Toronto: Lileo

Lileo is almost a spiritual destination in the city - for spendthrift shoppers, artsy metropolitans and aristocratic fashion fiends who can easily find love and belonging in aisles piled high of exclusive labels, coveted literary collectibles and the latest and greatest in stylish lifestyle finds for men, women and kids.

Co-founded by Syd Beder, a Toronto fashion veteran (most noted for bringing brands like Big Star, Indian Motorcycle and Lululemon to Toronto) and yoga enthusiast, who brought life to Lileo after experiencing his own personal spiritual discovery, this Lileo derives from Galileo (astronomer/scientist) and is fueled by similar notions of light and discovery.

Go to full review here >>

New @ Preloved

New warm re-made @ Preloved, 613 Queen Street West

Studio 1686: Wardrobe from Films

Studio 1686, a new sleek and boxy apparel shop by Marya Duplaga, movie wardrobe stylist opened on the far west end of Toronto's Queen Street this past weekend. Studio 1686's unique selling point is clothing sourced from film studio wardrobe departments. Men's and women's designer fashions gently worn or not at all are on sale for a fraction of what you would pay anywhere else!

Designer snapshot:

Moschino jeans for $85 and Juicy Jeans for $45. A sleek selection of mainly black evening dresses. A stunning coat by L.A.M.B for $245. Trousers by Valentino, Versus, Marni and Issey Miyake. Think of any designer label and you will most likely find it here. Shoes and jewllery are also available.

The boutique also offers cosmetics by R.H. Studio, which feature natural minerals.

It is far out of the normal shopping district of Queen Street West, but worth the trip if you want to save money. The are also a few vintage shops and a great little cafe in the neighbourhood.

1686 Queen St West (east of Roncessvalles)

416.533-5400

Jacflash Indie Glam on Queen West

by Siya Chen






Father-Daughter Duo Jaclyn and Geoff Genovese opened up the much-needed Indie-glam boutique Jacflash on West Queen St. West.
The beautifully designed store is stocked up with unique and hard to find independent brands from New York, Europe, Australia and Hong Kong. While the black sequined top by Alice + Olivia worn by Jaclyn at the opening night is definitely one of our favorites, the TorontoStreetFashion gang is even more happy to realize that there is a listening booth for independent music at the store. Goodie bag to go for the opening party is the stylish white leather water bottle holder. Now we could finally be fashionable even for those dull exercise routines!

Jacflash, 1036-38 Queen West

A few Changes on Queen St. W...

TSF dropped by Queen St. W.'s newest addition Change to check out the popular Danish lingerie chain that has locations in Vancouver and Montreal already. Normally, chain stores don't hold much interest for us here at TSF, but I'll be honest with you - the promise of a free bra and fitting for attending the opening was too much for me to resist. So admittedly, I was already in a good mood after I had picked out my adorable red gingham 'Doris Day' model in a 'balconet' style.

But Change won my support (no pun intended) for two totally cool reasons:
One, they carry bra sizes that fit a range of real, modern bodytypes - upto a J cup that is, in both De Luxe and Basic styles. This might not seem like a big deal if you fit regular La Senza or H&M sizes, but try finding a J cup in Toronto for under a hundred dollars. It's next to impossible, which brings me to my second point.
Price. While annex favorites 'Secrets From Your Sister' does a great job in fitting and educating shoppers, many of their larger styles do cost more than smaller ones, usually around a hundred. Which doesn't even seem like much when you consider that in Yorkville at Avec Plaisir, the Swarovski-crystal-adorned model goes for $695! Change prices start at a reasonable $45~, which shouldn't seem high considering the health benefits of wearing a better fitting bra - including reduced back and shoulder strain, better posture and even fewer headaches.

"Lots of women walk in hunched over and leave standing up straight after they've found a properly fitting bra," Alycia Jenner tells me. "I've had women cry before when they see what a difference it makes."

Here are some bra fitting DON'Ts:
* the back rides up between your shoulders
* you're spilling out the top, sides or bottom
* the underwire presses or digs into you
* straps leave red welts or slip off

And DO make sure:
* try on bras on the loosest hook (you can tighten the bra as the fabric relaxes)
* wear a top that will 'cling' so you can tell if you will have 'double boob'
* get measured every time you buy a bra

Need your Freedom?

Toronto's underground designer hotspot underwent a major makeover this month, and it's definitely ready for a closeup! With a totally renovated space, bigger changerooms, more designers than ever, and a grand opening party just around the corner, there's no reason not to make the trip to Bloor West to check out the new digs! (Hint: Freedom is just on the way to Value Village at Bloor and Lansdowne. Hit up both for a double dose of eco-friendly shopping!)

939 Bloor St. W
www.freedomclothingcollective.com

Holt Renfrew Shoe Salons

Tiff Ing joined Toronto's glitziest celebs to celebrate the opening of Holt's Shoe Salons at the Bloor Street location. Special guests included famed shoe designers Stuart Weitzman and Giuseppe Zanotti, both of whom have shoes on display in the mens and womens sections. Following spring's metallic trend, you can now purchase crystal-encrusted evening sandals by Gina, seasonable Kate Spades, sparkly Manolo Blahniks and perfectly structured Christian Louboutins. This is surely the city's largest designer shoe collection! The men's salon features handsome loafers with smart detailing and colours.

Holt Renfrew, 50 Bloor Street West

H&M goes organic

Don't we just love H&M?!

This spring, the giant Swedish retailer of cool clothes is offering a trend conscious and environmentally friendly line of organic cotton clothes for women and kids!

Pieces include A-line dresses; tunics and leggings; and t's and jeans ($50).

Organic cotton is cotton grown without the use of harmful pesticides and artificial fertilizers and represents less than one percent of all the cotton grown annually. In order to increase the demand for organic cotton and thereby encourage cotton growers to convert to organic cultivation, H&M began using organic cotton a few years ago.

In Toronto, you can find H&M at the Eaton Centre,13-15 Bloor street West, Dufferin Mall, Fairview Mall, Markville Shopping Centre, The Promenade, Vaughan Mills and Yorkdale Shopping Centre

New Queen W Hot Spot: Fieerce

by Tiff Ing

Amidst a backdrop of stream-lined sofas and black-and-white minimalist décor, the team of the new Fieerce boutique rushes around helping customers style and decide on pieces.

Louise Doan started Fieerce a year ago, and since then has sold her line at the Clothing Show, the Style Revolution Show and other Toronto shopping events.

Leading me around the space, Doan excitedly shows me a short-sleeved, khaki-green shimmery tunic dress($39) and points out that adjustable side ruching. My eye is caught on a violet, almost-see-through lycra-polyester dress with trim ($55) that would be a showstopper on any daring femme. A zebra print halter ($15) looks perfect for a night of dancing, and the price couldn't be beat. Doan says that it was her aim to keep things affordable, especially since she herself has been known to wear something only once before tossing it.

Fieerce
425 Queen St. West
Tel: 416-977-8778

Holt Renfrew Christmas Windows

Holiday Windows by www.mannequindisplay.com
See them here>>

New Queen West Hot Spot - kama kazi

Kama Kazi Style Boutique, 781 Queen Street West

Big hand clap for Kama Kazi cool-hunters Debra Antwi and partner Fred Antwi in delivering to Toronto a rare thing – exclusivity and authenticity. The X factor, as they bring the Euro and UK shopping esthetic to Queen St W with select, designer brands. Authentic, because the Antwi duo make a point of going to the source of their wears before importing.

Men, look out for UK import Sexy Bastard underpants, Christian Lacroix dress shirts and Ozwald Boateng exclusive tailored suits , for the most distinguished gentlemen.

For women, there's hot street-inspired seperates by STQ, Essential and Catch a Fire, alongside bags, shoes and accessories

Rocco P at george c

Last Thursday, George and Lisa Corbo graciously hosted an evening with famed shoe designer, Rocco P at their most coveted, Euro-atmospheric styled boutique in Yorkville.

If you have ever wanted fabulously expensive blue suede shoes or even a purple pair of boots exactly like Madonna's, George C is the spot in Toronto for die hard Rocco P enthusiasts to converge!

There are books as thick as Webster's dictionaries filled with optional textures, colors, leathers and suedes; high gloss, low gloss, snakeskin and metallics, all with the promise of a 6-8 week delivery!

Of course, this kind of customization doesn't come cheap ($800 and up) but we've heard plenty of testimonial from Rocco P followers that the investment is easily justified by the comfort, timelessness and wearability - they're so soft inside you don't even need socks and a pair of these classic styled shoes or boots are sure to last for ever!

George C, located at 21 Hazelton Lanes is the exclusive retailer of a few designer labels in Toronto including Costume Nationale, Project Alabama, La Silla footwear and J Brand denim.