Toronto

[TCN]

I recently returned from a few days in Toronto. I tried to make some time for shopping and did; however, my shopping was confined to the Bloor Street/Yorkville area. With all due respect to my limited time, effort, and Flusser's book, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed.

Holt Renfrew was more flash and trend than classic quality and true style . . . almost Eurotrashy (and I mean that in the nicest possible way), with less than knowledgeable salespeople. Harry Rosen's is more impressive on the internet than in person, and Storley's (sp??) was like a parody of Old England. Did I miss out on real Toronto shopping, or am I maybe being overly critical. I need to go back in about a month, where should I be shopping?

 

[MilanoStyle]

I recently returned from a few days in Toronto.  I tried to make some time for shopping and did; however, my shopping was confined to the Bloor Street/Yorkville area.  With all due respect to my limited time, effort, and Flusser's book, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed.

Holt Renfrew was more flash and trend than classic quality and true style . . . almost Eurotrashy (and I mean that in the nicest possible way), with less than knowledgeable salespeople.  Harry Rosen's is more impressive on the internet than in person, and Storley's (sp??) was like a parody of Old England.  Did I miss out on real Toronto shopping, or am I maybe being overly critical.  I need to go back in about a month, where should I be shopping?

"Holt Renfrew was more flash and trend than classic quality and true style . . . almost Eurotrashy (and I mean that in the nicest possible way), with less than knowledgeable salespeople."

Holt carries some of the most trendy euro labels. Predominately Prada, D&G etc. If you do not want those hip look .. I guess you are not into trend.

"Harry Rosen's is more impressive on the internet than in person"

What is it suppose to mean? If you went Harry on Bloor street, you should be able to find something. They do have classic designer house labels such as Brioni and Kiton.

"I maybe being overly critical".

Yes. I think you are.

"I need to go back in about a month, where should I be shopping?"

Post your interest here.. then someone may be able give better idea. ... I suggest GAP or Wallmart ..

 

[Pressfan]

I can appreciate your sense of disappointment.  The '90's were not kind to the smaller, more traditional haberdashers here in town and most went out of business.  Unfortunately, Bloor Street and Yorkville are about it for higher end shopping in Toronto.  You might want to try Perry's which used to be on Bloor, but is now on Bay, north of Bloor.  Stollery's is a bit of a jumble and the prices can be high, but sometimes if you hunt, you can uncover some worthwhile items.  Unfortunately, they seem to be the only vendor who carries British goods (quite a change from 20 years ago when many menswear retailers had Aquascutum, Burberry, Daks and the like).

For very traditional shoes, you could try Dack's, which I believe is owned by Church's.  They have a branch in Royal Bank Plaza downtown and also on Yonge Street south of Queen.

Rego in the Exchange Tower is small, but has some nice items from Samuelsohn and Warren K. Cook, but they are aimed more at MTM.

There is a good-sized Lacoste (much, much larger than the Bloor St. branch) at Sherway Gardens shopping centre in the west end. It also has a large Sporting Life (all kinds of athletic equipment and clothing - like a smaller scale Citadium).  There are also branches of Harry Rosen, Holt's and Caban (sportswear/lifestyle).  It may not really be worth a trip though if you are staying downtown.

There is always Queen St. W. for edgier items, but I sense this is not the sort of merchandise you are after.

Toronto has most of the usual upscale boutiques that you see in major cities (Hermes, Vuitton, etc.).  The problem is that they have replaced the independents leading to that feeling that you've seen it all before - and you probably have if you have been in any other major cities.

Let me know where your interests lie and I'll try to think of relevant suggestions.

 

[TCN]

Quote:

(TCN @ 05 July 2004, 6:12) I recently returned from a few days in Toronto. Â I tried to make some time for shopping and did; however, my shopping was confined to the Bloor Street/Yorkville area. Â With all due respect to my limited time, effort, and Flusser's book, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed. Holt Renfrew was more flash and trend than classic quality and true style . . . almost Eurotrashy (and I mean that in the nicest possible way), with less than knowledgeable salespeople. Â Harry Rosen's is more impressive on the internet than in person, and Storley's (sp??) was like a parody of Old England. Â Did I miss out on real Toronto shopping, or am I maybe being overly critical. Â I need to go back in about a month, where should I be shopping?
"Holt Renfrew was more flash and trend than classic quality and true style . . . almost Eurotrashy (and I mean that in the nicest possible way), with less than knowledgeable salespeople." Holt carries some of the most trendy euro labels. Â Predominately Prada, D&G etc. Â If you do not want those hip look .. I guess you are not into trend. "Harry Rosen's is more impressive on the internet than in person" What is it suppose to mean? Â If you went Harry on Bloor street, you should be able to find something. Â They do have classic designer house labels such as Brioni and Kiton. "I maybe being overly critical". Yes. Â I think you are. Â "I need to go back in about a month, where should I be shopping?" Post your interest here.. then someone may be able give better idea. Â ... I suggest GAP or Wallmart ..
Gee, what a lovely response. Your last comment speaks volumes about your character and style I'm sure.

 

[TCN]

I can appreciate your sense of disappointment.  The '90's were not kind to the smaller, more traditional haberdashers here in town and most went out of business.  Unfortunately, Bloor Street and Yorkville are about it for higher end shopping in Toronto.  You might want to try Perry's which used to be on Bloor, but is now on Bay, north of Bloor.  Stollery's is a bit of a jumble and the prices can be high, but sometimes if you hunt, you can uncover some worthwhile items.  Unfortunately, they seem to be the only vendor who carries British goods (quite a change from 20 years ago when many menswear retailers had Aquascutum, Burberry, Daks and the like).

For very traditional shoes, you could try Dack's, which I believe is owned by Church's.  They have a branch in Royal Bank Plaza downtown and also on Yonge Street south of Queen.

Rego in the Exchange Tower is small, but has some nice items from Samuelsohn and Warren K. Cook, but they are aimed more at MTM.

There is a good-sized Lacoste (much, much larger than the Bloor St. branch) at Sherway Gardens shopping centre in the west end. It also has a large Sporting Life (all kinds of athletic equipment and clothing - like a smaller scale Citadium).  There are also branches of Harry Rosen, Holt's and Caban (sportswear/lifestyle).  It may not really be worth a trip though if you are staying downtown.

There is always Queen St. W. for edgier items, but I sense this is not the sort of merchandise you are after.

Toronto has most of the usual upscale boutiques that you see in major cities (Hermes, Vuitton, etc.).  The problem is that they have replaced the independents leading to that feeling that you've seen it all before - and you probably have if you have been in any other major cities.

Let me know where your interests lie and I'll try to think of relevant suggestions.

That's too bad; it had been a while since I visited Toronto, and was expecting high-end cosmopolitan with English influence. My hotel was (and will likely be in the future)virtually next door to Holt's, so Bloor was a bit of a lazy "no-brainer", I'm afraid. The restaurants were fantastic however.

It's unfortunate that every metropolitan area is starting to look the same. While it has increased the local availability of certain "luxury" goods, it has taken much of the enjoyment out of destination shopping and to some extent, travel in general.

What I've actually been looking for lately is a nice lid over body case (along the lines of Swaine Adeney or Tanner Krolle) without having to travel to London. Any Toronto suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Pressfan]

Sorry, I don't think you will find those items in Toronto.  As mentioned earlier, there's the usual Gucci, Hermes, Vuitton, Montblanc, etc., but well-crafted wares of makers without large multinational advertising campaigns seem to be non-existant.

You might want to try Betty Hemmings on the south side of Bloor between Bay and Avenue Road and I think there's another shop between Bloor and Yorkville in the passageway beside the Cumberland theatre.  Ten or fifteen years ago, there might have been something in Hazelton Lanes, but the tenant mix there has changed drastically in the last few years.

Oddly enough, I think Montreal might be a better bet for an Anglophile, but you sure can't beat a trip to the Burlington Arcade.

 

[tattersall]

You might want to try Betty Hemmings on the south side of Bloor between Bay and Avenue Road and I think there's another shop between Bloor and Yorkville in the passageway beside the Cumberland theatre.  Ten or fifteen years ago, there might have been something in Hazelton Lanes, but the tenant mix there has changed drastically in the last few years.

I don't think you'll find what you're looking for at Betty Hemmings or Taschen/Bree. Whatever anglo-influence there used to be in Toronto is long gone and the Yorkville area is most definitely more 'continental'.

You may want to try the Queen's Quay antiques market for the real deal if you desire a lid-over-body case. In the past I've had luck there with vintage wallets and cigar cases in both croc and leather...

 

[FCS]

TCN, I'm not sure if you missed these stores or not: 83 Bloor St. West, Marc Laurent, and Marcello Tarantino

83 Bloor carries some Euro-hip labels but their classic clothing collection is quite impressive; suits: Attolini, Pal Zileri Sartoriale, Campagna, Caraceni; shirts: Barba; ties: Attolini 7-fold; shoes: Branchini, and one other brand I can't remember that is equally impressive. Marc Laurent is the only store carrying Isaia in Canada, they also carry Luciano Barbera suits; ties: Kiton, Borrelli, Luciano Barbera, shirts: Borrelli. Marcello Tarantino; suits: St. Andrews (also a bespoke operation upstairs, I was told one of the best in North America although there is other tailor here who could give better value with similar quality); ties: Stefano Ricci; shoes: Artioli.

These three stores also carry other labels too but I'm just mentioning the very best names. Also there are other smaller stores in the Yorkville area but my impression (which is quite limited) these three are the best independent stores in the area. Harry Rosen at Bloor St. West carries wonderful stuffs (Kiton, Borrelli, Brioni, Zegna Napoli Couture, Baldessarini, etc) but I guess you could find these brands quite easily in the US.

 

[TCN]

TCN, I'm not sure if you missed these stores or not: 83 Bloor St. West, Marc Laurent, and Marcello Tarantino

83 Bloor carries some Euro-hip labels but their classic clothing collection is quite impressive; suits: Attolini, Pal Zileri Sartoriale, Campagna, Caraceni; shirts: Barba; ties: Attolini 7-fold; shoes: Branchini, and one other brand I can't remember that is equally impressive. Marc Laurent is the only store carrying Isaia in Canada, they also carry Luciano Barbera suits; ties: Kiton, Borrelli, Luciano Barbera, shirts: Borrelli. Marcello Tarantino; suits: St. Andrews (also a bespoke operation upstairs, I was told one of the best in North America although there is other tailor here who could give better value with similar quality); ties: Stefano Ricci; shoes: Artioli.

These three stores also carry other labels too but I'm just mentioning the very best names. Also there are other smaller stores in the Yorkville area but my impression (which is quite limited) these three are the best independent stores in the area. Harry Rosen at Bloor St. West carries wonderful stuffs (Kiton, Borrelli, Brioni, Zegna Napoli Couture, Baldessarini, etc) but I guess you could find these brands quite easily in the US.

I did miss Marc Laurent, thank you for the recommendation.

 

[MilanoStyle]

volumes about your character and style I'm sure.

It does not say anything about anything. It just me telling you where to shop in Toronto.

 

[TCN]

Quote:

(TCN @ 05 July 2004, 10:14) volumes about your character and style I'm sure.
It does not say anything about anything. Â It just me telling you where to shop in Toronto.
Oh really? Your genuine recommendations were as follows: "I suggest GAP or Wallmart .. " If these were real recommendations, then thank you, and my apologies for thinking you were attempting to insult me. In fact, why don't we meet at the Toronto Wal-mart and have a corn-dog together, so you can share your vast knowledge with me. I'll be the one in blue GAP cargo-pants, dripping in irony.