Queen Street West: Beyond the stores

Queen Street West: Beyond the stores

Turn your holiday shopping into a unique experience

I decided to walk along the famous West Queen West neighborhood, recently named by Vogue the second coolest in the world, after Shimokitazawa in Tokyo. While I was walking, I slowly dipped into another world, a world where the noise of the city stopped bothering me. At that time my attention was focused in the mix of cultures, art and various styles. My senses were absorbed by the experience that many stores offer. In this space of the city the concept of buying becomes more than just something materialistic. Moreover, I would even say that each of these stores is a new story that can involves you with a unique and different theme full of passion and creativity. A lot of them fascinated me, but of course I have my favorites.

Wildhagen: Go ahead with your head!

This lovely family business on the second floor of 575 Queen Street West offers a variety of handmade hats with a vintage inspiration; this place will transfer you directly to the '20s. Their hats are authentic pieces of art that mix different materials and colors, given them a contemporary look. In addition it is a fact that hats are back in fashion; they are the perfect accessories to protect you from the cold winter, making you stand out and feel more confident. You can come in, feel free and try on all the styles that you want. Here nobody will bother you, but the sweet owners will be more than happy to help you. Are you looking to be the most original of the season? Then choose the colors, the style that better fits you and get your custom made hat!

Cabaret: Timeless Fashion

Cabaret (672 Queen Street West) is mainly a dress store, where I would emphasize its authentic vintage pieces. Most vintage dresses that can be found here date from the '20s to the '70s. Theses treats of the past times are garments that tend to highlight the feminine, making the women who will wear it especially sensual and attractive. I think is the ideal place to find the perfect and unique dress for a dinner or New Years' eve. Feel the essence of the styles that Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn or Diana Ross would worn and add extra glamour to your wardrobe. These pieces are never out of fashion; they are consider as classic hot styles that they just get more attractive with the years. I will recommend this store for a special woman’s present.

PARLOQUE: Avant-garde International Wardrobe

Lastly I found PARLOQUE on 1093 Queen Street West a store for men and women dedicated to hard-to-find international designer labels, some of which come from New Zealand, Copenhagen or Seoul. This was a hard field to find arond the city, so it feels great to know about it! The collections are suitable for those who are looking for innovative pieces without limits that go beyond “everybody’s” trends. Some of the men's clothing would be extra long shirts or shirts with patterns out of usual. Women’s pullover with big digital prints, or unconventional garments with transparent plastic details will be some of the garments for her. Besides, you can also find unisex pieces, accessories and shoes. Sincerely it is a must to visit place to get involved in this out-of-the-box experience. Probably you will get excited about something for yourself or for a friend; whether or not you consider yourself as conventional many of these garments can be matched with different styles and budgets!