Best Neighbourhoods for Men to Shop in Toronto

Men are fairly simple creatures. They primarily have the same tendencies and therefore the same practices can be applied to them. This holds true when it comes to men and shopping. See unlike women, men don’t shop casually or when they’re bored and they rarely practice what’s known as “retail therapy”, which is something you do to make yourself feel better when you’re having a crappy day. No, men tend to shop when they know exactly, or at the very least have an idea of what they want. They go in to a store get what they want and get out. As they say, “time is money”. So what I've done is compiled a list of the best neighbourhoods in Toronto for the male shopper to get what he wants:

West Queen West
The most quintessential and iconic neighbourhoods in Toronto, all of the best fashion boutiques reside here. What’s great about West Queen West is that it has the perfect mix of locally owned shops and big-box retailers, something very rare for a city of this size. Take your pick between Nomad, Sydney’s, Get Fresh Company, Untitled and Co. and Frank and Oak, anyone of these shops will have you foaming at the mouth and ready to spend your last dollar without hesitation. With shops stretching from Spadina Ave. all the way to Ossington Ave.; a guy could spend and entire day, and pay cheque in this incredible

Yorkville

There may not be a hood more synonymous with shopping than Yorkville, unless you ask Joni Mitchell, but the neighbourhood has developed and maintained a reputation as the destination for luxury brands and designer storefronts in Toronto. So guys don’t forget your credit cards at home. Holt Renfrew Men’s Shop and Harry Rosen provide the premium chain store experience, but you should really check out Toronto's local selection. There is no shortage of men's fashion stores cater to the high-end, tailored types. You’ll enjoy Suitsupply and Loding. And for your streetwear fix, there's Contraband, Uncle Otis, Working Title, and Untitled & Co.

Parkdale
Parkdale is home to vintage staples like Public Butter and Common Sort, and shops like Sylvie & Shimmy, it mixes old-fashioned surprises and modern variety, thus providing the perfect environment for some good old’ fashioned treasure hunting. Lifestyle shops such as Future of Francis Watson and Community 54 are great for window-shopping and/or spend some cash. Also feel free to strike up conversation the shopkeeper.

Kensington Market

Forgive the abundance of vintage stores, but hey, Toronto is an expensive city to live in. We should consider ourselves lucky to have so many thrift shops at our disposal. Enter Kensington Market, one of the oldest and most important neighbourhoods in the city. Apart from the wide selection of jewelry, toques, and sunglass stands, Kensington boasts a number of shops with a wide selection of great vintage pieces for the male clientele: Exile, Flashback, and Bungalow. However, you can also take your pick of some new clothes with shops such as Model Citizen, Kid Icarus and Good Egg. Bring your beat up pair of Red Wings to Sole Survivor for some tender love and care and grab a churro and fresh fruit smoothy and I think we can call that a pretty productive afternoon of consumerism.

Dundas West
The last neighborhood is also the most exciting and up-and-coming on the list. Dundas West has become an attractive area for the young and trendy due you the influx of great bars and restaurants. But we’re here to talk about fashion, and that is where Blue Button Shop, Blue Tile Lounge and Red Canoe take centre stage. These three shops anchor this neighbourhoods menswear scene and attract male fashionistas of all ages and price ranges with their wide selection of trendy pieces.