For a
vast amount of the fashion elite, having something that virtually no one else
has, yet is still highly sought after, is often seen as a symbol of status or, at
the very least, signifier of great taste.
For example, brands like Supreme have become streetwear heavyweights by releasing
just enough product to satisfy some while leaving others thirstier than ever
for their goods and driving up the hype factor behind their brand. Buying into
the hype however, isn’t for everyone, and so I release to you, our loveable
reader, the most low key Toronto shop guide for escaping the hype this winter.
Sydney’s
If
there was one shop that could manage to go unseen on the popular Queen Street
West, it would be Sydney’s. It has no
shop sign above the door and no sign out on the street telling people where it
is. They are the definition of low key
style in Toronto. Sydney’s started as a
made to measure suit maker, but has since started two of their own clothing
lines (Kin, and United) and began carrying other high quality labels such as
Jil Sander, Marni, and Mismo. Every
Fall/ Winter season their Kin line releases beautifully minimalist winter coats
that are sure to keep you warm and off the typical wave of Canada Goose wearers
the city usually has. The next time some
eighteen-year-old man child in his dad’s E Class Mercedes tries to flex on you
with his Supreme X Louis Vuitton collab, you’ll be able to go home and sleep
easy knowing that your United oxford cotton shirt was domestically produced
with fair labour, and won’t fall apart after three washes.
Dutil
Contrary
to popular belief, Over The Rainbow is not the only place to find raw denim in
the city. Just down the street from
Sydney’s is a denim collectors dream called Dutil. The small shop has an almost ludicrous amount
denim stuffed into it that showcases brands from all the denim havens in the
world. You can start off with Canadian
denim mainstay Naked & Famous, then hop the border into the US for some
Levis Made and Crafted, take a flight to France for some A.P.C., and then somehow
make your way to Japan for Iron Heart, or, you could just visit Dutil and shop
all of those collections at once. My
personal favorite detail about Dutil however is that they offer in house
alterations that are free with purchase of a pair of jeans to make sure they
fit perfect every time.
Capsule
Last but certainly not least on this
list is Capsule which has three locations in and around Toronto, each
specializing in something different. The
three stores carry a very unique combination of brands that I feel like most
wouldn’t expect to see together. Their
two locations in Yorkville specialize in workwear and techwear where they put
together the likes of Carhartt Work in Progress and Engineered Garments, alongside
Canadian brand, Arc’Teryx Veilance. The
contrast of heavy American made canvas next to the sharp designs of Engineered
Garments, which give way to the light, Canadian designed Gore-Tex garments
feels like a coming together of the past, present, and future of
practicality. Their third store is in
downtown Markham and this is their holy land for sneaker heads. This location is certainly a destination
store but well worth the pilgrimage for an unparalleled selection of NikeLab
releases
