Timeless Toronto

Whether you're a tourist or a resident of the multicultural haven, Toronto has lots to offer from the old to the new, and everything in-between. You must be willing to seek out the hidden gems though, don’t just travel to the common touristic destinations. To save you some time seeking, Oh George has put together a list of timeless places you must not skip.

Casa Loma

Step back in time in this breathtaking Gothic Revival mansion that has stunning gardens and inspiring interiors. Built in the mid-1910s, it became property of the city and a museum soon after, due to its owner Sir Henry Mill Pellatt’s financial troubles. Very few know that Casa Loma isn’t just the castle-style house, it also includes a Hunting Lodge and stables which are just across the street, hidden amongst other beautiful residences. There is a tunnel connecting them to the main house, as well as a secret staircase, both of which are open for public viewing. Ghost stories and several mysteries haunt Casa Loma, adding to the allure of the dark, romantic and sophisticated mansion.

Nathan Phillips Square

At Christmas time, there’s no place more magical than this outdoor skating rink in the very heart of the city. Lace-up and glide your way through all the lights and ornaments decorating the converted rink, which in the warm months is a reflecting pool. The plaza where it’s in is full of other landmarks, including Toronto’s current and former City Halls, a piece of the Berlin Wall, a Peace Garden dedicated to the bombing of Hiroshima and world peace, and much more.

The Fashion District

You are dared to find a more eclectic and colourful neighbourhood than this part of Downtown Toronto. With places ranging from hidden art galleries, homegrown label stores, products straight from the manufacturers, and Italian designer textiles, there’s lots to see and to shop in this former manufacturing centre of Canada. Recently declared the ‘World’s Second Coolest Neighbourhood’ by Vogue magazine, it might just be worth a visit.

Bata Shoe Museum

If you have a passion for shoes, you can’t pass up a visit to the this chic museum. Created by Sonja Bata in the 40s, it is North America’s only museum dedicated to the history of footwear. Although three of its four exhibitions are constantly changing, the museum does house special gems such as vintage Louboutin heels, Elton John's monogrammed silver platform boots, Queen Victoria’s ballroom slippers, Elvis Presley’s patent loafers and more. Its vast collections of footwear from around the world and from major historical periods have even included prehistoric shoes dating back nearly 5,000 years!

TIFF Bell Lightbox

This cultural centre is the pulse of Toronto’s pure passion for cinematography. It contains the headquarters of Toronto’s acclaimed International Film Festival or TIFF, five cinemas showcasing curated films, two galleries dedicated to film and art history, a three-story public atrium, three learning studios, a centre for scholars and students, a bistro, restaurant, stunning rooftop terrace and more. The main attraction each year is the film festival which happens in the Fall, where masses of industry professionals and Hollywood actors gather to screen hundreds of films from 72 countries. But don’t worry, in the wintertime this cinema harbour is just as alive and kicking as an action-packed movie.

What’s Cooler Than Cool? (Ice Cold.)

Or How to Dress for the Season When Your Instinct Is To Wait For the Season to Be Over.

Unless you’re a Stark of Winterfell, I personally find it hard to believe that anyone of us can say “Winter is Coming” with a smile on our faces. With 2014 coming to an end, the harsh winds of the north are just starting to pick up speed and I choose to believe that I’m not alone in my daily to struggle against submitting to hibernation and staying inside with my Netflix subscription until the flowers are in bloom once more. A more responsible alternative to this common winter-phobia is to find something to make leaving the house an exciting prospect again. What better way to do this than to channel some of our favourite innovative style icons and at least look fab while we fantasize about the return of temperatures above freezing.

Tilda Swinton

Tilda sets our transcendental hearts aflutter with her androgynous style, killer cheekbones, and lack of definition of a bad hair day. Her tall stature and affinity for all white ensembles that billow as she walks gives her the title of Ice Queen of my heart, in the very best way possible. Try similarly pulling off an ivory look from head to toe; the first step to conquering the blizzard (that will surely come at the most inopportune moment because life is like a movie but rarely in the fun ways), is to become the blizzard.

An Olsen Twin, Mary-Kate and/or Ashley

When in doubt, layer, layer, and then layer some more! Some people feel like they’ve moved past the days when we ooh’ed and aah’ed over grainy paparazzi photos of an Olsen buried somewhere underneath various pieces of shapeless clothing but I for one am always in favour of ditching my more tailored pieces for the opportunity to wear a blanket over a cardigan over a sweater and calling it fashion. Of course there are those people who don’t truly appreciate the comfort that hobo chic can bring, but haters gon’ hate and you can laugh at them as you burrow deeper into the portable fort I like to call Olsen winter attire.

Kanye West

When I find myself in times of trouble, I need only ask “What would Yeezus Do?” and the answer comes to me. Sometimes his guidance leads to missteps i.e. the urge to steal the microphone from young, blonde pop stars as they receive their first awards, but most of the time it leads to amazingness like  lots of leather and kilts overtop tights, with a healthy dose of bling lest people need reminding how dope you truly are. If you’re into a more casual look, you can’t go wrong with layering plaid on top of plaid and hashtagging it #bound2.

How To… Dress for Yourself

A Guide to Wearing What You Want (and Forgetting About Everyone Else’s Opinions)

When you wake up in the morning, one task that is never forgotten is getting dressed. But if you find yourself trying on outfit after outfit thinking “This looks weird,” or “I wore this shirt yesterday,” then you might be succumbing to Fashion Peer Pressure (an entirely real term.) Rather than feeling stuck in a rut of outside opinions, we are turning the focus on you, the readers, to decide what you want to wear, why you want to wear it, and when you want to wear it. 

Step One: What do you feel most confident in?

The first step is the most challenging. The best way to find out what you feel confident in is thinking about what you wore the last time you felt really good about yourself. Now, we aren’t saying that your confidence comes solely from your clothing, or that the only reason you felt so great was because of your outfit, but if you wearing something you didn’t feel good in you probably won't have a good time.

Step Two:  Why did you like that look so much?

Getting dressed isn’t just about what you wear, it’s about why you wear it. Do those jeans make your legs look a mile long? Are the sleeves on that t-shirt you love the perfect length for your arms? Does the colour of the jacket make your eye colour look a little brighter? Once you figure out exactly what you loved so much, you can look for other pieces that fit the same bill. Try branching out from there into other similar styles that flatter you just the same.

Step Three: Accept that there are no “rules” for style.

Style is what you make it out to be. The most popular style inspirations didn't look around at everyone else for rules, restrictions, and approval. They did what they wanted to and owned a style that others may not have liked. Did that stop them? No way! So don’t let it stop you. One person’s style disaster is another’s style icon. Who knows, maybe there’s a future style inspiration for millions hiding away in your mind. The only way to find out is to forget about the “dos” and “don’ts” and, instead, do what makes you happy.

Step Four: Believe in yourself in a little!

You know your personal style. You know what looks good on you. Trust your sense of style to guide you. People are always going think one thing or another about everyone else; it’s human nature to form opinions. The difference between being crippled by it and growing in spite of it is keeping your chin up. If you think that you look great, you’ll feel great, and other people will see you first instead of your outfit.

Looking Forward To Spring: The Spring 2015 Style Study Guide

With over 390 fashion shows that previewed their spring collections, it can be difficult to pinpoint the top trends for the upcoming season. While we still have the cold winter season to suffer though, luckily designers have given fashion lovers something to look forward to. Here are some of the lust-worthy looks we can expect to see for the Spring 2015 season.

A Taste For Transparent

It appears this spring will be ultimate skin showoff as models march down the runways covered in sheer fabrics. Alberta Ferretti showcased a number of sheer dresses with strategically placed flowers creating a feminine yet daring look. A number of designers including Lela Rose, Elizabeth & James, Oscar de La Renta and Dolce and Gabbana also chose to bare briefs under see-through skirts.

Per’sueding’ The Public

Sporting suede in the spring may sound like a sweaty disaster. However, this trend was widely prominent in designer collections.  Designer Derek Lam showcased suede separates and patchwork pieces in light muted tones suggesting a '70s vibe. Gucci made suede sexy, presenting a stunning green dress with a plunging neckline and thigh-high slit in addition to a number of other suede pieces. Other designers who showed off suede include Jason Wu, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ralph Lauren.

The Tummy Baring Top

Alas, the fashion world is continuing to assure our abs are in top shape to pull off the ongoing crop-top trend. Fortunately, designer brands including Tibi, Morra Hoffman, and Cynthia Rowley are all pairing their version of the top with high-waisted bottoms that help conceal bloated stomachs. Contrastingly, designers liked Alexander Wang, Rag and Bone, and Marc Jacobs (who managed to craft a cropped blazer-like top) paired their style with low-slung hip-hugging skirts.

White Out

While spring is often a time where designers tend to include more colour in their collections, many opted out of colour featuring head-to-toe looks in white. Victoria Beckham featured crisp blank military-inspired sets while Donna Karan for DKNY took a sportier approach with oversized mesh tops and clean white sneakers. Perhaps the most visually stunning approach to this trend was done by Prabal Gurung. The designer had multiple white layers in each outfit creating texture with white ostrich feathers.

The Gingham Girl

Gingham is no longer just a print to decorate your table with. A large number of collections featured this picnic print in a multitude of colours. Diane Von Furstenberg featured a number of girly dresses in the pattern in a variety of silhouettes. Joseph Altuzarra’s pieces appeared conservative a first, but with added subtle slits and low necklines the pieces appear tastefully provocative. Honorable mention also goes to Michael Kors, whose pieces popped by using enlarged gingham checks.

Service Journalism Assignment

The Best Places to Find Unisex Clothing in Toronto.

Binary Breaking Buys!

In fashion, there is a binary within gender. In society, fashion is what generates a persons identity based on the clothing they wear. If one wants to stray away from conforming to the norms of society and fashion, shopping at these three stores will be a great start and work to your advantage.

1. Value Village

Don’t let the endless clothing racks and harsh florescent lighting intimidate you. Expect to find your whole wardrobe here.

Value Village is known by most to be their “go to” thrift store. The company is a privately owned chain and there are 315 stores across North America. Here in Toronto, there are eight locations to choose from. The most popular location can be found at Bloor Street West and Lansdowne Avenue. This is where most seem to find their best pieces. Contrary to what people may think, the store is well kept and shelves are always being restocked with new rare fashion finds for both men and women.  Don’t ever be afraid to hop over to the opposite gender’s section. Here at Value Village, there is something for everyone and binaries between women and mens clothing tend to be broken. 

2. American Apparel

Unisex basics that will captivate the style wants and needs by both men and women.

Not only is all of the clothing produced and manufactured in the US and the company is “sweatshop free”, most of their inventory is unisex. Unisex and on-point-trendy? Unbeatable combination. Within the downtown core of Toronto, there are three American Apparel locations. The store is known to carry all of the latest trends and basics. Most of the exceptional denim, flannels and basic tees are made to fit the average man and woman. Everyone should feel comfortable when walking into American Apparel and going to either the men’s or women’s side of the store. 

3. Black Market

Head down to the Fashion District where the mysterious basement warehouse store carries endless alternative fashion finds.

Located conveniently on Queen Street West, Black Market is a vintage warehouse that prices all their inventory at $10 or less. You’ll go down a flight of stairs and enter a low-ceiling room that looks like it’s straight from the 90‘s with excessively loud punk-rock music playing. Between the sea of denim cut offs, athletic varsity jackets and band tees, you can’t not find something. Oh, and don’t forget about the record store and barber shop that’s here as well.  You will notice that most of the signage within the store does not indicate if the racks of clothing are for men or women. The clothing is for whoever wants to wear it and gender is not kept in mind. There’s clearly too many perks to shopping at Black Market. You will have to see it to believe it.

New Magazine Theme

"Personality" ideas

stylish
X challenging
XXXXXXX artistic
XXillustrative
X opinion
entertaining
Xinspirational
XXXXXX innovative
XXXX critical
XXcreative
fashionable
X current
XXXXX dynamic
knowledgeable
informative
educational
Xarchitectural
Xtranscendent
Xcool
educative
interested
aggressive
XXXXX conscious
Xprogressive
artistic x 2
stylish x 2

Potential themes

XXXXX Transcendence 9 shifting representation of gender and fashion, art & fashion
XXXXXThe Gender Issue 8 transformation of fashion models
XXThe Global Issue 5
X Art Class 5
Neo-culture 4
#Art 4
X Transparency 3
The Budget Report 3
Street Smart 1
Technology Today
Strut
The Past and the Future Today
Know Your God

Feature Articles

The Designers Unhealthy Influence by Ashley Donnelly
Next Stop: Dubai? Tanyt El-Hage
Underemployment NOT Unemployment by Nathan Denys

Plus
Social Flux by Reuben Virasam

Backup
E-commerce: Growth or a New Beginning? by NIcole Mendoza

A Good Deal?

             Everyone loves a bargain, and we students are certainly no exception. However, this spring when you set out in search of the perfect crop top or printed leggings at Forever 21, I urge you to be mindful of the true cost of buying low-priced clothing and accessories. Most of the clothing worn in North America is made by underpaid workers in China. This shouldn't come as a surprise, but it begs the question: are we taking advantage of these poor Chinese workers? Or are we simply supporting their developing economy?

            Well, picture yourself as a young woman under the age of 25 (maybe you already are). Now, imagine you’re living in near Hong Kong, China. You are extremely eager to earn money right now as these are your few “freedom” years before marriage. You come across a job that offers low taxes and low rent. This sounds great to anyone, and in fact this is why the garment industry’s labour force increased from 30, 000 to 4.3 million within the past two decades.

            But what’s the catch? These young female workers in China often slave away for twelve hours a day, being paid on a piece-rate basis. This means that rather than being paid by the hour, like here in Canada, workers must produce a certain amount each day to reach their desired wages. This is especially trying when in some situations each garment they produce earns 12 cents. Some added perspective: it would take about 67 jeans an hour to earn $8 minimum wage. This is why companies can afford to sell such cheap clothes; and why we have the luxury of building almost disposable wardrobes. But according to labor expert Robert Ross of Clark University, "nobody in the world is making a living if a retailer is selling $10 jeans."

            In addition, cheap clothing retailers such as Forever 21 have been linked to child labour and “prison” labour charges. While most young women in North America are in high school or college, these young women in China are doing strenuous physical labour under strict management. Only to go home each day to their tiny, overcrowded, unventilated dormitories which are strictly managed by the employers.

            To make matters worse, management takes advantage of the workers who don’t know their rights. Some employees work overtime hours without proper overtime pay. Canadian international buyers aren’t any help, as they don’t apply the same codes of conduct to worker conditions there as they would for employees here.

            If these women (and girls) were paid better they wouldn’t have to work such long hours. They would be able to afford better housing and could spend more time with their families, doing the things they want to do in these precious few youthful years.

            Inadequate working conditions aside, the trade deficit between the U.S. and China is currently over $230 billion per year. It would make more sense for us to buy from developed nations like countries in Europe or Asia who actually buy North American products (cars, etc.) This way our dollars will return to us. Another resolution is for Chinese leaders to create more ways to have citizens spend more of their incomes and save less. This will help grow their domestic demand and have the country rely less on exports.

            Buying overseas can also have a small negative impact on our economy. With more products being made overseas, we lose the ability to make them in North America. Trade through globalization is good, but we should retain the ability to manufacture significant goods. Notmadeinchinalife.com states, “We can’t even make a flat-screen in North America!”

            However, buying from China does have some benefits. In doing so, we are supporting their developing economy allowing China to maintain its rapid growth in the coming decade. Sales are expected to triple by the end of 2020. With a rise in sales, we can expect a rise in wages, allowing for less demand for such harsh jobs.

            In addition, as the population ages, low wages will gradually become unappealing and cause a slight decline in low wage positions as younger generations are less willing to take such positions.

            Although China’s labour cost will likely never catch up U.S. and European countries any time soon, an increase in labour cost is definite. However, will it be enough to justify such inhumane working conditions? I don’t think so.

            In conclusion, I hope that next time you are shopping at Forever 21, or a similar store, and you find a “great deal” you will contemplate if that $3 shirt is really worth the millions of workers subjected to such cruel working conditions.

E-commerce: Growth or a New Beginning?

E-commerce: Growth or a New Beginning?

The Internet has become an increasingly powerful tool and resource throughout the years. According to thecultureist.com, over 2.4 billion people use or have access to the Internet. Naturally, this creates a marketplace for companies to advertise and sell their products by the masses, all over the world.

According to statisticbrain.com, women’s apparel is considered the best selling Internet product, with other apparel items not too far behind at number five. So, what does this mean for the brick-and-mortar stores, that we have been so used to all these years? In this writers opinion; absolutely nothing, right now anyways.

There are many positive aspects to the online marketplace, research can be done rapidly, comparison-shopping can be done, broader selections may be available, the overall convenience and so forth. However, when shoppers get down to the nitty-gritty of it all, brick-and-mortar stores are still dominant in so many ways.

People often browse online to retain information for purchases they will make at a later date, and a large fraction of these purchase are made in-store. In general, the Internet makes the shopping easier… or harder, depends on what you’re looking for. In fact, the e-commerce industry can be seen as a supporting the retail marketplace, not replacing it. One of the main things online shopping brings is convenience. Even though a shopper becomes aware of new products online, only a few will make a decision to purchase because of the associated risk with buying from the Internet.

Now, e-commerce is a great tool and for many confident shoppers, a way to make there lives a little more convenient. However, brick-and-mortar stores have many aspects and attributes that will allow them to stay operational for a while, or at least until we are all solely confined in our houses, with our laptops, fearing the outside world. Until then, we can still look forward to the joys of leaving the house and entering a store.

Receiving immediate gratification is a big reason why shoppers choose to shop at a physical store. Why wait for something you’ve already paid for? If you’re like me, you want things now! Unless there is a particularly large discount involved, I have no problem going into a store and picking up an item I want, as well as being able to wear it the same day. Even so, shipping charges or a minimum purchase requirement usually does not make the transaction cheaper. The sensory aspect of a physical store is an important aspect of the shopping experience. How a new garment feels, looks and fits can only be done surely determined while physically having the product in your hands. Online purchases however, can be beneficial for those who are making repurchase or have seen the product, maybe by a family member or friend.

Finally, brick-and-mortar stores can be seen as a social experience. From purchasing a bathing suit or a wedding gown, there is something about the presence and opinions of others that will either make you confident about a purchase or prevent you from making a terrible mistake. The assistance from friends and family members, as well as the expertise of sales associates are pluses for any shopping trip.

We won’t be waving goodbye to the good old brick-and-mortar stores anytime soon; however, the e-commerce sector is definitely growing. It should be seen as a support system for the physical stores, not a replacement. Either way, today’s world is continuously making our lives a little bit easier, and as it seems, with the help of the Internet, this will not be seen as a negative thing for businesses.

Moving Forward

            As we move forward in our careers as young entrepreneurs in the fashion industry we come to a roadblock of sorts and must choose the correct path. Much of our industry, if not most of it, are based on consumers purchasing cheap clothes and accessories from developing countries. We need to ask ourselves the questions of are we supporting a developing country by purchasing or are we taking advantage of underpaid workers. Is there an ethical line to be drawn? And even if we are being unethical, will supporting these developing countries economies have to be conducted in order for their survival? How can we change this or better the situation as we make our voices heard?

What are sweatshops?

Sweatshops are the factories where apparel companies such as Nike, H & M, Joe Fresh, The Gap and so on, make contracts with developing countries to produce their apparel at low prices. Cheap consumer goods are made in these sweatshops for other countries to purchase and sell on a global scale. These products are outsourced to developing countries because the labor is cheap. The conditions are so poor that no one should be working in them. This can be seen with the Rana Plaza building collapse in April 2013 and has grabbed the attention of everyone on a worldwide scale. In the case of Rana Plaza, the 8-story factory building collapsed and killed over 1000 workers.

Why do we support cheap clothing?

According to GOOD Magazine The Quarterly, we are addicted to cheap fashion. We want stuff for budget prices, and we don’t want to think about the conditions that our clothes are made in. The clothing that we as consumers purchase may not be made well, and yet we continually purchase it while those who are making it, is barley making enough to survive. We are taking advantage of cheap labor in this sense and turning a blind eye to the road it takes for the clothing to get to us. Consumers are ignoring the fact that cheap labor involves a sweatshop employee working for 10 hours a day, does menial, repetitive tasks, works in generally poor conditions and gets paid less than 5 dollars per day says cracked.com, an online humor magazine. Many of these workers are put at risk of harm through these long hours and horrible wages. According to the University of Edinburgh, from Just World Institute online blog, one way to describe this phenomenon is to say that workers are exploited: what they receive from employers does not constitute a fair exchange for their labour.

What’s the response to cheap labor?

If we as consumers are continually purchasing cheap clothing and exploiting workers in developing countries should we not see that this is a completely unethical situation? Should we not be looking to how we are getting cheap clothing, understanding exploitation and put an end to it all? The response to cheap labor and supporting exploitation is to refuse to buy clothes from those countries. In the case of the Rana Plaza collapse, we could refuse to buy clothes from them, or these apparel companies can refuse to get their garments made in Bangladesh. According to the University of Edinburgh, from the Just World Institute online blog, to avoid the wrong of exploitation altogether one must avoid buying the clothes. The alternative is to buy local or produce clothing locally. But the problem there is for local production costs to make the garments would sky rocket and so too would the retail price, which consumers would not be happy with.

Are we instead supporting a developing country? Can we have one without the other?

Even though we can see that there is exploitation and unfair wages, we must look at the bigger picture and understand that by outsourcing to developing countries we are providing them with continual income for the country as a whole. If we the consumers, and the apparel companies choose not to manufacture clothing in these developing countries this will cause concern and unrest as the country will the not be generating business anymore. Many developing countries rely on the mass production of apparel from developed countries, not only to provide income for the country but also as one of the best sources of income for individuals. Many would argue that workers would be worse off in other jobs if it weren’t for sweatshops. According to the Library of Economics Liberty, Art Carden says that their next best opportunities (agriculture or prostitution) are usually worse than sweatshop labour. It seems as though it is a double-edged sword. On one hand we are accepting exploitation, harmful conditions and unfair wages to get our orders filled and on the other hand without sweatshops, this would leave developing countries without profit and jobs. According to the University of Edinburgh from Just World Institute, it is particularly important that we do not leave developing country workers worse off. It seems as though in order for developing countries to benefit from production of apparel, they have to suffer.  

What can we do to change the situation?

We can conclude that we will not be able to completely rid the world of exploitation, unfair wages and poor working conditions, as that will ultimately make them worse off. What can we do then? The best approach is to see what can be done to improve conditions for workers. According to the University of Edinburgh from the Just World Institute, it seems the best approach is to support campaigns for better wages and conditions despite the slow, incremental progress they make. The University also says, it is best to avoid boycotting and pressure these companies to sign up for better working conditions, help create worker unions and providing opportunities for their voices to be heard. The biggest change that we can encourage, support and run campaigns for is for better pay. The second is campaigning for better working conditions, where unlike Rana Plaza, we can levy for more safety inspections. According to WGSN Newsteam on February 17, 2014, a total of 150 global brands and retailers have joined the Bangladesh Accord’s Building and Fire Safety initiative aimed at making the Bangladeshi garment industry safe and sustainable. As well, because of the recent tragedies in Bangladesh, Andrew Jobling, WGSN, December 2013, has noted that Bangladesh has agreed to a minimum wage rise for workers in its garment industry. There has been a 77% agreed upon increase on wages. It is important that we as newcomers to the fashion industry take action by endorsing these campaigns, make sure that we are knowledgeable and educate people on where the clothes come from, who makes them and what conditions they are being made in. We must continually advocate for fair wages, safety and know that the inequality is worth fighting for. It should not take a major tragedy to see that changes need to be made.