Toronto Fashion Week made it clear that vibrant colours are back in rotation this spring—it’s already a widely embraced trend that just won’t be ignored. Couple that with the concurrent push toward casual athletic fashion, and this obnoxiously colourful pair of Asics sneakers at Champs ($179) becomes a good way to adopt the colours and the feeling of the season without succumbing to a head-to-toe neon ensemble (heck, even Justin Bieber is making his ostentatious high-top Supra kicks a signature). Of course, not everybody is as boisterous as Biebsy, so for the more demure woman, we recommend a classic heel with slightly softer hues, like the Stuart Weitzman Livia shoes at Holt Renfrew ($395). Or you could be boring and wear gladiator sandals or dock shoes.
Not too long ago, the New York Times decided to 
It’s a morning ritual: two socks on, then shoes. 
Winter is a time when we develop strategies for staying warm, like wearing underwear straight from the dryer, sleeping on freshly pressed sheets or, when neither is an option, huddling under a warm blanket as soon as we get home from work. We stumbled upon this Filson Mackinaw blanket at the Drake General Store, and we think its appeal is obvious: the red and black buffalo plaid fits perfectly with most holiday motifs, it weighs 35 ounces (so it will keep us warm and toasty) and it is large enough to fit a king-sized bed (the king of beds). We think it would also look lovely next to a roaring fireplace—perfect for sitting and sipping cocoa, or whatever strikes your fancy. $255.
Jackets can be very boring for fall and winter, with most people sporting a double-breasted peacoat, a Canada Goose jacket, some other parka or a fur-trimmed poncho-cape (with a seasonal muff, of course). We found this awesome orange Joe Fresh neoprene jacket (with matching belt, not shown) at the Queen and Portland location, and, frankly, it made our winter blahs go away. The colour is a real head-turner (it also comes in green, for those people who have an aversion to orange), and we really just like the idea of a neoprene coat. We don’t recommend hitting the icy water with it on though, because this is a piece of fashion, not functional surf wear (but seriously, there’s no reason to be hitting the icy waters at all, because you should be sitting by a fire drinking a hot toddy). Layer with a sweater and scarf for maximum comfort. $99.
The temperature is dropping, to a point where as much as we’d love to continue going sockless and wearing fall-weight jackets, we’re starting to clue in that we need mittens, hats and sweaters. When it gets this cold, we like to think about clothes that are cozy and warm, and because the holidays are right around the bend, we thought we’d add nostalgia to our list of wintry demands. We spotted this Hudson’s Bay Company retro logo sweatshirt, which is soft, warm and comfortable, and frankly, sometimes we don’t require fashion to be much more than that. $14.99 (originally $29.99).
There was an abundance of fur on the fall/winter runways, but Philip Sparks has proven that it doesn’t always need to be a big honking animal to be showy. We love that Sparks has opted out of using traditional pelts like arctic wolf, fox and bunny for a more renewable fur source: the mountain sheep. This jacket’s oversized, curly collar reminds us of a lion, and the relaxed military inspiration is perfect for evenings when you may not want to be too formal. Can’t grow a beard or a moustache for Movember? Don’t worry, this collar will keep your baby face warm. It’s also comfortable enough to rest your head on, should the stranger’s shoulder on your train ride home for the holidays not be an option. $795.
Since the green movement hit the mainstream market somewhere in the mid-noughties, we have seen a ton of antique and vintage pieces repainted with a gloss or matte finish to give it a contemporary feel, or disassembled and reassembled as something completely different. Sometimes we think the final outcome either looks like a bad DIY project or something you could have picked up at a yard sale, but Tahir Mahmood has coined a new term: “design revival,” which means not breaking down the old and rebuilding something new, or painting something old and making it look new. Instead, he actually takes old pieces of machinery and scrap metal and melts them down to make brand new moulds. His Jugnu lamp, available at Pimlico, is an example of this. We love its mid-century modern look and contemporary construction. Bonus, it’s lead-free (and likely peanut-free too, moms). $650.
