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Six male style archetypes inspired by Toronto shop owners’ disdain for heritage dressing and fun socks

There are few manners of dress among men in Toronto, because so few are popular enough for independent retailers to endorse. We learned from Christopher Parker’s final “Dapper Gent” column in The Grid that Toronto shop owners want to see more colour and investment pieces (and therefore, put a nail in the coffin of fast fashion) and less “heritage” dressing, fun socks and raw denim. In other words, the same thing people in fashion say every year. So instead, we decided to look at it from the perspective of what the men on Toronto’s streets really want. There’s no better way to do that than to observe the world around us, and we’ve deduced that while city gents certainly play it safe, they seem perfectly happy filling a few classic archetypes. An informal list of those archetypes (there are six of them, by the by), what they like, what they don’t like and where they shop, after the jump.

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The Goods

Scene Stealers

December 26, 2011 | 1:25 pm

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Year in Review: our favourite hits and misses from The Scene in 2011

It will come as no surprise that this year’s fashion parties were (mostly) at one of two places: The Bay and Holt Renfrew. At one point this year, it felt like there was a new celebrity guest at The Room every week, and on occasion, we contemplated setting up camp somewhere, both to live out a Today’s Special fantasy and, well, to save us some time. We saw international guests like Anna Dello Russo, Jack McCollough, Lazaro Hernandez, Nicola Formichetti and Leandra Medine and, of course, we saw our favourites like Suzanne Rogers, Stacey Kimmel, Suzanne Boyd and more. Find out what our favourite fashion parties were this year after the jump.

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The Goods

Buyer's Market

December 22, 2011 | 4:47 pm

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Is there a future for luxury sporting goods in Toronto? Sporting Life hopes so

Sporting Life, Ontario’s luxury sporting goods store (and $2,300 parka emporium), is considering a search for private investors and may even go public in an effort to keep up with growing competition. The retailer, which recently added 40 per cent more floor space to its Toronto flagship, has flourished alongside successful brands like Canada Goose, Salomon and North Face. Those same brands are now being offered by rivals like Holt Renfrew and Harry Rosen, and some have even opened stores of their own. Sporting Life is also under pressure from Sport Chek and could soon clash with U.S. retailers like Nordstrom that are considering forays north. Still, the upscale store isn’t out yet: its 2008 e-commerce launch gave it a name outside Ontario, and hey, the wealthy always have cash to spare, even in tough times. Read the entire story [The Globe and Mail] »

The Goods

Buyer's Market

December 22, 2011 | 2:32 pm

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25 awesome Toronto Boxing Day sales that will inspire you to don gay apparel (i.e. pants)

December 26 (or, in some parts, Boxing Day) is one of the worst days to leave the house, especially if the reason for leaving the house is shopping. People become vicious, elbowing single mothers for toasters or an eighth television (because who doesn’t need an eighth television?). But we’ve made some calls and have taken stock of some of the worthwhile deals in the city for men, women and children (and, of course, shops that cater to him and her, the whole family and homeowners) that will take us away from Best Buy, Future Shop or Walmart. Check out 25 safe bets for Boxing Day sales this year after the jump.

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The Goods

Buyer's Market

December 15, 2011 | 1:51 pm

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We pick 21 of the city’s coolest (and coziest) sweaters, just in time for (a delayed) winter

’Tis the season for saying things like “’tis the season” and being so freezing cold that we’re required to wear an undershirt, some sort of waffle-weave thermal wear, a sweater, a jacket, a scarf, gloves, boots, two pairs of socks and a festive toque. With this is mind, we scoured the city looking for sweaters. We found one that makes us feel nostalgic (the youthful fox sweater from Topshop), one that announces “I’m an adult” (the Theory knit turtleneck from Holt Renfrew), another that’s perfect for a tiny tot (the angora sweater dress from Advice From a Caterpillar) and many more. Check out our 21 picks in a gallery after the jump »

The Goods

Shop Talk

December 7, 2011 | 4:33 pm

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Battle of the department store windows: wherein Lady Gaga makes Christmas about Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga’s crystal cave—whatever that means (Image: Courtesy of Barney’s New York)

There’s so much to love about the holidays in a city: the aroma of freshly prepared seasonal drinks to get us going in the morning, hearing carols inside shops, fresh snow blanketing our favourite monuments and the many festive window displays at nearly every department store. Fashion magazine takes a look at the windows of popular department stores Holt Renfrew and The Bay and puts them side by side with Lady Gaga’s Barneys windows (which barely have anything to do with the holidays), Ogilvy’s woodland-themed tableaus, Bergdorf Goodman’s gaudy gilded birdcage and more. How do The Bay and Holt Renfrew’s efforts compare to the show-offs in New York? Take a look at the gallery and pick your favourite in Fashion’s poll »

The Goods

Business of Fashion

December 7, 2011 | 2:36 pm

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Can former Loblaws Cos. executive Calvin McDonald make Sears Canada desirable?

Young blood: Calvin McDonald (Image: Bruce Clark)

Sears Canada is a company rife with image problems, and the brand knows it: in line to save the company from becoming the next Simpsons and Eaton’s is Calvin McDonald, a strapping 40-year-old former Loblaws Cos. executive and Sears Canada’s new CEO. As department store big spenders, like Holt Renfrew and The Bay, throw wads of cash around for parties and new environments (the modern floors at Holts, the Room reno at The Bay), Sears has kept quiet, with losses continuing steadily since 2006 (of course, presumably in a moment of weakness, it did hire Jay Manuel). According to an interview with the Financial Post, McDonald has a three-year plan that involves spending money to make money. There’s no official statement on what the estimated dollar value will be, but changes need to be made swiftly and effectively, considering that between 2006 and 2011, Sears Canada lost $1 billion in revenue. Although McDonald has held his position for only six months, he has already taken measures to make Sears Canada more customer-friendly: for example, he’s begun decluttering stores to make the “great items” easier to find. This is a slow, upward battle, but we have three years to find out if one 40-something can turn the mecca of aggressive markdowns into a Bay and Holt’s contender.

• New Sears CEO faces uphill battle [Financial Post]

The Goods

Buyer's Market

November 21, 2011 | 5:00 am

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Holiday Gift Guide 2011: 90 of the best presents money can buy

Holiday Gift Guide 2011

By Fraser Abe, Karolyne Ellacott, Kevin Naulls and Mark Teo | Photography by Carlo Mendoza

The holiday season is rapidly approaching, and we’ve tackled the ever-difficult task of narrowing down a list of items that would be perfect for the men, women and children in your life. We find it is always a big to-do finding that special something for the wine snob who likes to aerate his or her wine, but we’ve got it covered, and to spare moms, dads, uncles, aunts and friends from waiting in line for this year’s Tickle Me Elmo, we’ve found some cool options for rug rats that won’t break down and send a greedy child into a tantrum. Check out the 90 presents that make up our 2011 ultimate holiday gift guide in a gallery after the jump »

The Goods

Buyer's Market

November 21, 2011 | 5:00 am

4 Comments

Holiday Gift Guide 2011: 18 yuletide treasures for the best darn gals ever

Holiday Gift Guide 2011

By Fraser Abe, Karolyne Ellacott, Kevin Naulls and Mark Teo | Photography by Carlo Mendoza

Pay no attention to what the advertisers tell you: there’s no gift “perfect for every woman in your life.” Still, we’re pretty sure discerning females will find a few things on this list to love. As the winter drags on, a Philip Lim muffler is sure to get a lot of use (and envious glares), and for women with a style all their own, we’ll show you where you can mix some custom fragrances. Finally, for that very special lady, we have a diamond necklace that won’t break the bank. Check out 18 gifts that are sure to make any gal smile in a gallery after the jump »

The Goods

Buyer's Market

November 21, 2011 | 5:00 am

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Holiday Gift Guide 2011: 27 impressive mid-range presents from $100 to $499

Holiday Gift Guide 2011

By Fraser Abe, Karolyne Ellacott, Kevin Naulls and Mark Teo | Photography by Carlo Mendoza

Sometimes it is hard to stick to a limit, because sometimes the gifts over $100 really are the perfect presents. We’ve found a touchably soft mink fur bear (don’t knock it till you’ve touched it) that will win the heart of any child or, really, human being, as well as a humidor for the lady or gentleman who subscribes to Cigar Aficionado, a pelt rug, an intoxicating men’s fragrance from Eau d’Italie and everything in between. Check out 27 higher-end gifts between $100 and $499 in a gallery after the jump »

The Goods

Scene Stealers

November 10, 2011 | 2:18 pm

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THE SCENE: Holt Renfrew launches Holt’s Muse with the Man Repeller Leandra Medine

Man Repeller at Holt Renfrew to support Holt’s Muse

Blogger tension: Jay Strut and the Man Repeller’s Leandra Medine meet (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)

Tuesday night at Holt Renfrew, fashion fans flocked to the third floor, where the Man Repeller Leandra Medine hosted a party to launch Holt’s new blog Holt’s Muse. Medine is known for her NYC-based blog, where she showcases the best women’s fashion men love to hate, like harem pants and figure-hiding blouses. The society mavens we’re used to seeing at these things were no-shows (they have people to read blogs to them, we guess) save for Alexandra Weston, who in addition to the famous last name has a new gig at Holt’s. The crowd wasn’t without famous faces though: we spotted designers like Jeremy Laing, Kirk Pickersgill of Greta Constantine, Jake Rosenberg (who had a swarm of ladies crowding him most of the night—it pays to be a straight guy in fashion), Stephanie Mark and Erin Kleinberg of The Coveteur, Uncle Otis’s Martin James and stylist Corey Ng. Check out the scene after the jump.

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The Goods

New in Shops

November 9, 2011 | 2:18 pm

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Gallery: Holt Renfrew unveils its much-anticipated holiday windows

The moment has come, and the Holt Renfrew windows have been unveiled. This year, the folks at Holt’s have decided to go with the theme “The 12 Days of Christmas,” but with a much less kiddy spin. We saw an haute swan, a glittering partridge sitting in a glittery pear swing (attached to a glittery tree), and some elegant milkmaids serving milk (perhaps one per cent, since we’re getting older) to, we assume, an off-curtain statuesque Santa (hey, we’re adults). Check out the great window displays in a gallery after the jump.

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The Goods

Shop Talk

November 3, 2011 | 9:44 am

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Man Repeller Leandra Medine is coming to Holt Renfrew on November 8

Leandra Medine (Image: Supplied by Holt Renfrew)

Ladies, break out your harem pants and Jeffrey Campbell shoes, because the Man Repeller is coming to Holt Renfrew. Leandra Medine, of the wildly popular New York–based blog The Man Repeller, will be in town to host a party celebrating the launch of Holt Renfrew’s new blog, Holts Muse. Medine’s blog is famous for celebrating the style women love but that tends to—wait for it—repel men. Think pageboy cuts, boyfriend jeans, jodhpurs, maxi skirts—all the things designers trot down runways, but in real life tend to hide the T ’n’ A straight men lust after so much. Her November 8 visit from 1 to 2:30 p.m. will surely have the ladies busting out their finest full-length jumpsuits and shoulder pads, and we just hope the Bay Street bros on Bloor Street got their fill of sexy this Halloween (because for them, there’s nothing to see here).

The Hype

TIFF Talk

September 11, 2011 | 11:11 am

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SPOTTED: Elisha Cuthbert and Dion Phaneuf at Holts

It seems Prime Minister Harper isn’t the only one that’s in town to hobnob with hockey players—Elisha Cuthbert was spotted yesterday by a tipster at Holt Renfrew on Bloor Street shopping with her boyfriend, Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf. Still unknown: whether they’re more of a Goon couple or a Breakaway couple.

Find this story on our Star Spotting Map, where we plot the locations of celebrities spotted around Toronto. Send us your tips: tips@torontolife.com

The Goods

Scene Stealers

August 29, 2011 | 5:09 pm

12 Comments

THE SCENE: Popular website The Coveteur hosts a party with Holt Renfrew

Liz Cabral’s puffy sleeves (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)

Nothing unites the rich—and even richer still—better than self-adulation at Holt Renfrew, so it was no shock to see Toronto’s swishiest milling about the second-floor shoe department for Holts’ “You Got Coveteur’d” event, celebrating the website from Erin Kleinberg, Stephanie Mark and Jake Rosenberg, which looks into the closets of fashion’s hottest plates. Some of the ladies present had already been profiled, including Flare’s Liz Cabral, who wore enormous lime-green sleeves befitting an ’80s prom dress, and Suzanne Rogers, who was subdued in a taupe, lacy number. Check out the scene at Holt Renfrew in a gallery after the jump.

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