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The Financial District is loosening up. Just as stuffy power restaurants have given way to trendy, cocktail-fuelled eateries, stiff suits and dour dresses have been replaced by unbuttoned collars, floral prints and statement accessories. After all, in the modern office, professional no longer necessarily means staid. Here, our favourite looks from a recent trip to the downtown core.
The hordes of shoppers at the Eaton Centre are a study in Toronto sociology: a utterly heterogeneous mix of loitering teens, buttoned-down office workers, gawking tourists and commuters just trying to get into the subway. Here, our favourite looks from a recent trip to the mega-mall.
With winter finally over—please, let it be over—Torontonians have now started the annual task of remembering how to dress when a body-swallowing wool coat is no longer part of the equation. Although it’s a bit early for sundresses and boat shoes, we did spot a few tentative signs of spring on a recent sunny stroll: a floral pant here, a Crayola-coloured stripe there and everywhere, vintage-inspired sunglasses. The most obvious clue that spring has finally arrived, however, were the dozens of park-goers sitting with their faces turned toward the sun.
Cheery florals return in some form every spring, and judging from the runway fans at Toronto Fashion Week, this season’s incarnation is all about blown-up, smudged or otherwise distorted prints that border on the abstract. Holt Renfrew’s Moira Wright maximized the rich tones of her structured tunic with red lips and shoes, while fashion fashion blogger Lolitta Dandoy opted for black-and-white blooms (proving it’s possible to pull off two trends at once). Meanwhile, marketer Jenny Jovanovic’s coat is a great example of the “flamo” (that’s floral + camo) trend. Below, more garden-inspired prints from the tents.
Many of the best-dressed runway fans at Toronto Fashion Week took big risks, whether that meant wearing a provacative graphic, playing with gender expectations, combining prints or piling on a huge white fur coat. However, there was also an equally stylish contingent who instead aimed for understated cool, trusting in a few small details—a set of rings, an ornate collar, a perfect fit—to keep the look from being boring. Both strategies require a discerning eye and a lot of nerve. Check out our favourite looks from the fall 2013 edition of Toronto Fashion Week below.
At Holt Renfrew’s Toronto Fashion Week kick-off bash on Monday night, we figured the abundance of bright pink outfits was a nod to the host’s signature hue (the magenta lighting also lent the entire party a rosy glow). But as the week wore on, we spotted many more women in cheerful red or pretty pink—or both, in the cases of PR gal Gail McInnes and handbag designer Ela Kowalewska. Apparently, Valentine’s Day lives on—heck, the scalloping on Ainsley Kerr’s sweet red lace dress even reminded us of making valentines in school. See more pink and red looks from Toronto Fashion Week below.
The weather during Toronto Fashion Week is never warm—it falls in late October and mid-March, after all—but this latest edition has been more blustery and snowy than most. Rather than battle the weather, some clever scenesters hit the shows and after-parties in sweeping coats that looked as chic as they did cozy. We overhead attendees admiring The Globe and Mail’s Tiyana Grulovic in a navy and black houndstooth coat at The Shows, while hairdresser Tony Pham wore a firetruck red topper to Holt Renfrew’s opening night bash. And at the tents at David Pecault Square, floor-length outwear with fur detailing was de rigueur. Below, more dramatic coats from the week’s fashion events.
On the runway at Toronto Fashion Week (Images: Jenna Marie Wakani)
Plaid and animal prints might have dominated the fall 2013 runways in New York, Milan and Paris, but so far, Toronto Fashion Week has resembled a geometry class. Jean-Pierre Braganza’s circles and triangles (far left) looked like the result of a long afternoon with a compass and ruler, while the presentations from Comrags (second left) and Pink Tartan (far right) both relied heavily on hexagon prints. Meanwhile, a top by Jeremy Laing (second from right) had us looking up the definition of a rhombus. The looks range from neo-goth to ’60s retro, but they all have one thing in common: no loud colours, which would likely take this bold look a little far.
The editors, bloggers and hangers-on attending the pre-Toronto Fashion Week runway shows at the Andrew Richards Design loft last week all seem to have internalized a lesson that’s as well known to red-carpet regulars and Flavor Flav as it was to the Tudor kings: a big necklace can really make an outfit pop. Rac Boutique co-owner Faith Orfus sported a lethal-looking silver plate from her store, while fashion scenester Lydia Chan wore a profusion of pop-art flowers by Marni for H&M around her neck. Most of the women wearing look-at-me necklaces went neutral with the rest of their outfit (we loved Orfus’s light denim bell-bottoms and structured white tank), but we give PR maven Gail McInnes props for going all-out in a fur coat and leopard blouse. Below, more neckwear from The Shows.
What’s black and white and printed all over? A good chunk of the outfits at the pre-Toronto Fashion Week event The Shows. The runway watchers at the Andrew Richards design building offered a master class in wearing one the year’s biggest trends. Holt Renfrew’s Julie D’Uva paired her geometric print pants with a solid blouse and accessories, while her colleague Blaire Borins mixed a windowpane check with wide horizontal stripes. Meanwhile, eLuxe’s Susie Sheffman epitomized casual cool with her floral sweatshirt, boyfriend jeans and ladylike pumps. Below, more inspiration for fashion-lovers wanting to cut colour from their wardrobes.
Although pampered pooches in full outfits can look awfully ridiculous, this winter has been chilly enough that we’re not going to begrudge Fido his cold-weather apparel. It helps that many of the pooches about town this season were working it harder than seasoned runway models (they’re called “puppy dog eyes” for a reason). From nubbly sweaters and jean jackets to camouflage puffers and dogs in uniform, we give these dogs—and their owners—kudos for their impeccable fashion choices.
On icy days, Torontonians in the walkways underneath the city’s downtown core mostly fall into two main groups. The pedestrians using the Path as a shortcut from subway to street level are prepared for the sub-zero temperatures in puffy jackets and wool coats, boots and fur, and, despite the constrictions of the weather, many still manage to inject some personality in their outfits. Conversely, the workers from the office towers above or the Path’s 28 kilometres of shops and eateries don’t need winter apparel to run a quick errand or grab a coffee. They experience the delicious feeling, rare in winter, of stepping out of the workplace in a thin sweater or well-cut blazer. Some don’t even bother with sleeves.
Even early in the morning on the first day of the winter term, when we visited, many of OCAD University’s fledgling artists, designers and curators wore outfits as attention-grabbing as the school’s resolutely unorthodox architecture. We saw experimental haircuts and blocky flatforms, bright leather bags instead of backpacks and a greater appetite for grommets, leather and fearless colour combinations than you’d see in your average student body. Several of the outfits took a cue from art-school classics like the smock shirt, the vintage find and the all-black ensemble (“I wear all black pretty much every day,” affirmed one student). But among the art and design school’s aesthetic adventurers, it ended up being the handful of subtle, tailored looks that stood out as different.
Every two weeks, we go to a different neighbourhood, seeking Toronto’s best-dressed denizens and examining the diverse style sets that make up the city. This week, we look back on a year’s worth of outfits and pick our favourite 15. They run the gamut from subtle to attention-grabbing, ladylike to rockstar, retro to decidedly modern. All of them, however, share one important attribute: they are undeniably cool.
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