Niche Coffee & Tea Company

Rated this place:

626 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M6J1E4

Cafe: It's not often that I find myself west of Bathurst, but whenever I am I'm sure to stop in at Niche. Nothing beats the winter blues like sitting down to a cappucino and an omlete and people watching out the front window; and brunch is served until 4pm, so you can enjoy your favorite comfort food as the sun rises or sets.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Cafe

Anthropologie

Rated this place:

1090 Don Mills Rd (Shops at Don Mills), Toronto, ON, M3C 0E1

My absolute favorite clothing store!: Although a bit of a trek by public transport, Anthropologie's first Canadian location, at Don Mills and Lawrence, is THE best place to shop for gorgeous garments. Like a boutique, Anthropologie carries fantastic and unique items from many different designers, but on the scale of a chain store! Items can be a bit pricey, but are well worth the investment for their beauty and style. The decently stocked sale section is a good place to start for those who are both frugal and fashion-forward. The clothes are whimsical and girly, and the volume of items allows customers to shop in entire outfits and for clothes suited to any occassion or aesthetic, age or shape. In addition, Anthropologie also carries unique home accessories and furniture. If you shop nowhere else, shop here; a good 2/3rds of my wardrobe is from this fantastic store!

Allegro

Rated this place:

5 1/2 William St, Ottawa, ON, K1N6Z9

Cool and casual clothing: Owned by the same woman as "Bang-On" in Toronto, Ottawa's Allegro, located just a short walk from Parliament Hill in the Byway Market area, caters mostly to teens and twenty-somethings; but, stock also includes pieces that could be easily integrated into a more mature wardrobe. The clothes are fun, flirty, and a bit whimsical, and brands include Gentle Faun, Engine, numph, Second, SoiaKyo, and Dex. A selection of accessories, bags and jewelry most notably, will help complete your ensemble.

Studio Kim

Rated this place:

766 King St W, Toronto, ON, M5V1N6

Tailor and Seamstress: Good tailoring, or the lack there of, can make or break a wardrobe. Whether 5'1" and a size 2 or 6'2" and a size 16, everyone has had fit issues when it comes to their clothes, but no one should settle for looking, or feeling, less than fabulous because of ill-fitting clothing. Kim does a bang-up job of solving wardrobe woes, her prices are very reasonable, and her turn around time is pretty good. Simple alterations are superbly done, but Kim can also be trusted to work her magic on more tedious alterations and redesigns.

Fresh Collective

Rated this place:

692 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M6G1E7

Design collective: A farmer's market of fashion, Fresh Collective is a group of Toronto fashion, jewellery, and accessory designers who sell their wares through their collectively owned and opperated shop. The rear of the store is largely devoted to handmade baby clothes (cute, but not anything I'm in the market for), but the front features fun, funky, and original pieces. The clothing is well finished, but maintains an arty, handmade quality, and much of the jewellery incorporates found objects, such as electronic components and scrabble tiles. Personal favorites include earrings that incorporate both Swarovski crystals and capacitors, and a scarf with an applique raven silhouetted against a tweed backdrop.

Trustfund

Rated this place:

493 Sussex Dr., Ottawa, ON, K1N 6Z5

Clothing and Accessories: A short walk from Parliament Hill, Trustfund caters to Ottawa's young and trendy. With brands such as Penguin, Hunter of Sweden, Amanda Uprichard, and ella moss, patrons can find fun, funky, and flirty pieces for almost any scene. Trustfund is an especially good place to find great guys clothes, including jbrand jeans for those tall and slender men who can't go to the GAP or Banana Republic for denim.

Kikiwai Anime

Rated this place:

222 Spadina Ave., Unit 219, Toronto, ON, M5T3A2

Manga store: Ever since I was 11 or 12 I've been a bit of a Japanophile; I took extra credit Japanese language courses in highschool rather than the customary French, so it's not hard to understand why I love this store. Kikiwai carries Japanese CDs, toys, and DVDs, but it's the original Japanese manga that makes this place worth visiting.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Manga store

Mokuba

Rated this place:

575 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M5V2B6

Ribbon store: If you're looking for silk, satin, velvet, leather, pleated, embroidered or any other kind of ribbon under the sun, chances are you'll find it at Mokuba. Regardless of whether you're wrapping a gift, doing a craft, or updating your wardrobe, Mokuba has the ribbon for the job. This beautiful store is worth a visit even if you don't have a project in mind -- you may just be inspired to start one.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• ribbon store

Fashion Crimes

Rated this place:

322 1/2 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M5V 2A2

Party dresses: A Queen West institution, Pam Chorley's "Fashion Crimes" is the place to go for pretty party dresses that will help you stand out in a crowd. The dresses themselves can be pricey, but for a special occassion (such as a highschool prom, a fancy dress party, or a wedding) they aren't unreasonable. The staff are attentive, friendly, and eager to help, and alterations are available, so that you'll feel as much a princess as you look in your new gown. Accessories are also available.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Party dresses

Greentea Design

Rated this place:

388 Carlaw Ave., Suite 200, Toronto, ON, M4M2T4

Asian furniture: The popularity of Asian design elements in the field of interior design has spawned a lot of reproduction and Asian-inspired furniture, both of which Green Tea does fantastically, but the best thing about this place is the room of authentic antique pieces; some of the carved wood screens are particularily gorgeous -- I have one hanging over my bed as a headboard and another as a closet door. Green Tea is definately worth a visit, just ask the friendly cat to show you around.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Asian furniture

Red Tea Box

Rated this place:

696 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M6J1E7

Restaurants: One part restaurant, one part bakery, and one part gift shop, The Red Tea Box is a tranquil little place to spend an afternoon. The open courtyard in the back is a relaxing spot to enjoy a pot of tea and a cupcake or an asain inspired dish, and the cozy tea shop upstairs lets you take a little of the ambiance home with you. The cake shop at the front of the store carries tasty confections that are too beautiful to eat, so if you're in the mood for something sweet bring your camera.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• restaurants

Magic Pony

Rated this place:

694 Queen W, Toronto, ON, M4M1G9

Toy stores: If you're looking for a gift for the quirky collector in your life, look no further than Magic Pony. They have a variety of designer toys, locally designed jewellry, art books and graphic novels, and screen printed t-shirts to choose from. My mom collects tiny designer chairs, and this is where I go to get them. The rear of the store is also a gallery where local artists are showcased. The work is also available for purchase; I have my eye on the slipcast porcelain owl lamp by Coe & Waito.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• toy stores

Club Monaco

Rated this place:

3401 Dufferin Street, North York, Ontario, M6A2T9

Wardrobe Basics: While hip, trendy pieces can add a lot of flair to an outfit, well cut staples are the backbone of a good wardrobe. The majority of the clothing at Club Monaco, though not inexpensive, is worth the investment due to its versatillity and classic appeal -- these clothes won't go out of style. And, the aplication of a few of their accessories will allow you to transition seemlessly from office to cocktail bar. Unfortunately though, some of the clothes (the pants in particular) aren't cut for curvier frames.

Charlie

Rated this place:

809 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON, M6J 1G1

Clothing store: Charlie boutique is a fantastic place to shop if you're in the market for a special ensemble or, like me, are they type of person who gravitates towards classy but unique pieces. The collection of clothing is cohesive enough to allow for easy outfit making, but still diverse enough to offer options for a variety of shapes and sizes -- but those sizes go fast! Ask the very friendly staff if you don't see what you're looking for in your size though; with the smaller label designers, they may be able to order it in specially.

The Paper Place

Rated this place:

887 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M4M1J2

Paper store: Carrying a wide variety of papers, from elborate and colourful printed Japanese patterns that incorporate metallic inks, to simple beige rice papers that are perfect for printmaking projects of your own, The Paper Place is the best place in Toronto for paper. They have a wide selection of papers you can buy in either full or half sheets, as well as stationary sets of precut papers, and cool paper and scrapbooking related products. I use some of the fancier papers to wrap Christmas gifts.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• paper store

John Fluevog Shoes

Rated this place:

242 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M5V1Z7

Shoe stores: Shoes say a lot about the person wearing them, so if your style's a little bit avant garde, a little bit retro, and kinda classy to boot (pun intended) you should check out Fluevog. Vancouverite John Fluevog samples from all different eras and combines looks, textures, and patterns to create a truely unique pair of shoes. Fluevogs are on the pricey side, but they're well made and won't fall apart in a season. Stock turnover isn't really frequent, but if you wait long enough shoes do go on sale.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• shoe stores

Meg

Rated this place:

849 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M6J1G4

Women's clothing: Meg is a cute little boutique with a wicker chair hanging from the ceiling in the centre of the store, which provides a great place to relax for reluctant tag alongs, but with the contemporary styling and versatility of the pieces, relaxing may have to wait. From work to play, Meg has it all, including well tailored pants for you taller girls. Not so tall? They do alterations as well! P.S. The adorable hats in the window are handknitted by the grandmother whose portrait hangs beside them. <3

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• women's clothing

Coupe Bizzarre

Rated this place:

710 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M6J1E8

Hair salon: If you've ever been afraid to dye your hair a funky colour, or a natural colour that's not your own, because of reservations about the "error" part of trial and error, you should check out Coup Bizzarre. Coup specializes in rockstar cuts and vibrant colours, but knowing how to do a great blue doo means the colourists can do perfect blond highlights as well. The price is decent, and if you're a student they'll give you a discount. I see Rocky for cut and Wendy for colour, and I always love it.

Black Dog Pub

Rated this place:

87 Island Rd, Scarborough, ON, M1C2P6

Restaurants: In East Scarborough, The Black Dog is a little off the beaten path, but it's well worth the drive! The owners have taken the initiative to green their business and have gone to great lengths to do so; low-flow fixtures, reuseable condiment containers, and automatic low energy lights are just the beginning. The Black Dog also boasts a rooftop herb garden; locally supplied, fresh, organic produce; a wide selection of Ontario wines, and several vegitarian, vegan, and heart healthy options.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• restaurants

Balisi

Rated this place:

668 College Street, Toronto, ON, M6G1B8

Shoe stores: For those who enjoy unique, fun and funky shoes and accessories, Balisi is the place to shop. With two locations, one in little Italy and the other on Queen West, there's something for everybody. With brands such as Chinese Laundry, Fly, and England's Irregular Choice, Balisi is the coolest shoe store on the block. In addition to their fabulous footwear, they have a great selection of accessories and, at the Queen Street location, clothing for both men and women.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• shoe stores

Girl Friday

Rated this place:

740 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON, M6J 1E9

Women's clothing: Carrying brands such as Vancouver designed Dish jeans; Level 99; Odd Molly; numph, and Gentle Fawn, Girl Friday is a great place to shop for day wear that does double duty as great date wear when you're heading off to dinner and a movie. But, the best thing is, perhaps, the wide range of prices -- you're almost sure to find something you like at a price that suits your budget.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• women's clothing

Chatelet

Rated this place:

717 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M6J1E6

Interior design: The girly girl's dream store, Châtelet carries breezy french-inspired home accessories. Mirrored jewellry boxes, ornate iron bed frames, light coloured linnens, and, around Christmas time, a selection of ornaments to help make your Christmas tree as pretty as your bedroom.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Interior Design