Somewhere in between Katy Perry’s block-of-cheese hat and your threadbare Lululemons lies the perfect red carpet attire. Striking the right balance may seem daunting. You may find yourself asking questions like: what kind of kitsch is the good kind (pace Lady Gaga)? Are red soles still ‘in’ post–YSL vs. Louboutin trial? Will wearing sunglasses get you [...]

Detail of a photo by Brendan Adam Zwelling/The Style Notebook. An in-store appearance by L.A. screen-printing T-shirt upstarts Wet Cement at Harry Rosen: stranger things have happened, but possibly not amid the windsor knots and Canali double-breasted blazers of the menswear legend’s Bloor Street flagship branch. Stef Zeh and Andrew Lee, the friendly duo—designer and [...]

We’re digging these boots, an eclectic selection featuring fall’s hottest trends: shearling lining, military embellishments, and ’90s throw-backs (hello, Doc). This week on The Buy, we travel the world over, from Kathmandu to Munich, to bring you twelve of our favourite fall boots, all available in Toronto. In the words of Nancy Sinatra, “Start walking!” [...]

Ezra Constantine, Fall 2010. Detail of a photo by George Pimentel. White Night—the words alone conjure up a myriad of images. I’m transported to Paris, to St. Petersburg’s street theatre, to Rio de Janeiro, watching the waterfalls of fireworks on New Years Eve. It brings to mind ideas of beauty, worldliness, and art. At Nuit [...]

Carry-alls have become an important accessory. We all drive, bicycle, or tote on transit, many grocery and sundry bags. You feel like a criminal carrying a plastic bag, so you collect reusable totes in a way you never would have predicted. I love the oddball, though curated, cloth sacs I grab: a Harrods bag, one [...]

Detail of a photo by Brendan Adam Zwelling/The Style Notebook. Last week’s White Cashmere show—featuring designs from Renata Morales, Pat McDonagh, Réva Mivasagar and other top Canadian couturiers—made crafting ensembles out of bathroom tissue almost look easy, obscuring a design process swathed in challenges. “The biggest thing is that it tears,” recalled Katrina Tuttle of [...]

Detail of a photograph courtesy of Arlene Dickinson. Starring in Dragons’ Den is no easy task, but Arlene Dickinson manages to do it with professionalism, grace, and impeccable style. As the CEO of Venture Communications, Dickinson provides marketing services for the likes of Toyota, Unilever, and the LCBO. With an astute eye for the next [...]

Yohji Yamamoto’s Y3 for Adidas. Yup, it’s true: Summer is officially over. It was a beautiful final weekend, TIFF is done, many of us are back in school, and sweaters are back. There are such possibilities for daily wardrobe changes or pulling out your “on sale” purchases from late last winter. It’s not still summer, [...]

Detail of a photo by Brendan Adam Zwelling/The Style Notebook. The humble T-shirt stretches its simple fabric across the length and breadth of our lives. Both a timeless casual default in most wardrobes and a staple of American Apparel–era hipness, these social billboards project statements, clichés, politics, and commerce in equal measure—or, when unadorned, they [...]

Detail of a photo by Natalie Castellino/The Style Notebook. Name-dropping is crass. Unless you are a professional. Panty-flashing personal journalism is worse. But now that we have that out of the way, I’m left with dilemma of how I gossip about a gossip columnist who is a friend. People who go to black-tie galas all [...]

Detail of a photo courtesy of vitaminwater. TIFF can be a celebrity whirlwind. Heads snap in all directions and the whispers of “Isn’t that…” and “So and so looks so different in person” echo throughout the city. So when a celebrity athlete makes a film about a Canadian hero, and hosts the party at the [...]

After a summer of sandals, sundresses, and socializing, September is the perfect time to reset and get serious. This week on The Buy, we’re going all the way back to school. Whether you’re starting your year at university, college, high school (or you just like to look smart), fall’s best fashion is collegiate chic with [...]