gift guide toronto

10 holiday gift ideas for fashion lovers in Toronto

Fashionable holiday gifts in Toronto are easy to find - even without setting foot inside a shopping mall. With so many incredible designers and crafters in this town (enough to populate eleven jillion craft sales this fall alone), it's easy to find something unique, handmade and fabulous for the style-obsessed person on your list. (That having been said, if you wanted to check out a splashy new chain store or two...well, we won't judge.)

Here are 10 holiday gift ideas for fashion lovers in Toronto.

Something sparkly
We fashion people are magpies, powerless before the lure of shiny stuff. An easily-giftable local pick: iridescent earrings ($32) and quartz necklaces ($28) by local designer Sonia Kang. Over on Queen West, local cute stuff repository Bicyclette is about to shut down; pick up a gold tux jacket ($140) and support them while you can.

Something not at all sparkly
Fashion's love affair with the minimal and health-gothy remains strong - perfect for you, humble gifter, since you can now just buy the black version of whatever you think they'll want and call it a day. I dig the all-black, unisex accessories from Blanc de Noir, like this origami-inspired leather card case ($45) or leather scarf ($180, both available at Parloque).

Something from Muji
A year from now, every house in Toronto will be up to their eyebrows in stylishly spare Japanese housewares; get in on the ground floor and buy people cheap gifts from the new Muji store before the novelty factor wears off. My picks: striped cotton boatneck shirts ($44.95), fragrance diffusers ($69.50), and touch screen gloves ($15). (FYI: They're pretty much cleared out of notebooks and stationery right now.)

Something kind of spooky
Put this Ouija board ring from the Drake General Store ($25) on top of a Ouija board clutch from Falconwright ($78, available at Victoire) and see if a friendly ghost will give your giftee some fashion advice from beyond the grave. (Do not take them to go see Ouija.)

Brand-new skincare products
If you're shopping for a beauty junkie, treat them to something they haven't already seen in a million YouTube beauty reviews. F. Miller launched locally this year with a series of oil-based skin products ($12 and up, at Cure Apothecary), while Trinitae opened a shop on King West stocked with skin products made with fair-trade ingredients, including some really beautiful soaps ($11).

Something cozy
Yeah, hats with your local stomping grounds or province of origin make great gifts. But if your gift-ee turns up their nose at anything with a slogan on it, you'll be better off picking up toques with a vintage fur pom-pom from Headmistress ($79, available at Coal Miner's Daughter and others) or a dip-dyed version by Westlake Designs ($77, available at Scout).

Geometric jewelry
Clean lines let jewelry make a bold statement that still works for everyday wear. Canadian designer Dean Davidson marries strong shapes with fine jewelry materials, like in this gold and white topaz pendant ($245, Labour of Love); for a more budget-friendly option, check out the simple pieces from White Feather Designs ($15 and up, available at Victoire).

A practical bag
The drawstring handbag is back with a vengeance; St. Lawrence Luggage does a version in super-soft buffalo hide ($338), and if that's not enough of a statement for you, Opelle has one in beautiful silver-foil leather ($258).

Some reading material
The sadly-departed WORN Journal was one of Toronto's best fashion exports; if there's a fashion lover in your life who never got to check it out, the time to snap up their back issues or anthology is now. Top it off with a copy of Women in Clothes, a collection of essays on beloved items of clothing co-edited by Toronto's own Sheila Heti.

Something they'd never, ever buy themselves
The undisputable top pick for for "gag gifts they'll think is ridiculous but then wear forever, probably": Burger sweaters and cereal hats by local company Shelfies (if food isn't your scene, there's also random '90s pop-culture stuff and pope sloths.) Runner-up: Steve Zissou and Ziggy Stardust pins by Brooch Boyfriends ($15 each, available at the Drake General Store).

Did I miss any? Leave your fashionable gift suggestions in the comments.

lcboThanks to the LCBO for sponsoring our 2014 Gift Guide.


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