Traditionally speaking, November always marks the start of our holiday shopping sprees and seeing as the holiday season is right around the corner, we’re betting you’re not far away from starting yours either.
Lately, however, we’ve noticed fewer people out and about doing their holiday shopping in-person at our favourite neighbourhood shops, which means many local businesses aren’t getting the same support they used to around this time of year.
While we know that shopping online has made things much easier for most, we still believe it’s crucial to support the local shops and businesses that make up our cherished Toronto communities.
In hopes we can encourage you to do at least some of your holiday shopping at local stores this year, we’ve put together a list of our favourite Toronto-based boutiques and businesses we think you’ll be able to do some gift-giving damage in this year. And, we’ve even sorted them out by gift-giving categories for you too!
Gifts For Him
If you’ve got a special man in your life, whether it’s your husband, father, grandfather, or even a very lucky son of yours, there’s no better place to go looking for that perfect gift for them this holiday season than Via Cavour.
This luxury Italian menswear boutique located in the Yorkville Village shopping centre at 87 Avenue Road has been around for nearly 20 years, and it’s easy to see why. Take one stroll past this spectacular boutique and you’ll want to buy everything on each of their mannequins and displays.
Carrying high-end men’s clothing brands such as Brunello Cucinelli, Loro Piana, and more, you really can’t make a wrong choice when it comes to what to buy — the hard part is choosing just one thing! The essence of true Italian style runs through every item in this stunning boutique, so why not spend a day in luxurious Yorkville and see their current menswear collections for yourself?
Ahead of your big celebrations this holiday season, head over to Via Cavour from Tuesday through to Saturday anytime between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., or check out what’s on the shelves from home by heading over to their online store here.
What good are the holidays if you can’t find time to kick back and enjoy a beautiful glass of wine (or three)? If that sounds like the perfect way to wind down to you too, take our advice and stop by these 5 Places To Get the Perfect Bottle of Wine Tonight.
Gifts For Her
Now it’s time to turn your gift-giving attention to all the amazing women in your life who deserve a little recognition this holiday season. No matter if they’re your wife, mother, grandmother, or daughter, you’ll be sure to find something that’ll bring a huge smile to their face at the Coal Miner’s Daughter.
We not only love the Coal Miner’s Daughter for their amazing designer clothing and vintage-inspired aesthetic but because they make it a priority to support Canadian fashion designers and craftspeople. In fact, the Coal Miner’s Daughter primarily stock Canadian-made clothing, jewellery, and accessories, and at any given point at least 80% of their inventory is made right here in Canada. If that isn’t supporting local, we’re not sure what is.
With three separate locations in three very different neighbourhoods across downtown Toronto, finding a branch of this charming and noble women’s clothing boutique shouldn’t be difficult no matter which part of the city you’re in.
That being said, you can find them at 1360A Queen Street East in the east end, 744 Queen Street West in central downtown, and 87 Roncesvalles Avenue in the west end. Of course, you can also get a sneak peek at their newest arrivals online here too. Happy shopping!
No matter which part of the city you live in (or want to live in), you can always come to us for advice on what’s good in the ‘hood. Read through our informative neighbourhood guides for each section of the city here:
- Downtown Neighbourhood Guide
- East Side Neighbourhood Guide
- West Side Neighbourhood Guide
- Midtown Neighbourhood Guide
Gifts For Kids
If you’re in the east end, then you’ll also find the best spot to shop for kids on Queen Street too! Little Peeps at 742 Queen St East in the Riverside/Leslieville area is the place to go if you’re looking for clothes and toys designed for the smallest of our friends and family members.
Catering to kids from infancy up to 10 years old, Little Peeps prides themselves on selling top-quality toys, clothing, footwear, books, artwork, and more for babies and kids that are equally entertaining as they are ethical.
Little Peeps places a huge emphasis on stocking and selling sustainable and environmentally-friendly products, which is just one of the reasons we love this boutique so much. For example, many of their toys are primarily made from materials like wood, which recycle and decompose much easier and quicker than toys made from plastic.
To support this adorable little boutique this holiday season, stop in between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, or order something from their online shop!
Once the holidays come to a close, it’s back to school time for kids. Make sure you’re prepared to send your kids back to the classroom in January with our Back To School Tips For Parents.
Clothes For Kids
If you’ve already got the new toy quota covered for your kids ahead of this holiday season, we’ve got another great suggestion for where you can find some of the city’s most stylish children’s clothes for you here.
We know first-hand how often kids need new clothes, which is why we’re so familiar with Mini Mioche, a Toronto-based children’s clothing shop at 795 Queen Street West. If the children in your life are between the ages of newborn to 12-years-old, you’ll be sure to find something (almost) as cute as they are at Mini Mioche.
But we don’t just love Mini Mioche for their simple-yet-tasteful designs and ultra-soft fabrics — we also love them for their approach to production. All of Mini Mioche’s coles are ethically made from start to finish right here in our very own city.
If that sounds like something you value and want to show your support for a local business doing fashion the right way, stop by their store from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. (or 5 p.m. from Sunday to Tuesday) any day of the week to do some clothes shopping for the kids in your life.
The holidays are typically a time when families come together to celebrate. However, even though we’ve made huge progress with the pandemic, not everyone will be able to get together. If your family will be apart this holiday season, rely on our advice on how to Enjoy The Holidays While Staying Safe: 5 Tips For Families here.
Gifts For The Home
Running around doing all of this holiday shopping for your friends and family can make it way too easy to forget about your home, which just isn’t cool with us (or our homes). Plus, seeing as your home’s been there for you all year long and never fails to comfort you after a long day, we think it deserves a little treat this holiday season too.
Whenever we feel like pampering our palace, we head over to Home Smith at 309 Roncesvalles Avenue in the west end to see what we can find in the way of home decor and design accessories — and we’re always glad we did.
This home shop in Roncesvalles is always packed to the brim with amazing and inspiring items, with everything from books to bed linens available for sale. And with such an eclectic, cross-generational mix of styles and textures, you’re sure to find something to suit anyone’s interior design preferences here.
Open from Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the selection of home goods at Home Smith is literally waiting for you to come and visit.
Is a new home on your holiday wishlist? Get closer to turning your dreams into a reality by looking through the current selection of homes for sale on our featured listings page here, then read up on how we can help you make it your own via our homebuying guides below.
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