The next time you’re in the mood for a little retail therapy, skip the obvious shopping destinations in Toronto and head out to new territory. Sure, Queen Street West and CF Toronto Eaton Centre are great, but so are other neighbourhoods that often get overlooked.
While these areas might not get as much mainstream love, they’re certainly not lacking; each one has its own individual perks. If Orfus Road, Cabbagetown, or First Canadian Place ring a bell, it’s time to solidify your relationship and get shopping.
Here are underrated shopping destinations in Toronto that you’re probably missing out on.
Orfus Road
North of Lawrence Ave. and West of Dufferin St.
Orfus Road brings all the benefits and bargains of outlet mall shopping without actually having to leave the city. Shop such outlets as Roots Last Chance Outlet, Urban Planet, Designer Fragrances Depot, Kitchen Stuff Plus, and more. Along with slashed prices, there are also a number of great restaurants nearby, such as Burger’s Priest and Uncle Tetsu.
Dufferin Mall
900 Dufferin St.
If you live outside Dufferin Mall’s parameters, then you may not be too familiar with the shopping center, however, it’s a great destination for shopping on the west side. Popular stores include Pandora, H&M, Dollarama, Walmart, No Frills, and Marshalls, meaning it’s a prime hub for clothes and groceries if you’re looking for a one-stop shop. With over 120 retailers, a food court, and services including a tailor, nail and hair salons, and phone providers, it’s larger than it seems.
Little Korea
Between Crawford St. and Bathurst St. on Bloor St. West
Nestled on a small strip between Crawford and Bathurst, Little Korea, or Koreatown, has a mix of tasty authentic restaurants, gift shops, and unique vintage clothing-inspired shops. Most notable are Hanji Gifts, Crywolf, Mr. Pen, PAT Central Market, as well as Korean food joints that will make you drool like Hodo Kwaja (bakery), Mapo Korean BBQ, Rustle & Still, and more.
Roncesvalles Village
Roncesvalle Ave.
Roncesvalles is constantly evolving, and it just gets better and better. Not only is the street lined with charming old houses, but it boasts a number of shops and restaurants unique to the strip. Make sure to check out Frock for cool girl essentials, Likely General for fun housewares and accessories, and Early Bird & Worm for adorable kid and maternity apparel and housewares. You’re also going to want to try the dry rub wings at Barque, as well as visit their butcher shop located just a little way down from the restaurant.
Castlefield Design District
Castlefield Ave. and Caledonia Ave.
South of Orfus Road, the Castlefield Design District is where interior design professionals go to source everything they need. The industrial area hordes a number of Toronto home stores selling everything from live-edge wooden tables, to carpets from India. The warehouse-sized stores include Toronto-based Elte, Gingers, Union Lighting, and the list goes on. If you’re hungry, be sure to drop by the cafe inside Elte Mkt for fresh salads, sandwiches, and more. It’s one of our favourite shopping destinations in Toronto for home decor, and it’s sure to become yours, too!
First Canadian Place
100 King St. W
You may know the Exchange Tower from the outside, but if you don’t stroll through the PATH on the regular, you might not know that First Canadian Place features some incredible shops. Featuring three different levels, including the underground network of stores and fast food joints, the destination has more than meets the eye. Check out stores like DECIEM, Harry Rosen, and more, along with tasty places like Porchetta & Co, Ladurée, and Freshii, to name a few.
Cabbagetown
Between Sherbourne St. and Bayview Ave.
If you’re in the east end, make sure to dedicate some time to Cabbagetown! The collection of cafes and primarily designed stores will make for a fun outing. While it may not be a go-to for fashion, make sure to visit Spruce, Labour of Love, KENDALL & Co, and Green Antiques for one-of-a-kind home goods and lifestyle products. Steak & Chops butcher shop is also worth a visit for organic seafood and high-quality meats.
Riverside
From the Don Valley Parkway and Logan Ave., between Gerrard St. East and Eastern Ave.
Another east-end neighbourhood to visit is Riverside. You’ll find most of our favourite spots located on Queen St. East, but there are tons of gems to discover throughout. For hair and beauty, Oreya Studio is a dreamy, pink destination for hair, nail, and makeup. On the hunt for clothing and accessories? Common Sort is our go-to consignment store. And if you’re shopping for home, GUFF — or Good Used Furniture Finds — is where to go to for furniture and decor, particularly if you’re looking for mid-century Scandinavian design. We also can’t forget to mention Sash & Bustle, which is one of the top places in the city to shop for all things bridal.
Chinatown
From Augusta Ave. to Beverly St. between College St. and Queen St.
While Chinatown is a well-known foodie destination, many people often overlook the shops! A stroll through the neighbourhood will reveal tons of retailers that stock cellphone accessories, affordable basic tees and hoodies, designer eyewear, souvenirs, and housewares. Not to mention, streetwear boutiques like Better Gift Shop, Stussy, and Nomad. One of our favourite spots to visit is kitchen supply store Tap Phong. Teeming with pots, pans, catering supplies, appliances, and more, it’s a go-to for food professionals in the city. And if you’re into games, Meeplemart is hailed as one of the best gaming and board game shops in the city, with affordable prices and super knowledgable staff.
The Danforth
Along Danforth Ave. between Don Valley Parkway and west of Victoria Park Ave.
Known as Greektown, the Danforth is another destination that’s renowned for its food. The long stretch of Danforth Ave. is lined with delicious eateries serving up all types of different cuisines, but you’ll also find boutiques and beauty salons nestled in between. Some of our top choices to shop on Danforth Ave. are bare market, the city’s newest package-free store that stocks groceries, beauty, cleaning supplies, and more; Vintage Depot, a haven for clothing and accessories from the past; and Tips Nail Bar, home to some of the best nail art in the city.
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A shameless guilty pleasure to many, Toronto’s Dufferin Mall has been known as much as for its seediness as for its shops and sales. Thanks to plans for major construction, the west-end staple could look a lot different in a few years time – at least, its parking lot could.
Last month, Dufferin Mall owner, Primaris Management Inc., submitted a redevelopment application that proposes to transform part of the mall’s parking lot.
Instagram/@itsakkai
The lot now sits on prime city real estate in a way it didn’t in the past – into a huge residential community called Dufferin Grove Village that includes purpose-built rentals. The plan would see the northern half of the parking lot transformed to house four towers and 1,135 residential units.
Changing the optics of the mall, the towers will range from 14 to 39 storeys high. Dufferin Street would sit to the east, Croatia Street to the north, and Brockton Stadium to the west of the proposed development.
The architecture and planning will be in the hands of Toronto staples Quadrangle Architects and planning consultancy Urban Strategies.
The application comes at a time when we need to get strategic with housing. In a city where owning a house has become a pipedream for countless families, the buildings are designed to accommodate families.
According to plans, in addition to 117 bachelor and 452 one-bedroom units, 50 per cent of the units would have at least two bedrooms, with 461 two-bedroom units and 105 three-bedroom units. Also adding to the appeal for young families, the redevelopment includes a thoughtfully landscaped public park and amenities designed with both children and pets in mind.
Making life easier, the proposed development sits just minutes from Dufferin Station.
For the nostalgic set that loves the character-filled mall just the way it is, the good news is that the actual mall will remain intact, with no plans to redevelopment in the near future. Instead, the spot will see the entry of 11,639 square kilometres of shiny new retail space on a newly created street.
The podium is connected to the mall, extending the mall’s retail offerings, in addition to its beloved staples like Winners, Dollarama, and Marshalls.
Those with a soft spot for fast food, however, may be disappointed to know that The Beer Store, KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut will have to go.
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A notable talking point of the plans includes impressive landscape architecture from North Design Office. According to Urban Toronto, the future park, called Dufferin Commons, is inspired by the Dennison Creek, which once graced the land before becoming buried over time.
It will feature concrete wave formations that follow the path of the historic stream. In a progressive approach to landscaping, the park will repurpose recycled materials from the site’s demolition.
As for the parking lot, it will occupy underground real estate, offering some 736 parking spots. Furthermore, the existing parking area in front of No Frills and Walmart will not be impacted by the transformation.
Instagram/@kaitlanmarie_
For those who’d rather the gloriously gritty property as it, the good news is there will be a few more years to enjoy it as such. If all goes well in the approval process, construction is slated to begin in 2020.
Featured Image: Instagram/@toronto_explored_by_me
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A few years back, plus-blogger Gabi Gregg (aka GabiFresh) said one of my favourite quotes about dressing while being fat:
And you know, as a self-identified fat gal, that tweet really resonates with me. I have always been highly self-conscious of what I wear, how I present myself and how I look to others – largely due in part to the fact that I am a fat, plus size woman. Currently, I stand at 5 foot 2 inches and wear between a size 18 to 20 – depending on the day, the brand, the make, and the fabric.
When I was younger, I felt resigned to the fact that I would have to wear matronly as f*ck clothes, that didn’t look or feel proper on me, bunched in weird places, and basically made me feel I should be hiding my body and my visibility as a fat person to the world.
But if it wasn’t for the Internet telling me that I could dress however the f*ck I wanted being a fly as f*ck fat lady, I don’t know where I would be. But make no mistake, dressing fashionable and being fat is hard. To demonstrate, I decided to visit my local Dufferin Mall and visit six different retailers. Most, if not, all have advertised the following:
- Catering to specifically plus-size folks
- Having a plus-size section in their store
- Were suggested to me as a place to check out from the Curvy Bunz Clothing Swap group
Forever 21
This location had a huge plus-size selection, which was great. The problem: it’s in the basement. Of course, fat folks need to go to the basement to buy clothes. For as long as I can remember, I’ve large had a problem with Forever 21 and their fast fashion selections. With Forever21, I always have to size up with everything, so I knew this ahead of time and got everything one size larger than I normally do. Most of their designs seem poorly fitted for the consumer in mind.
Case in point, look #1. I tried on a beautiful lace nude dress in 1X. I tried it on and from the front it’s great, but the back is bunched up and you can fully see my back and bra. What the hell? At this point, a friend came in to help me out (was it the size? Was it poor design? Who knows.) but I just gave up.
Look #1
For look #2, I tried on a pink criss-cross tank top and black tutu which fit well, but I noticed that in order to wear the shirt – I probably couldn’t wear a bra. While I’m comfortable with this, I think a lot of fat women aren’t.
Look #2
But the outfit I loved most was look #3; my Yeezy Season knockoff outfit with a camo green skirt, purple bodysuit, and pink bomber jacket. Getting into the bodysuit was difficult and I could barely move in the jacket – but fashion, right?
Look #3
H&M Canada
Immediately walking into the store, I could tell that the Dufferin Mall location did not have any plus-size, so I tried looking for XL’s. I couldn’t find anything. I asked a store clerk which H&M locations had plus-size and she mentioned that their Yorkdale location and perhaps Vaughan Mills.
Regardless I tried on all the 14’s I could find that seemed “oversized” and had stretch to them, to see if I could potentially fit – I did not. You should see how some of this stuff fit, but hey – I tried, right?
The one XL that I could find in the store was a grey wool oversized bag of a sweater dress, because obviously. Dear H&M Canada: you should do better and carry plus-size in ALL OF YOUR locations.
Look #2
Marshalls
Shopping at Marshalls and Winners’ is the same in that the selection is very dependent on the location that you go to and well, this one was not great. I ended up walking by the plus-size section two or three times because it was literally two racks, the selection wasn’t amazing. I walked over to the straight sized section and grabbed a dress in XL that was over-sized to see how that would fit too.
For look #1, I tried on was a really cute jacket with a floral print, a total steal for $29.99.
Look #1
For look #2, I tried on a pair of black jeans, which are so difficult to find and oh man. They bunched in the crotch giving me camel toe and then made these weird pleats on my legs. I could not with that.
Look #2
Finally, I tried on the XL dress from the straight-sized section for look #3. And while it fit me, it hung on my body like a Snuggie. No bueno.
Look #3
Reitmans
The company that owns Reitmans also owns Addition Elle and Penningtons. While those two stores cater specifically to plus-women, I wanted to see how their sister store stacked up as it still carries plus-size.
All of the plus-items were in the back of the store beside the clearance items, which I found an interesting layout choice as it’s essentially saying we’re not worthy. When my friend and I visited, none of the sales associates bothered to say hello or hi to us or even bothered to help us out as we made our way to the change room. I found that especially interesting as almost immediately after we went to try things on, a straight-sized woman was brought in. Were we being ignored on purpose? Who knows. But it left a bad taste in my mouth.
The clothes here are more on the dressy side and I tried on a cute dress shirt, that would be perfect for the office. I grabbed a shirt in a 2x for my first look and while it fit, I felt that if I did the arms test (move them in front and behind me) – it was still tight.
Look #1
For look #2, I tried on a plain black dress and again, it was tight in the chest area. Everywhere else fit fine – weird.
Look #2
I’m so incredibly disappointed with Reitmans considering they own two plus-size companies. Like, shouldn’t you have the sizing game on lock?
Suzy Shier
In 2015, I heard that Suzy Shier had launched a plus-size collection. My own personal bias told me that the clothes there would be not up to my own personal taste level, so I figured this was the best opportunity to go check it out.
All of the plus-items were in the back of the store beside the clearance items, which I found an interesting layout choice because, again, it’s essentially saying we’re not worthy. And then, most of the clothes were black, with some pops of colour here and there. Where is the excitement?
With that being said, I was actually pretty shocked at what I found and really liked the few items I did try on including a pair of faux-leather jeggings.
Look #1
As per usual, tops fit smaller because, boobs.
Look #2
I tried on a dress here that I thought would be great for an event but it was a bit short (hit just above my knee) and I’m 5 foot 2.
Look #3
Best part: I figured for fast fashion the prices vs. what they were offering was pretty on point, plus I loved that by shopping at Suzy Shier you would be supporting a Canadian retailer.
Walmart Canada
I have never really thought of Wal-Mart as a destination for clothes, but so many people I know swear by it. The George Plus line section was fairly small and I think I walked around this area at least three or four times trying to find at least 2-3 things I could try on. I don’t know if it’s picked over or they just don’t have anything. It wasn’t great.
The prices are INCREDIBLE though, ranging from $8 to $25 and I mean, I can’t be mad at those prices especially if you’re looking for basic workwear.
For my first look, I tried on another pair of black jeans in a size 18 which wouldn’t even get on me. I would have to say that it was one part embarrassing and one part kind of funny.
Look #1
I tried on a 1x in another pair of jeggings and they went on but I felt like I had been piped into a sausage casing – it was not a good experience. The grey plain t-shirt there was awesome and it fit snug and hit all the right places. To be honest, that was the fashion WIN from Walmart.
Look #2
Where do you go for plus size shopping? Let us know in the comment section below.
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We do-nut care that Toronto has an overwhelming amount of festivals, especially with the announcement of the city’s first-ever Doughnut Festival!
Taking place on June 25th, Toronto Life’s 2017 Doughnut Festival will take place at Dufferin Mall. From 12pm to 4pm, head to the beloved West End mall to check out the city’s favourite doughnut and food vendors. Among those featured, you’ll find Glory Hole Doughnuts, Jelly Modern, Caplansky’s Deli and Sorelle & co. to name a few.
Best part yet? You can treat yo’ self knowing that your doughnut dollars are going to a good cause. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the Community Food Centres Canada (CFC), which provides people with emergency access to high-quality food, educational opportunities and more.
Tickets to this sweet and savoury event are just $15 and include quarter-sized samples from fifteen differ vendors, as well as a six-pack of doughnuts to go. Family passes are $30 for two adults and two children; including individual samples for all four visitors, as well as a six-pack to go. Any additional children ages 2 to 12 get admission for $5 each.
In addition to doughnut samples, you can expect a wall made of doughnuts, perfect for photo-ops and beverages from Starbucks, David’s TEA and more.
Get your tickets to the Doughnut Festival here.
Featured image: Instagram/@gloryholedoughnuts
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