VICTOIRE 129A Ossington, 416-588-6978, victoireboutique.com
How fun does a “rock ‘n’ roll tea party” sound? Well, that’s the self-described aesthetic of new Toronto boutique Victoire. It’s all about mixing high and low influences to achieve seemingly effortless style. (We know there’s no such thing, but a girl can dream, right?)
Victoire operates two other successful locations in Ottawa, all filled with Canadian designers and select indie international ones, too. A small sampling of the cool homegrown brands on offer: Valerie Dumaine, Preloved, Salvage, Falconwright, Eve Gravel and Birds of North America. You can also pick up smart local fashion mag Worn Fashion Journal.
The prices are reasonable, and while there are no $5 T-shirts, the goods you buy at Victoire will last a long time. They consider their clothes “the vintage of tomorrow.”
Can’t make it to Victoire in person? Visit their online shop at victoireboutique.com for loads of unique finds.
Victoire picks: The Kawana dress ($230) by Montreal designer Eve Gravel, paired with a handmade titanium quartz necklace by La Petite Julie. They also predict Valerie Dumaine’s Vic geometric print top ($119) as a big hit for spring.
Look for: Unisex Yo Sick Pizza Pocket T-shirts ($30) by local designer Prashant Gopal and retro Minnow Bathers swimsuits ($80-$160) handmade in Toronto.
Hours: Monday to Wednesday and Saturday noon to 7 pm, Thursday and Friday noon to 8 pm, Sunday noon to 5 pm.
