Canadian Fashion Guide
100+ Canadian brands and boutiques worth knowing.
I’m a strong believer that constraints are the strongest fertilizer for creativity. While existing in fashion capitals like Paris or New York may give access to boundless resources, the sheer density of fellow creatives can create an echo chamber. As someone who grew up in the furthest thing from a fashion capital (Windsor, Ontario), this topic’s always fascinated me, and I do plan on elaborating on said topic at a later date. In spite of my personal biases, I think Canada has a disproportionate quantity of interesting small brands and boutiques.
With high tariffs, a generally shrewd customer, and limited manufacturing resources, starting a brand in Canada can prove especially difficult. My hope is that this list will shine light on the dozens of amazing Canadian brands who deserve all the love in the world. And when it comes to boutiques, you’ll find a ton of incredible curations spanning the country. For Canadian customers - this means duty-free shopping, payable in Canadian dollars. And for non-Canadians, you should still check these boutiques out, as their sales often go overlooked compared to American/European boutiques. If you think I’m missing anyone, please let me know in the comments below!
And if you’re interested in the interior design and homeware space, be sure to check out this guide:
150 Canadian Artisans & Creatives
Over the past year, I’ve grown increasingly obsessed with Canada’s design scene. The Canadian fashion scene has long been a passion of mine, and as I’ve dug deeper into the world of interior design and decor, I’ve found an equally rich wellspring of talent sprawling across this country. There are hundreds of artisans, industrial designers, ceramicists, glass blowers, wood workers, creating some remarkable pieces with their own designs and labour.
Brands:
A Care Label - Montreal based basics made entirely in Canada from 100% recycled cotton.
Adam Small - Punk derived pieces from Winnipeg-born, Montreal based designer Adam Small.
Adapture - Technical fabrications in wearable silhouettes, with a very modern colour palette.
Anian - Rugged, refined, and recycled Canadian workwear meant to wear hard and last long.
Balmoral Sports - High-tech running fabrics meet old-school, nostalgic designs from this Montreal based sporting goods brand.
Bather - Comfortable, stylish, high quality, made-in-Canada swimwear, plus elevated lounge/casual wear.
Bexhill Court - Colourful, unique, hand-knit headwear out of Toronto, Ontario.
Big Bill - Canadian made workwear staples at a great price point.
Body of Work - Designed, cut, sewn, and dyed in Canada, Body of Work stands up to the daunting task of melding elegance and presentability with comfort and function. Their modest assortment of garments covers all bases, and includes a handsome footwear collaboration with San Antonio Shoemakers.
Canada West Boots - Made in Winnipeg, handcrafted work boots since 1978.
Ciele - Performance focused running and athletic apparel brand based out of Montreal.
Clo’s General - Handmade leather goods out of Edmonton, Alberta.
Colin Meredith - Inventive, technical, eponymous label based out of Vancouver, Canada. Colin’s years of experience pattern-making and experimenting have led to exciting collaborations and finally, his namesake line.
Dana Lee Brown - Farm-to-garment wardrobe staples built on transparency and artisanship.
Dime - World famous Montreal skate brand producing quality streetwear at a solid price, along with an array of skate accessories.
Drypond - Sleek, classic eyewear designs coming out of British Columbia, with sensible, interesting acetate and lens combinations.
École de Pensée - Montréal based label with both made to measure and off the rack styles embodying craftsmanship and effortless, comfortable elegance.
Ecologyst - Clean and crisp wardrobe basics largely made in Victoria, and always in North America. Pragmatic, practical, simple, and fairly priced.
Estudio Niksen - Built off bringing South Korean brands to North America, they launched into their own in-house brand looking to popularize those extra-wide cuts on this side of the pacific.
Evan Powell - Designed and made in Vancouver, BC, Evan Powell is a very new Canadian brand making big, breathable, easy to wear unisex garments.
Faiz T.S. - Best known for their Cowichan knit sweaters, Faiz T.S. transforms the traditional BC sweater into a more modern yet equally cozy piece of clothing.
Gideon’s Jeans - Jeans handmade in Montreal, one-by-one on vintage era correct machines.
Giovanni Clothes - Montreal’s finest tailor with an exceptional eye for detail, and a classic approach to Italian tailoring.
HAVEN - High end contemporary technical gear from one of Canada’s most prestigious boutiques.
Henry’s - One man brand by Toronto’s Kieth Henry, putting an inventive and elegant spin on workwear staples eg/their swoop jeans, or criterium jacket.
Himel Bros - Ready to wear and bespoke leather jackets hand made in Toronto.
In Situ - made in Canada in-house clothing line of Gerhard Supply.
James Coward - Another great Canadian brand making robust, generous pieces and collaborating with their creative contemporaries.
JJJJound - Montreal based blog-turned-streetwear brand, now offering a sprawling array of well executed staples.
Kluane Mountaineering - A rare gem in today’s outdoor market, Kluane Mountaineering makes all of their jackets to order, by hand in their Edmonton workshop. These jackets have summited peaks across the globe, all thanks to the dedication and care of their team.
Latre Art & Style - Born out of a vintage curation, Latre crafts both new and up-cycled workwear/milsurp pieces in Toronto, selling alongside their regular stock of 2nd hand items.
Libero - A Toronto brand reinventing European classics with strong ties to golden age pop culture, sprezzatura, and a warm, familiar air. I highly encourage checking out their films as well.
Le Cacti - Everything from handmade .925 silver eyewear, to Polartec pullovers, handmade bike bars, and belts.
Livia’s Made - handmade, bespoke selvedge denim produced on vintage machines in Toronto.
Lunettiq - Montreal based eyewear company offering a flat-rate pricing model on hundreds of bold, bright frames.
Maison Joakim - Refined, minimalist high end menswear based out of Montreal.
Milo & Dexter - Canadian made classics ranging from accessories, to tailoring, to hand-knit wool sweaters.
Naked & Famous - Affordable, made-in-Canada selvedge denim in nearly every configuration one could want.
National Athletic Goods - Heritage inspired made-in-Canada sportsware.
Norda - Montreal’s off-road running shoe company that’s exploded in popularity over the past few years. These good-looking, well performing shoes have earned their place on and off the trail.
Ostrya - Embodying Montreal’s playful, humorous, poppy outdoor scene, Ostrya uses tasteful saturation and clever art direction to convey its personality (of which there’s plenty).
Outclass - Classic new-heritage menswear made in Canada, based out of Toronto
Plaza Works - Contemporary made-to-order denim based out of Toronto.
Province of Canada - Canadian made sportswear/cut and sew staples.
Raber Gloves - 100% Canadian made gloves out of Manitoba, shoutout the garbage mitt.
Rosa Rugosa - Toronto made workwear from the big brains of Matty Matheson and Ray Natale - two dudes who need to rely on their gear. Founding their own factory in Toronto, they’ve been able to employ local folks and keep the production Canadian.
Serena Li - Contemporary technical/sport garments designed and made in Toronto. Very cool fabrics and patterns.
Shirley - A young, fun, pop clothing brand started by two passionate Toronto creatives.
Spare Jeans - Bespoke Japanese-style denim atelier based out of Montreal Quebec.
Spencer Badu - Fashion-forward eponymous menswear label pulling influence from the designer’s Ghanaian roots and Toronto upbringing.
The Saturday Project - Simple, bright, slightly nautical clothing made responsibly in Canada.
The Thirteen Club - One of Canada’s most prolific vintage dealers, now with a mainline of tasteful, well priced menswear.
Tough Duck - Another no-nonsense Canadian workwear brand similar to Big Bill.
Viapiana Denim - Toronto-made artisanal denim house by Ben Viapiana.
Viberg - Exceptionally detailed, hand-made boots that have earned a worldwide reputation for being among the best in the world.
Wanze - Made-to-order workwear with the sensibility, materials, and finishing of fine tailoring. Terribly elegant, beautiful work.
Wynona Studio - Elegant and informed, Wynona makes timeless casual and formal garments with excellent attention to detail.
Boutiques:
Quebec:
Michel Brisson - A sleek high-end designer boutique stocking everything from Dries Van Noten to Lemaire.
Clark Street Mercantile - A small mile-end boutique geared towards crunchy menswear from Engineered Garments to orslow.
SSENSE - I really don’t think I need to explain this one, right?
Livestock - More streetwear and sneakers.
Rooney - Unisex high-end boutique in Montreal’s Old Port stocking Junya, Rier, and Margaret Howell.
Les Etoffes - Shop in Montreal’s Mile-End stocking contemporary unisex clothes from largely South Korean and local brands.
Ontario:
Lost & Found - One of my two favourite boutiques in the whole country, Lost & Found is the friendly mecca of menswear on the Eastern half of the country.
Grays - Catering mostly towards women with some unisex items, Gray’s carries tons of beautiful, hand-spun, artisanal clothes.
WDLT117 - High-end designer goods from true capital F Fashion brands.
Nomad - A healthy mix of sneakers and more technical designer goods like Stone Island, and Acronym.
HAVEN - Consisting largely of Japanese and/or technical brands, HAVEN is a great spot to seek out exotic fabrics, hard-to-find brands, and bank-breaking price-tags.
Uncle Otis - Very approachable, high-quality contemporary menswear for the past 30 odd years.
Blue Button Shop - One stop shop for home goods, scents, eyewear, and clothing imported straight from Japan.
Park & Province - A very grown-up approach to casual menswear, with a couple freaky pieces.
Muddy George - Not cheap but not expensive, Muddy George’s brand assortment spans a wide range of styles, but consistently offers rock solid value.
Better Gift Shop - Like Colette for skaters, Better Gift Shop’s influence has stretched to the far corners of the earth thanks to genius Avi Gold.
Serpentine - A gothic Yorkville shop holding brands like Rick Owens and Guidi, with very friendly staff.
Capsule - Sneakers and streetwear.
CNTRBND - High end designer/street fashion, with a pretty sizeable off-price location where steals are easy to come by.
Gravity Pope - Largely focused on footwear, Gravity Pope also has a healthy selection of tasteful men’s and women’s clothing.
Livestock - Sneakers and streetwear.
100% Silk - Mostly fun, bright, quirky womenswear with some gender neutral hits.
TNT - I’ll be honest this place seems like it’s always on the brink of bankruptcy, but sometimes you can find good deals.
Due West - Toronto based shop focused on designer sports and outerwear.
Stomping Ground - Ottawa’s premier destination for contemporary menswear.
Area 001 - A small Ossington boutique stocking the likes of Marni, Jacquemus, Yohji Yamamoto and more.
Soopsoop - Similar to 100% silk with a bit more of a menswear presence.
Dutil - A one stop shop for all things denim.
Gerhard Supply - Another rugged retailer in a similar vein to Muddy George and Park & Province.
The Foxhole - Ottawa’s latest menswear boutique carrying a nice combination of heritage and modern brands.
Manitoba
Danali - seemingly the only specialty boutique in Winnipeg, this unisex shop carries names like Fullcount, 3sixteen, Norse Projects, and Momotaro.
Alberta:
Brooklyn Clothing - A heritage boutique carrying some of the best Japanese and American leather, denim, and vintage repro brands.
Less17 - Calgary’s long standing destination for contemporary menswear and techwear.
ANNMS - A diamond in the rough, Edmonton’s premier menswear boutique stockign Bode, Acronym, Our Legacy and more.
NAQP - One of the more rugged boutiques focused on quality and longevity
Leo Boutique - A more wearable, grown up menswear boutique that still carries interesting stuff from brands like Kartik Research, Still by Hand, and Sefr.
Dutil - A one stop shop for all things denim.
Gravity Pope - Largely focused on footwear, Gravity Pope also has a healthy selection of tasteful men’s and women’s clothing.
British Columbia:
Roden Gray - For real fashion heads, Roden Gray carries brands like Craig Green, Kiko Kostadinov, and Acne Studios.
Neighbour - Tied with Lost & Found for first, Neighbour’s extremely tasteful, subtle selection of clothing, accessories, and home goods has earned the shop an international reputation. Often being the first in North America to stock upcoming designers, their artisanal eye only follows the best makers.
HAVEN - Consisting largely of Japanese and/or technical brands, HAVEN is a great spot to seek out exotic fabrics, hard-to-find brands, and bank-breaking price-tags.
Miloh - Your gritty, textured shop for denim, boots, and hard wearing garments.
Four Horsemen - Victoria’s (sadly) last standing contemporary menswear boutique with a small and poignant brand list.
Livestock - Sneakers and streetwear.
Wallace Mercantile - Taking 2nd/3rd place for my favourite shop in Canada, their selection includes some of my favourite brands like Kaptain Sunshine, S.K. Manor Hill, and Nanamica.
Feuille Luxury - A bit of a hodge-podge designer list, but worth a visit if you’re in Vancouver.
Leisure Centre - Very high end, quite tasteful, but god damn is their selection expensive. Pure unobtainium.
Gravity Pope - Largely focused on footwear, Gravity Pope also has a healthy selection of tasteful men’s and women’s clothing.
Rhythmic Tones (online) - More lifestyle focused, Rhythmic Tones is great for buying yourself or others a little treat.
The Shop - Perhaps Canada’s best destination for high end leather jackets/boots and selvedge denim.
Dutil - A one stop shop for all things denim.
Department:
Holt Renfrew - Canada’s premier destination for high end luxury clothing, from Hermes, to Louis Vuitton, to Loro Piana. If you’re shopping here, buy me a little something.
Simons - An all-encompassing department store with a surprisingly stacked designer selection including Lemaire and Yohji Yamamoto.
Harry Rosen - Focused on a more sartorial selection, here you’ll find Kiton, Tom Ford, and Etro.
If you read this far, thank you so much for showing interest in some of the great talent coming from my fellow Canadians. Like I said before, this can be a great way to shop duty-free if you’re Canadian, or discover a brand outside of your wheelhouse if you’re not. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if I missed any brands or shops. I didn’t name every Canadian brand under the sun, these are just the ones I like and would wear myself. Thanks again for reading!
I’d like to plug two Winnipeg brands that fly under the radar since there’s no Manitoba on this list. I’m not from there, but I love a good chicken fingers and honey dill sauce and I guess I like Made in Manitoba too.
1. Vibergs are lovely, they’re also crazy expensive. I have two pairs of Canada West boots – a pair of heritage ankle boots and steel-toed boots for work – that are handmade in Winnipeg and absolutely slap.
2. Raber gloves, specifically the Garbage Mitt, have a cult following in Northern Canada. They’re luscious on the inside and bombproof on the outside, and somehow they look amazing. Like Kluane, they also supply various industrial outdoor users with extreme-cold weather gear.
Dude this is such a comprehensive guide. I’ve been trying to shop more Canadian, knew many of the brands but a lot more to explore. Thank you, truly.