Kandice Vincent5 Well-loved Clothing Stores in Toronto
Shopping for clothes is one guilty pleasure that most girls have. There’s always a sense of joy when you go through a rack in a clothing store and get to try a piece that you’re interested in.
Here are some of the well-loved clothing stores in Toronto. We covered the basics such as usual items, price ranges, and pros and cons.
How We Reviewed Well-loved Clothing Stores in Toronto
You will find way too many clothing stores in Toronto. This is the criteria we used to determine the well-loved stores:
How much do clothes cost in Toronto?
There is never a singular formula for buying clothes because prices really vary. While we may not be able to give you the exact numbers, this sample price table may be of help.
Please note that all of these are estimates. You will have to prepare to get surprised by either overwhelming or underwhelming tag prices.
1. Nordstrom
| SELECTION | ★★★★★ |
| QUALITY OF ITEMS | ★★★★★ |
| STORE APPEARANCE | ★★★★★ |
| REPUTATION | ★★★★☆ |
Located in Toronto Eaton Centre, Nordstrom Toronto is one of the brand’s branches in Ontario. There are a total of 3 within the province and over 10 branches in the entire Canada.
Nordstrom started as a department store company as early as 1901, which makes them one of the most established around the world. Their Toronto branch carries this reputation, with over a thousand loyal customers from the community.
Their store spans 2 floors, with enticing lighting that invites shoppers in. It’s easy to navigate through items as everything is categorised.
In terms of their items, they carry a dozen brands both in-store and online. They have leading fashion items and even a designer line.
For those who need fashion advice, they offer a free style help provided by a stylist from their team. They help with coming up with a more personalised look and choosing more appropriate items for each client.
Selection- and quality-wise, we really can’t say anything negative about Nordstrom. Their reputation as an established brand puts them at a really high spot in terms of fashion and clothing.
We do warn that specifically for the Toronto branch, customer service isn’t perfect. There are people who fail to get proper assistance and online and telecommunications are sometimes delayed or even unresponsive.
Nonetheless, we believe that Nordstrom is one of the crowd favourites in the Toronto clothing store scene. The influx of customers in their physical store and the number of online orders they receive are a testament to this.
Pros
- An established brand that has been around for over a hundred years
- Carries various items from different leading brands
- Offers free style help or consultation with an in-house stylist
- Has a designer line
Cons
- Can be hard to get proper assistance inside the store
- Virtual customer service is reportedly delayed or unresponsive
Customer Reviews
One of the premier shopping destinations
“If you can not find the fashions you want here it likely does not exist. One of the premier shopping destinations not only in Toronto but pretty much Canada. Be prepared to spend the day” — Lee James Mathers, via Google
Spacious, clean
“Classic Nordstrom store with a wide variety of well known brands and some higher/luxury end ones. Spacious, clean, and the two people who helped us out were very friendly.”— Olivia GY, via Google
2. Gotstyle
| SELECTION | ★★★★★ |
| QUALITY OF ITEMS | ★★★★★ |
| STORE APPEARANCE | ★★★★★ |
| REPUTATION | ★★★★☆ |
Voted Best Menswear Store for over 10 years now, Gotstyle is one of the most prominent clothing stores in Toronto given its diverse collection. They carry products for men and women and have been in the business since their foundation in 2005.
While this store has been gaining praise for their selection of men’s clothing, it is also a popular choice among the women of Toronto. They have blazers and suits, dresses, a wide range of tops and bottoms, and even accessories.
The thing that we find most convenient about this service is how they have outfits for all occasions. They even offer to customise suits for both men and women as they have an in-house tailor that works with various materials and patterns.
Apart from shopping inside their pretty store, you can also select items from their online shop. Their website presents most of their available items and they deliver to anywhere in Canada, with free shipping for orders over 194 CAD.
We like how they also offer a “Trust Us” kit or Gotstyle kit, which provides customers with 3-4 outfits that they can try on even at home. This means that a customer can keep the pieces that they want and send back what they don’t.
In our opinion, the Gotstyle kit is a great way to shop as you are able to mix and match pieces. It also gives you shopper’s freedom as you will only pay for what you keep and get to return those that you don’t, making the process fair and unique.
With all these, we believe there isn’t much to dislike about Gotstyle. We do note that some services and items can be costly and that some stocks tend to run out fast.
Overall, we believe that Gotstyle is a great place to go if you love fashion and you’re looking for timeless and beautiful pieces.
Pros
- Voted Best Menswear Store for 11 years now
- Has an in-house tailor to customize men and women suits
- Offers a specialised kit where customers can select recommended pieces
Cons
- Some services and items are pricey
- Some stocks tend to run out fast
Customer Reviews
Thoughtful, creative, supportive and fun\
“My stylist, Shari, was lovely. Thoughtful, creative, supportive and fun! I experienced no pressure to buy, only encouragement and inspiration. It felt like the beginning of an ongoing conversation about style and how I could invest my wardrobe from season to season.” — Daniela Bruce, via Google
Always love how the staff know your style
“Been shopping here for at least a decade – always love how the staff know your style and bring an item or two you might not have thought to try, but without feeling any sales pressure. Strongly recommend.” — Joshua Hendin, via Google
3. Philistine
| SELECTION | ★★★★★ |
| QUALITY OF ITEMS | ★★★★★ |
| STORE APPEARANCE | ★★★★★ |
| REPUTATION | ★★★★☆ |
Philistine was initially founded as a once-a-month pop-up shop in 2007. Today, it stands as one of the most affordable clothing stores in Toronto.
The main selling point of this store is that each collection is curated. They started with vintage pieces and now they have a wide selection of tops, bottoms, and accessories for men and women.
They incorporated pieces over the years and now carry different brands, with their list almost having more than one brand for each letter of the alphabet. Over 60 brands are listed on their website as of writing.
We like how their gift shop comes with diverse items, from quirky greeting cards to witty stationery items. This is where you can also find baby clothes, kidswear, patches and pins, and even houseware and candles.
Probably another thing that makes this shop attractive to many is the fact that it screams creativity. From its store, to its items, and even to its website, Philistine provides an imaginative yet reachable atmosphere.
In addition, they have a blog where they feature creatives and share stories. We like this because it provides fresh perspectives in the world of fashion, arts, and creativity.
We do note that Philistine isn’t perfect. They reportedly don’t do refunds and returns, which can be a red flag for many.
They do offer store credit should you be unsatisfied with an item. They also accept a wide range of payment options, making the process a little easier.
We recommend Philistine for those who are keen on finding an item on their own and are fond of casual yet timeless pieces.
Pros
- Has been around for 15 years
- Quirky and witty items can be found on their gift shop
- Carries over 60 brands
- One of the most affordable clothing stores in the area
Cons
- Does not have return or refund policies
- Some staff are reportedly unfriendly
Customer Reviews
A great variety of different fashion and some hard to find items
“Great customer support, friendly staff with a great variety of different fashion and some hard to find items! Great shop to browse too” — Eric, via Google
Great ideas for gifts or even a little something for yourself
“I’ve only been here a few times, but always love looking at their selection of things. Clothing, sunglasses, jewelry, and other small items are great ideas for gifts or even a little something for yourself!” — vanessa k, via Google
4. Over the Rainbow
| SELECTION | ★★★★☆ |
| QUALITY OF ITEMS | ★★★★★ |
| STORE APPEARANCE | ★★★★★ |
| REPUTATION | ★★★★☆ |
Specialising in denim, Over the Rainbow is arguably the most trusted store for jeans and other denim fits in Toronto. They started as early as 1975, giving them extensive experience in the world of fashion.
What we like most about Over the Rainbow is the quality of their products. Their knowledge in denim and fabrics in general set a certain standard for their and their competitors items.
Given the fact that most of their items are denim, their tops don’t really come in a lot of styles and are likely to be blouses or shirts that you can pair with denim jeans.
This means that those who are looking for tops may opt to go somewhere else, but that doesn’t mean they won’t find something from Over the Rainbow. Let’s just say their tops collection isn’t that big compared to other stores in the scene.
On the bright side, they carry over 30 clothing brands, so that guarantees that you will still have plenty to choose from. We like how these brands highlight a few designers and their prominent creations.
Lifestyle products are also available such as perfume, books, stationery, umbrellas, and even tech accessories.
We do warn that there are complaints about poor customer service, so you have to be extra careful. They also don’t do refunds or returns and just provide you with store credit, one thing that some customers don’t really appreciate.
All said, we recommend Over the Rainbow for their tenure and quality denim and fabric products. The number of people who love this store definitely outweighs the group of people who don’t.
Pros
- Has been around since 1975
- High-quality denim products
- Promotes local designers and their creations
Cons
- Customer service is reportedly problematic
- No returns and refunds, just provides store credit
Customer Reviews
Store is very clean, organized and well staffed
“Whoa!! This simply is an amazing shopping experience for jeans and all things casual.
Store is very clean, organized and well staffed. Unique Ts with messages are fabulous find. Prices vary but something for everyone. Friendly customer service.
It’s a must drop in.” — Glen E. Grant, via Google
Top notch brands and the sales are killer
“This shop is amazing. Everyone has always been so kind and helpful, and they have incredible things. Top notch brands and the sales are killer.
I recently tried the personal shopping outside of regular business hours and it was such a nice experience, free of charge.” — Chelsea Melamed Cushman, via Google
5. Muttonhead
| SELECTION | ★★★★☆ |
| QUALITY OF ITEMS | ★★★★★ |
| STORE APPEARANCE | ★★★★★ |
| REPUTATION | ★★★★☆ |
Muttonhead is a local apparel business dedicated to people who are fond of the outdoors. They opened in 2009 and they continue to provide unisex clothing and accessories that are relevant to being adventurous.
Their selection is pretty much obvious. They have a bunch of hoodies, caps, jackets, shirts, button downs, and comfortable bottoms such as shorts and jeans.
We like how they still carry a few baby clothes, some tote bags, kidswear, and even beachwear. A few items are usually up on sale, so it would be fun if you can catch them at their lowest prices.
They also have personal care and home items such as skincare, bath and body products, candles and scents, cleaning supplies, and even food and drinks.
Of course, given the nature of this business, we would say that their collection is quite limited as compared to their competitors. Not only that, but they can still expand their selection and put up more items.
However, we like how their items can be worn on regular days and are really just comfortable.
We also warn that the store hours of Muttonhead are quite shorter than most, which can take a toll. On the bright side, their store is pet-friendly so you can take your dog or cat along.
If you’re an outdoor person or someone who just prioritises comfort over style, this is the place for you. You can even shop by fabric and choose whether you want cotton, bamboo, wool, or recycled fabric.
Pros
- 13 years in the business
- Best for outdoorsy people
- Has personal care and home items in their shop
- You can shop by fabric
Cons
- Store hours are quite short
- Collection is quite limited
Customer Reviews
Has a lot of options for everyone and some fun gift ideas
“We have been buying our 100% Canadian made clothing here for a few years through the online store but this weekend we finally visited in person.
The store has a lot of options for everyone and some fun gift ideas like coffee table books, candles, body care products, etc.
I buy all my Naked & Famous tees here exclusively and very happy to continue. The service and products are excellent.” — Steve S, via Google
All my favourite hoodies come from here
“Great little shop in the heart of roncy! All my favourite hoodies come from here! They are super dog friendly witch is a huge bonus for me since my pup and I are always together 😌’ — Amanda Krystyna, via Google
FAQs about Clothing Stores
And that fills up our list of well-loved clothing stores in Canada. Share your recommendations with us in the comments below!
For those of you who are looking for cheap stuff, you may want to check out our list of the best factory outlets in Toronto.
