Toronto Treasures: Coco's Closet

Coco's Closet, a beautiful new consignment boutique, opened up this summer at Jane and Annette. True to it's name, this boutique is a small, aka manageable, space filled with elegant pieces for stylish women! 

 

Store owner Nadia is always in the shop greeting you with a friendly smile, and is eager to help. She wants you to find a treasure that will light up your eyes, and brighten your wardrobe.  

 

Brands in store 'au moment' range from Prada, to Marc Jacobs, to BCBG, to the odd tailored Banana Republic piece. 

 

If you're looking for a place to sell your wares, Nadia also offers a rare pickup service where she'll come to your house to collect your pieces. 

 

Coco's Closet is the perfect place buy, and sell, your consignment treasures! 

 

You can visit Coco's Closet at 413 Jane Street - 647.981.6870 

 

Join THE REFINERY on a boutique shopping tour to discover Toronto’s very best boutiques!

Wendy's Words: Fall Trends

I'm always really hesitant to use the word "Trend".  There is a misconception that women need to add many different pieces into their wardrobes each and every season in order to keep up with what everyone else is doing/wearing.  If you play this game you will always lose.  There will always be another new thing.

 

That said, it is important to add a couple new items to your wardrobe each season to add life, and inspire creativity.  

 

So where's the balance?

 

The balance lies in finding one or two things you like about what's happening in fashion this Fall, and interpreting them to work for you.  Every woman is different, every woman's style is different, and therefore the trends you incorporate need also to be different.

 

For example, a few trends that speak to me personally this season include:

 

Cuffs. I love the way they look best when worn on both wrists, are the same size, but different colours.  This look is unexpected yet elegant.

 

The Cape. Although totally impractical for cold Canadian winters, I can't help but fantasize about a camel cape with long leather gloves up to my elbows - if I can find the gloves in coral I will be in heaven! 

 

Winter White. I've always been a winter white person, so it's even more fun now that it's in style.  I often get questions as to why I'm wearing white after labour day.  My usual answer, "I like to break the rules".  My new answer, "It's on trend".

 

More on great Fall fashions to come!

Wendy

 

Wendy Woods from THE REFINERY shows you how to tie a 36 x 36 square scarf.  This look was worn by Wendy in the video "How to Tie a Rectangular Silk Scarf 4 Different Ways".

Toronto Treasures: Melmira

Now that the heat is here, you might be thinking about a new swimsuit for cottage days on the dock, lounging by the pool, or sunning in the sand. 

 

Not that you need the added pressure, but wearing a swimsuit is really like wearing lingerie for the whole world to see -- so you better feel fantastic in your suit! 

 

Melmira is the best choice for swimsuit shopping. They have perfected the art of styling their clients with suits that work for their personality, body shape, and lifestyle. 

 

Melmira stocks suits from multiple brands from around the world including Shan from Canada, Jets from Australia, and Vix from Brazil in a range of sizes from 0 to 26 (varies by brand). They also offer specialty suits for different needs like maternity or athletic suits. 

 

Book your one-on-one appointment with a swimsuit specialist and leave the rest up to her. Your specialist will pull styles that are perfect for your body shape, in a colour you love. Plus, you can try on the suits in the comfort of your own private dressing room with refreshments available. 

 

The Melmira experience is relaxing, enjoyable, and productive – they really take the stress out of shopping for a suit.

 

Visit Melmira at 3319 Yonge Street Toronto - 416.485.0576

 

Join THE REFINERY on a boutique shopping tour to discover Toronto’s very best boutiques!

Toronto Treasures: Distill

Distill is a wonderful east-end boutique filled with Canadian designs. From clothing and accessories to pottery and pillows, this boutique is perfect for perusing. 

If you’re looking for an environmentally friendly accessory option, I highly recommend checking out the Erin Templeton sandals and bags made mostly from recycled leather. They all have interesting design elements and are made with a keen eye for detail.

For a quirkier piece of accessory art, I suggest both the stacking cuff and scribble necklaces by Alison Dawson. A Toronto native, her pieces are creative works of art and each a wonderfully lightweight summer accessory.

If a new summer frock is still on your list, check out the navy and white striped Lucie dress by Dace. This simple dress is the perfect outfit to throw on for hot summer days.

Add the stackable cuff to the dress, a bag and sandals and you’ve got a perfect outfit for city streets or the cottage beach! 

Visit Distill at 55 Mill Street #47 Toronto - 416.304.0033 

Join THE REFINERY on a boutique shopping tour to discover Toronto’s very best boutiques!