Toronto Uncovered

Posts Tagged ‘Kensington Market’

I adore Halloween! I love getting dressed up in the costume of my choosing and parading around in public. I usually start planning months in advance,  and feel lucky to live in North America, where Halloween is taken most seriously.

The Get-Up

Its a great feeling when the light bulb above your head flicks on and the perfect get-up pops into your head. Now to find all the necessary pieces!  This year, I am going as Street Fighter’s Chun-Li, first female player in a fighting game and performer of the deadly ‘Lightening Kick‘. I prefer to make my own costumes. I’m not really a fan of the pre-packaged, store bought outfits (sorry, but if you cant be creative on Halloween, when CAN you be creative?). If you’re still searching for your costume try the following spots:

1. Value Village: Not only do they have the best selection of vintage wear, they have full section devoted to Halloween get-ups. I found the main part of my costume within two minutes of walking through the doors.

2. Goodwill: Also a good selection of vintage clothes with strong costume potential.

3. Kensington Market: In a previous post ‘Kensington Avenue‘ I mentioned a number of shops that have everything from tutus to wigs to army gear. You name it, they’ve probably got it. Most of these shops are also very ‘Halloweened up’ right now.

4. Yonge Street: I usually go to Yonge street for accessories (like Chun-Li’s wrist guards). There are lots of cheap dollar stores along Yonge and also some shops with some pretty crazy clothes – depending how adventurous you are!

5. Malabar: OK, so if you have decided to go with a pre-packaged, pre-made costume, Malabar is a pretty good choice. Its got a huge selection and lots of variety, but it’ll cost you a pretty penny and you do run the risk of running into someone with the exact same costume (embarrassing!).

The Get-Out

If you’re still searching for some good places to hit in Toronto Church Street is pedestrian only and ALWAYS a good time. Not surprisingly, the LGBT population doesn’t hold back. Almost all of the bars along Church Street throw big  parties, including contests for best and worst dressed.

For the last couple of years I have attended an annual Halloween Streetcar Barhop. Friends of mine have been running this amazing booze-filled debauchery for years. We paint the town red on our very own chartered streetcar, hitting about 5 or 6 bars throughout the night. This year sold out pretty quickly – I will post info and photos post party.

BlogTO also has a massive list of parties around Toronto. There is absolutely no shortage of things to do, and no excuse for not getting out there and letting loose!

What is your get up this year? Where did you get it? Where are you getting out to?

Labour Day weekend blessed us with some of the most beautiful weather of the summer.  I spent most of the weekend outside, either at a pool, the beach, or on a patio. When Monday rolled around, bringing with it another spectacularly sunny, warm day, I took to the streets on my bike. I was in search of somewhere to wander and shop while I killed time – Kensington Market was calling.

My favourite area of Kensington is Baldwin St to Spadina and Kensington Avenue to Dundas. I feel like this L-Block embodies the real Kensington vibe: ridiculous costumes; great vintage finds; cowboy boots and sunglasses galore; and all the trinkets, jewellery and buttons you could ever ask for.

Baldwin provides necessary nourishment before you hit the shops on Kensington Avenue. Any street that has a chocolate shop (Chocolate Addict), cheese store (Cheese Magic) and bakery (Cobs Bread)  within a 50 foot radius of each other is good in my books.

Vintage Depot is at the top of Kenington Avenue, filled with racks and racks of clothing from all different eras and fashions. Whether you’re looking for tassels or jump suits you’re sure to find it here. Just South of Vintage Depot sits Exile. This store seems small from the outside, but is actually endlessly long. The best part of this store is that everything is somewhat organized: Glitter, Wigs, Printed Tees, Boas, Glamour and so on. For any homemade costume or themed outfit Exile is a great place to start – it really has everything. As you continue South down Kensington you’ll find Butterfly and Ego which are also great for those rare vintage clothing and jewellery finds. Clic Klak Fashion Studio is filled mainly with accessories – bracelets, leggings, hats, etc.  This vintage wonderland continues South until just before Dundas. By this point, if you have any room left in your hands to carry more items, you weren’t looking hard enough.

What are your favourite shops to hit in Kensington Market?