On Wednesday, British fashion retailer, TopShop opened its first store in Canada. I fell in love with the brand six years ago when my mom came back from a trip to London and brought me back a suitcase (she had to buy a new one), full of goodies.
TopShop and TopMan located inside the Bay in Yorkdale Mall, opened its doors to Canadian customers, who eagerly snatched up the goods on sale.
The store within a store took up part of the cosmetics floor on the upper level, and the old shoe department on the upper floor. Out with the old, and in with the new. I took an escalator up to the women’s section, and eagerly waited to see what was in store.
I literally turned the corner and gazed upon these beauties. The leopard calf hair print was divine, but I’ve learnt my lesson with TopShop shoes, and decided to just admire these instead. The fur coat behind them is a beautiful piece too, though I have a real one too similar.
And there were more shoes to be had. There were some gorgeous, on trend styles. I was very tempted to pick up a pair (or two), but none of them were practical enough to last into the winter. The materials seemed pretty fair (leathers, suedes and velvet), but the insoles of the shoes have no padding or arch support whatsoever. The soles of these shoes are also extremely thin, which can be worn down or pound pressure on your feet as you walk. As a dancer, I need to be nice to my feet.
These were a cute pair, reminiscent of the Prada flatforms or something by Comme des Garcons. The pink sole had a lot of punch, and contrasted against the conservative menswear style. Definitely not for me though.
Their handbag line had some cute on-trend pieces.
I loved this feminine handbag with a bow. For the past few seasons, cross-body styles have dominated, but I’m slowly starting to see a re-emergence of the handbag.
The FREEDOM jewellery collection had a lot of ecclection pieces. This ring caught my eye.
The store mostly had feminine and bohemian styles and a very small “urban” section. It was all very chic and girly, and I almost missed that less refined look to balance things out.
I loved this cute little black number, but didn’t take it because it turned out to be a romper. I ended up buying a gorgeous sheer black dress with long sleeves. The bodice is covered in gold beading, and reminds me of something from the 1940s with its pleated skirt and elegant neckline. I can’t wait to share photos of it.
I was pleased to see they priced the items correctly after converting the price from euros and pounds. I’m absolutely sick of companies that come into Canada and take advantage in their pricing- ahem, J. Crew. However, most of the accessories, especially the jewellery was overpriced for the shoddy quality. I’d rather invest in a quality vintage piece, or find a bargain somewhere else. But if you’re looking for a party dress or a pair of cute shoes you’ll only wear once, TopShop is your store.
Downstairs, TopMan was less crowded with merchandise and was easier to navigate.
There were some amazing pieces for both men and women. Oxford shirts in mauve and yellow could be for both guys and gals, and some sweaters in navajo print and classic stripes caught my eye.
I liked that the suits at TopMan give men an opportunity to inject colour into their wardrobe, or fulfill a Ron Burgundy fantasy.
I had a mildly successful shopping trip, but most of all, I was happy to see that were wasn’t a cue of people waiting desperately to get into the store. Maybe it’s a sign that people are over the hype and aren’t interested in fast-fashion anymore. That or it was a Wednesday afternoon.
OMG those leopard shoes! I’ll take the risk!