I have a serious soft-spot for Space FB (Francois Beauregard). I found this clothing store in Montreal, and to my complete and utter joy, they opened a store right on Queen St. West, by Vice. They have great colours, and the BEST styled shirts: long, slender and range in necks and front details. Don't even get my started on the super sexy wool jackets from Fall.

But let's discuss quality... It breaks my heart to buy a t-shirt (for $39 I might add), take it home, wash it once, and find 3 teensy holes have sprouted. Then the shirt is returned (I groan at the now-sale price of $19), exchange it, take it home, wash it once... and again, find 2 new sprouted holes?! Would you believe that this happened a third time? Cuz it did... So I've decided to throw in the towel and sew them up with different threads and aim to look hobo-chic. All I want is a good looking tee, that will last more than 6 washes, is that so much to ask for, really?

Now American Apparel has swept Toronto with locations on Queen, in the Bloor/Yonge Underground and on College St. I am always in awe at how attractive that store has managed to display plain cottons. But again, let's get down to quality... do the AA shirts EVER stop shrinking? The colours stay sharp, they don't twist into ridiculous warped art projects but I do have an entire collection that shrink an inch every few weeks.

So I am drawn back to the spot that has been true to me all these years: CHOCKY's (B. Silverstein & Son)! All the colours under the rainbow, and $6 a tee, pre-shrunk, thick dandy fabrics ($8 for boys). Sweatshop free? Don't hold your breath on that one.

CHOCKY'S
352 Queen St. West
Toronto, ONT.
M5V 2A2
416 977-1831