2025 has come to a close, so we’re looking back on the biggest trends and stories of the year. Toronto has seen so many fashion trends come and go, from utility wear to plaid everything to camp-inspired style. The city also saw new openings (like a local artist market with huge lineups, an ultra-pink romance bookshop, and many a funky vintage store) and some major closings (we’re looking at you, Hudson’s Bay). This year, our top five list shows that Torontonians love to shop local — now more than ever, thanks to all that mess south of the border. Here are the top five fashion stories that caught your eye in 2025.
5. A union of Toronto’s two biggest pop-up markets
Toronto is undoubtedly a pop-up market city — we’ve pretty much got one in every neighbourhood, and they fill up our weekend plans (in the best way). When two of the city’s biggest, The Welcome Market and Hippie Market, announced they’d be joining forces to take over a massive storefront on Queen West (which happens to be the former Anthropologie that closed early this year) for two days only, everyone took notice. It was such a success that they revived the joint market again later in the year, proving Toronto will choose local and second-hand over big box every time.
4. A guide to Canadian alternatives to American fast fashion
When Trump announced his tariffs earlier this year, Canada immediately fought back — both politically and with our wallets. Streets of Toronto quickly put out a few different guides to shopping local, and this one in particular resonated with readers. American fast fashion chains have unfortunately taken over many of our closets, but it’s never too late to change our shopping habits. Our list of Canadian (many of which are Toronto-based) brands to switch to, from Kotn to Maguire Shoes, hopefully helped make that a little easier.
3. Another U.S. (sort of) department store leaves Canada
We suspect something about the combination of tariffs making everyone tired of anything American and the very recent history of multiple U.S. department stores exiting Toronto and Canada made this story resonate particularly strongly with readers. The Webster, a multi-brand luxury shop that opened its first Canadian location in Yorkville in 2021, announced the Toronto shop would be closing for good in December. While it’s not exactly a department store, it is a successful American shopping concept that couldn’t find its legs north of the border (just like Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom). There’s a lesson here somewhere: maybe that America can’t walk into Canada and treat it like the two nations are exactly the same? Or maybe we’re reading a little bit too much into this one.
2. Essential local shops in Ossington
We’ve been rounding up the best locally-owned shops in different neighbourhoods across the city all year, and they’ve all gotten quite a bit of attention — this one in particular. It doesn’t matter what Time Out says; this is proof that Ossington is still the coolest street in Toronto. While there are plenty of good places to shop along this busy stretch, we suggest the 10 spots listed here, both because they’re locally owned and just really great.
1. A new vintage vendor market in Toronto’s east end
It’s the little vintage market that could: in the year of tariffs and major chain closures, it was this new vendor market in Leslieville that garnered the most interest from readers. The Vintage Hall launched in October, occupying a 2,700-square-foot spot at 754 Queen St. E. and offering space for a bunch of different vendors from across the city and beyond to sell their vintage goods. It’s like we said: Toronto loves a market!
