My All-Time Favourite Canadian Brands

A love letter.

Everything feels confusing and bad. This past week, according to NPR, “was just the latest chapter in a chaotic rollout of one of Trump's favorite economic tools, one that economists broadly say will lead to higher prices.” (The article contains a handy timeline if you’re lost.)

While I genuinely can’t think of a more irritating phrase that has emerged into the lexicon from past 10 years than “dumpster fire,” there really isn’t any better way to describe current events. In light of *gestures widely*, I figured there’s no better time than the present to shine a light on my all-time favourite Canadian brands. This list is not intended to be exhaustive —for that there’s r/BuyCanadian—rather, it’s a love letter to a few select brands who I consider special, different, and deserving. I don’t believe in “voting with my dollar” because that’s liberal capitalist BS, but if I did, this is who I’d say merits it the most. Consider the following brands to be the inaugural recipients of the highly sought-after “IBS stamp of approval.”

Comrags

Before I wore Comrags, I aspired to wear Comrags. The Toronto-based brand was founded way back in 1983, and makes practical, everyday clothes for women who take “eccentric” to be a compliment. Comrags’ ideal woman is someone who loves to wear a turtleneck, statement glasses, knee-length skirts, and flat shoes. Sound familiar? All of their clothing is made in-house by full-time staff, which is pretty rare, since most companies use contractors or outsource manufacturing entirely. I can’t really afford their clothes at full price but they usually have pretty good sales at the end of the season, and there’s a ton of secondhand Comrags floating around on the resale market, so I’ve had a number of lucky thrift finds over the years.

Ovate

If I could only wear one designer for the rest of my life, it would be a toss up between Max Mara and Ovate… but only one of those brands is Canadian. I have acquired a few precious linen dresses from the brand throughout the years, and not only do I wear them constantly, they’ve held up quite well after years of heavy wear. The clothes are extremely pricey but also, arguably, timeless. For a real blast from the past, read this love letter I wrote to Ovate back in my fashion editor days.

John Fluevog

Fluevog will always hold a special place in my heart because I worked retail there for SEVEN YEARS while building my writing career. It was a fantastic job—we got paid commission and there was a “shoe dollars” rewards system that pretty much guaranteed a constant influx of free shoes. Fluevog makes shoes for two very distinct aesthetics: the super kawaii colour freak and the witchy goth freak. For a lot of people this is way too much, but I can confirm that my Countess boots are one of the most-complimented shoes in my arsenal. People go wacky whenever I wear them. I lost most of my pairs in the Great Orthopaedic Switchover of 2022 , but I am slowly but surely acquiring more.

Maguire

In a marketplace where most shoes are made of garbage materials and still somehow manage to cost $200, Maguire stands out. Since 2017, the Montreal-based brand has made it their mission to sell high-quality European-made leather shoes at affordable prices. Their shoes always nail the zeitgeist while remaining quiet and subtle. They’re kind of the opposite of Fluevogs—they’re not statement shoes but will perfectly complement a statement outfit. I own the silver Prato ballerina flats and the Velada cream flats and can confirm that they are very fairly-priced for the quality they bring to the table.

Poppy Barley

I’ve had a pair of the brand’s Modern-Day Mary Janes since 2021 and they were probably one of the most instantly comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. It’s so rare to find a shoe that feels like it was made for you straight out of the box, so props to them for really figuring it out with these shoes. I’ve also recently fallen in love with the Toujours boot, with it’s spectacularly bitchy pointed toe and nasty little heel. Apologies to Nick Cave, but I’ll always love an ankle boot.

The Sleep Shirt

I love The Sleep Shirt so much that I’ve already written a breathless paean to them in this newsletter. Before I discovered the brand, I thought I’d spend the rest of my life sleeping in ratty t-shirts, but now I retire to my chambers in an oversized Oxford shirt. The quality and weight of the cotton is truly unparalleled. It’s the kind of cotton shirt that makes you want to say, “They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.” I own three, the classic Oxford shirt in blue and pink, as well as the sleeveless nightie.

Du/er

Upon first glance, Du/er appears to be a relatively normal performance wear brand out of Vancouver. But they have managed to create what may actually be one of the most perfect pair of pants of all time: the high-waisted trousers. They are a genuine design miracle that happens to look incredible on every body type; the real-life incarnation of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I jokingly refer to myself as a “Du/er-fluencer” because, I swear to god, every time I post a picture wearing these pants, another person messages me telling me that they’ve bought a pair. Du/er also makes the holy grail of jumpsuits for long torsos.

For the longest time, I thought my torso was just too freakishly long to ever fit into a jumpsuit made for normal people, until I tried on this sleeveless zippered style and the rest is history. The stretch canvas girlfriend one also works great too. Not to mention, their clothes are all surprisingly affordable. Do yourself a favour and do not sleep on this brand.

Opelle

As someone who could care less about bags, it feel significant that Opelle is the only brand I have ever purchased a bag from at full price: the Odine satchel. All the leather they use is divinely soft yet very sturdy and has held up remarkably well to everyday wear. If you’re someone who covets a bag by The Row, do yourself a favour and browse the Opelle website and guarantee you’ll find something you like just as much for 1/3 of the price. While doing some light research, I came across this Reddit thread on r/handbags about someone complaining about some unfinished details on a purse. I can guarantee that I have never even once thought about the leather not having finished edges, let alone let it bother me.

Birds of North America

I saw someone on Twitter describe this brand as looking like “a pre-Walmart ModCloth revival” which is not totally wrong, but when it comes to Birds of North America the twee-ness is the point. They traffic in very well cut dresses in the most fun patterns imaginable, and everything is made in Toronto. While not everything is my exact style, I would wear a disturbing number of the dresses on this website. I only own one, but it’s a blue and green plaid dress that’s been going strong since 2014. 11 years!

Honourable Mention:

Kilne Cookware

Remember those cute little ‘Everything Pans’ that were, well, everywhere a while back? Kilne Cookware makes a Canadian version of them. After my old roommate absolutely torched the only nonstick pan I had in the house, I decided to indulge myself and so far it’s proven great for it’s primary use, which is reheating frozen peas, which I eat almost every day for lunch alongside frozen dumplings.

Eliza Faulkner

Perennially in love with her aesthetic, and I adore this big pinstripe clown shirt.

Hannah Isolde

I believe she’s on maternity leave at the moment with a fresh bebe, but Hannah is one of the best to ever do it.

Steven Lejambe

One of my best friends that I met working at Fluevog! If I ever attend the Oscars, it will be in a Steven Lejambe dress.

A Bronze Age

Their Field Skirt is an absolute classic.

Ursa Minor

I’ve never bought anything from them before, but I do have my eye on the Junot pants.