A Guide to Men’s Fashion in Toronto
Every time I throw on that velvety smoking jacket I found at Cabaret on my last visit to Toronto, I thank Wendy Woods. Owner of The Refinery, Wendy’s business as personal style coach has evolved from meeting you in person to helping you online. Fill out a detailed questionnaire about body type and style, pay the $197 fee, and she’ll help design a new wardrobe solely from online stores. Now she can help clients in Australia, America, Germany, the UK and across the globe. Still, no one knows the Toronto fashion scene better than Wendy, so I persuaded her to accompany me once again. Last time I wrote about the wonderful men’s vintage clothing scene in town. This time I asked her to simply show me the top men’s boutique stores in town.First stop was Ossington Village off Queen Street West to have a look at Philip Sparks’ latest designs. Known for his tailored shirts, bow ties, ankle boots, dress shoes, and chinos, you can quickly see whether you like his work or not. The shop is the size of a shoebox. Then it was off to The Junction, those pre-prohibition era buildings near High Park, where we happily lingered at Gerhard Supply. On display are the wares of many of the country’s top designers like Vancouver-based Ken Diamond, known for his leather belts and wallets; and Toronto’s own Outclass Attire, designers of bomber and casual jackets. You’ll also find a few Yanks thrown in for good measure, like California’s Broken Homme, maker of a brown boot that easily won us over. At the last stop, GotStyle on Bathurst, not far from the Thompson Hotel, I would have happily left my credit card on file and went crazy. Then I remembered that I was a travel writer, not an investment banker. That said, I tried on a sweet light blue sports jacket from Touch of Sweden that I would have happily parted with the $550 price if it fit me. Oh well, there’s always next time.
Thank you Michelle Revuelta and Tourism Toronto for designing another stellar week in town. Always a treat!
In 1876, 39 outdoor enthusiasts met in Boston and formed an organization devoted to exploration of the White Mountains. Several of the members had visited Europe and knew firsthand about Alpine huts, mountain refuges that sheltered hikers. They wanted to build this form of accommodation for the growing legion of avid "trampers." Twelve years later, dreams became reality when the stone Madison Spring cabin was opened in a col between Mount Adams and Mount Madison. The cost was 50 cents and you had to bring your own food. To commemorate the 125th anniversary of the opening of the AMC’s first hut, I spent last week hiking to 4 of the 8 high huts, with my wife Lisa, on assignment for The Washington Post and The Boston Globe. 
In the 1850s, Rockport, Massachusetts businessman William Norwood turned his popular tavern into The Pigeon Cove Inn. One of the inn’s most celebrated guests was none other than the “Sage of Concord,” poet, essayist, and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. So it’s no surprise that the property is now called the 
A good botanical garden has often been a highlight of my travels, from the 
Last week, I had the chance to catch up with renowned Chicago biker, Fran Leavitt. Fran has taken at least one international bike trip a year for the past 20 years. These include jaunts on the Garden Route to Capetown, South Africa, on the winding backcountry roads that lead to the chateaus of Loire Valley, France, and along the Moselle River on a barge trip in Germany. Yet, it’s the maze of paved pathways in and around Chicago she knows best. For a stunning introduction to the city skyline, she first took me south on the 
St. Lucia wellness resort