Reflections on Boxing Day and January End of Season Sales in Toronto

Holt Renfrew

This is the worst sale I've seen there in the last 5-years. Almost no knits (merino wool or cashmere) this year, except for the really high-end stuff like Piano Loro. The total lack of the in-house knit wear is a real turn for the worse. They used to make really nice merino wool and decent cashmere, V- and crew neck sweaters and the long sleeve polos, for the price they clear them out at. This loss is magnified by the fact that Bananna Republic has decided to make sweaters with no cuff details, which are not my cup of tea.

Bananna Republic

They had a nice cable knit sweater in a grey-brown wool-angora-cashmere blend. It had nice details (cuffs at the wrist and the waist) and it was the only nice thing in the store. I'm sure the angora part of the blend will shorten the period that the sweater doesn't have those little balls, but its holding up ok for the last few weeks.

Nomad

It was picked clean in the pre-Christmas sales that they ran. I did manage to get a couple of Wings and Horns hoodies (a tiger fleece and a slim fit one). I wear the tiger fleece around the house, the slim fit one is paired with my Nom de Guere M-65. They were doing 30% on the outerwear and 50 % on the clothing. The pre-Christmas sale had cleaned out most of the stuff I had my eye, like a pair of Supreme cords. I don't know what I was thinking. On the one hand, I have such a huge stock pile of stuff I think why should I buy something that I won't wear very often. On the other hand, I keep buying denim that I won't wear for another year, so what difference does it make anyway. Oh well ....

TNT Blu

I picked up an Earnest Cut and Sew flannel shirt. I only bought it there because Zeb (from Nomad) didn't have my size. They were running a pre-boxing day sales too. I had my eye on some things (a Junya Watanabe shawl collar sweater with eagle print and a blue shirt with strips and some other detailing). The sweater was $800 so I gambled and waited to see if I could get 50% off, but someone picked it before I did. They have nice looking girls working there, but they have this big bald guy that bugs me. He's really bad with questions, he expresses contempt when you ask them. "No problem buddy, I'll just go to Nomad and get my dope shit there." But the girls are really nice looking.

APC Sale on the Website

If I knew before I placed my order that the US postal service shipping would have meant no brokerage fee, except for $5, I would have bought a lot more stuff. By the time I got my order most of the stuff in my size was gone. I got a brown cashmere V-neck and a shirt. There's no point in buying the APC stuff at holt, even with the exchange rate its via cheaper mail order (either at regular or sale price). I'm going to keep an eye on the summer sale.

Klaxon Howl

I went there on boxing day. They were running a sale, but they didn't have what I was looking for -- Sugarcane 1947. I did manage to get a pair last week, but it wasn't on sale. This is will be last pair of jeans from there for a while. I've been eyeing a pair of Oni Blues form Blue and Green in NYC. That will be the next pair I snag.