Shopping

Toronto is one of the world's great shopping cities for two reasons. The first is that the usual glamorous suspects -- think Prada, Chanel, and Gucci -- all have outposts here. The second is that many of the homegrown boutiques and designers have such outstanding offerings that you may actually forget about the international icons.

The Eaton Centre is Toronto's most famous shopping arcade, and while I can't argue with its everything-under-one-roof mentality, I encourage serious shoppers to look farther afield. You didn't come to Toronto just to shop at Banana Republic, after all, so take note of the neighborhoods to score deals on unique clothing, housewares, and antiques.

Another reason to shop in Toronto is that the scene suits a wide range of budgets and tastes. There's only one bit of bad news I should share: While window-shopping is a laudable pastime, don't fool yourself that it will stop there . . . just be careful not to break the bank!

The Shopping Scene

While you may want to investigate the impressive array of international retailers, it would be a mistake to ignore the locals. If your passion is fashion, don't overlook Canadian labels such as Mercy, Lida Baday, Ross Mayer, Misura by Joeffer Caoc, Crystal Siemens, Brian Bailey, Mimi Bizjak, Wolves, Linda Lundstrom, and Comrags.

Toronto also has a bustling arts-and-crafts community, with many galleries, custom jewelers, and artisans. Some of the best buys are on native and Inuit art. Artwork can be imported into the United States duty-free.

Stores usually open around 10am from Monday to Saturday. Closing hours change depending on the day. From Monday to Wednesday, most stores close at 6pm; on Thursday and Friday, hours run to 8 or 9pm; on Saturday, closing is quite early, usually around 6pm. Most stores are open on Sunday, though the hours may be restricted -- 11am or noon to 5pm is not unusual.

Almost every establishment accepts MasterCard and Visa, and a growing number take American Express.

The Best Bargains -- Maybe you can't get something for nothing . . . but you can score some pretty fab finds on the cheap in Toronto. It's a treasure hunt of sorts, and the spoils are anything but certain, but when you find that perfect piece marked down to next to nothing, well, that makes it all worthwhile. Many Toronto retailers, including luxurious Holt Renfrew, have their own outlet shops. Happy hunting!

Shopping for a Good Cause -- Some Toronto stores let you do more than just find great pieces. Talk about really feeling good while you shop. . . .

Shopping A to Z

Antiques

Toronto has an excellent antiques scene, and depending where you shop, you can unearth treasures that cost a mint or a find that goes for a song. For fine antiques, head north from Bloor Street along Avenue Road until you reach Davenport Avenue, or walk north on Yonge Street from the Rosedale subway station to St. Clair Avenue. Another top area is Mount Pleasant Road from St. Clair Avenue to Eglinton Avenue. For less pricey vintage finds, head west on Queen Street to the Bathurst area and beyond. True bargain hunters will gravitate to Leslieville, the stretch of Queen Street East between Carlaw and Coxwell, with its many small antique shops, which often contain great finds that need a little bit of fixing up. (An insider's tip: Leslieville is where owners of some of the most glamorous antiques stores in town shop; they buy pieces here, fix them up, and sell them at uptown prices.)

Antiques Roadshow -- On a few dates scattered throughout the calendar, more than 70 antiques dealers from Ontario and Québec descend on the Bayview Village shopping center for the Heritage Antique Market. The wares on sale include 19th- and 20th-century porcelains, jewelry, silver, furniture, and paintings. If you're in town when the market is, you're in luck. Be sure to call ahead or check the website (www.heritageantiqueshows.com) for the schedule. The market takes place only on Sundays or holiday Mondays. Bayview Village is located at 2901 Bayview Ave. (at Sheppard Ave.) and is accessible by subway (it's the Bayview stop on the Sheppard Line). Call tel. 866/285-5515 or 416/483-6471 for more details.

Fashion

Let's get this out of the way first: Toronto has all of the requisite big-name European boutiques along Bloor Street West between Yonge Street and Avenue Road. You'll find Louis Vuitton at no. 110; Gucci at no. 130; Chanel at no. 144; and Prada and Hermès bundled together at The Colonnade shopping arcade at no. 131. The listings focus primarily on shops particular to Toronto (with just a few exceptions).

Fresh Perspective -- Let's say you're pressed for time, and you want to hit a single store that will let you shop for truly distinctive clothing and giftware. Get yourself to Fresh Collective, a designer-run collective at 692 Queen St. W. (tel. 416/594-1313; www.freshcollective.com). You will find cool designs by local up-and-coming labels -- and you'll be able to talk to the people who made them, because they staff the store themselves. The focus is primarily on designs for women (sorry, guys), but the eclectic offerings at any given time will also include baby togs and jewelry.

Hunting for Vintage -- I've been shopping vintage since I was 14, and I can promise you that Toronto has a truly great vintage-shopping scene. It spans the high and low points of the price spectrum. Want a pristine Chanel suit? Or a frothy chiffon concoction from the 1950s? Or maybe a now-classic rock-band T-shirt from the 1970s?

Wine

In Ontario, Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) outlets and small boutiques at upscale grocery stores sell wine; no alcohol is sold at convenience stores. The best deals are on locally produced wines -- especially the icewine, a sweet dessert wine that has won awards the world over. There are LCBO outlets all over the city, and prices are the same at all of them. The nicest shop is the LCBO Summerhill, 10 Scrivener Sq. (tel. 416/922-0403; subway: Summerhill). Built out of a former train station, this outpost hosts cooking classes, wines and spirits tastings, and party-planning seminars. Other locations are at the Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor St. W. (tel. 416/925-5266), 20 Bloor St. E. (tel. 416/368-0521), the Eaton Centre (tel. 416/979-9978), and Union Station (tel. 416/925-9644). Visit www.lcbo.com for information about products and special in-store events.

Vintages stores have a different name, but they're still LCBO outlets. Check out the one at Hazelton Lanes (tel. 416/924-9463) and at Queen's Quay (tel. 416/864-6777).