A hothouse of womenswear
I haven’t felt compelled to make the trek to Avenue Rd. north of Lawrence Ave. since the long, lamented closing of Zola Shoes. But how could I not check out a shop named Chronic Clothing?
Turns out it is a hothouse of womenswear, from office to casual to clubbing, at a midprice range.
Right from the get-go, I am attracted to a pair of black leather gloves with cobalt-blue fur trim. Staffer Maria nips out to the back to get me a bigger size, as she sees me struggle with the fit.
It has been open since Feb. 1 and the service here is impeccable without being cloying, possibly because I am the only other not-so-warm body in the place.
I dump my coat on the zebra-striped bench in the middle of the room, which is white and airy with a dramatic Schiaparelli-pink wall at the back. There is still winter clothing for sale, including a rack of furlined parkas, but they are unpacking spring/summer shipments. I get pick of the litter, from clothing lines including the Los Angeles brand Lush, the Danish label Stine Goya, the Italian line Reset and the German-based Rundholz, the latter two sharing an edgier esthetic.
There is even a house line, which includes a fabulous neon yellow “vegan” moto jacket ridiculously lowpriced at $99. They bring it to me in three different sizes; I feel like Goldilocks.
Those puffy bags that resemble the cartoon character from Big Hero 6 are actually nylon laptop bags in a riot of colours, including purple and red for $49. How cool is that?
A trio of cheeky fascinator hats perch on a shelf at the front. Staffer Rachel tries on a mustard yellow one and totally rocks it. She looks like Elizabeth Hurley’s kid sister at Ascot. Maria and Rachel keep bringing me options until the dressing room is filled. I feel like a cut-out doll.
It is all so convivial; it’s like the best slumber party. All we need is junk food, wine and pedicures. That said, they do bring me a bottle of water.
I am obsessing over a Pop Art shift dress that looks like a dart board. A boho-inspired tribal-print shirt is mighty tantalizing and a strapless maxi dress in a blueand-white pattern with vintage buttons down the front is totally retro and would be perfect on the right person — which is not me.
But that mauve/purple ombré shift is so cute it looks like it has been licked clean by kittens. Another no-brainer is the utility green T-shirt with long mesh sleeves, on sale for $29.
I have tried on half the store when owner Diane Alperin breezes in, the embodiment of chic in head-to-toe black. She greets me and eyeballs my possible purchases, grouped in three designations — no’s, yeses and definite maybes — before I make final cull.
“Comfortable, casual, affordable is my motto,” she says.
Indeed, words to shop by. ritazekas@rogers.com
There is a house line, which includes a fabulous neon yellow “vegan” moto jacket ridiculously low-priced at $99