I used to work in an office tower in downtown Toronto until I retired in early 2018. The morning commute, lunch hour, and evening commute was a flood of ‘business’ people clad in suits or other appropriate business attire, with a few ‘creatives’ from the theatre district, performing arts venues, and museums. A lunch time walk, could get you to the fashion district. I used the opportunity of this trip, my first one back in 2 years, to do a look-see.

Foot traffic was way down, and suits or business attire was shockingly absent. I don’t think I saw more than 6 men in suits, and no women in what I would call formal business attire. The most formal women’s wear I saw was on SA’s in upscale boutiques and shops. The area was overrun by uni and college students. The young women looked like Hailey Beiber wannabes with loose baggy jeans or painter pants (lots of Dickie’s), snug sweater crop tops (long sleeved, midriff baring), long straight hair, and thick soled sneakers. If they weren’t wearing this uniform, they were in black leggings, a t-shirt, any sneaker that has been popular in the past 6 years, and hair piled in a messy bun on the top of their head. A smaller side trend amongst the young’uns was a very oversized button down worn as a dress with a sweater vest (usually argyle) over top and bicycle shorts (barely showing) under. The look was grounded with stompy lug soled/platform footwear - usually combat boot style.

The mom’s or other women ‘of a certain age’ who were out and about were in cropped looser fit trousers with blouses, button downs, or loose tops made from wovens, but cut like a t-shirt. Full skirts, and some bias cut silky skirts, with t-shirts, but not many dresses. Lots of loafers, Birks, traditional white leather sneakers, and slide sandals. Skinny jeans and black leggings still represented. Too warm for toppers, but in the pm hoodies on under 30’s and cropped tweed jackets, or jean jackets on ‘not’ 30 yo women

Although no one looked unkempt, hair was long and cut straight across the bottom. Long bobs (below shoulder length) on ‘older’ women, and mid-back to waist length on younger women. There were some symmetrical undercuts with the long center hank of hair tied in a top knot. Short hair styles were long on top, but shaved neck, and ears showing in a style reminiscent of Vidal Sassoon. I did not see any shag hair cuts. Hair did not appear to have a lot of product or styling (curls) but maybe some straightening? Defined brows and obvious long fake eyelashes on young women, but not at all on anyone over 30. Some obvious bleached white blonde with dark roots, but still long hair. Natural looking dark browns, black, and dirty blonds - not a lot of crazy colour or rainbow hair.

I have lots of other thoughts and observations (the men! The street scape!) but this post is long enough. Also, these are just my observations and thoughts on a very small part of one North American city. If you’ve read this far, I hope you find it interesting