Bloor West Village is more than just patios and brunch spots, it is also lined on both sides with many cute little shops and services.  Maybe Bloor West Village isn’t top of mind when you have to pick up a gift for that special someone in your life, but if you’re a west-ender like us, it definitely should be!  Check out our favourite shops on the Bloor West strip and make it your next destination for gift shopping, after all Christmas is right around the corner!

Lemon and Lavender

We love this store for hostess gifts.  Every square inch of this shop is packed with perfect little gifts from stationary sets, scented candles and kitchen aprons to cute stuffed toys, children’s paint sets and even silly putty!  This is a great place to pick up a few extra goodies for a birthday party treat bag, or even a nice little thank you gift. They will even wrap it up nicely with tissue paper their signature colours of yellow and lavender, making for a very impressive presentation.

The Cookery

We are obsessed with this store and could easily spend hours looking at all the amazing high quality kitchen things they have in there.  Featuring a really fantastic selection of Le Creuset and All Clad, among others, its easy to get lost in day dreams of competing on Iron Chef while checking out their wares.  Throughout the store you can find various cookbooks, to suit every preference, as well as an entire section dedicated to stocking your bar cart.  Beautiful crystal rocks glasses, gold plated shakers, fancy bar spoons and classic cocktail accoutrements abound. This store seems to go on forever! Keep making your way toward the back and you’ll find over-sized wooden salad bowls, every type of espresso maker you can think of, tools for juicing, tools for canning, pretty much anything you could ever want and more is available at this store. The staff here are also extremely knowledgeable on everything they carry, and if for some reason you can’t find what you are looking for, they will do their best to get it in for you.

Buck’s Hard Goods

Buck’s Hard Goods is an antidote to the chain store experience. They carry street wear staples from independent brands in footwear, apparel, and accessories for men and women.  This is where you go if you have to buy a gift for the coolest person you know, or the person who has everything, which could be one and the same.  Stocked with unique and interesting pieces you won’t find at the mall, Buck’s Hard Goods also carries scented candles, but not your grandmother’s candles.  They have Wick Witch Candle and Bath Co. candles, which are perfect for the upcoming spooky season.

Hers Fine Lingerie

Hers has been in business for over 30 years!   The staff are extremely knowledgeable about every piece they carry and it is their mission to help you find the best fit and make you feel good.  They offer professional bra fitting, did you know over 85% of women are wearing the wrong bra size?  Head over to Hers and have a fitting, and see the difference a proper fit can make. They stock a few Canadian brands and also carry many exclusive lines from Europe.  Not limited to just lingerie, they also carry swimsuits, some with specialized sizing and often hard to find cup sizes.  Shopping here is a great experience.  The staff are friendly, discreet and able to answer all of your questions.

Say Tea Limited

Do you love tea as much as we do?  Say Tea is the original tea shop in the village!  Here long before those other new kids on the block, founded in 1980 and opened in Bloor West in 1988, Say Tea boasts over 200 different types of tea!  Independently run by a small circle of tea lovers, Say Tea also sells everything you need to enjoy a nice hot cuppa.  Teapots, tea cups, strainers, tea bags, infusers, you name it, they have it.  The staff here really know their stuff! You could walk in and tell them you want a tea that tastes like Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 11  and they will know exactly what you mean, and find you the right brew.  We love this place for it’s longevity, it’s commitment to being the best tea shop in the city and their absolute love for the leaves!

★ For more on life in Bloor West Village check out:

• Bloor West Village Neighbourhood Guide
• Brunch in Bloor West Village: Our Top Picks
• West End Schools: Our Guide to Bloor West Village
• Our Favourite Patios in Bloor West Village
• Where To Get Your Coffee In Bloor West Village
• Our Top 5 Favourite Neighbourhood Blocks In Bloor West Village Toronto

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