Great Canadian Brands to Shop

There has been quite a lot of talk about buy Canadian lately in response to the constant tariff threats (which have been postponed again), weak Canadian dollar and attacks on Canadian sovereignty. But most of the buy Canadian talk has been centered around grocery brands. I thought I would share the Canadian clothing and accessory brands I like shopping so that if you are looking to pivot even some of your purchases you have more options.

Clockwise from the top: Simons // Aritzia // Mejuri // Kotn // La Canadienne // Opelle // Left on Friday // Maguire // Monos

Great Canadian Brands to Shop

Aritzia – started in Vancouver and has been a staple at Canadian malls. I tend to stick to natural fibers when I shop here. Most of my Aritzia purchases are coats, knitwear and accessories. My body doesn’t really fit the Aritzia aesthetic beyond that but I will say they have gotten more size inclusive lately. My latest purchase from Aritzia are these sun hats and I LOVE THEM!

Simons – a Quebec based department store that has in recent years started expanding westward in Canada. Still aside from the larger Canadian cities their presence is non existent outside of Quebec. But they have a pretty decent website and I have found lots of fantastic items from their in house brands which more often than not are ridiculously affordable. My last Simons purchase was this coat. I find that Simons has more of a European vibe compared with other Canadian retailers.

Kotn – This is a brand that I have watched for a while but didn’t shop from until recently. I bought a few of their tees and now I am hooked. They are fantastic. I do wish they had some colours (or stripes!) beyond black and white (I am not going to buy something in puce) and I wish their size range was more size inclusive. I am in an XXL which is the equivalent of a size 12-14. If the average size in North America is a size 18 but it isn’t even offered in most stores how many customers are brands missing out on? That is a discussion for another day.

Mejuri – Most of the jewelry I wear on a daily basis is Mejuri. They are based out of Toronto and have really classic easy designs but they are also really affordable. My most worn pair of earrings from them that are still sold (some styles have been discontinued) are these dome hoops.

Monos – Ok yes this isn’t a clothing brand (although they do sell travel clothing as well) but luggage is something we need if we are going to travel. I used this on our trips last year to Banff and to Spain. They fit the overhead bin requirements and they look good.

La Canadienne – I feel like this brand is more known for their stylish boots. But I bought two pairs of sandals from them last year and they are so amazing. Yes they are pricey but the quality is fanastic.

Maguire – Another Quebec based shoe brand. Another brand that has great winter boots. More fashion boots that still work well in the winter as opposed to trudging through the snow boots. I have this boot with the shearling lining and I have had them for years and they still look great. I wear them alot to the arena to watch my son’s hockey and my feet are never cold.

Opelle – I need to rotate my bags more often like I used to but this is one of my all time favourites. The Vanda. It is the bag that made me realize that I prefer it to any designer bag I have. The softer supple leather is more my vibe. I am loving this croc tote.

Understance – This is a Canadian underwear brand that I have been shopping quite a bit lately. I love their Tilda bra and pima cotton underwear. The prices are pretty reasonable too. Usually high end bras are over $100 easily. I would say use their sizing tool as I was a bigger bra size than I thought!

Asile – period underware have become very popular in the last few years. I transitioned away from plastic pads to washable ones a number of years ago when I was getting very irritated down there from wearing regular pads. Once you go to cloth pads you won’t go back. They are so much softer and way more absorbant. Another brand we like is Illum but I am not sure if they are going out of business because everything is on sale while supplies last. There boy shorts are fantastic for overnight period protection.

There are also a few hair care brands that I want to try. Greenroom makes the suds shampoo bars and I really need to make an order. Shampoo bars are fantastic for travel as you are packing less liquids. I am also going back to Live Clean shampoo which I used to use regularly years ago.

Left on Friday is another Canadian brand that I would like to try. In fact I would have snapped up one of their swimsuits already if they weren’t sold out in everything in my size. Hopefully they restock soon and I can try them out!

I know I have barely scratched the surface when it comes to great Canadian Brands. But these are the ones that I have shopped and have had good experiences with and want to recommend. If you have a favourite Canadian brand share in the comments.