Toronto’s Original Penguin Store

Don’t be fooled.

Sure, you enjoyed soaking up the summer sun last weekend, possibly filming your own remake of Duran Duran’s “Rio” while setting sail on the lake.

But like all summer dreams, this too has to end.

As autumn rolls in, we, like the penguins before us, will wander away from the water and head inland in preparation for the onslaught of winter. Fortunately, unlike our festive-feathered friends, we’ve got help to get covered up.

To assist with this soon-to-be-pressing matter, we welcome Canada’s first Original Penguin store to the neighbourhood, now open on Queen St. W. at Manning.

Before you head into the store hungry for the latest plaid shirtings, you should know that the shop that has fully-embraced the Mid-Century mindset. With striking wood floors and fixtures, Charles Eames would probably feel at home among the minimalist but clever design.

Laid out before you will be all manner of cardigans, trousers and, soon, overcoats and other Fall gear styled in a way that may have made its mark in the 1950s but still turns heads today. Original Penguin is, after all, an American fashion brand with roots in the ‘50s and ‘60s. This season, the look is more updated than ever, but they’ve preserved a familiar vintage feel. Worn by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Brad Pitt, the brand has built its street cred through the decades with its famed polo shirts (a.k.a. “The Earl”), and it’s on prominent display here.

Take your own style march down Queen and you’ll find some of the best, most trim-fitting wardrobe options ensuring your gentleman of leisure look will be ready just in time for fall. The store also sells some of the best and brightest pairs of socks we’ve seen since Happy Socks commandeered the market (and our feet).

Original Penguin
700 Queen St. W. 416-504-1234

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