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Inside 18 Waits, the Toronto menswear brand’s first flagship on Queen West

By Jean Grant| Photography by Giordano Ciampini
Inside 18 Waits, the Toronto menswear brand's first flagship on Queen West

18 Waits, the latest Toronto brand to set up a bricks-and-mortar location, sells rugged menswear made from soft flannels, sturdy cottons and luxe wools. The materials are sourced from specialized factories in Japan, L.A. and Portugal, with a Toronto facility supplying all its knits—and everything’s made in Canada. Named after the rocker Tom Waits, the store’s heaven for laid-back Toronto guys who live in plaid and love hanging out around the campfire: “We’re a lifestyle brand first,” says founder Daniel Torjman. Shoppers will find outdoorsy decor and a collection of accessories from other brands, including handcrafted spectacles from Berlin-based Lunettes, inside the new 18 Waits space. The brand’s own clothing, like woollen cardigans or heavy-duty waxed cotton jackets, would work as well for a cottage weekend as a night out at Soho House.

The space used to belong to Craft Ontario and was already well designed, so minimal changes were needed. Torjman enlisted a local woodworker to build the displays:

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The walls are decorated with deer skulls that Torjman sourced from a friend who lives in Kentucky:

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This waxed cotton jacket ($475) is one of this season’s most popular items:

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The brand’s former offices on Niagara Street were sold to make way for condos in the spring, providing the kick Torjman needed to open a storefront. The staff has a studio in the back, where they cut patterns and imagine new designs:

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It’s also their office space:

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The brand’s just-launched kids line is called Hopper Hunter (it’s named after Torjman’s and his wife’s son), and includes miniature button-downs and playful shirts made out of high quality materials:

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There are plenty of dad-matching options:

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18 Waits’ sales and marketing manager Jill Wood has a side gig knitting toddler-sized tuques ($50) out of wool and upcycled vintage fur. Her label is called Headmistress:

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Watches from LA brand Tsovet ($335—$569) are also up for grabs:

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As are handcrafted specs from Berlin label Lunette Kollektion ($335):

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990 Queen St. W., 416-303-0018, 18waits.com

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