Brooklyn Clothing Co.
Despite its name, this menswear shop is located inside The Pointe on Kensington Rd. N.W. You won’t find any fast fashion or hype beast-baiting streetwear here — Brooklyn’s specialty is classic, long-lasting staples that live much longer than any given trend. It’s usually my first stop for painless denim shopping because the staff give excellent advice and seem to know my style better than I do. Relevant to right now, check out the selection of Reigning Champ apparel, including ultra-cozy athletic wear, and the new Viberg Explorer Pack line of boots inspired by the Canadian Rockies which is exclusive to Brooklyn. It recently reopened but you can shop online if you prefer. — Colin Gallant, Assistant Editor
Brooklyn Clothing Co., 201, 1211 Kensington Rd. N.W., 403-283-4006, brooklynclothing.com
Nanao Kimono
This Japanese lifestyle shop in Kensington is one of my favourite places to browse and buy gifts. Nanao Kimono is full of all sorts of treasures brought from Japan, including towels, tableware, tea and soaps. My favourites are the stationary and art supplies. There are stackable crayons for kids and watercolour brush pens for adults and older kids. You’ll also find beautiful origami papers, 3D pop-up cards, stickers shaped like hamsters and panda pencil cases. While you are there, buy a furoshiki cloth featuring Japanese art that can be used to wrap the gift you buy. — Jaelyn Molyneux, Director of Digital Content and Strategy
225 10 St. N.W., nanaokimono.com
Plant
Call me a typical millennial, but I just love a good plant shop. So it wasn’t surprising at all when I fell in love with Plant the minute I walked in the door. Full of lush plant life and supplies, this Inglewood shop has a warm, calming vibe that is perfect for perusing the plant selection (I’ve certainly picked up my fair share of succulents and fiddle leaf plants here). The store has fostered a dedicated community over the years, no doubt thanks to its friendly and knowledgable staff, wide variety of plants and fun initiatives like its workshops and monthly subscription boxes. Also, if you didn’t say hi to shop dogs Clyde and Lake while you were visiting Plant, did you even go? — Alana Willerton, Digital Editor
1327 9 Ave. S.E., 403-585-4226, plantshop.ca
The Source Snowboards and Skateboards
I have a slight problem as I am nearing the end of my twenties and still dressing like I spend all my time at the skatepark. As such, The Source Snowboards and Skateboards on both 11th Avenue downtown and in Shawnessy, has been my favorite shop forever. The staff is super kind, helpful and, unlike some skate shops, they are very cognizant of how much you want to spend when buying a new board, deck, helmet or whatever else and they don’t try to push top-of-the-line items if it is not what you want. They really have everything you need with a huge selection of shoes, clothing, and gear. — Travis Klemp, Editorial Intern
738 11 Ave. S.W., 403-270-3719 and 16061 Macleod Tr. S.E., 403-201-4521, sourceboards.com