Gotstyle turns 10 as Toronto gets more dapper
Gotstyle founder and owner Melissa Austria.
Ten years ago I was mostly wearing jeans and tshirts, but somewhere in my subconscious was a desire to dress like a grown man. I was working in the neighbourhood of King and Spadina and had heard of a new “metrosexual” store where you could get tailored clothes and straight razor shaves. Entering Gotstyle was like nothing else in the city at the time – you got the feeling that dressing well was not only cool, it was counter-culture. I bought myself a collared shirt that actually fit properly. And I had my first straight razor shave, realizing that shaving could be a relaxing ritual, not a tedious chore.
The barber shop, still an integral part of the Gotstyle experience.
It’s been a decade since Gotstyle opened and Melissa Austria, the founder and owner, is still on her mission: to help the men of this city dress better.
When Gotstyle launched in 2005, Melissa was partially harnessing that metrosexual trend, a new interest in men’s grooming and style. But she saw beyond the trend. She knew that some men were throwing off the sloppy casual looks and boxy suits of the 90s and were ready to embrace dressing well and dressing slim again. So she stocked her shelves with collared shirts, suits and ties when almost everyone else was selling nothing but tshirts. And she waited.
But Melissa didn’t have to wait long. In fact, I think she actually helped make her dream of a better dressed Toronto a reality. At first, Gotstyle was an outpost in the world of menswear retailing. Now, it is a cornerstone.
I sat down to chat with Melissa because I wanted to know not only what makes Gotstyle tick, but to also get a view on our city’s style from an insider. First and foremost, Melissa believes that style in Toronto is in a much better place than it was ten years ago, especially amongst younger guys. “They’ve grown up in a more stylish world,” she says.
But is this phenomenon of well-dressed men just another trend? Is the return of the suit just a last gasp, as some believe, or is the suit here for another hundred years? “Young guys are buying suits not because they have to for work,” says Melissa, in staunch defence of the suit, “but because they want to for going out.” She believes the suit has a strong future as we move away from casual towards dressy, especially in the business world. Plus, as she points out, guys themselves simply know a lot more about clothes. “When we opened, about 70% of menswear was bought by women. Now, it’s maybe 5%.” Even men’s attitudes to clothes are changing: “it’s not unusual to get straight guys going for brunch then go shopping together.”
The challenging Hook and Furl lapel pins.
And that’s not just a change in the way men think about clothes and shopping, but in the way they think about masculinity. “Guys were scared of fashion [in the past] because they thought it was too dandyish.” But being stylish is masculine, Melissa believes, and for her it’s all about the cut. “If it’s cut right to show off your figure – broad shoulders, bigger chest, trim waistline – that’s a masculine look.” I know that’s true when it comes to a more classic approach to tailored suits, but there are some pieces in Gotstyle that challenge even our contemporary views of men’s style and masculinity – like Hook and Furl’s flamboyant lapel pins (which I’ve written about in the past). Melissa believes these item are for “confident fashion leaders.” To help guys get to that level of confidence, Gotstyle sells “gateway” accessories like silk knit boutonnières and simpler cotton pocket squares.
And Melissa is far from done. Over the next 10 years she plans to open more stores in Toronto, and in the coming months will be launching a print magazine. “It will be a home for Gotstyle’s online editorial and a celebration of the city and our customers,” as she stresses, “with real men and real bodies.” In a world where we aren’t surrounded by well-dressed guys, another voice of inspiration is desperately needed.
But what is it that drives Melissa forward, that keeps her going when, in all truth, there is still so much disregard for style and fashion? It’s summed up in her store’s mandate: ‘Make the guy look good.’ “To me, there is nothing better than making over a guy, and then him seeing himself in the mirror in a new light,” she says with a big smile. “There’s nothing better than making a guy feel good about himself. You can change lives.”
I also believe that changing the way you dress can change who you are, for the better. It happened to me, thanks in no small part to that first visit to Gotstyle all those years ago.
Gotstyle has two locations, 62 Bathurst Street and in the Distillery District.
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