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My Favourite Canadian Brands part II


So I know once again, I've been a bit absent from the blogging world! December was definitely a ride, I got sick while I was supposed to be finishing up four assignments, I finally finished all that work on December 20th, and then I got sick again a few days later. It was definitely an odd, stressful month.

When I wrote my first list of favourite Canadian lingerie brands back in August, I knew that I wanted to follow up with that list down the road. There were quite a few brands that I had my eye on and I wanted to see what they'd do in the following months, and I figured I would discover other brands over the course of the next few months. Now I think the time has come to write a second part to the first list, and I hope you enjoy it, see some brands you love and discover some new ones! Like before, let me know if I've missed anyone and if there are any other Canadian brands I should check out.

From very early on in my modelling, Artifice Clothing was a brand that I became aware of and interested in. They're based in Toronto and models and photographers I began to become acquainted with worked with the brand and I saw their pieces being used in all sorts of ways. Artifice creates mostly fetishwear but also cosplay and accessories, like gloves, belts, neck corsets, and shoulder corsets, to match their large collections. They not only make lingerie and corsets, but they also have a full line of clothing that they often pair their lingerie with. The brand makes most of their collections with PVC and they've experimented with glow-in-the-dark elements in some of their pieces, which is something I've never seen before. I'd have to say that Artifice is one of the most unique lingerie brands around, not to mention their prices are pretty decent.

Another Toronto brand, Bettie Fatal is the brainchild of Avery Barsony who not only sews and designs all the lingerie in the collection, but she also shoots and models for her look books. Bettie Fatal has diverse collections from dark and vampy (like the most recent collection which was inspired by The Love Witch), to ultra-femme, to sporty NASCAR inspired looks. The brand began in 2012, mostly focusing on lingerie accessories, but expanded to making lingerie in 2015. Barsony says that she saw a lack of diversity in the lingerie industry and she wanted to change that by creating size inclusive garments and look books featuring models of all sizes and ethnicities. Their look books are one of my favourite things about the brand, it's refreshing to see all sorts of people who are often ignored by mainstream lingerie campaigns rocking lingerie and generally looking like they're having a great time. I'm looking forward to seeing more brands be inclusive in their marketing!

This is a brand that I wanted to feature on my previous Canadian lingerie list, but their website seemed to be down over the summer when I was writing it, and their social media hadn't been updated in a while. I was delighted to hear in October that Ellesmere Lingerie was making a return, and with a full-bust collection. The brand is based in Montreal and designer, Julia, draws inspiration from the Nordic Lights that she'd see in her childhood growing up in the Yukon (for those of you unfamiliar with Canada, that's very far north and I'd imagine very cold!). Ellesmere Lingerie is delicate and unabashedly feminine, while still remaining supportive and functional. I also adore their look books, their latest one, featuring the fabulous full-bust lingerie blogger, Wen of Comics Girls Need Bras, is a beautiful series shot on 35mm film. I adore the look of film photography, and it captures images in a way that digital still can't quite mimic.

Another Toronto designer, MARY YOUNG uses minimalist silhouettes and uses soft jerseys, knits, and elastics to create lingerie that not only looks good, but feels good. The brand creates garments that are designed to move with the body that are long lasting. MARY YOUNG is focused on breaking against the confines of traditional sexuality and seeks to broaden the idea of what is sexy and they're doing this with their Self Love Club. It is a series of seven women who open up about their journeys of self-love. MARY YOUNG donates $3 from every sale to Raw Beauty Talks, a non-profit society that promotes the mental and physical health of young girls by increasing their confidence through education on self-love in schools, public events, and media.

A brief departure from traditional lingerie, House of Etiquette is a latex clothing brand that designs quite a bit of lingerie. I wanted to include them because they make beautiful pieces and I also believe that everyone should try latex at least once in their lives. I've had the pleasure of modelling House of Etiquette lingerie and clothing, and the quality and the way it makes me feel makes it deserving of a mention on this list. The brand was founded in Toronto by Ashley Davies and Mina Smart and has been featured in countless publications, and in the Victoria's Secret fashion show. All items on their website are handmade to order in a huge variety of colours for each item, but items can be found in select brick and mortar stores in Toronto and Montreal. If you're looking for latex lingerie, I'd definitely start with House of Etiquette.

Another Toronto brand (there seems to be a theme here...), Queen of Suburbia creates lingerie that's custom made for every customer with soft fabrics and silhouettes. The brand started off as a blog focusing on lingerie fit, as designer Megan couldn't find lingerie that fit her properly, but developed into a full-fledged lingerie addiction. Megan started Queen of Suburbia when she realized that she was working a degree she didn't enjoy and wanted to pursue fashion design. Queen of Suburbia is inspired by bright colours and prints alongside soft laces, and they create lingerie that is a combination of simplicity with a feminine touch that's made to fit every customer who orders from them. The brand strives to create a perfect fit for everyone and all items are made to order.

This brand I'll include in the list even though it is based in Montreal and New York as designer, Charlie, studied fashion in Montreal and spends time in both cities. Charlie Paille not only designs and makes her lingerie, but she also models it. Before launching her brand, Charlie moved from Canada to the US to pursue a modelling career. Aside from being a beautiful and talented model, she also has a great eye for creating beautiful pieces and pairing different fabrics and cuts together to create her lingerie. Some of my favourite pieces combine multiple textures, prints and cuts.

Sweet Carousel differs a bit from the other brands mentioned on this list because they specialize in creating pieces for burlesque costumes. I've been a long admirer of the brand, and of burlesque in general. When I started modelling, the intention was to also be a burlesque performer, but I never had the time for it. Anyhow, the Edmonton-based brand was created in 2007 by Elise Truong, who is also currently the President of the Edmonton Burlesque Festival. She created the brand with the intention of preserving "slow fashion" i.e: clothes that take longer to make that last for many years. Sweet Carousel mostly makes corsets, but they also take custom orders which can include 3-piece lingerie sets, along with pasties and other accessories for a lingerie look or burlesque costume. Sweet Carousel's customers are not only burlesque performers, but come from all walks of life including: brides, dominatrixes, musicians, drag queens, and pretty much anyone who has an interest in corsetry. The brand has dressed Lady Gaga, Amanda Lepore, and Masuimi Max and has won numerous awards. Every item is made-to-order and usually has a turnaround time of 6 to 8 weeks.

Hamilton-based Rosalie Wynne focuses on creating bralettes and nursing bralettes that fit A-H cups and 26-36 bands, a wide range for non-wired bras. Rosalie became interested in fashion at a young age and went on to study costume design in Vancouver. When she moved back to Ontario, she discovered bralettes and decided to create them in sizes that were harder to find and could fit people like herself. I've met many people who don't like wearing wired bras, but often bralettes aren't an alternative due to the lack of support. Brands like Rosalie Wynne are great because they're bridging the gap for these customers. It also helps that they're pretty too! They also make bottoms that range from XS-XL, but custom sizes can be ordered for those who fall out of this size range.


Luxury lingerie and swimwear brand, Less is A'Mor truly has a way with beautiful lace. Russian-born Irina Shad studied fashion design at George Brown College in Toronto and interned at a design house in India, with the intention of creating her own brand. Shad started Less is A'mor after graduating in 2013 and seeks to highlight the natural beauty of the body, without altering it or smoothing it in any way. Their use of gorgeous laces and letting beautiful fabrics take centre stage is what I love most about the brand. Less is A'mor creates beautiful silhouettes and interesting cuts, while letting the textiles they use shine. Their lingerie ranges from ultra-femme to bondage-inspired, but everything maintains the sophistication you'd expect from a luxury brand.


Last but not least is Jordan de Ruiter, who appears to have started her line within the last year! The namesake designer, de Ruiter, also attended George Brown College for fashion design, and her brand is based out of Toronto. Jordan de Ruiter makes lingerie as well as ready-to-wear collections and her work is colourful, feminine, and often inspired by vintage clothing. The line has a girlish whimsy that is echoed in their lookbooks that look as though they would fit in well on a Pinterest wedding board. What I love about their lingerie is the interesting textiles and beautiful embroidery on a lot of the pieces. I shared the knickers above because the fabric is so unique, and also because I love a good tapestry print. Unfortunately, their size range appears to be fairly small for bralettes and knickers, but everything is made to order so I suspect there wouldn't be too much of a problem creating custom sizes.

I hope you liked this round-up of Canadian lingerie brands, let me know what you think in the comments! Have you tried any of these brands? Are there any you'd like to try?


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