Earthly Delights

The bewitching beauty of Gwendolyne's whimsy Fascinators continues to captivate at Gwendolyne Hats in Toronto. In fact they are so popular we've created a fresh new collection. These bonny bouquets full of sunshine are in our downtown Boutique right now.

A little bit of Whimsy goes a long way...

Your hats love dress up too! Whether you're off to the beach, a special Summer event, or a Wedding. Gwendolyne Hats & Fascinators will take you there in style.

The warm weather has arrived and Gwendolyne's Garden of Earthly Delights is in full bloom. With antique buttons, silk flowers, feathers & fine fabrics. We create artistic originals in unique colour palettes that celebrate you.

Thousands of people come each year to visit the award-winning Roof Garden here at 401 Richmond St. West. As luck would have it this beautiful garden is just outside our windows & inspires us everyday. These pictures reflect the joy that it brings to our creations.

If you're looking for a touch of magic this Summer I highly recommend you drop by and see what we have to offer. After all Gwendolyne's Boutique is more than hats. It's a colourful shop for Summer.

One of the exciting new additions to our Boutique this year comes all the way from Australia. Maya Neumann's Squash Hats made from woven water Hyacinth are world renowned. They come in many colours & look great with Gwendolyne's new Fascinators

Whimsy Fascinators!

Hold on to your hats!

Gwendolyne has a fabulous new line of whimsy Fascinators. These Earthly Delights are in our Boutique right now. Wonders from our sunny Atelier never cease to amaze. And they're all made right here in Canada.

Spring Buds!

Happy Spring from Gwendolyne Hats. Come on up and share the enthusiasm. We celebrate your spirit with magical things you love and enjoy everyday. Great friends inspire us and make our world go round. Thank you for bringing our art to life.

In Toronto Spring is budding at Gwendolyne Hats Boutique. Our designs are fresh and the colours sing. We're right on Top of the award winning Creative arts building at 401 Richmond St. West. If you love Art, Music, Dance & Design ... This is where it's Hat!

Here our best buds dance the latest sensation; the Spring Tease. "Red light, green light, stop and go. First comes spring and then there's snow." Soon this courtyard and the amazing Roof Garden will burst with Green. All this and more happens everyday, in and around our Atelier.

This Topper transports you with great style and grace. Here in the creative center of our city we frequently receive guests from around the globe. Now this hat full of positive energy is going to Japan. May it help bring renewal to that great nation.






Hold on to your Hats

Gwendolyne has a fabulous new line of whimsy Fascinators. These Earthly Delights are in our Boutique right now for the celebrations ahead. Wonders from our sunny Atelier never cease to amaze. And they're all made right here in Canada.

A Winter Wave.

Our radiant Boutique in Toronto is filled with warmth and colour. It may be cold and snowy outside but we have the perfect antidote. Don't let those gloomy gray days of Winter get you down. Come to our Happy Valentines Day Sale and lift your spirits with a little magic. After all it is the year of the Rabbit!



Our creative life is moving forward in leaps and bounds. To top it all off, Gwendolyne's working on a limited edition of our famous Tibetan design to celebrate our 20th anniversary. Here Gwendolyne is modeling an icy blue version of her latest Winter Wave. It's matched with one of our a hand-fringed boucle knit scarves.



This little "Snow bird" didn't make it south for the winter. But toss in one of our hand-fringed boucle knit scarves and you've got a cozy carpet ride all season long. Did you know you can follow Gwendolyne Hats on Twitter? We love taking pictures and sharing positive energy with the world. See our latest Twitpics on the left of this blog.



Last year one of our special clients requested a Russian Ushanka hat. That promise was finally delivered to Ken this January and he was very pleased. Now named the Winter Wave this design is made from a double layer wool weave, Italian Lamb shearling and lined with cotton flannel. It’s luxurious feel is equally matched with great warmth for the coldest winter months.



Here we pause for Tea and tarts as Gwendolyne unwraps her new scarf design. It's made from a rare double-knit Italian wool and has a unique tape measure art applique accent. 

We're thinking ahead to a New Year of style and great taste.
Come to our Shop to look your best.
Happy Valentines Day!

Good Vibrations!

It's Summer in the city and we are HOT. Our stylish Atelier is right in the heart of the Fashion District. Gwendolyne designs are hand cut and individually made in downtown Toronto. This local landmark marks the spot. The greenery of our building; 401 Richmond St. West, is above the red streetcar in the photo to the right.



Gwendolyne's Boutique is more than beautiful Hats. It's a colourful shop for Summer.  We design, create and sell magical things. Come see for yourself, you'll love it. Our unique accessories for the body and your home radiate with spirit.



Today Suzen Sam is celebrating her brand new Abbey Road. Suzen is the Girl on the go for Google Adwords. She's a buzz of positive energy and loves bees. Gwendolyne sewed a bee on her bonnet and off she went to conquer the world.



Wow! Have a look! This month we've got a full page in Toronto's number one Japanese magazine. I just love the Japanese characters in the copy. The shoot was fun, it taught me a few things about product photography. A special thank you goes out to everyone at bits magazine.



Men love Gwendolyne Hats too! In a world of sameness, men are joining the hunt for personal marks of distinction. Jeff wanted his custom-made hat to feature a maple leaf button cut from the original copper roof that covered our Parliament Buildings. Thoughts like that can shape our destiny. Cast your vote everyday for a better world.

We create beautiful things of value that reflect personality and enhance people's lives. We're proud of what we do and that feels good. What more could you ask for!

Fresh is in!

We're back in the Shop after a wonderful One of a Kind Spring show in T.O. We had a fabulous time. Here's a slideshow with some our favorite moments along the way.



The show was so invigorating it inspired us to do a Spring clean. With a fresh coat of paint and some redecorating we gave our boutique a refreshing new look for the season ahead.



We were pleased and you will be too. Our designer hats and accessories come in all the colours of the rainbow. This season liven up your wardrobe and lift your spirits with some magic.  



Gwendolyne Hats boutique sits on top of a artistic hub in the heart of Toronto. Our Atelier looks out on an award winning roof garden that's bursting with life. Yes our work is beautiful; the landscape we create in makes it even better.



We invite you to visit our building and us during this exciting citywide event.

• Doors Open Toronto ~ May 29-30.

• 401 Richmond St, West. Studio 433 ~ just east of Spadina

If you love Design, Culture and the Arts this is where it's at!

Happy New Year!

It's a brand New Year at Gwendolyne Hats and life is good. After all the fun, festivities and family gatherings we got some rest. Now completely renewed, we're beginning our year with great creativity and invention. We're thankful for the day and excited by what the future has to offer.

People loved our new Winter Collection at the One of a Kind Show in Toronto. Our booth was the best ever. We had fun and a wonderful time was had by all. This year the annual competition had a teapot theme. Gwendolyne was thrilled making her beautiful pincushion teapot & Wow! She won 3rd prize. It was such an honour to receive recognition amongst so many fabulous creations by other artists. Our cup runneth over!



You too could have fun creating your own pincushion curio. Sign up for a Spring course at Atelier Gwendolyne. It's a great idea for a gift or a special treat for yourself. Please contact us to enroll.

This charming & informative interview was shot in our booth during the show. Gwendolyne speaks very eloquently about her work & what she believes in. Have a look. It's good to the last shot.



What the world needs now is love sweet love...

That's the only thing that there's just to little of... So this New Year's Eve under the light of the blue moon, that's exactly what we wished for everyone. Love is the great connector that brings meaning to our lives. The more you give the more you get. The more you get the better you feel.

When you love life it loves you back.

Turn up the Heat

Our radiant Shop awaits... It's brimming with beautiful things. We bring artistry, fresh design and fine materials to practical accessories. So you can look your best and feel it too. Once you've experienced a Gwendolyne design you understand. Our kind of quality creates a lasting impression.

We'd love to show you our latest. There's something for everyone at Gwendolyne Hats. We've introduced exciting new designs & a range of affordable prices to please. Make it an outing, bring friends and enjoy.



Gwendolyne makes magic in the heart of her Atelier.
Sometimes her surroundings are as exciting as the finished piece.
Beautiful materials inspire great things, details create character.



We create modern classics you enjoy everyday.
All the world's a stage. You can play the Romantic in our new Corona.



Cordy cap & Boucle scarf with an autumn fringe.
Never underestimate the benefits of a great hat and scarf. A warm smile & cozy disposition can change your day. We took this picture out on the street. I wanted to capture Toronto's vibrant urban culture.

Many coloured scarves & a Mikado shoulder bag in blue.

The cavalcade of colour outside our windows has been absolutely stunning. It's just so beautiful I had to get some pictures. To see my slideshow click here.You'll get the first peak at our new Amelia design, as in Earhart the aviator. Yes a new Gwendolyne hat with earflaps has arrived.

Avoid the crowds. Shop with us before we go to the One of a Kind Show.
Our cozy Shop is where you'll get the most selection & personal service.

We look forward to your arrival!
Our last shopping day before the show is Friday November the 20th.

Harvest Moon

Abbey Road & Boucle scarf with wool fringe
The midnight oil has been burning bright in our beautiful downtown Atelier.
Life is rich and full as we prepare for the season ahead. This year's harvest
is sweet and our tasty new treats are ripe for the picking. Here's some
imagery to celebrate the colours of Autumn.

The Abbey Road our classic peaked cap.
It was a sunny Sunday afternoon...together we created this still life with some of the tools of our trade. We wanted to illustrate how our work brings old world craft to life with a modern sensibility and style.

The Bean our funky wool toque.
People inspire our designs. This year three talented women brought our artistry
to life on camera. We got some great pictures and had a lot of fun!
Click here to see more of our photo shoot with Dana in Toronto's Kensington Market.

If you love Gwendolyne Hats . . .
Watch for frequent updates to our blog. We have so many exciting things to show you. You can subscribe to our posts below. Feedback is appreciated, inspire us with a comment.

Visit our downtown Atelier where culture art and fashion meet.
Discover a magical Shop that welcomes the creative spirit and celebrates individuality.

Spread the word!

Our Garden of Earthly Delights

It’s been a different kind of summer this year in Toronto, elusive and uncertain. A little bit like our world today. One minute its looking good and the next minute it’s not. The plants have certainly flourished. Perhaps it’s because they follow a natural order. They just keep the faith, move forward with confidence and grow with the flow. I guess the lesson here is to trust your instincts and make the best of what you've got. In short live for the day and advance with optimism.

I read a wonderful quote that sums this thought up nicely:

“Success is a journey not a destination and half the fun is getting there.”
- Gita Bellin

Here are some sunny Summer moments from the award winning Rooftop Garden outside our window. The first is a picture of Gwendolyne, the beautiful spirit who continues to inspire my life. And if you're familiar with Gwendolyne Hats, chances are she’s inspired you too. Many smiling faces have passed through our doors and left with joy in their hearts. Love is the thread that connects our work together. Love is full of meaning. Everything in our Atelier is infused with a little bit of that magic.

"The mind determines what is possible. The heart surpasses it.''
- Pilar Colinta

These days we've been starting work with a refreshing tête-à-tête on the Roof Garden. This peaceful oasis gets our creative juices flowing while nature's power helps to ground us. Our studio is right in the heart of the city. As we contemplate our day ahead we can feel the energy of the urban landscape around us. It's a wonderful balance. While the city feeds our mind and belly, the garden feeds our soul. I dream of a day when the roof tops of the world are green and we all live in greater harmony with nature.

Our work is a magnet for happy people. During the Summer months many travel to our city. They are always thrilled to discover this marvelous building our business calls home. Here is Lily an artist and hat lover from Vancouver who found us on her holiday. One of our greatest pleasures is meeting kindred spirits who like ourselves share their joy and spread happiness wherever they go.

As luck would have it last week we got away for a holiday up north at a cottage on Horseshoe Lake. It was so refreshing to dive into the water and wash our cares away.

It was a well deserved rest. We've been very busy working on some exciting new surprises for the cool seasons ahead. Vacations are relaxing but they're also a great opportunity to see life from a clear perspective. In our case it has re-confirmed our direction. Art is our calling and creativity the driving force behind our life. True to our hearts we have always made choices to follow that path. Nobody said it was going to be easy, but that's just who we are. We create the beautiful things that we think the world should see and we're proud of it. Our bottom line is quality and true value with meaning. This year you can expect our collection to be the best ever. Seize the day and get them while you can. After all where would the world be without flowers.