I’ve discovered it’s quite difficult to find a well-made, well-priced, warm, stylish winter jacket in the city.

I’d been to several upscale stores where the coats I tried on, although beautiful, were frighteningly overpriced and – the biggest problem – not that warm. If I’m going to wear an item of clothing every day for six months, it better keep me toasty and last for a couple of seasons! In a country like Canada, you’d think there’d be an entrepreneur, with good sartorial sense, who’d love to wrap us up warmly for the winter.

And I thought one didn’t exist in Toronto, until a cold January day when I stumbled into Lorne’s Coats at 101 Spadina Avenue. The place was busy; bustling with men and women of all ages, sorting through racks and racks of hand-made winter coats.

I was blown away by this store that only sells winter jackets – what a fabulous market to corner in this city!

I tried on a coat and the quality of the lustrous cashmere and full, thick lining was impressive. They offered a variety of styles, cuts and colours. The craftsmanship was apparent as soon as I put it on – it fit well, was warm and would clearly withstand a couple seasons worth of wear and tear.

I spoke to the owner of the store and he was extremely friendly – he said they would alter the coat on premises, and they’d be happy to do any alterations on the coat after you buy it (fixing a button, stitching up the lining).

It made me realize a store like this is a rare gem – a clothier that specialized in one garment, and does so with a passion and professionalism that in the days of giant, corporately owned department stores, seems lost.

Vanessa