location: 101 Yorkville Ave.
phone number: 416.967.7748
hours: Mon-Weds 10-6, Thurs-Fri 10-8, Sat & Sun 10-6
payment methods: cash, Interac, Visa, MasterCard, American Express
directions: From Bay subway station walk out the Cumberland exit, turn right and then left on Yorkville.

Perched above street level in Toronto’s Yorkville district, Over the Rainbow boasts over 30 years of serving the latest in designer jeans and old classics. The shop is jam-packed with denim, and the colorful neon sign sticks out like a gardener’s thumb among the Yorkville boutiques. The decor is minimal and limited to organizing the stock. With highly organized wooden cubbies and wall shelves, the space resembles an emporium of sorts.

Don’t let the mom and pop shop feel fool you—denim is serious business. They carry over 250 styles of jeans and brands such as Citizens of Humanity, Ben Sherman, and, of course, no jean store could be complete without Levi’s. Over the Rainbow carries both men’s and women’s clothing. But, like the change rooms, the store is 3-1 women’s wear. Their dedication to denim was made apparent when a polite ‘jeans specialist’ offered to size me and told about Naked and Famous, a Montreal-based designer who buys raw denim from Japan. He also reminded me to keep my receipt if I bought anything; all alterations are free on freshly laundered jeans over $150. Free alternations are great, but offering sizes for our fuller figured gal pals would be better; most jeans will come in sizes 0-14.

Over the Rainbow also carries a limited range of trendy shoes, scarves, purses, and sunglasses. Most of the items are priced in the mid-range and, for the more serious trendiod, seasonally disposable. A pair of plastic aviators sunglasses will run you about $28. The rows of jewellery are sure to delight most girls looking for the latest Oslen twins-inspired look, but silver bangles might be enough to even tempt the vintage mavens among us.

Over the Rainbow has all the Yorkville perks of a long history and staff with good product knowledge, but comes with some of the attitude. Climbing the stairs to get to the end of this rainbow really depends on your shopping prerogative. If state-of-the-art silk and paper skinny-legged jeans for you and your guy or, a pair of well crafted long lasting jeans with a similarly long lasting debt are what your after, then this is the place for you.
profile & photography by Zorianna Zurba