SHOP HOURS: Tuesday 12-5/ Wednesday 11-5/ Thursday 11-6/ Friday 12-6/ Saturday 11-5

Blog

  • Valentines Gift Guide

    We were excited to collaborate with O's Clothes, the go-to guy's store in Hamilton, for a valentines gift guide. Whether you're looking for somethi...
  • Behind the Scenes: Winter Lookbook

    We had an amazing weekend shooting our upcoming Winter/Pre-Spring lookbook with an amazing team of people.    Lise Varrette was our wonderful photo...
  • Collaborators: Past and Present

    I'm excited to work with photographer Lise Varrette  this Sunday for our winter/pre-spring lookbook photoshoot. I initially met Lise in 2010 throug...
  • Caitlin Shearer

    I've been a big fan of Caitlin Shearer's illustrations for a while now. Hailing from New South Wales, Australia, Caitlin is known for her feminine,...
  • Horsing Around

    Well we're already 9 days into 2014 but let me officially wish you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2013 was a great year for the shop...I mean we opened...
  • Gift Guide: Canadiana

    Some classic Canadian holiday gifts for your true patriot:

      

      

      

        

    Vintage wool plaid blazer ($45), Set of 3 vintage Canada 1967 glasses ($16), Set of 3 vintage Canada shot glasses ($12), Vintage plaid circle skirt ($34), Vintage wool blankets ($60-75), Hansel from Basel wool tights ($36-38), 2568 Leather Boots ($75), Vintage Canadian Map screenprint by Smash ($40).

    Terry and Deaner would approve!

  • Oskee Wee Wee

    For Hamilton this Sunday is a pretty monumental one! I'm not an avid sports fan but even I will be tuning in on Grey Cup Sunday to watch our Ti- Cats play for their chance at bringing the cup home for the first time since 1999! Plus, an excuse to wear a colour-themed outfit and hear my dad chant Oskee Wee Wee through the house sounds like a great Sunday evening to me. Check out some of my favourite vintage photos from the Hamilton Spectator's Ticat archive:

      

      

    And now some of our black and yellow outfit picks:

    Go get 'em, boys!

    xoxo,

    Girl on the Wing

  • Designer Spotlight: Amarina Norris of Hibou Accessories/ Ursa Major

    They say diamonds are a girl's best friend, but what about pyrite...quartz...chinese crystal? Or how about reclaimed vintage materials? If I had my choice, I'd pick precious gemstones and unique vintage detailing over carats! This is one of the reasons I love Hibou Accessories so much; they add a luxe touch to any outfit without breaking the bank and are always conversation-pieces. I met Hibou designer Amarina Norris years ago and we've had an amazing friendship heavily rooted in our mutual love for vintage clothing, kitty cats, unique style, nostalgia, dance parties and lady-stuff. So when I was ready to open up Girl on the Wing I couldn't wait to ask her for some of her beautiful jewelry to sell! 

    Each piece is carefully handcrafted by Amarina herself at her Toronto east-end studio and feature vintage materials mixed with high-quality gems and metals. I would describe her pieces as simple, yet interesting. Classic, yet trendy. Feminine, yet strong. 

    Like most designers, Amarina has an impressive background and resume that have prepared her for total fashion industry takeover! Trained in Fashion Design, Amarina specialized in plus-size fashion and while working for years in retail she decided she wanted to dedicate her energy to improving the attitudes towards plus-size shopping. As an inspiring advocate for real-not-ideal beauty standards and positive body image, Amarina first made waves with her fashion blog that showcased her own style and confidence. After gaining an impressive following, she decided to take many of her passions and put them together into one business. In July 2013, Amarina opened Ursa Major, an online vintage plus-size clothing shop. Her pieces are all amazing, affordable, unique and sizes 14 and up. She also uses the site to sell her handmade jewelry. 

    We're so happy to have her work in the shop, not only because it's beautiful and well-made, but because Amarina is a successful and inspiring female entrepreneur. Check out some of her pieces we have in shop and be sure to come by and see them in person! We are loving her recent move into hand-embroidered necklaces and her ever-evolving gem collections.

  • black magic woman

    With the fall season upon us and the spooky times just beginning, I've been craving some hocus pocus in my life. I've always loved witchy style and black magic fashion and love this time of year for trying out some darker looks.


    At the shop we're feeling very inspired and longing for layers of black in different textures, big brimmed hats and cozy tights with little ankle booties.


    On a pop culture note, the new season of American Horror Story has started and this time it's all about witches. Best moment so far was when the "Supreme" witch Jessica Lange tells them all to put on something black and they all emerge with floppy black hats, shades and the moodiest outfits.

    Check out some visual inspirations here and keep an eye out for our Witchy window display, which will be unveiled for our Fall Launch party this Friday. 

    P.S. Need a halloween costume? Be a high-fashion witch! No need for a fake nose or green makeup...just deck yourself out in black, get some dark lipstick and cast moody glances at everyone all night long. 

  • Fall Lookbook: Behind the Scenes

    Yesterday we had a great lookbook shoot in the country! I'm so excited to share the photos with you at our Fall Launch next Friday but for now, here are some behind the scenes shots and a little bit about the wonderful team that made it all possible!

    Vai Yu Law was our amazing photographer. She shot out summer lookbook and I am always so happy to work with her. Her calm and cool demeanour on set makes her such a dream to work with and she has such a knack for directing the model while making her feel comfortable. With every shoot I do I always have such a vision in my head of how I want it to look and Vai Yu takes that and makes it ten times better than I ever could have imagined. Hope to be able to collaborate with this wonderful lady for years to come!

    Christina Spina was the amazing hair and makeup artist. I could go on and on about how much I love this lady but the real important thing is how talented she is at what she does. With experience in so many areas of the industry, Christina always brings such a professional yet fun vibe to each shoot. We've worked on many shoots together and although I always seem to ask her for the same simple looks she always gives me something different and classic. For this shoot she did a beautiful fresh face with rosy cheeks and apple red lips and the sweetest country girl braid. I see big things for this girl on the horizon and feel so honoured that she is always there for me!

    Natascha C was our beautiful model from Spot 6. It was my first time working with her but I hope not the last. She looked so adorable as the country girl and I couldn't have asked for a better fit...it was like the outfits, hair and setting were all designed for her. This girl was such a pleasure to work with and while there were times I felt like she was my doll and was putting her in strange places and positions, she never complained once. She's got such a bright future ahead of her and is beautiful inside and out (cheesy, but true!).

     

    Trisha Topalopoulos was my wonderful wardrobe/styling assistant. Many of you have seen her in the shop working and it's hard to forget her outgoing and bubbly personality. Over the past few months we've gotten to do lots of cool stuff for the shop together and I'm so blessed to have her. She is such an expert at keeping things organized and is the ying to my yang when it comes to this sort of thing. We've developed such an amazing way of working together and she just understands my styling direction and we can put together amazing things together. So glad to have her as my permanent right-hand woman.

    Amanda Cordero was our talented prop/setting/visual/ woman of all trades assistant. She's played a huge role in the shop and been the brains behind our past few window displays. Amanda is so great to have on set because I can tell her my idea (as crazy or random as it may sound) and she just goes to work and makes it happen. Everytime I'd come outside to see what she'd put together I was amazed at how she took this image from my brain and made it real. The best part about her is her resourcefulness in getting things accomplished- sometimes it seems like she has one of those magic Mary Poppins bags somewhere because she just seems to pull magic from nothing. So glad to have her on my team.

    Stefan Meier was our wonderful handyman/ heavy lifter/ gracious host and make-it-happen-man. He was so great to offer us his house and property to shoot at and was such a joy to have around. As much as I love working with a group of women, having him around was a breath of fresh air. Whether he was repositioning his tractor or setting up the perfect apple-picking shot, this guy was on it. So glad to have been able to collaborate together and show off his amazing place! 

    Finally, Gypsy and Cat were our furry friends on set and managed to make it into some shots. They were both adorable and surprisingly natural at modeling. Plus they made the day a whole lot cuter. 

    Can't wait to share all the shots with you soon!

  • Hansel from Basel Collection

    Well the weather is changing and the chills are starting to set in so it's perfect timing to announce a new line of socks and tights we'll be carrying! Hansel from Basel is a great company from California that specializes in the cutest adornments for your lovely legs and feet! I've been in love with their lookbooks from the past few years, each showing off their timeless, quirky and cozy esthetic. 

    Our main goal at Girl on the Wing is to bring you a great mix of vintage clothing and cool independent brands and this collection from Hansel from Basel fits right in with the store's style. Their socks, tigh-highs and tights are the perfect fall staple and will keep your tootsies nice and cozy! Check out some of the styles now in shop:

    Tulip Crew $15, Goose Crew (available in Hunter Green and Red) $15

    Thigh Highs: Ribbed Sheer $24 , Chunky Wool $24

    Floral Tights: Jasper, Artwork and Middie $24

    Tights: Rib Wool (available in black, navy and grey) $36 and Donegal Speckled (available in blue and black) $34


    XXX
  • Sand Storm

    Happy to say I am back from a week long vacation to the Southwest! It was a great trip in the state of Arizona and I spent most of my time finding things for the shop. I love all the vintage and antiques there because they're really different from what I normally find here. Over the next week, I'll be unpacking everything and putting lots of new items on the floor. Stay tuned to our Instagram @girlonthewinghamilton for photos of the Desert Collection! And here's a sneak peek...a few shots I did with my lovely and obliging friend Rebecca in Tubac, the town we were staying in, featuring some of my finds!