The 12 Best Canadian Brands

Philip Sparks cut his teeth designing costumes for the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada, so when he launched his eponymous brand in 2007, people expected a bit of a flair for the dramatic. The heritage tailoring that he honed for the stage is combined with a sharp modern direction, and every piece is entirely made in Canada.

If this was a list of the best Canadian brand names, Raised by Wolves would be #1. The brand began with colorblocked 5-Panel caps, but has recently put out dope prints and florals and expanded their offerings to include denim, t-shirts, and collaborations with other favorites. Raised by Wolves is putting to bed doubts that Canada can fuck with streetwear on any level.

Klaxon Howl is at the head of the work wear aesthetic in Canada, and harks back to a utilitarian time when clothes had to be as much about function as they were about form. What began as a shop has become a men's brand that is heavy on the camos, wool, and other military influences without taking itself too seriously. Just like Canadians!

Twins Byron and Dexter Peart were tired of looking like schlubs when they traveled, so they took it upon themselves to start up WANT Les Essentials de la Vie so they could jet in style and comfort. What started as luggage has now expanded into other essential accessories like gloves, slippers, and cases for phones and tablets. Now you can stunt on the crying baby and fat person sitting next to you in economy, while looking like you belong in first class.

18 Waits is another Canadian brand that draws influence from a time when men were men, and Canadians were badass beer guzzling lumberjacks and forestmen. Since they still very much are badasses (except for Bieber), 18 Waits uses heavy-duty materials to fashion garments that are 100% made in Canada to protect your neck no matter what nature or man throws your way.

The people at Muttonhead didn't just want to make clothes that look good. They wanted to make clothes that look good when they're drinking beer, frolicking in the woods, and enforcing a slow design mentality that is a backlash against the plague of fast fashion. Using sustainable materials and fair trade practices, Muttonhead has steadily produced collections that look good without shouting it in your face. How un-American of them, which we mean as a compliment.

Herschel Supply Co. has only been around since 2009, but brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack have seemingly gotten their backpacks on almost every stylish dude's back both in Canada and the US. Named after their hometown where their great-grandfather settled in the early 1900s, Herschel is quickly expanding to include other accessories beyond bags. Pretty soon we'll all be covered head to toe in Herschel. This better not be that clandestine Canadian invasion Fox News was warning us about...

Coming out of Vancouver, Reigning Champ is a passion project of CYC, which produces fleece garments for some of the most sought-after brands including Supreme, Alife, and Engineered Garments. When the grandmasters of fleece start up their own company specializing in what they do best, you pay attention. Yet another Canadian company that churns out reliable basics with a focus on production and aesthetic so on-point that you won't ever be let down.

This denim brand was launched by serious denim nerds who were sick of shitty jeans selling for over $300 because it had a celebrity's name attached to it. These guys instead let the fabric speak for itself, and only fuck with the most prestigious denim mills in Japan. Once they get the best and also the wackiest fabrics made in Japan, they create each pair of modern-fitting jeans in Canada. If you're ever in Montreal, just ask these guys a simple question about fabric and be prepared for at least 15 minutes of awesome facts and stories about warp, weft, twill, and blends. Also, props for being name-dropped in an A$AP Rocky song.

Viberg Boots has been outfitting Canadians for harsh winters and summers in the outdoors since 1931. Their original clientele consisted of loggers, miners, and hunters. So yes, these will not fail you when you take a short hike in the woods to Instagram something nature-y. The family-owned business still uses the original 218 hand-made manufacturing steps, which means that a pair of boots takes 20 weeks to make. But what's 20 weeks when these are set to actually last a lifetime?

wings + horns was founded in 2004 with the intention to combine Canadian utilitarianism with Japanese quality. The resulting clothes are as rugged as they are refined, and are a force in the larger arena of menswear. Stocked in some of the most directional stores in Japan, the US, and its home country, wings + horns is definitely a brand to get familiar with, especially since their AW12 inspiration of central Asian nomadic hunters is one of the radder concepts we've heard in a minute.

If there's one Canadian brand that embodies the required balance between performance and aesthetic required to look good while surviving up North, it's Canada Goose. Canada is cold, and this brand is the answer to nut-shriveling temps. Their jackets are literally worn while scaling Mount Everest, and have been keeping Canadians toasty for over 50 years. All production is retained within Canada to ensure quality, and a recent collaboration with Drake grabbed the attention of anyone who wasn't already aware. Grab one of these, and you'll never have to worry about gnarly weather ever again. How good are they? Dennis Quaid wore one in The Day After Tomorrow! Argument over.