After years hoisting around mammoth sized bags all the best-dressed girls are ditching them for mini ones instead. As Justine Picardie wrote in the Telegraph, “…if our emotional baggage is already a sufficiently heavy burden, why add to the load with an excess of physical luggage?”

Quite right too. We’ve got our sights on a gorgeous pouchette designed and handmade here in Toronto by one-woman-bag-band, Amy Malcolm. Her chic line Oppele Creative includes larger totes and tasseled handbags too, but we like these small and perfectly formed pouches ($54).

There’s room enough for life’s essentials. And really, what more does a girl need? —Athena Tsavliris

www.etsy.com/people/opellecreative 

Holidays call for light and breezy dresses worn with flats and a barefaced glow.

These ones ($66) from Etsy seller Ramies tick every box. They are custom-made to your digits, feature charming accents (pleats, pockets and pretty buttons) and come in a comfy, breathable linen.

I chose the Summertime dress in sorbet pinks and lilacs, but it is available in every colour you could possibly wish for.

Sadly, my summer will not include a Roman holiday, but this dress will happily take me to Muskoka and back. —Athena Tsavliris

www.etsy.com/shop/ramies

The best cards are handmade, everyone knows. But who says they have to be made by your hands?

Deadweight, a.k.a. local artist Sandi Falconer, handpaints geometric prints and simple scribbles on highly individual cards. One says "good luck" over a horseshoe; another is just sugary pink triangles and licorice-black lines. The unfanciness of her work makes sentiment feel fresh again.

A card by Falconer beats some factory-made feeling—hands down. —SNP

$3-$4 each on Etsy.

Who recalls Prada’s jewel toned turbans of a few seasons back? Well, thanks to Issa, Vena Cava and Milly, to name a few, the turban is back for spring.

Here in Toronto, Leilanni Todd’s half turbans ($6) are a happy medium for the girl not quite ready for her close-up. Made from velvet and available in a bunch of colours, the headbands are practical, chic and perform an instant facelift.

Of course, if you’re blessed with natural chutzpah and can pull off a turban with aplomb (cue Elizabeth Taylor) check out Todd’s full turbans too. —AT

http://leilanni.com

You know that friend who always has the perfect twist to her scarf, the to-die-for bag and the most recherchez thrift store finds? She just set up shop in Toronto.

In 2009 Breanna Musgrove left her post as an Aritzia Creative Director, packed her things and moved to Puerto Vallarta with her BF.  Between Spanish lessons and trips to Sayulita, she launched Scout & Catalogue, a gorgeous collection of handmade bags, scarves and accessories, inspired by Mexico’s boho vibe. 

Now settled in Toronto, she has added new lines to the mix. We love the super-soft leather Market Day Bucket Bag (US$134) for fall.

And for covetable vintage finds, peruse the Scout & Catalogue Yard Sale, which is packed with secondhand gems that Musgrove has lovingly restored.

Scout & Catalogue: www.etsy.com/shop/scoutandcatalogue

Yard Sale: www.etsy.com/shop/scoutandcatalogueys

Who remembers holidaying with a hot pink Kodak-for-Fisher-Price camera?

Brooklyn-based photographer Mina Georgescu has turned her childhood hobby into a body of work that is truly magical.

Her Coney Island and Other Magical Places series conjures memories of eating candyfloss on a ferris wheel or building sandcastles under a steaming hot sun.

If only we could say the same for our weird and wonky holiday snaps.

www.minagraphy.com

Gwyneth and Winona. Lauren and Heidi. Kelly and Brenda. Friend breakups are the worst.

Make sure your BFF knows you love and appreciate her with a You and Me necklace from elephantine (US$50). The ultra delicate piece comes in a shimmering silver or gold chain and a curved row of tiny beads in pink or gray. Each order is for two necklaces, one for her and one for you, so you can coordinate your looks just like in grade seven.


You and Me necklaces, US$50 for two, www.etsy.com/shop/elephantine

We’ve long had a love affair with the leather bags and bow clutches by Hoakon loves Helga, but now we’re having a summer fling with the line’s newest beach totes and bike bags.

Made from fabric and deconstructed vintage leather jackets, the bags are all handmade in Calgary. The upcycled, fully lined, textured black leather bike bag with a zipper closure and vintage belt straps for attaching to your handlebars (US$65) is the perfect cruiser bike accessory while the Ikat print beach tote (US$65, pictured) even has a pocket for your summer read.

Summer loving happens so fast.

At Hoakon loves Helga’s Etsy Shop.