Uniquely Petra

As a small boutique with a highly curated selection, we have to work a bit harder than our neighbours at Holt’s. One way we do that is with our personal shopping services, where you can work with someone on our team to tailor an entire wardrobe for you.

Here’s how it works:

STEP 1 — THE CHITCHAT

We’ll begin with a conversation. We’ll ask you to describe your routine to us. Do you work? If so, where? And do you deal with people on a regular basis? Do you sit in boardrooms? Do you make client visits?

And what do your evenings and weekends look like? Do you regularly attend functions? Do you host a lot of parties? Do you like to be outside in the winter? And what do your summer plans usually look like?

From there, we’ll get a sense of what you need in your closet. Then we’ll move on.

STEP 2 — THE WALKTHROUGH

We’ll spend time in the store with you while you browse around and select pieces you like so we can get a sense of your personal style.

As you pick, we’ll ask you why. We may even grab something similar and ask you to compare. Don’t worry, it won’t take us long to figure it out. We’ve been doing this for over 25 years.

STEP 3 — THE PARLOUR

We’ll invite you into the sitting area in the back of the store for an espresso while we pull out a few pieces based on your needs and your style.

We’ll pick out both multipurpose and once-a-year pieces. We’ll tell you about the designers we chose for you and why we chose them. We’ll put full outfits together for you so you don’t have to think when you get home. And we’ll accessorize for you from the selection at the front of the store.

STEP 4 — THE SHOES

No, we don’t sell shoes here. But Ron White is next door and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better selection in the city. We share so many customers, they know what we’re all about and we know they get it.

Up for some personal shopping? Swing by to book a time or give us a call at 416.922.5922. And if regular business hours don’t work for you, we can always book a private visit.

Those Crafty Italians

A few months back, we did a blog post about Spanish fashion ⎯ a relatively young industry compared to Europe’s epicentres, and especially so compared to Italy, the de facto birthplace of style.

With that experience comes clever combinations of innovation and style. We see it every time we go there on a buying trip ⎯ and most recently on our trip to Carella Fashion, a family owned clothier in Treviso, a small town just north of Venice and south of the Alps. We met with the owners, Claudio and Lella, which is always a treat because, as we treat our customers like family, so too do they treat theirs.

The Tonet Line
Lella was positively giddy when she showed us Carella’s fall looks, highlighted by Tonet, their in-house brand. Of Tonet’s many positives, the one that stood out most to us was how well thought out the pieces were. This fabulous reversible jacket is a great example.

One side is great for the office as it’s neutral and looks good with jeans and slacks, while the other side is more suited for evening. Both sides come with deep pockets for keys, phones and gloves ⎯ not a feature we see much of in this kind of piece ⎯ and the 3/4 length is both flattering and functional.

Here’s another piece we gravitated towards in the Carella showroom, a Cashmere and merino wool jacket with suede inset.

Aside from the warm muff around the neck, we love that it’s fully machine washable, which is actually better for cashmere as dry cleaning solvents strip wool of their natural oils.


The Carella Approach to Cashmere

Cashmere comes from the underbelly of the goat, where the hair is finest. The wool is brushed off and only the finest hair closest to the goat’s belly is used in good cashmere. At Carella they also wash the knitted fabric to test shrinkage and durability, ensuring quality that will last for years.


And to guarantee every article of clothing represents the best of Carella, Lella personally trains everyone who works there. Nothing is mass-produced and you’ll feel that attention to detail when you put a piece on.


While Tonet’s definitely among our favourite lines for the fall, we have so many others to show off. You can come by the store during regular business hours (M–W, 10 to 6; T–F, 10 to 7, Sat 10–6 & Sun 12−6), or you can call us at 416.922.5922 to book a special appointment. Because like Claudio and Lella tell us every time we see them, there’s always time for family.

Fashion and Ferrero

Alba, A town nestled in the foothills of the Italian Alps, is home to two powerhouse family businesses.

Ferrero Confections: Tic Tacs, Nutella, Ferrero Rocher pralines and Miroglio Textiles, with numerous brands - we're here for the top line " Diana Gallesi " collection which PK will be introducing to Toronto.

Alba produces the most famous of Italian wines "Barolo" which we will sample tonight! But business comes first .

Miroglio head office in Alba is home to 400 employees. 

We are greeted by Elsa Camurati who is the Director of International Sales and are offered a much needed cappuccino in Miroglio's "Library of Design " 

Then it is on to tour head office,a  meeting about our first delivery with the production and shipping department , meeting the fashion photographers and window designer. 

And lastly the design team. Italian of course but they have added a London designer to the team just to give a certain "edge". 

Planning ahead here are the mood boards for still secret 2017-2018 color and design concepts.

We bid Elsa a warm good bye for today and set off to tour the town of Alba . We agree to meet in their beautiful showroom in Milano the next day

The Duomo and baroque ceiling art .

And the famed Coro Della Maddalena that houses the white truffle auction every October.

Diana Gallesi showroom in Milano where with the assistance of Elsa and Alessandra we make our selections for Spring Summer 2017 based on color themes, cut and fabrics .

We had a good time and are heading back to the vineyards of the Piemonte to sample the famous Barolo and the local specialities like Vitello Tonnato and insalata di carne cruda .....

Summer Sale at PK

The thrill of the hunt  continues at PK Steal The Deal event  with discounts  up to 50% off on our summer fashions.

Spanish Fashion!

Hey there, Barcelona!

When we tell people about our selection of Spanish fashion, they often give us a puzzled look. Because when they think of Petra Karthaus, they think of the finest from France, the most interesting from Italy and what’s gorgeous in Germany.

Spain, not so much.

So we tell them the story of how Barcelona became an A-list hub of design. Then we show them the clothes. And they’re never puzzled again.

A Quick History of the Spanish Textile Business
In the 20th century, Spain was where Italian, French and German clothing designers put their factories. Labour was cheap. Weather was good. And a trip down to check things out could always be bookended with quick jaunts to Ibiza and Majorca.

But most importantly, it was because the Spanish were excellent workers.Their craftsmanship was far superior to what designers found in the Far East, they were proud of what they did and both traits shone through.

Then two things happened: the 1992 Olympics and the creation of the European Union.

The Barcelona games catapulted Spain back on the world stage of creativity. Not since the days of Gaudi and Picasso had Spanish art and culture been so prominent. It lit a fire under the collective feet of Spain’s creative class, including clothing designers who realized they had all the manufacturing they needed in their backyard. They just needed the formal design training and investment to bring their ideas to life.

The Euro Zone solved that problem in two ways. Firstly, it became easier for Spanish designers to study at Northern Europe’s top design schools. Secondly (and more importantly) it infused the Spanish economy with money, helping risk-taking designers either start or expand their lines.

Over the past 25 years, not only has Spain’s clothing industry flourished, but it’s developed a signature look we fell in love with.

Nothing plain in Spain
Everything that makes Spain, well, Spanish comes through in their clothing design. They're big into warm colours, and lots of them. Check out this beautiful tapestry-style maxi dress from Aldo Martins we have in the store right now.

What you can’t see from the picture is how light the dress is. The Spanish do comfortable really well, and if you spend an afternoon drinking Sangria in the sun on the Ramblas, you’ll know why.

Not all Spanish style is that flamboyant. We have a selection of elegant, understated pieces from Aldo Martins that work in even the most conservative settings. But they didn’t miss an opportunity to put their commitment to art front and centre, quite literally.

Next time you’re in, ask about our Aldo Martins collection and about Spanish fashion in general. Dorothea and Clarke can talk about it all day.

Celebrate Mother's Day With PK!

Come by the shop and find something great for MOM! Or just treat yourself to a fabulous day shopping at PK. Either way, we would be happy to see you!

Enjoy $30 on us! 

Staying dry the PK way

The rain is coming. It’s a good thing. Really. 

Firstly, it’s better than snow. 

Secondly, it’s going to bring the bloom out in the city. Incidentally, The One Eighty up on the 51st floor has one of the best views of the greenery. We try to make it up there for dinner at least once every summer. As should you. Amazing views!

But most importantly (to us, at least), rain means raincoats. And raincoats means Mabrun, Italy’s finest choice for a damp day since 1936. We had Suzanne one of our dear friends, come by to model two of our favourites for this season

 We love the cut and feeling of the longer Aderico, the coat for a Saturday morning stroll through the market. The light microfiber is perfect for long walks; the pockets are perfect for your particulars, with room for the odd knickknack you find along the way; and the inner lining’s unique pattern is unmistakably Mabrun.

  The shorter Remy, on the other hand, is a spring weekday staple. Pair it with slacks, skirts or capri pants. Wear it to the office or the next conference, and keep it on after work at the wine bar.

 You can learn more about the Mabrun brand on their website, or you can come by for a visit, have a seat in the back salon and we’ll tell you all about it.

Join us for a Geiger Trunk Show at PK

Join us Thursday, April 7th, and Friday, April 8th for some refreshments and fun at our Geiger Trunk Show. The Geiger trunk show is perfect for planning your fall/winter wardrobe. Not only do you get to see Geiger's full collection in order, but you can also make a down-payment for a fully customizable order that will arrive in the fall. We will also be having a draw to win a $200.00 gift certificate!

Getting Personal with PK

Being a boutique has definite benefits: We can stock what we want. We can stay open as long as we want. We can dress our walls however we want.

But by far the best benefit is how well we get to know our customers. And the ones who get to know us learn quickly that we’re so much more than a women’s clothing store in Manulife Centre. 

Since we opened in 1989, women have asked us to be their personal stylists. They’ve given us control of their closets, and we’ve given them confidence in their look season by season, year by year and, for some, decade by decade. 

Beautiful Blue. Works for any event.

Anja Gockel Germany

Personal styling — The Big Thing. 

It’s not about us.

We’ve tried personal shopping services all over the world, and it’s shocking how many try to push their style instead of working with their customers’ styles. Or worse, they’ll take the lazy route by showing their customers what the celebs-du-jour are doing and recommend they emulate that.

Neither of these approaches works for us.

Instead, we spend the time really getting to know our customers — and not just their styles.

If they need clothes for work, it’s not enough to know what they do. We want to know what they aspire to be so we can style them for the jobs they want.

 If they want event wear that draws a crowd, what kind of crowd are they looking to draw? What do they want to say without saying? And what do they want people to remember most?

Most customers aren’t used to questioning like this, but the goal’s quite simple really: when we’re in Paris, Brussels, Dusseldorf, Munich or Venice on a shopping trip, we want to have the most complete picture possible. This way, if we see something perfect, we can snap it up before one of the thousands of fashion buyers gets to it first.

Aldo Martins Barcelona

Personal styling — The Little Big Things

It’s about fit, both in the experience and in the look.

The former starts with the Petra team. Most of us have owned boutiques: we know what customers look for and our expertise and commitment to the job is unparalleled. When customers get paired with a Petra personal style consultant, they don’t have to wonder.

The Petra Karthaus experience extends beyond the ladies we’re styling. There’s a cozy spot in the back for the men to relax while we do our thing, complete with  champagne, a big-screen TV, comfy lounge chairs and an unobstructed view of how gorgeous their women are.

As for the clothes, we have long-standing relationships with custom tailors, seamstresses, and some of the finest European jewellery makers that let us send you home with the perfectly hemmed and accessorized outfits. 

Van Laack and Gardeur Germany

Personal styling — The Final Thing

Personal style is a team effort.  We’ll encourage you to tell us what you like, but more than that, we’ll ask you to tell us what you don’t like or what doesn’t work, even if we thought it would. 

We’ll ask you if anything’s changed in your life since we saw you last, and we hope you’ll feel comfortable telling us. And we’ll apologize in advance for sending you an email in the middle of the 
night with a picture of something perfect we find for you in a tiny atelier in Venice or at Fashion Week in Paris. It’s just that if you take us on as your personal stylists, we’ll never stop looking out for you. 

Schneiders Austria and Caroline Biss Belgium 

Schneiders Austria

Schneiders Austria

Anja Gockel Germany

Aldo Martins Barcelona and Gardeur Germany