Shopping on Wellington West

Food. Fashion. And champagne mimosas. 

Those were the three highlights of last Saturday’s Brunch Bunch on Wellington West, a first-time event in Ottawa that featured five newly-opened shops in the area: Flock, Twiss & Weber, Slaysh (originally from Richmond), Victoire, and Viens avec Moi. 

From 10am-12pm, these five new boutiques joined together to offer some delicious snacks and drinks — from SuzyQ donuts and homemade gluten-free muffins, to croissants and sticky buns, to, best of all, virgin and not-so-virgin mimosas (hats off to Slaysh, who boldly went un-virgin).  

The only store I didn’t get a chance to peek inside was Viens avec Moi — Twiss & Weber, Slaysh, and Victoire are all right beside each other, with Fock just across the street from them. I couldn’t find Viens avec Moi.

So, out of the four that I did wander into, did I have a favourite? 

Well, they each had something extremely unique to offer, with shop décor as creative and original as the merchandise they sell. 

There’s Flock, with their stuffed-owl pillows, drawers of buttons, and unique greeting cards scattered throughout the store amidst their racks of clothes. 

Then there’s the original Singer sewing machine sitting inside Slaysh to greet you as you take you first step inside. 

And then there’s the Outfit of the Day and the armoires and Victorian-inspired furniture inside Victoire, where they showcase some truly stunning pieces of jewellery — and where they showcased some equally delicious desserts for the Brunch Bunch. 

From the decor to the desserts, everything was a reflection of the unique clothing each store has to offer: hipster, trendy, and original. 

But if I had to pick a favourite, Twiss & Weber really stood out for me. The two owners of the shop, Twiss and Weber, make their clothes onsite. It was the first store I walked into, and it was the only where I fell in love with a piece so much that I just had to buy it, right then and there — and that was a one-of-the-kind infinity scarf Twiss had made with resistance from a fern she grabbed from her garden and a scrap piece of cotton and bamboo blend fabric.

Now that we’re into Fall (and finally facing some real Fall weather), it’s time to spruce up our wardrobe; check out any of these five boutiques, and you’ll definitely be enchanted. 

And when you’re done, be sure to pop into any of the many independently-owned coffee and pastry shops on Wellington (or even walk your way over to SuzyQ for some of the famous bacon donuts that were offered at Twiss and Weber for the Brunch Bunch).

Because, really, that’s the best part about shopping on Wellington West: you’ll always stumble across something special.