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Peach Berserk
Categories: Shopping Fashion Women's Clothing Education Specialty Schools Women's Clothing, Specialty Schools [Edit]
507 Queen Street WToronto, ON M5V
Neighbourhoods: Alexandra Park, Queen Street West
(416) 504-1711
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 7 pm
Sun 12 pm - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
11 reviews for Peach Berserk
11 reviews in English
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Review from Jaclyn K.
Updated - 3/7/2012
Peach Berserk is not a wedding dress boutique, which is in part what makes it the BEST place to buy a wedding dress. This is a haven for the laid-back bride who wants a gorgeous, bespoke dress without the princess bullshit.
I was planning an elopement and, having found a near-perfect dress online--which would have cost a fortune in shipping/customs fees from the US to Canada--I brought the pictures into Peach Berserk to see what they could do. Several fun fittings later, I walked out with my ideal dress that fit like a dream and looked great in photos. (For those who are wondering, Peach Berserk is entirely capable of producing a more traditional-looking dress without the bright colours and screen-prints. Mine was a classic A-line, knee-length dress in off-white raw silk.)
I had also previously brought in an old, too-large dress and had them rework it into something more tailored and interesting.
The ladies at Peach Berserk are craftspeople who know their trade inside and out. If the dresses on their website and in store don't appeal, don't be afraid to ask about a custom piece. You are certain to end up with something you love!
(Apparently this review has previously been considered too enthusiastic by Yelp and was taken down. I promise this is a genuine, honest review--I really just had such a great experience!)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/5/2012
Peach Berserk is not a wedding dress boutique, which is in part what makes it the BEST place to buy… Read more »
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Review from Jarvis E.
Toronto, ON
Originally when I was thinking of taking a Silk Screening Class I had another place in mind. turns out Casie Stewart recommended Peach Berserk...and when Casie Recommends a place it usually is a winner :)
The store itself is a work of art filled with every color imaginable. I took the Silk Screening Class and was sooooo impressed with how cool the instructor was and Kingy, the owner herself is a GEM...you should see all the Prints she has made..Actually I am renting the studio tomorrow to make my own prints and putting logo's on my own clothes...
I highly recommend taking the full day class. Now I can design and make all my clothes for nothing really. Usually you have to pay a printing company to make the shirts and it costs a fortune. I can now make T-Shirts for less than $2 a piece with MY Design! :) -
Review from K W.
Toronto, ON
3/7/2012
Quite simply put, this is one of the best fashion finds...maybe anywhere. You can pick anything in the store and they will custom design it just for you at the same price. I found Kingi to be not only good with me, but also so tuned in when it came to my teenager and her taste. They offer workshops and will even let you bring your friends and have a silkscreening party! Such a pleasure to shop here and such nice staff! 5 stars and maybe even 6 if that was an option!
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Review from Hilary S.
12/21/2010
I honestly feel awful saying this, but I did not have a good experience with Kingi. I understand everyone raves about her--actually my friend took me here because she had an awesome experience with Kingi. It just didn't happen for me.
But aside from that, my time with Peach Berserk was amazing. The girls working there were super nice. I came here at the end of grade twelve to get a dress for prom--and I couldn't find anything I liked so they ended up making one for me.
The people here were really patient as I chose my colour and design pattern for the silk (I must have spend over an hour!), as well as while I had a go at being a fashion designer! I gave them an idea of what I wanted, and voila. A week later I was called back in for fitting and alterations, and a week after that my fabulous one-of-a-kind prom dress was done.
Everyone here is super talented, friendly, and decidedly funky. I would leave it up to these women to make anything important without hesitation--they won't fail you :]Listed in: Shopping or browsing
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Review from Devyn G.
Toronto, ON
7/31/2009 ROTD 9/3/2009
For a dude who loves to see his partner clad in a sassy, comfortable,
deliciously alternative allure, I can't imagine a better place to have
been shoppin' with my new grrlfriend on our first date.
Not only did I get to check out her taste in clothes, but I found myself introduced to a great store operated by a way cool rebel. Owner Kingi Carpenter gave my partner direct and sensible attention as she selected from among the clever silkscreen prints featuring old school tattoo art, pin-ups, hot dudes, lipsticky stuff, and more. What a perfect place to find a Queen West look that's practical and comfy for a hot summer. When my partner made her choice, Kingi wasted no time in setting herself down to her antique sewing machine and made quick work of the dress to ensure the best fit on her petite bod. Outstanding.
Definitely a place I'll keep in mind when those birthdays and
anniversaries come around. But don't tell the new girlfriend, eh?
She'll get spoiled.Listed in: Queen West
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Review from Christine T.
8/20/2009
You rock my world in such a profound way. If Betsey Johnson and Vivienne Westwood had a creative lovechild it would be Peach Berserk.
Creative design meets eye popping delicious silkscreen prints. The store doubles as a studio, so if you don't see what you want they will whip it up for your fabulous self. Worth a visit just for the experience. Good luck leaving empty handed!Listed in: Fashion Forward Finds
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Review from Hanna C.
Vancouver, BC
5/21/2009
Kingi and Peach Berserk are great. What you see is what you get.
There's no Walmart greeter when you walk in, but that's a good thing. Kingi (the principal designer/owner) is usually found floating in and around. The store also has a massive workspace visible behind the 'retail' area. The whole vibe is very laidback and open.
It's definitely a place where you'd go for an impactful statement piece. It just seems so quintessentially Toronto and class 'Queen West'. It's one of those places that pays little regard to 'contemporary fashion' and simply makes what it does best, and what its fans love about it: beautiful and mischieveously lovely silkscreened garments.
But i'm not here to be a fashion critic. I'm here to talk about some of the best customer service i've gotten from a boutique in a long time (maybe ever?). See, i bought this dress. It was an impulse buy. It was on sale. ;) it needed alterations. 3 times. long story short, i never paid for the 2nd and 3rd round of alteratoins, and was never given any attitude. Even though a full year passed from round 2 and 3 (i moved coasts!), nary a lifted eyebrow or exasperated sigh. Just totally awesome service.
i'm so impressed and pleased with this, and wish that all the places i shopped at were this accommodating and nice!
I guess the moral of the story here is, Kingi takes pride in her work, and is happy to make you happy wearing her clothes. Each of her pieces screams 'Peach Berserk" to any knowing eye, and it's clear that she makes the effort to ensure that the person wearing her design looks good in it! -
Review from thebuzz l.
8/17/2009
What's better than custom made clothing? Uber hip designer/owner Kingi creates everything in house: Really, from concept and print design (or your design ) and makes amazing clothing that are really unique .
The process from print to clothing item is magical. Be warned, once you shop here you will be spoiled- customer service is top notch along with the selection of clothing. Peach Berserk was the highlight of my most recent trip. -
Review from Dardana M.
ON
12/1/2008 2 photos
Peach Berserk is one of those places on Queen West that is something of a modern-day landmark. It's been there as long as I can remember, and I am specifically always reminded of that episode of "Ready or Not" where Amanda wanted to be fashionable, and stared longingly through its window at the beautiful, grown-up girls and their radical clothes.
The specialty here is silkscreening- all of the clothes are handmade on brightly-coloured fabrics which usually display all-over prints of anything imaginable. They also have items that focus on one large image, like the shirt with Kurt Cobain (vibrant green background) that I...yes, stared at longingly through the window a couple months ago, and was expecting to be there now that I can finally purchase it (which it isn't). The Obama ones were cool and all, but just didn't fill the void.
So yes, the fabric; you can also buy your own, pre-printed, and be your own seamstress, and I believe they still offer silkscreening classes, which I've had on my "to-do" list for awhile. I really dig the fact that a store like this sticks to its own unique style, not paying all that much attention to trends, but just doing its thing. Although, I think the staff could be a little friendlier. I guess she knew I wasn't going to buy that dress... -
Review from Maura B.
7/23/2009
Oh, Peach Berserk, you are so wonderful yet so frustrating. I've only been able to make it to the Toronto shop once, and have done all the rest of my business with PB via mail order. My experience has been mixed-- while I absolutely love PB's funky fabrics, and I've had nothing but a lovely experience ordering over the phone with Kingi or her assistants, I've had some problems with sizing.
I'm a big woman and have to submit my measurements when I order, since they don't quite fit PB's standard sizes. Sometimes this works great, and the pieces I get fit just fine, look the way I want, no problem! Sometimes... not so much. One order I placed was for two dresses in the same style, plus alterations on a skirt I'd ordered earlier and had received bias-cut when I asked for A-line. I submitted the same measurements for all three garments. When I got them, one of the dresses fit perfectly, one of them would fit great if I lost five pounds (which, hey, I could stand to do anyway), and the skirt still wasn't cut as I'd requested. I sew myself, and I know it can be tricky to sew for a client long distance with just a few measurements to go on, so I am totally sympathetic to this.
And, gosh darn it, I LOVE their clothes when they come out the way I want. If you can shop at the boutique and/or deal with alterations at the store in person, I recommend Peach Berserk wholeheartedly. Otherwise, if you're handy with a needle, you might consider ordering their funky fabric and sewing up garments yourself- something I may do next time.
(By the way, my favorite prints are Cute Guys, Spam, Sew What, and the new Rats.) -
Review from JeN C.
Ajax, ON
4/11/2011
Been coming here for 10+ years (whenever I have a special occasion and a few extra dollars to spare). If you ever wanted an original piece but weren't quite sure what to get, this is the perfect place to customize your dream dress (or skirt, or jacket, or shirt, etc).
While definitely not among the cheaper stores, the amount of variability in your clothing choices makes it worthwhile. Kingi and the rest of the staff are very friendly and helpful. They aren't afraid to tell you what they are and aren't able to do.
I always have a fun time while in this store! Where else will you actually get asked to try on items and flounce around the store while cameras snap away at your cheesy modelling attempt?
You can buy off the rack or get something customized with one of their many crazy patterns at no extra charge.
If you aren't perfectly satisfied with a dye job, you can always ask them to fix it. If you don't have 500$ in your pocket for a dress right away, Kingi offers a payment plan as an option.
If you don't like any of the Peach Berserk designs, you can always take one of Kingi's silk-screening classes and make your own!
