Located at the corner of Queen and Portland, Outer Layer is a unique shop filled with items that are great for gift giving. From skincare to mugs, kitchenware, plushies and cards, there is always something for someone there. I've been to Outer Layer more times than I can count if I need to find a gift for someone. Even if I may not find the perfect gift for a friend and family, it's a great shop to browse at as well. Definitely a great spot for some unique gifts for yourself or others! Staff are friendly and I've never had an issue with them. My shopping experience here is pleasant and I never feel rushed or pressured to buy anything. Check out Outer Layer if you're around the Queen and Bathurst area! read more

Very rude staff. I did not feel welcomed there. OK selection of magnets and random stuff.

The cashier was very unplesant . I feel like I was bothering her. I knew what I wanted and go straight for it. Because I have shopped there before covid and curb side pick up. I usually get the perfume there even though it's pricy read more

Outer Layer - Perfume from the Tokyomilk collection. - Cards & Stationery Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

If you want to get a gift for that friend or family member that has an incredible sense of humor then by all means stop by here. This place is filled with things from nice and practical (soaps, lotions, perfumes, jewelry etc) to zany and crazy (poo sprays, crazy tshirts, cards etc). Every corner is packed with some interesting item in here - you can browse to your heart's content! Honestly words can't describe the mush mash of goodness in here so I'll let the pictures do the talking read more

See all

I usually go to the Outer Layer Location in the Annex.. which carries identical merchandises as this Queen Street West location. I enjoy browsing through the jewelleries, natural body products and a lot of things that are neat but you don't really need... Great store to get some cute little gifts to surprise your friends or your love ones. This location is a lot more spacious. A lot more space for me to browse around even with my yoga mat, I do not bump into shelves, things or other customers. Oh and I did not stalk Karl R or bump into him either! read more

Outer Layer - Cards & Stationery Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Outer Layer is a one-stop-shop for gift giving. You can find all sorts of fun items for any price range. These include: tons of luxe bath and body products, jewellery, reusable bags, pins, umbrellas, notebooks, joke books, baby stuff, kitchen accessories, gag gifts, magnets... this list goes on. They also have one of the largest selections of greeting cards -- funny, sappy, and everything in between. Also, if you are going to a same-sex wedding, you can find a bunch of nice cards here for the occasion. They usually have some kind of discount if you buy a bunch of cards at once (I think it's around 10-20% off depending how many you buy). Whether you are looking for something specific or just browsing, you're sure to find something you love at Outer Layer! read more

Cutest little store ever! A great great great gift store if you want to buy something quirky and funny for someone! I think this is going on my fave all time stores in the city. This place is a mess of pretty much anything gifty, from printed t's, journals, cards, calendars, books, baby clothes, soaps etc, Just really creative great gifts. The printed t-shirts are a ball, they are like bumper stickers on a shirt! There are a lot of baby clothes, just really adorable pieces (I kick myself for not finding this store a few months ago when I was scrambling to find good quality baby clothes). Rare gem of a find! I love it! read more

Outer Layer - Cards & Stationery Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

See all

Cool, cozy little shop that fills that 'random cool gifts and stuff for your place' niche. Staff are fairly friendly but not super engaging, but still are there to answer questions when you need them. I got a light up message board for the desk, and it was a fair price and a cool addition to the apt. The store is clean and always has steady traffic as they carry stuff that you won't find other places. Some funny stuff and random Canadiana here too. Has a cool assortment of novelty socks, also. Check it out read more

Sometimes I go in just to browse. I know that seems like a really banal comment. But I promise you it is not. I hate shopping. I hate everything about having to go get new things. I hate buying people presents (because I hate shopping, I love giving things to people). I dislike most stores. But it's all painless here: Every time I need a new wallet or some Burt's Bees or a quirky apron or a new necklace... they are the birthday card near the post office when I have to mail one TODAY or it won't get there in time. Things for my little nephews, things for my best friends (both very different)... I could go on and on about all the times I've been here and found something wonderful, unique and WELL PRICED. I've even had help sourcing things for my work place from these ladies. In short, a nice shopping experience in a low pressure (but helpful) environment at a fair price. They carry a lot of products made by Canadians (cards, jewelry, bath and body). They are nice people. Sometimes I go in just to browse. read more

On Queen West, there's no end to the number of nick-knack and card shops that can be found. The Outer Layer is one of the ones that I like to stop in on whenever I'm in the need to ship out a card for a birthday, going away, or look for a goofy book, fridge magnet, or pin. The run of cards available are fantastic and usually have most of my relatives asking me "Where on God's green Earth did you find this?" after they open them. I typically buy about a dozen at a time when I'm there and ship them out as necessary. They also sport a small assortment of novelty books, as well as fun and funky cosmetics. Not for me, per se, but the women there seem to like them. It's a fun, eclectic place to go that is easy to fritter away time in. Heck, even the background music they play is fun. read more

This is the best store ever. It's the fun, unique, quirky gift and toy store in your home-town, times 1,000. It has all of those items in that store, and tons TONS more. It was hard to pull myself out of this store. I walked around thinking, "Ooh I love that, ooh I like that, ooh that's awesome, hahahha!, ooh I love that..." then realized I had been positively affirmed by all that was going on in my head, so I grabbed a shopping basket and loaded up. Calendars, mugs, decorated I.D. cases, jewelry, cards, notecard sets, candles, lotions and perfume, key caps, etcetera etcetera etcetera. Well I didn't buy all of that, but it was all very tempting. I thought everything was very moderately priced as well, compared to many other places on Queen St. that seemed exorbitantly expensive. Women as well as men will enjoy spending time in Outer Layer. I just wish there was a location in the outer layers that is the United States... :( read more

I love browsing in this little shop, the only bad thing about the Outer Layer is that browsing almost always leads to purchasing! This place has great bags, novelty books, beauty products (including a huge selection of Burt Bees if that's your thing), a large card collection, and really fun knick-knack type objects. Want to find a sarcastic onesie? A wide selection of patterned, fun, and high quality reusable bags? A strangely shaped piggy bank? A comedic book for new fathers or the special environmentalist in your life? This is the place. As an aside, this is the BEST selection of gay/lesbian/same-sex wedding cards I've ever seen (including San Francisco's Castro district) - not in terms of volume maybe, but in terms of the ones I'd actually purchase/want to receive. As an aside: recent awesome finds at Outer Layer: - A black toque with cat ears and skull (you'd be surprised how many more people smiled at me or struck up conversations when I wore that hat!) - A birthday card for a loved one that said, "Remember when we were young and gay?" and on the inside "Well, at least we're still gay." -Amazing and delicious lip balm that I can't remember the name of! read more

After buying one too many lousy Hallmark greeting cards in a last-minute panic, I now plan ahead and get all my wedding, birthday, shower, and anytime cards from Outer Layer. No longer do I find myself handing over cards with sickeningly flowery sentiments that I likely don't mean. Outer Layer has an amazing selection of cards that range from simple to sweet to risqué to gut-bustingly funny. My only complaint is that with an ever-changing and delightful collection of oddities, I usually end up leaving with a gift for myself along with my perfectly sentimental (and usually hand-made) greeting card. So march yourselves away from the gushy glurge found in the traditional greeting card aisle and in to Outer Layer. You'll be glad you did. read more

Whenever I'm shopping on Queen West I always have a look around the Outer Layer to see what's new because they have so many different and quirky items. They have a great selection of gift cards, books, and unique gift ideas that are funny, useful and reasonably priced. Many times I see things from some of my online stores that I put in my mental "hmm I love this but don't want to pay $10 shipping for one item" list and I scoop them up! Recent awesome purchases: multi-bladed scissors to shred personal info and documents (since I don't own a shredder), water-based nail polish by Sula Beauty (a gift for a pregnant friend), a heart-shaped audio jack splitter! The staff are friendly and helpful and they provide gift wrapping for items purchased in the store. read more

Best gift shop in the city, hands down. It's a go-to if you're visiting Toronto!

This little gem of a store has become my official go-to-gift store. The shelves are loaded with fun and funky items that ooze personality. Admittedly the prices are a little high but the "awesome" factor is worth it. You can almost be sure that no one else will bring a gift to the party that will be as unique as yours if you shop in this store. The staff is either a bit frosty or a bit shy at first. Either way, they get friendlier as the total gets higher as they are cashing you out (and there's a good chance it will grow higher than you intended). The main challenge shopping here is actually giving the stuff away as planned, instead of keeping it for yourself. For the HARD to buy for, the FUN to buy for, or just for yourself, I recommend this store. read more

I loooooooooove this place. It's utterly fantastic! I found and bought a bright yellow pin here couple years ago with: "Nosy little fucker, aren't you?" (teehee~) And it has since entered the repertoire of shops I go to for gifts and unique cards. I enjoy the variety that they include here and often save up to splurge (the things aren't cheap! :C). read more

There is a few of these stores around Toronto - but this one seems to be the best among all. It is the one store I must always stop and take a look in, no matter where I am on queen street. They have quirky postcards...solar powered night lamps...and character tea bags...your ultimate guide to making cute Japanese bentos and books on forbidden knowledge. I recently bought my cat owner's manual there, which turned out to be more helpful and fun to read then other books on being a new cat owner. What I like most - is that the staff here, is friendlier than the other 2 stores I've been to. They actually engage and chat it up with you, offer you suggestions and information about products. Whereas, at the one in the Annex you're just a ghost - whether you're standing in front of them with a question (in which case they always answer with " I'm only talking to you because I have to" tone ) or at the register to pay; fantastic felling. Dangerous spot to go in with a willingness to spend attitude, but a great spot to get quirky gift ideas, read something funny and to feast your eyes. read more

One of my favourite stores to browse. Awesome gift ideas and cool kitchen ware/gadgets. I adore the Fred line and they carry a variety of their stuff. Perfect spot to find a very cool and creative gift. read more

Outer Layer - Cards & Stationery Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I would give it 5 stars, but for the fact that sometimes claustrophobic me gets a little overwhelmed with the small aisles lots of people and hoards of stuff. I become the proverbial Bull in the China Shop. But if i go when it's quiet, I can spend forever sniffing the luxurious niche brand fragrances, reading cute greeting cards and trolling though their selection of Lug bags (a.k.a. The best bags ever invented to keep you organized). Cool magnets... Bought my "You say Tomato, I say Fuck You" one here. 'Nuff Said. A great place to go gift shopping for that hard-to-buy-for person. read more

Super cool spot to grab random gifts, or just walk around and kill time. There are magnets, cards, notebooks, stationary, Swell bottles, and lots of gag gifts. I didn't buy anything from here (and I'm not sure if I ever would), but I spent a good 20 minutes walking around looking at all of the little knick knacks and random things. read more

Yes! What a fun place, they always have great quotes outside like "if you arent suppose to eat animals why are they made of meat?" ha ha ha.. Some fun books, mugs, soaps, jewelery and other knickknacks. Good for housewarming gifts, friends and gift exchanges. read more

For some reason I also thought this was a Soap and Bath store + some gifts. Maybe that was my visit about 5 years ago, but it's definitely not. Yes there are soaps and bath products (notable a huge collection of Burt's Bees - I bought the hard to find Blemish Stick roll out), but also tons and tons of random gifts, gags, toys, books, and a whole section of greeting cards. The BF hates when I walk into a store like this because I get distracted by all the cool stuff and never want to leave - but guess who I had to drag out this time!! We were looking for a jewelery tree as a gift and was disappointed that Blue Banana Market didn't have a single thing. They were super friendly when I called and asked, and they said they had tons. And they sure did! Trees, butterflies, flowers. All for hanging your trinkets and things. Another one of those stores I need someone to buy the whole inventory for me. read more

If you are stuck for ideas and need a last-minute gift, this is the place to go! They have something gadgety/knick-knacky/quirky or useful for everyone on your shopping list! Tons of bath products, t-shirts, bags, mugs and travel mugs, books, notepads and stationery, trinkety toys, jewellery, watches, buttons, wallets, etc. etc. etc. I've relied on the Outer Layer for many odd gift-buying scenarios, and usually the gifts end up being pretty crowd-pleasing. The "pass it around the table" kind of gifts! And you can also pick up a card and wrap while you're there too. Better yet, have them wrap it for you - it's free! read more

Didn't deliver on time, took no responsibility, passed it on to Canada Post. Why support small biz if they offer poor service?

Every Saturday when I'm feeling all refreshed and renewed and poked full of holes from my weekly acupuncture appointment, I swing by here. I find this store absolutely darling. I want (but don't need) pretty much everything in here. In case you wanted to buy me a gift here's what I want: 1) "What would Suzuki do?" T-shirt 2) Wrought-iron mouse 3) Fancy lip balm ($20 a tin!!!!!!!) 4) Giant peace sign magnet for the car I dont have 5) Random funny books (is it weird that someone already got me "Porn fo Women"?) 6) $10 bars of soap (it'll be the cleanest I've ever been at that price!) Let me know if you need more ideas for gifts for me. Oh, and I think the customer service here is pretty darn terrific - they also do free gift wrapping!!! read more

Great selection of unique, funny & frivolous hipster tchotchkes to help express All the Feels. Find that Ryan Gosling birthday card, that Pulp Fiction Kittens T-shirt, the false teeth ice cube tray you needed, or some surprisingly great hand cream. Go for the fams win: bring all the teens in your life. Laughed a lot here in the past 30 mins. read more

See all

Beautiful irony is how I would describe this place. They have many of the feminist items that so many stores carry now but there is a lot more. about a third of the store is dedicated to beauty products (i.e. Burt's Bees), another third to stationary, and the last third to knick-knaks of all sorts. This is a fun place to swing by every once-in-a-while just to check out what's new. read more

Outer Layer - Cards & Stationery Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I love this store for their choices. Fun fun fun! The buyer has great eye for what s hot and what is new. The prices are really good as well. The only thing I think they can make it a better shopping experience for me would be make the aisle a bit wider or the girl working at refilling the stock would be nicer to let me go through. Overall I like this store a lot. read more

This store is absolutely adorable and a GREAT place to buy gifts. They have all sorts of knick-knacks you would usually find in these kind of stores -- the whole Knock-Knock line of sarcastic post-its, those cute little dolls dressed in kimonos, tiny voo-doo dolls, yummy-smelling candles and lotions, a decent selection of ironic books and hilarious greeting cards... I could go on for hours. The thing that I love about this store is the glass display case in front -- it's full of jewelry from local and Canadian designers and offers a bunch of one-of-a-kind pieces that are great for gifts (or for yourself!). I've bought a couple pairs of earrings and necklaces from there that range from $10-$50, totally cheap for a hand-crafted original piece. Anyone with an addiction to all things cute will fall in love with this store. And for any boys who need to buy a gift for a girl who loves cuteness, go here and ask the staff for help! They're super nice and will probably have pity on you and help you find a great gift. read more

This store is misleading. I've walked by it dozens of times and never bothered to venture inside until today, when someone in front of me opened the door and it looked nothing like the outside The name...makes it sound like a clothing store specializing in winter coats. The storefront makes it look like a cheap tabacco store. The windows are dusty and crammed with weird stuff. The inside, however, has cute cards, a big range of expensive lotions, candles and unique gifts. i bought an edgy Tokyomilk body lotion for my friend. They really should think about doing something with the storefront. I'd never have bothered to walk in if the person walking in front of me didn't venture in. read more

Small store with friendly staff and a variety of cute / humorous cards. I will definitely be back in the future for more of the cutesy and whimsical cards. read more

Outer Layer - Cards & Stationery Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I LOVE this store. I love boutique stores that has tons of knick knacks. I found a perfume here that I fell in love with made by Sula. This store has tons of variety of gifts (for yourself ;P) and just ideas for that person that is difficult to get for. Prices are reasonable. and it's hard not to buy anything. They have another location in the Annex but not as big as the one in Queen St. West. It's a must browse store. read more

A knock-knack and whatzit store, you can always find something for that friend who has a weird sense of humour (you know the one). Yes, I do need this feeder shaped like horses head so it looks like a squirrel is a wearing a horse head when it's looking for food. How did you know? read more

The girls who work here are extremely helpful and their gift-wrapping skills are great! Great selection of small and unique gifts for coworkers and family. I live in the US and will definitely be ordering from their website for Christmas. read more

A fun store with lots of unusual gift items. Unique items include: chinese magnetic poetry for kids, funky post it notes, lots of magnets and buttons (inlcuding subway themed ones), journals and notebooks (including a fun journal with magnetic animals to play with), lava lamp night lights, bags, and lots of cosmetics. I recently spent a ton of money here buying a gift for a teen. Lots of fun....don't go in if you don't have lots of time as there is a ton of stuff to look at! read more

This is the best place to go for hilarious cards and gifts. They also stock beautiful, narutal bath products, notebooks, jewellery and other fabulous items. I can never spend less than an hour here with all the fantastic items to look at! read more

Great place to find that thing you never knew you needed (but turns out to your favorite thing ever) or a gift for the impossible to shop for. Plus, a fun browsing experience. Friendly staff, fun selection. read more

I'm assuming it started as a soap and body cream shop, hence the name, but now it's all about quirky books and trinkets and ironic cards. It's one of those everything stores where you can find a great present for a friend, or a unique bag. I swear this it where my mom is getting all those funny-feminist magnets and cards that she seems to have by the hundreds. And it's totally the kind of place you just hang out in on a rainy day. read more

Covering knick-knacks, stationary, purses, bath goods, and perfumes, this is a great place to pick up quirky gifts for people you do, and even do not, know. Thankfully, prices are moderate, so it's gentle on your wallet. Thus, you can pick out some gifts for your friends AND yourself without breaking the bank! Win-win situation, no? read more