Those who’ve never quite felt comfortable in the figure-revealing skinny jean can take heart: the wide-leg has gained some serious real estate in stores.

At the Quick Cobbler, the average pair of shoes costs from $25 to $35 to repair, depending on the work that needs to be done, and it can take anywhere from three minutes to three days. Owner Ronald Nijdam’s never met a shoe he couldn’t fix—but he says if the pair of shoes cost less than $25 and came from a discount store, it may not be worth it. "Unless you really like it, I would say it’s time to buy new shoes," Nijdam advises. But a good pair, he says, can last 20 years, and they’re well worth the investment

Success is all in the details. That's how Megan Dengerink and Nadine Spidla begin most pieces: a tuck here, a gather there. And then the rest follows.

The Modernize Tailors sign still adorns the window above the door, just below a red paper lantern. And Erin Templeton has put her sign, with its bold white letters, in the window right beside it. It's a perfect embodiment of what Templeton's work is all about: taking the old and building something new.

Maybe there's something about working with children that gets the creative juices flowing.

They used to be front doors, two bright-green doors in a hushed alley off Pender Street. Now they're boarded up, unused for years.

The big black bag with wheels looked like it could carry a lot. With no shopping carts in sight, Jingyun Chen unzipped the bag he’d brought, grabbed the handles, and headed for the produce section.

The big black bag with wheels looked like it could carry a lot. With no shopping carts in sight, Jingyun Chen unzipped the bag he’d brought, grabbed the handles, and headed for the produce section.