With summer in Toronto comes celebrities,and as we all know with celebrities comes a heads up on what's in fashion this season. Or does it? Do our neighbors down below really have one up on us as we have been socialized to believe? Hollywood has a reputation (among other things) of being very fashion forward. However, lately it seems that perhaps this is not so true.

Sadly, I have not had the first hand pleasure of seeing Eva, Kiefer or Bruce walk the streets of Toronto this summer, so I am forced to keep up via Sunday's addition of www.thestar.com of these and more celebrity comings and goings in this part of the world. I have noticed though, while gobbling up this celebrity gossip (an awful habit, I am aware) that perhaps Hollywood could learn a thing or two from us about fashion, that perhaps we in Toronto are really the ones who are setting the trends.

A few weeks ago I read about two well known pop-tart sisters who were in Toronto visiting the wonderful Toronto store Over The Rainbow. Apparently they grew very excited about a certain pair of oh-so-last-year boots, and snatched a few pairs up. Girls, there is a reason UGGS are on sale, nobody else around here wants them anymore! Another fashion faux pas I have seen in print (so it must be true!) is a very well known "housewife" wearing a very last year Juicy-type frock. This was an offense fashion statement for two reasons a) because it is in fact a bathing suit cover (are you planning on hitting the beautiful white beaches of ocean Ontario?) and b) it was already ugly last summer when it was popular. As a Toronto local I can happily say been-there-done-those, though perhaps with a hint of embarrassed regret.

I am lead to believe then, that perhaps it is really us and not our southern counter parts that really have the eye for what's in and the ability of letting go of what's out. My first example is the recent vintage trend. We have been doing vintage for a long time which is only now a very hip trend. I can remember visiting the Black Market as far back as I can remember shopping, and it is just recently that this trend has really caught on with the mainstream.

Another proof that we know what's hot for the summer early is because at the slightest hint of warm weather we break out the summer wear. This way we get a head start on what's in and grow tired of outdated trends more quickly then those in sunny LA, who do not appreciate the season changes in the same way that we do.

Winter white has blown up over the past couple of winters but we already knew we could do it. Frankly, because we had no choice not to. To give up white in winter!? For Canadians, this can really limit when we actually get to sport it, and I for one would like to wear white for more then four or so months out of the year.

As for the trendy and by many despised (and by many I mean myself) boho chic gypsy look, we already had a piece of the action proir to summer 2005. We had a head start on the layers area of the trend beause we knew layering was cool due to the fact that we had no choice in the matter. Layers keep us warm in the winter and able to change our personal temperature when our not-so-reliable weather takes a sudden change

So next time you want to pick up some quick fashion tips, hit the TTC instead of the magazine stand and you are sure to pick up some great fashion tips from your fellow TO residents.