6 tips for walking in Toronto
Shawn Micallef is a Toronto-based writer and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow him on Bluesky: @shawnmicallef.bsky.social.
Walking Toronto
Walking Toronto — part of our T oronto the Better project — is a series about discovering the city, one step at a time. Through deep-dive features, curated walking routes, and community strolls, Star writers explore what our streets say about life in Toronto. We'll uncover hidden stories, local gems, and the challenges and joys of moving through the city.
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CBC
4 hours ago
- CBC
Polka dots are the summer's biggest fashion trend — but they're back in a louder, more joyful way
Lucille Ball's signature dress on I Love Lucy, Julia Roberts flitting about in a flowy brown and white frock in Pretty Woman, Diana's statement dressing when she was Princess of Wales — these are just some of the images that might come to mind when you think of polka dots. But the iconic print is back and in a loud, fun and joyful way. Demi Moore, Katie Holmes and Olivia Rodrigo were spotted in the pattern earlier this year, but the trend is now reaching its peak. Hailey Bieber stepped out in white capris with black polka dots this summer; actor Pedro Pascal recently attended the world premiere of The Fantastic Four: First Steps in a Tom Ford suit with a silk polka-dot scarf; Dua Lipa and Kylie Jenner donned the dots on their swimwear; and Cynthia Erivo accessorized with the print at Wimbledon. Polka dots even took centre stage at the spring shows back in September — on a T-shirt and short shorts at Acne Studios, and on a halter dress and ballgowns at Carolina Herrera. The retailers Reformation, Abercrombie and Mango are also capitalizing on the polka-dot craze this summer with jumpsuits, camisoles and more. Toronto fashion label Horses Atelier — founded by lifelong friends and novelists Heidi Sopinka and Claudia Dey — also incorporated the pattern into its latest collection. "Polka dots are eternally fascinating to us as designers because they are both a statement print and a neutral," Sopinka said. The duo swapped out their usual summer florals for polka dots, thinking it could offer an escape in the current climate. "In these dark times, it makes sense that we are going toward something so classic and dependable, but also a print that contains such buoyancy and joy," she said. "Dots do this for us. They are timeless and grounded in the past, but contain an exuberance that is more magical than any other print." There's also been a backlash against minimalism in fashion over the past few years, and Montreal-based fashion stylist Amanda Lee Shirreffs says the return of the polka dot speaks to this. "We've moved past our moment of quiet luxury and have entered a louder, more decadent time," she said. These days, polka dots are showing up in fresh ways. "They are playful and modern and work on so many looks, from traditional to punk — statement sleeves and slips paired with oversized leather jackets," Sopinka said. Horses' Alma top, for example, features striking white polka dots on a structured black bodice with a puff sleeve. Sopinka sees polka dots as the "perfect gateway print." She said to style it, you could go for head-to-toe microdots, with a slip dress or a midi skirt and ruffle blouse. For a maximalist vibe, she loves mixing dots with other patterns, like oversized camo pants or a fitted leopard-print skirt. If you prefer to dip your toe in, both Sopinka and Shirreffs say accessories are the way to go: a printed shoe or a polka-dot scrunchie, worn on your wrist like jewelry. Despite the polka dot's ubiquity in pop culture and in fashion, Shirreffs keeps coming back to a mental picture from her childhood: Madonna on her Blond Ambition tour. "The sartorial image that is burned in my memory is when she danced around the stage to Holiday wearing an over-the-top polka-dot look," she said. "No one has done it better, really." Scroll on for some polka-dot styling inspo from fashion creators.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Hulk Hogan's sex tape lawsuit had a lasting effect on cases involving celebrity privacy
Famous for his fearless bravado as a pro wrestler, Hulk Hogan won one of his most notable victories in a Florida courtroom by emphasizing his humiliation and emotional distress after a news and gossip website published a video of Hogan having sex with a friend's wife. A 2016 civil trial that pitted the First Amendment against the privacy rights of celebrities ended with a jury awarding Hogan a whopping $140 million in his lawsuit against Gawker Media. Though both parties later settled on $31 million to avoid protracted appeals, the case put Gawker out of business. It also ensured Hogan, who died Thursday at age 71, and his legal team would have a long-term impact on media law. The case showed that, in certain circumstances, celebrities could persuade a jury that their right to privacy outweighs the freedom of the press — even when the published material was true. The case put media outlets on notice that 'the public doesn't necessarily like the press,' especially when reporting intrudes into intimate details of even public figures' private lives, said Samantha Barbas, a University of Iowa law professor who writes about press freedoms and First Amendment issues. She said it also emboldened celebrities, politicians and others in the public spotlight to be more aggressive in suing over unflattering news coverage — as seen recently in President Donald Trump's pursuit of court cases against the Wall Street Journal, ABC and CBS. 'I think the lasting effect of the Hulk Hogan case was it really started this trend of libel and privacy lawsuits being weaponized to kind of take down these media organizations,' Barbas said. Hogan wept hearing the verdict in a case that was 'real personal' Hogan, whose given name was Terry Bollea, sued Gawker for invading his privacy after the website in 2012 posted an edited version of a video of Hogan having sex with the wife of his then-best friend, Florida-based radio DJ Bubba The Love Sponge Clem. Clem gave his blessing to the coupling and recorded the video that was later leaked to Gawker. Hogan insisted he was unaware the intimate encounter was being filmed. The former WWE champion testified that he was 'completely humiliated' when the sex video became public. Hogan's lead trial attorney, Ken Turkel, recalled Thursday how his muscular, mustachioed client cried in court as the jury verdict was read. 'To him the privacy part of it was integral. It was important,' Turkel said. 'Eight-year-old kids were googling 'Hulk Hogan' and 'Wrestlemania,' and they were getting a sex tape. That was hurtful to him in a real personal way.' The three-week trial was closely followed far beyond the courtroom in St. Petersburg, Florida, as thousands of wrestling fans, First Amendment watchers and others stayed glued to their screens as the trial was streamed live online. Salacious details emerged about Hogan's sex life as jurors and spectators viewed. images of him in thong underwear. Other testimony focused on how New York-based Gawker practiced journalism differently than traditional news outlets. And Hogan explained to the jury about the difference between his wrestling persona and his private life. Jury rejected that First Amendment protected publishing sex tape The jury ultimately rejected arguments by Gawker's attorneys that Hogan's sex tape was newsworthy and that publishing it, no matter how distasteful, was protected speech under the First Amendment. 'Now more people, including judges, understand that it's possible to sue someone for revealing something truthful, as long as that something is deeply personal and its publication is highly offensive,' said Amy Gajda, a Brooklyn Law School professor who followed and wrote about the case against Gawker. News outlets still have broad legal protection for publishing information about public figures, even things that would generally be considered private, Gajda said 'As long as there is news value in what is published and the media can argue that effectively, they can get a privacy case dismissed very early on,' she said. ___ Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.
Toronto Star
9 hours ago
- Toronto Star
City of Vaughan cancels concert set to feature ‘MAGA superstar' Sean Feucht
The City of Vaughan has cancelled a concert featuring the controversial American musician Sean Feucht, which was set to take place on Sunday afternoon at the Dufferin District Park, the Star has confirmed. Six dates on Feucht's planned Canadian tour have now been scrapped. Officials stated that the city 'denied a Special Event Permit' for the concert 'on the basis of health and safety as well as community standards and well-being.'
