Dynamite Clothing: From a Montreal Mall to Desk-to-Dinner Dressing

The story begins in 1975, in the Place Versailles shopping mall in Montreal, where the company opened its first Garage store. In 1982 a part-time stock clerk named Andrew Lutfy, aged 18, started working at that same store. He worked his way into management, and by 2002 he was the sole shareholder. Dynamite clothing grew out of that one mall store, and it still carries a bit of that counter-level practicality. I went deeper on a related idea in Garage Clothing: The Montreal Mall Brand Behind Perfect Peach Leggings.

 

Dynamite is the dressier sister banner, built to sell office and party wear to slightly older shoppers while Garage stayed younger and more casual. That is the whole point of view in one line: clothes for the desk that do not need to go home before dinner. The team designs in house and chases trends as they arise, roughly 1,800 new styles a year according to the company's own filing. So the range is wide, and the trick is knowing which corners of it to shop.

 

Start with the dresses, because they show the evening side best. In my fashion dreams, she is walking into a late dinner in the Aubrey satin maxi in black and white floral, square neck, adjustable straps, fully lined. The Blaire corset maxi in maroon is the strapless, boned option for a wedding season that has not quite ended. For something shorter, I would reach for the Kiara draped sash mini in navy, which has long sleeves and padded shoulders, or the Chloe lace mini in black. The Jana crepe mini in maroon, off the shoulder with ruching, is the simplest one to dress up with tights and a tall boot in October.

 

Practical tip: with any corset or bustier dress, sit down in it before you decide. Boning and invisible side zips look sharp standing and tell the truth the moment you bend.

Tops are where the office-to-party idea gets practical. The company describes Dynamite as the banner for dressier fashions, and a good top is how you stretch one pair of trousers across a whole week.

 

The Kyra satin shirt in black has a spread collar, darts at the waist and a glazed finish, so it reads as a proper work shirt that happens to shine. I would wear it tucked into a pencil skirt on Tuesday and open over a lace bodysuit on Friday night. The Lace Corset Top in black is strapless and boned throughout, and the Monet lace top in Sea Salt Cream is a bustier with underwire and removable padding. Both want a jacket on top for the office, and nothing but good jewelry after hours.

 

Bodysuits are the quiet workhorses. The Jaden burnout bodysuit in maroon has a mock neck and long sleeves in a semi-sheer fabric, and the Sculpt open back bodysuit in black is made from the brand's butter-soft Sculpt fabric. The Scoop Neck Lace Bodysuit and the Lace Plunge Bodysuit in Sea Salt Cream are the lacier pair. Every one closes with a snap at the crotch, so check that the torso length works for you before you commit.

 

What I would skip: a bodysuit with a plunging V neck on a day with a long commute and no jacket. Save it for a car ride and a coat check.

The company began opening stores across Canada in the 1990s, and anyone who has spent a Montreal winter in an office will understand why knitwear matters. The sweaters here are the layer that makes the rest of the range work in October.

 

The Rory oversized sweater in Snow White has a rib knit crewneck and dropped shoulders, the cozy one for weekends. The Aria boat neck sweater has cap sleeves and a rib hem, so it tucks cleanly into trousers. The Audrey cinched polo sweater in beige melange has a spread collar at a V neck, which is the closest thing here to a desk-ready knit. Lola is the off shoulder version in white, and I would wear it with a long satin skirt for dinner.

 

Cardigans are the better workwear bridge. The Rebecca 3/4 sleeve cardigan in black has a crewneck and buttons, the Bell Sleeve Cardigan in burgundy has a vent at the front hem, and the Ellie balloon sleeve cardigan in black is the softest shape of the three. The product notes describe lightweight, supple yarn that holds its shape, so give a sleeve a gentle tug in the fitting room and see whether it springs back.

 

Pairing idea: button the black cardigan over a lace bustier, add straight trousers, and you have a look that works from nine to nine.

 

What I would skip: pale white knits near dark faux leather, which tend to pick up lint. Carry a roller.

Skirts are the quickest way to see the brand's signature satin at work. The company describes it as crafted with a silky drape that moves with you, and the proof is in how a midi sways when you walk.

 

The Delila satin midi in Cashmere Rose Pink and the Esther satin midi in the same shade are close cousins, so pick by waistband and lining: the Esther is fully lined. The Georgette Satin Midi Skirt in burgundy layers sheer georgette over satin and has a picot edge at the waistband. With a black knit and ankle boots, any of the three will go straight from office to bar.

 

For structure, the Pencil Midi Skirt in white sits high at the waist with belt loops, back darts, a back slit and a full lining. The Shiloh faux leather midi in black has a subtle shine and a back slit. The Sculpt foldover maxi in maroon is the soft, smoothing one. Then the shorts-under-skirt group: the Mid Rise Belted Mini Skort in black and the Stacie denim mini skort in dark indigo both have built-in shorts, which suits a long day of stairs.

 

Test: sit, then walk the length of the fitting room. A slit that gapes or a satin that clings to tights will show you what is wrong at once.

 

What I would skip: a white pencil skirt on a rainy commute. It is lovely and unforgiving.

A Montreal brand makes sense of faux leather: it is outerwear that also works as a party look. The company calls its faux leather soft with a subtle shine, and the black pieces here all share that finish, so they mix easily.

 

The Devon low rise straight leg faux leather pants in black have belt loops, five pockets and a zipper fly. The Brynn faux leather bomber has a funnel neck, snap placket and elasticized hem, and the Cinched Faux Leather Jacket adds flap pockets and a bungee-style drawstring inside. The Faux Leather Trench Coat is double-breasted with a storm flap, epaulettes and a detachable tie belt. In my fashion dreams, she throws the trench over a satin slip and walks out into a cold night.

 

Then the tailoring, which is the workwear half. The Alex Anywear wide leg pants in black are made from a lightweight, wrinkle-resistant stretch fabric with pleats at the front. The Slater barrel leg pants in Warm Oats are brushed twill, the Camelia crepe straight leg pants in off white have a lightly pebbled drape, and the Tate pleated pants in chocolate burgundy come with a cinch belt and envelope pleats.

 

Test: check the rise and the hem length with the shoes you plan to wear, since wide and barrel legs change a lot with a heel.

 

What I would skip: faux leather pants on a day you will be sitting in a hot, crowded room. Choose the crepe instead.

I would begin with one black satin shirt and one pair of wide trousers, then add a cardigan, and that is Monday through Thursday handled. The dresses and the corset tops stay in reserve for the evenings that need them.

 

After that, add a faux leather layer for the cold and a satin midi skirt for everything else. It is a short list, and it follows the original brief of a brand that started with one Garage store in a Montreal mall in 1975.

 

The best part of Dynamite is that the same pieces can leave the office and keep going. Dress it up after six and nobody will guess you were at a desk.