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A colourful stretch of Queen Street West between Bathurst Street and Trinity Bellwoods Park hardly calls to mind the finesse of London's Savile Row, where only the most discerning gents go to have their suits tailor-made.

Lately, however, a number of men's clothing shops have opened in Toronto's hipster 'hood. This would not be so remarkable if the merchandise consisted solely of skinny jeans, slogan tees and Vans.

But what to make of the bespoke suits, hand-stitched shirts, custom-order jeans and mix-and-match cufflinks that are carried in one form or another at GreenShag, Buckler, Simon Carter and Sydney's?

It's simple, really: These are shops that may have once belonged in Yorkville but have opted to convey an edgier vibe and, in so doing, they are upping the style quotient of Queen Street.

Think Beau Brummel meets Broken Social Scene in a setting that is positively anti-department-store. Not to mention cheeky. Nothing reinforces masculinity better when trying on clothes than sexually charged branding.

This is good news for guys who hate to go shopping.

Which is exactly the point, according to Neil McPhedran, co-founder of the GreenShag label with his wife, Victoria. Among their offerings: ready-to-wear suits (starting at $1,500), bespoke (custom-ordered, custom-made) shirts and the "Phallic Neon" collection of six cufflinks that depict Big Ben and the Eiffel Tower against bold backdrops. The brand's tagline is "Everyone needs a shag" (it's no coincidence that Mr. McPhedran used to work for an ad agency).

"I think we're a high-end brand, but this doesn't mean you have to take yourself so seriously," he said, dressed in a Prince of Wales check jacket with neon-pink piping and a T-shirt that reads "No Nukes" in Korean.

"That's what scares guys," added Ms. McPhedran, with measuring tape draped from her shoulders, tailor-style. "I think GreenShag is all about losing your fashion virginity."

Before the store's summer opening (GreenShag threw its official Queen West opening bash late last month), the couple, who are in their late 30s, designed and sold the clothes in a space on Richmond Street that they dubbed their "stordio." "It was a beautiful space, but there was no walk-by so we had to work it," she said. "Here, the walk-by is incredible."

This is what attracted Liz and Cedric St. Louis, who opened the first free-standing Simon Carter store outside England just over a year ago.

"We have customers who could easily pay a few thousand dollars for a suit, but they like coming in and not having that pressure," Ms. St. Louis said by phone. They considered Yorkville but wanted an area that felt fresher. Existing stores Delphic and Klaxon Howl (both owned by Matt Robinson) made her confident that Queen West was the place to be. "We're convinced this is the future of that pocket of men's retail," she said.

Across the pond, Simon Carter is known for bringing a lively spirit to classic men's wear. Shirts are all folded and tied with ribbon and come with collar stays. Suits cost upward of $1,000.

Mr. Carter is also known as the "King of Cufflinks," mostly because, like GreenShag, he isn't afraid to get naughty. There are images of pinup girls and cute retro illustrations combined with raunchy phrases. "Jimmy fiddles with his knob," for example, shows a young boy and his ... record player.

"I think there's an expat feeling in Canada where people latch on to that [humour]," Ms. St. Louis said of the cufflinks. "Nothing goes too far and it's not offensive."

Then there's New York-based designer Andrew Buckler, who rounds out his namesake clothing line with an underwear collection called Sexy Bastard. When researching the location for his first Canadian store, now two months old, he had no doubts about Queen West.

"It reminded me of Spitalfields, London or the Meatpacking District in New York," he wrote by e-mail. "These are all areas that had been left alone for a while and were sort of going through a renaissance."

Although not quite as dandy as GreenShag or Simon Carter - there are more motocross jackets, pea coats and Brit punk pieces - Mr. Buckler has made fans out of Tommy Lee, Liam Gallagher and Shia LaBeouf. His MO is a boutique for blokes.

Sydney Mamane, meanwhile, has seamlessly married bespoke tradition with independent retail at his Queen West boutique, Sydney's. And he's definitely not a stuffy guy (look no further than the tattoos creeping down his arms).

For more than two years, Mr. Mamane has produced made-to-order jeans and exceptional men's wear. More than 80 hours of work goes into each suit (they cost upward of $2,500). He also sells Raf Simons, Rick Owens and Band of Outsiders, labels that instantly register on a clotheshorse's radar.

The store owner says the arrival of additional shops on Queen West helps to diversify the options for male customers.

"I think it's a wonderful idea. Everyone is doing something different and for a different demographic," he said while sitting at a desk-cum-sewing-table. "You have to accommodate the entirety of the men's market and pull away from some of the department stores which may never accommodate that clientele or provide information about new designers."

Indeed, for now, everyone acknowledges that there is strength in numbers.

"I think that the more we can work together and make it more of a destination and put the word out there that this is a men's-wear corridor, I think this bodes well for us," says Mr. McPhedran of GreenShag. "We're all friendly and we're all on the up-and-up."

And how do the shoppers feel? Toronto fashion photographer Miguel Jacob and twin brother Marco checked out Sydney's on a recent Friday. First, they caught up with Mr. Mamane. Then they eyed a few shirts.

"I think when there are good shops to go to, it's fun," Miguel said. "But when you go to a strip of stores and there's nothing, it's frustrating. So you have to know where to go."

Perhaps it's time to rename this men's corridor Savvy Row.