OUR STORY | OUR LEGACY






MEET THE FOUNDER

Joel Carman turned his passion for denim jeans into a business for his family, friends and community. Over the years, his familiar mustached smile has won the hearts of shoppers spanning four generations. Everyone looks forward to visiting Joel at the store and trusting his advice on transforming their denim style. Joel has grown to legendary status as he continues to lead the company into the next generation of his self-made family business.





OUR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Our community of loyal shoppers has grown to rely on our trusted one-on-one denim advice! Our team of friendly, honest salespeople are always available to transform people’s expectations of denim shopping. Our goal is to help find your favourite pair of jeans that fit to perfection and wear for all occasions. No appointments needed; just show up during store hours for an incredible shopping experience!



OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH GENERATIONS

50+ years ago, our community began with a small group of stylish teenagers who enjoyed their personalized experience and became loyal, repeat shoppers. As they grew up and starting families, their children were treated to the same great experience…and became loyal shoppers themselves! The cycle of families and community has grown to where our company proudly services four generations of happy customers. We are confident in fitting anyone’s size and denim type - no age required!





OUR DENIM EXPERTISE

Our dedicated sales team has mastered the denim shopping experience through one-on-one personal attention and 50+ years of denim expertise. Every shopper that walks through our store is greeted by a friendly salesperson who will ask the important questions about your denim needs relating to the “Four F’s”:


FIT: the best for your body type
FABRIC: the most comfortable + sustainably sourced material
FINISH: the finest looking colour, wash & detail
FUNCTION: the style to wear for any occasion




1970s: OUR HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Joel & Jinni Carman opened the first Over the Rainbow store location (450 square feet) on the 2nd floor of the Lothian Mews outdoor shopping centre on Bloor Street. Starting with only one salesperson (Joel) and a master tailor, jean shoppers came to buy their jeans from Joel and get them tailored to perfection on the same day!

This personalized denim experience won the hearts of the community; after only a few years, the store moved to 120 Cumberland Street, doubling the retail space (1,450 square feet), adding more change rooms and expanding the sales team. This paved the way for our legendary denim wall, along with our fun jujube jar giveaways and custom alterations.





1980s: YORKVILLE AVENUE LEGACY STARTS

As the popularity of the store and denim soared, our store moved again to our iconic 101 Yorkville Avenue location (starting at 2,800 square feet). The new space included an even bigger denim wall & new sections for sportswear & accessories.

Our sales and management team grew with the store, and our brand roster continued to evolve. Staying innovative and current with denim, we were the first store to import denim from Japan with the introduction of Big John and Edwin.

Our new sportswear section was highlighted by the launch of the first Tommy Hilfiger collection in Canada. Womenswear emerged through the launch of InWear Matinique, Britannia & Pentimento, Esprit, Non-Fiction. Even celebrities were noticing us, as Wayne Gretzky became a loyal customer by sporting an Over the Rainbow branded t-shirt on the cover of Toronto Sun.



1990s: NEW DENIM HORIZONS

The store’s community of denim shoppers continued to expand into new generations, allowing us to expand again to 3,700 square feet, adding a women’s contemporary section.

We became the go-to destination for the hottest international denim brands, most notably Diesel, G-Star, Replay, GAS, Indian Motorcycle and Big Star. Canadian brands were also prominent in the 90’s, as we became the leading stockist of Chip & Pepper, Manager, Buffalo and Silver Jeans.

Outside of denim, we introduced the early beginnings of “athleisure” with the launch of Juicy Couture, known for their cozy velour and terry cloth tracksuits. Footwear was also added to our product assortment with the launch of UGG, selling thousands of units off a long customer waiting list.





2000s: PREMIUM DENIM ERA

Our Yorkville location was reimagined again, increasing to 4,500 square feet to add another womenswear section and larger cash checkout counter. Widely known as the era of “premium denim”, brands like Earl, Miss Sixty, Energie and Seven for All Mankind brought a level of luxury and sustainability to denim.

Our store’s Canadian roots stood out with the launch of several successful brands: we were the first international (and worldwide #7) customer for Citizens of Humanity, founded by a Montreal-born designer. Dom Rebel, a Canadian based “couture” t-shirt brand, was first launched with us and grew to garner a huge international profile.

Canadian arctic giant Canada Goose had a bold mission to bring their down parkas to the city; it was our partnership that helped them pioneer the outerwear industry. The raw denim subculture also infiltrated our community; we were the first to discover and stock Naked & Famous Denim, a brand dedicated to making raw Japanese selvedge denim in Canada at the best price.


2010s: INNOVATION & COLLABORATIONS

Our store continued to innovate our product mix by launching new denim brands and collaborating with existing partners! Our denim roster continued to grow with the early launches of FRAME, AGOLDE and MOTHER to Canada. The innovation of comfort denim to combat the wave of athleisure was catapulted by the introduction of the TRANSCEND by PAIGE.

Our collaboration series began with Naked & Famous Denim included: our first “5+5” capsule collection, our first "Nice Guy" custom jean fit and first designer pocket tee. We continued the collaboration spark during our 40th Anniversary year with an array of specialty products from Fidelity Denim, PAIGE, Tuck Shop Co., Canadian Sweater Company, Moose Knuckles and more! 

Our menswear division experienced huge growth, launching the Zanerobe “Sureshot” jogger pant and the first Todd Snyder x Champion (made in Canada) collaboration. While searching for our newest retail space, we entered the “digital era” with RainbowJeans.com, our online store for consumers across North America.  




2020s: MANULIFE CENTRE – A NEW FRONTIER

After 38 years at our Yorkville address, our store re-locates to a 6,500 square foot state-of-the art space inside the Manulife Centre on Bloor Street. Award-winning architects Giannone Petricone and construction managers Structure Corp team up to help design and build the most innovative and modern version of our retail experience.

JULIET Creative assists us with a rebrand of our company logo, packaging and visual identity. Our custom alterations space is visually reimagined as the Rainbow Tailor Shop for public viewing. Our accessory sections grow to include new categories, gifting options and local brands.

In the wake of a global pandemic, our online store expands to a full-service digital team, complete with in-house photo studio and on-site order fulfilment centre. Our brand roster continues to expand with the introduction of prominent brands Aviator Nation, Hiroshi Kato, Kerri Rosenthal and CADDIS eyewear in Canada.


Over the Rainbow continues to evolve, staying at the forefront of denim culture while maintaining its legacy of quality, service, and community impact.