London is the epicentre of fashion in the UK and some would say the Holy Grail for visitors worldwide. London style is unique: creative, stylish and a little bit quirky, which is where shopping for vintage clothing comes in.
Many vintage stores have a website where you can browse vintage clothing online, and that’s a really helpful tool to get an idea of the kind of thing they have in stock – and if something catches your fancy you can always email and ask to reserve it until you can come in.
But there’s really nothing like visiting a real life shop and trying on vintage clothing in person. Vintage clothing shops are usually full of so many items that only a few of them manage to put all of their vintage clothing online – having a browse through the racks yourself can yield some real treasures.
The best places in London to hunt for vintage clothing depend on where you are staying. In the East End, there’s nowhere better than Brick Lane. It’s fantastic on a Sunday, packed to the seams with visitors and there’s several markets up and down its length selling everything from vintage clothing to delicious food. As well as this, there are several vintage shops either on Brick Lane itself or just off it with different specializations – one sells antique hats while another is more the “pile it high sell it cheap variety”. Spitalfields Market is also very near, again with a lot of options. Liverpool St Station is within walking distance for all these places. Look up “east end vintage clothing” online for details.
If you’re in North London, of course, Camden is a great place to head for for all things quirky. Again, Camden is full of clothes stalls, including vintage clothing, food, handicrafts and all sorts of punkish and ethnic jewellery. A little bit further away is a massive vintage clothing store, Blue 17, which is near Holloway Road tube station. The search phrase here is “North London vintage clothing online“.
South Londoners will tell you that Greenwich is the place to head to for a very charming market with lots of vintage stalls which include vintage jewellery, vintage clothing, and homewares like lovely tea sets. Again, Sunday is the best day to go. Greenwich also has permanent shops around the edge of the market which include some tiny boutiques where you’ll find never before seen items. Check “Greenwich vintage clothing” online.
In West London, you must go straight to Portobello Road at the weekend. Again, it’s going to be heaving with people – this just guarantees a good atmosphere. The very, very long and wide street is lined with vintage stalls, and behind the vintage stalls are vintage clothing shops. It’s like vintage on vintage! There are also antique shops selling exquisite furniture, silver ware and glass ware. Search “West London vintage” online to get an idea of where to head first. There’s also loads of places to sit and eat as cafes and pubs abound, as well as street food stalls.
