It’s no secret that London is one of the most stylish places in the world. As such the capital is the perfect place for fashion lovers and those with style conscious sensibilities to visit, with many leaving the city inspired by what they’ve seen and experienced.
Indeed, there’s a real tangible ‘fashion atmosphere’ in London; one of creativity and experimentation which is perhaps the main appeal of the capital’s fashion scene. And with the rise in emerging fashion brands and businesses using innovative tools to source clothing manufacturers and to produce the on-trend clothing, The Big Smoke is the perfect place to find the latest trends and discover a hive of fashion talent.
While everyone knows that Oxford Street, with it’s luxury department stores and countless highstreet shops, is one of the biggest draws for fashion lovers, there are countless spots in the capital where fashionistas get their fix and here’s 5 of them
SHOPPING CHARITY SHOPS & AT A KILO SALE
As mentioned, London is just one big fashion house. It’s one of the top four cities for Fashion Week, and hosts many of the biggest brand’s exclusive shows on a regular basis. Londoners also like to think they know a thing or two about dressing suavely. These two peaks point to an unlikely source of excellent threads and finds; the charity shop. It may seem a bold claim, but London’s charity shops are brimming with great clothes. When you have fickle citizens and rapidly changing styles, stuff gets thrown out with regularity, and charity shops reap the benefit. Go figure. And for those who want to go on a shopping spree for unique items, there is no better place to go than a kilo sale. You can usually buy your weight in vintage clobber at these retro shopping fairs and pay as little as £15 for 1kg of clothes – what’s not to like?
VISIT A VINTAGE SHOP
If there isn’t a kilo sale on, then do the next best thing – go vintage shopping. London is a treasure trove of vintage outlets where you can find carefully curated second-hand garments that don’t cost the earth.
Beyond Retro (Brick Lane, Soho, Dalston) is an all time favourite. With vaulted ceilings and an enormous open floor plan, the space which was once a former factory is now a chic vintage hangout where you can peruse racks of handpicked retro clothing. Other’s on our hitlist
- Rokit (Camden, Covent Garden, Brick Lane)
- Annie’s (Angel)
- Absolute Vintage (Brick Lane)
- One of a Kind (Portobello Road)
POP TO A FASHION POP-UP
Just as London has new shop openings all the time, it also has pop-ups, popping up all over the shop. These are entirely different beasts and have that ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ quality. With this free-wheeling attitude in mind, they can be crazier and more unique than their competitors. If you fancy the chance of discovering the next big fashion brand (and the bragging rights associated with that) then this is your chance.
PERUSE VINTAGE FAIR
Speaking of popups, there are pop-up vintage fairs all over the city. Indeed the aptly named Pop Up Vintage Fairs London hosts authentic vintage events across the capital, attracting some of the the best handpicked vintage traders from all over Europe to sell their vintage wares. Another one not to be missed is Clerkenwell Vintage Fashion Fair where the traders are cherry picked offering an authentic & eclectic mix of vintage clobber.
V&A MUSEUM
V&A Museum is also a wonderful place for fashion lovers to visit because it provides you with an idea of what fashion has been like over the years. For a lot of fashionistas, the past is an important thing to keep in mind when looking for the next fashionable piece. You need to know what came before you in order to create the best possible items, and as someone who’s into fashion, it’s always fun to learn about the past.
