London is a great place to hunt for cheap, unique, retro clothes.
If you want to look fabulous on a budget, pre-loved clothes and accessories are a great option. Thrifty second-hand shopping is good for your bank balance and it's eco-friendly: second-hand clothes are "recycled" after all!
Search for fashion bargains in every corner of London. Have fun rummaging and see what you can find. For high-end vintage, check out London's Top 10 Vintage Shops.
If you want to immerse yourself in fashion bargains head to Beyond Retro, a converted warehouse in Cheshire Street, Shoreditch. Here more than 10,000 items from the 1940s to the present day are housed under one large roof. This is a great place to head for a cheap wardrobe update. Many of the city's fashion students obviously agree, as they visit regularly to rummage through the racks of items.
Radio Days near Waterloo Station is a treasure trove of vintage clothes, accessories and memorabilia. This is a must for hardcore vintage addicts: find a new outfit, hat, gloves or quirky items from yesteryear to add to your home. Radio Days is also good for retro-themed dress up occasions and gifts for the vintage lover in your life.
Absolute vintage is chock-a-block with affordable vintage, retro and kitsch clothing, shoes and accessories. On any given day, you'll find everyone from fashion students to funky professionals to fashion editors rummaging through the bulging clothes racks at Absolute Vintage. The ideal spot to unearth must-have items you never knew your wardrobe needed until now!
Bag some bargain vintage or a really special one-off piece in Camden. The market has loads of second-hand shops and stalls that sell everything from delicate Edwardian collector's items of clothing to elegant 1940s gowns to cheezy 70s and 80s disco wear. You could easily spend a whole day shopping here.
Go retro with Rockit's huge range of men's and women's vintage clothing. The stores also carry alternative fashion and partywear such as stripy socks, crinolines, lace gloves and novelty hats. As well as the Covent Garden store, there's Rokit Camden and Rokit Brick Lane for your shopping pleasure.
Savvy fashionistas flock to Portobello Road Market's second-hand clothing market on Fridays & Saturdays. Located under the Westway near Portobello Green Arcade, there's trash and treasure here in equal measure. Find a lovely old lace negligee, vintage fur coat or some rockin' original 70s flares. Groovy baby.
Funky French vintage clothes and new street wear in Camden Passage, Islington. Shock & Soul offers great pieces for a thoroughly modern take on recycled outfits. Whether you want a sequined party dress or some original brogues, Shock & Soul is the place to come for retro with a twist.
TRAID is a charity organisation that offers designer goodies, unique TRAIDremade customised pieces and other vintage finds. There are 10 stores in London including the TRAID Camden flagship. TRAIDremade's "upcycled" and customised vintage clothes and accessories are created from old outfits made new by clever cutting, combining of materials and detailing.
Vintage fairs are a great place to browse for bargains or unearth that unique special-occasion outfit. With a range of sellers in one place, you get a huge variety with styles dating from the 1800s to the 1990s! London's main vintage fairs include Anita's Vintage Fashion Fairs in Battersea and Notting Hill, The Vintage Fashion Fair in North London and Alfie's Antique Market in Bermondsey.
Swishing, or clothes swapping parties, are all the rage in London. Take stuff you don't want and come home with something new. London has the best shops and most dedicated shopaholics, so the bounty at a London swish is going to be good! Check out www.swishing.org
, Mrs Bears and The Big Swish to see what's on.
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