Roar! Fashion & Lifestyle have sought out the ultimate five best vintage shopping troves in the capital. No more fruitless rummaging!
Yes, Oxford Circus is great and we all love the high street for our disco pants and mottled tees, but we all know that the best way to get to know fashion London is through its vintage stores. Navigate your way around London with this guide to the top five vintage stores in the city…
BLITZ
55-59 Hanbury Street, London, E1 5JP
My personal favourite, Blitz allows you to sort out your wardrobe, your home, and drink a killer milkshake all in one visit. Blitz London is a huge space encased within an old Victorian warehouse, calling itself the ‘vintage department store’. They’ve got your entire journey to vintage living planned, with clothes, homeware and books, as well as a delightful cafe. Blitz is my go-to for quirky home decorations (it isn’t just a dead person’s plate, it’s a collector’s item) and vintage denim.
EAST END THRIFT STORE
Unit 1A, Assembly Passage, London, E1 4UT
East End Thrift Store appeals to me not just as an overflowing warehouse of vintage goodness, but also as a place where one can buy clothes by the bag. That’s right, pick up a £10 or £20 bag and fill it to the brim. This shop is thrift stores at their finest, inviting shoppers to jam as much as they can into their bags, and truly encouraging the rummaging approach to shopping, which is what vintage, to me, is all about.
LUCY IN DISGUISE
Lexington Street, London, W1F 0LR
The creation of sisters Lily Allen and Sarah Owen, this store will immerse you in eras past. Lucy in Disguise goes beyond the label of ‘thrift store’, offering you not just clothing, but also hair styling from The Drama Parlour, so you can complete your look.
RELIK
8 Golborne Road, London, W10 5NW
A stone’s throw from Portobello Road, Rellik stocks women’s vintage fashion and accessories from all the way back to the 1930’s. Fab. With piles upon piles of vintage pieces, this place is a regular treasure trove, and will induce a fash-gasm in those of us who love a chunky vintage cuff (don’t we all?).
BANG BANG EXCHANGE
21 Goodge Street, London, W1T 2PJ
With three locations available for your vintage-buying pleasure, Bang Bang is one of my go-to stores when I want to lust after designer finds from yesteryear. I frequent the Goodge Street store, where I’ve coveted item after item. Currently, I’m lusting after their Miu Miu clogs, sadly not my size (contemplating losing some toes). Bang Bang offers you designer vintage at not too crazy prices, and they’ve always got lots of amazing stock to sift through.
