Monday, February 9, 2015

5 vintage places to shop in London


Girls can shop till they drop and are completely unapologetic about it. We love shopping and can shop anytime just around anywhere. We all have a bucket list of our dream shopping destinations and the city of London definitely makes it to the list. Although London has all the top high street brands to die for, amazingly huge malls cluttered with luxury and designer brands, be it clothing, food, furniture or home and living stuff, it also has some awesome flea markets and vintage markets to scout for. If you crave for retro, vintage and timeless stuff. These places are the hidden gems of London where you can get some precious, unique and antique pieces of art and clothing. Your creative juices will start overflowing once you visit these places.



Brick lane Market
Graffiti @ bricklane
Located in east London, my friends call it the curry capital of the city, famous for the sumptuous Bangladeshi food it serves and the funky graffiti all around its British walls, this market has some beautiful vintage clothing and antique stores. There are multi talented painters turning their empty canvas to life inspired by their surreal imaginations, art and crafts shops, handcrafted clothing, hand woven textiles and some big stores for your haberdashery as well. I would definitely recommend you to walk into Atlantis to scout for art supplies. It's an artist's paradise. The Old Truman Brewery which is one of the oldest in London and is a space filled with amazingly creative shops, stalls and art galleries. In every little lane and by lane, you will find different shops offering edgy and innovative piece of clothing. Brick lane makes you fall in love with the amalgamation of art, culture, great food and warm people.


                                                                                          Spitafields Market
Spitafields
Located around one of the biggest pubbing/clubbing/lounging areas of London Shoreditch, this market has some really cool stuff. From leather jackets to suede tasselled bags to funky eyewear and accessories to some dramatic costume shops for various occasions and themes. You will get some really crazy, funky and wacky stuff here. There is a combination of amazing stalls of food to make sure your appetite for shopping and food both is satisfied. There are various italian and french brands displaying age old retro furniture and home products. The place is always in sync with trends and the latest runway stuff and is a blend of fashion from older and modern times.





Portobello Market 
Portobello
Portobello Road goes straight through the heart of Notting Hill, the trendy area of London made famous by the film. Located in west London, this market has everything to offer from fruits and veggies, to breads, posters, vintage clothes to some music too. There are some talented street performers to watch while you shop. It has the most unique antique stores to buy porcelain and ceramics.  I loved the accessory stalls here and found some very different clothing shops. Saturday is the best day to visit as it will give you a wide range to shop from.





                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                      Camden Market
Camden Lock
As hippie as it can get, this place is a mini carnival destination. Its divided into locks and Stables. There are numerous and endless stalls of the most coolest stuff. From neon transparent rain boots, to timeless hukkas and flavours to a mountain trekker guy selling handmade paper lamps to psychedelic wind chimes. There are some awesome bars that showcase stand up comedy shows to give you a little tickle while you make a dent in your pocket. There are multiple cuisine stalls , you will be spoilt for choice here. This place gives you a high spirited youth feel, a perfect blend of high fashion and unique stuff. The vintage stuff you will find here is cut above. This place is a                                                                                        unique combination of interesting people, clothes and                                                                                    food.



Greenwich





Greenwich Market
Greenwich market is full of fun, colours, antique shops, solo designers displaying their creations and a range of wine bars, gastropubs and food to go. There are antique lifestyle stores, craft shops, some amazing clothing boutiques and that too at affordable prices. All the stalls to shop are open on Saturdays and Sundays. They have some cutting edge jewellery shops, you will definitely give in to your temptations for the kind of jewellery available in the shops. Its one of the must visit markets in London.