Clothes Shopping in London

This week, I visited a couple of vintage shops around the city. The picture above was taken at a shop in Brick Lane, which is a popular shopping street in East London. I found so many cute pieces throughout the different shops including an old Harley Davidson top. My grandfather used to be obsessed with Harley Davidson which is why it drew my attention. He rode a Harley motorcycle, he wore the leather jacket almost everyday, his cup coasters were Harley labeled etc;. He even bought a leather couch and threw a Harley Davidson couch cover over it. It was insane. So naturally, when I saw the shirt, I bought it. There were a variety of small and independent stores on this street but their contents were often similar. One thing I didn’t realize before traveling to London: leather has a large market here. I had to have seen at least 6 different leather dedicated stores, from bags to jackets to wallets. Of course, I had to buy myself a fake leather jacket. While shopping, I noticed another similar trend after looking around a bit, which was that everything was expensive! It was very difficult to find clothes for cheap. Back in the states, when I would think of thrifting, I’d think of Goodwill or Plato’s closet. You could buy 5 different outfits for under $20. But in London, these types of stores are called “Charity Shops”. Don’t confuse charity shops and vintage shops; they are not the same in the slightest. I loved vintage shopping but it does cost a lot of money. There were a couple of places in Brick Lane that had a separate floor (typically in the basement) that had discounted clothes. This is where you can find shirts for around $10, rather than the $100 tops upstairs. I’ve also been told by a few people that Covent Garden is a great place to go shopping, but I have yet to do so. If you want to buy one or two pieces, vintage shopping could be for you. However, if you are looking to stock your wardrobe, I’d recommend going to a Charity shop or even shopping at your local Primark. Primark sells affordable clothes that are fashionable and can help you change your look on a budget.