A Vintage Obsessive Shares Her Favourite Pre-Loved Gems In Central London

Coco Chanel once said that before leaving the house you should look in the mirror and take one thing off. For the bulk of my adult life, I’ve largely ignored this advice. Subscribing, instead, to the Annie Hall art of getting dressed: layers, a lot of men’s ties and never far from a pair of softly tinted glasses that are practically useless besides making you feel briefly like a sexy librarian from the seventies. I’d wager at least 85% of my wardrobe is vintage. From oversized $5 blazers thrifted in Brooklyn; an early 00s tiered black and pink slip dress, altered days before for my brother’s wedding; a men’s dark navy double-breasted suit bought on a whim in a hungover daze because I thought it made me look a bit like a Jarvis Cocker at the time (it is now my most worn and most treasured uniform).

There’s something personal, more romantic, about clothes that have lived a past life. Some of my earliest childhood memories are trawling around car boot and antique fairs with my mother at the weekend (long before understanding the merits of conscious consumption), though it wasn’t until my late teens my obsession with pre-loved goods really peaked. Vintage shops were just so much more fun than any other. A dress up box for grown-ups, with eccentric characters behind the counter who really cared about style. For many years working as a magazine fashion editor, it was also one of the few places I could procure cool one-off pieces that wouldn’t cause financial ruin. Whenever landing in a new city, I first ritualistically search on Google Maps a second-hand store to hang out in. And yet London, still, for me remains unparalleled when it comes to the very best vintage treasure hunts — whether you’re looking for a show-off gown or an everyday wear-with-everything blazer, here are some of my go-to destinations in Central London to bookmark for your next weekend mooch.