When it comes to vintage clothing, Bristol is probably not one of the best places to find hidden treasures (unless the hidden treasure you are looking for is a jam stain on an old Primark t-shirt from the local Oxfam). Any decent vintage shops seem to have caught on to the fact that today's youth has an inexplicable obsession with wearing pre-owned clothing in order to be "original" and thus get away with charging £25 per t-shirt.
However, one day I unwittingly wandered in to Fly Boutique and uncovered a gold mine of reasonably priced, good quality, authentic vintage clothing. After my first purchase I became a regular customer and dread to think how much I have spent there, although it is all fully justified in the name of fashion.
There are at least five charity shops in every shopping district in Bristol and I often hunt through the rails, but the only good item I've ever come across is the maroon cropped jumper pictured below. I believe this is because I bought it in Keynsham which is inhabited largely with OAP's, and therefore the charity shops actually possess clothes from previous eras as opposed to charity shops in the city centre which favour previous season's BHS rejects.
I have also given in to some of the pricier vintage stores, Urban Fox and RePsycho, if only because I can't resist anything shiny and in order to fulfil my life-long dream of owning a full-length pair of dungarees.
Never one to miss an opportunity for shopping, I also went bargain hunting at a small festival I went to in the summer and managed to pick up an unbranded black velvet skater dress which successfully filled the LBD-shaped whole in my wardrobe!
Last but not least, I managed to pick up a cute, summery hat from a stall in St Nicholas Market... and when I say "cute, summery" I mean "gondola driver".
KJ xo
Fly Boutique:
Charity Shop:
Urban Fox:
RePsycho:
Shambala Festival:
St Nicholas Market:
Leave a note