THIS COLUMN IS BY THE LOVELY LIZZIE, OUR INTERN
When I was asked to write about fashion in my local area, I was completely stumped. I live in a tiny little town called Grays in the South of England, which actually is just as dull and boring as the name suggests! So for people like me, the internet serves as a complete haven, an oasis of inspiration and style amidst the monotony that is my local area. There are so many beautiful online outlets run by British designers, lots of them quite obscure, even under-the-radar, and if you ever have a little time to spend browsing the internet, I’d definitely recommend a visit to the list of sites below.
Lazy Oaf
Lazy Oaf is an adorable online shop, full of graphic tees, cute printed sweatshirts, and hilarious greetings cards. The flagship store can be found in Foubert’s Place, London, but the website ships worldwide and is just as bright and funny as the items it sells. Lazy Oaf is extremely popular with both Londoners and those from further afield, and whenever I see someone on the street with one of their t-shirts, I just can’t help but smile at the incredible cuteness of it all!
Vivien of Holloway
http://www.vivienofholloway.com
Vivien runs one of my absolute favourite Camden boutiques, and she also provides an online outlet for anyone living a little further away. These gorgeous, affordable vintage-style dresses are ideal for weddings, proms and special occasions, made in the UK but adored by women across the globe! They can transform anyone into a Fifties rockabilly, Mad Men office girl, or WWII sweetheart, and perfectly combine the 21st Century technology of shopping online with the soft, glamorous styles of the Fifties era.
Rock n Rose
Rock n Rose is a whimsical accessories brand inspired by all things ‘classic, vintage and beautiful’. The girls behind the brand, designer sister duo Jess and Emily Jane have been pioneering the site since 2007, and in that time have been featured in publications such as Cosmopolitan, Bliss, and Elle. I believe that their quirky, floral, pieces are so individual and can finish off any outfit just perfectly. It’s also a good idea to sign up for the mailing list, as then you can receive special promotion codes and limited edition offers, saving money on this beautiful store!
Comfort Station
The jewellery found on this site is quite a bit more expensive, but if you’re looking for a dark, handmade, almost menacing piece, you’ve certainly come to the right place. Comfort Station’s classy, gothic, and frankly quite beautiful metal jewellery brand has been operating since 2003, and in that time has evolved into the creation of items which are more like tiny works of art than accessories – this is one of the boutiques where the fashion and art worlds really do begin to align.
Beyond Retro
Beyond Retro is a beautiful shop celebrating vintage apparel from the 1990s all the way to the 1920s. Its nautical, theatrical site design is a perfect match for the stunning items it sells, and it has been a cult hit with celebrities, editors, and designers since its conception in 2002. Beyond Retro has been featured in various magazines such as Nylon, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Dazed and Confused, and Vogue, and is famous for its stores in Brighton, Soho, and Brick Lane, where no two pieces are ever quite the same! A selection of items are chosen to be featured on the website, and can be sorted by size, era, price, or theme, guaranteeing a fabulous vintage find even for those who do not live near one of the flagship stores.
A Quarter Of
It’s sometimes easy to forget that it’s not only fashion stores available on the internet, but all sorts of products can be sold online. For example, I love this independent old-fashioned sweet shop, A Quarter Of, which sells wonderful confectionary from times gone by – just browsing the site makes me remember childhood favourites like Jazzies, Rainbow Drops, Love Hearts and Toxic Waste. If you ever have a craving, or a sweet-toothed friend with a birthday on the horizon, A Quarter Of’s gift sets are ideal – just look at that amazing hamper!
Urban Junkies
Urban Junkies automatically directs you to its site for your nearest city, so is a life-saver if you ever need to research events, gigs, restaurants, or any aspect of culture going on in your local area. Its shopping guides are second-to-none, providing priceless information about markets, pop-up shops and catwalk shows, but my personal favourite is its music section – every month mixtapes and playlists are published, devised by artists and industry experts and featuring brilliant, talented underground musicians.
Black Pearl Boutique
http://blackpearlboutique.co.uk
Up until recently, Black Pearl Boutique was a lovely little jewellery shop, situated in Kingly Court, London. It has now sadly closed down, but is still alive and a significant presence on the internet! Black Pearl sells necklaces, bracelets, earrings and headpieces, all inspired by 1940s and 50s glamour, old tattoos, charms and trinkets. There is also a ‘Discarded Jewels’ section of the site, which is a custom shop providing hand-made, bespoke and independent pieces, constructed from broken chains, old brooches, earrings, pendants, beads and charms to create a new, highly individual item for you to forever treasure!
Heidiseeker
http://www.heidiseeker.com
This site provides cute, kooky accessories, inspired by neon, electro, and eighties trashiness. Heidiseeker is particularly famous for its personalisation service – both the tote bag and necklace above can be personalised with the name of your choice, and this creates a truly individual piece! I purchased one of Heidi’s glittery necklaces with my name on it last year, and received quite a few compliments from friends and strangers alike, so it’s definitely something to consider if you want a new item of jewellery to refresh your wardrobe and help you to stand out from the crowd!
I’ve always found that the internet is brilliant for buying clothes from High-Street stores, but independent online outlets are where it really comes into its own. There is such an exciting community of creatives and designers with beautiful, inspiring ranges of clothing, accessories, jewellery and even confectionary! If you’re willing to look a little further afield, the internet can provide you with the means to travel to hundreds of boutiques situated all over Britain without leaving the comfort of your computer chair.
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