By Keith Smith
Lovers of vintage clothing and accessories are in for a real treat, because they are certainly well-catered for in Edinburgh.
The real bargains are to be had in the plethora of vintage and second-hand stores, charity shops and emporiums of curios you’ll tend to be seen grouped together in small pockets throughout the city – Stockbridge, Morningside, Dalry and Gorgie are all home to a good selection of these. You’ll probably have to wade through some dross to locate the gems, but they are there to be unearthed if you’re willing to look hard enough.
Value for money
Edinburgh boasts a wide and varied vintage retail offer
If you’d prefer someone else to sort the wheat from the chaff for you, then there are a profusion of stores that cater to almost every vintage whim and desire.
You’ll pay a premium for that service, but on the whole, the price tags aren’t exorbitant and still offer fantastic value for money. Style guru Mary Portas and Save the Children collaborate with Mary’s Living and Giving Shop in Raeburn Place which is a sure-fire bet for big name brands, but the daddy of them all is undoubtedly W. Armstrong & Son, which claims to be Britain’s largest vintage emporium. Spread across three tardis-like sites, the stores are a Mecca for vintage enthusiasts; if you can’t find it here, chances are it probably doesn’t exist.
