Clothes Shopping in London

Clothes Shopping in London

Whatever you’re shopping for, London is one of Europe’s most renowned retail destinations; and being one of the fashion capitals of the world, makes clothing shopping even more phenomenal.

Being a city of monstrous proportions, there are many a spot to shop until you drop. What’s also nice about London shopping, is that different neighborhoods tend to cater to different tastes. So luxury fashionistas can go one way, while those who prefer thrifted clothing go another.

Here is just about everything you need to know…

Oxford Street in London

Oxford Street is one of the most famous shopping strips on the planet. Shopping here is actually a bucket list item for a lot of people around the world; if you do an Instagram hashtag search of the street, you’ll see the absolute craze that ensues.

There are an estimated 300 clothing shops on this single streets, making it the busiest shopping street in the English capital.

Oxford Street – by Jamie Davies – Unsplash

Some of these shops are department stores, which means they themselves hold another one hundred or so brands within them, adding to the tally considerably.

Oxford street is open year round, but the really unique time to shop here would be during the festive season. Each year a large amount of city budget is dedicated to the Oxford Street Christmas Lights that create a charming, winter wonderland-like atmosphere over head as you move down the road. 

Shoreditch in London

As mentioned, thrift and vintage clothing lovers thrive in London. Brixton and Notting Hill are two great neighborhoods where vintage stores are alive and well, but none come close to the range available in Shoreditch.

Shoreditch is the laid back, youthful London district where self expression is very much reliant on the clothes one chooses to wear. Second hand, thrift and vintage stores rule these streets, particularly Shoreditch High Street in the center.

For a more detailed breakdown of vintage clothing shopping in London you can click here.

Shoreditch – by Victuallers – Wikimedia Commons

Bond Street in London

Contrary to thrifted clothing, those looking for a luxury, international shopping experience must look no further than Bond Street.

This is a small yet very famous road nestled in the heart of London’s West End. It’s a strip of luxury fashion houses from around the world; the kind of clothing that comes straight off the runway of Fashion Week.

Burberry, Gucci, Versace, Dolce & Gabanna, Dior and Chanel are amongst the clothing stores on offer here. You can expect to be treated very much like royalty if you opt to step inside one of these spaces as a potential buyer. You can also expect to cross paths with the likes of Helena Bonham Carter en route to the change room.

Bond Street – by Dickbauch~commonswiki – Wikimedia Commons

Covent Garden in London

Covent Garden is the name of both the district and the shopping emporium within it. It’s somewhat of the indoor, covered version of Bond Street, featuring all of the same luxury brands under one roof.

Fashion houses from New York, Paris, Milan and London exhibit their clothing here in a high-end shopping experience open to all.

Come to Covent Garden if you’ve got money to spend. There’s not much else to do once inside.

Covent Garden – by Dietmar Rabich – Wikimedia Commons

Harrods in London

Growing up I knew nothing about London other than the terms ‘Big Ben’ and ‘Harrods’. Harrods is the iconic shopping emporium situated in Knightsbridge; like Oxford Street, it brings in millions of visitors per month all for the purpose of spending money.

What’s great about Harrods is that is is the perfect balance of luxury and everyday brand names. If you want to shop Louis Vuitton, you can; but you can also buy affordable clothing here too.

Harrods is somewhere you can lose an entire day to clothing shopping. They have an impressive food court that makes it unnecessary to leave the building until you’ve seen it all.

Harrods – by Michael Caven – Wikimedia Commons

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

OPENING HOURS: Monday to Sunday — 10am to 9pm

ADDRESS: 87-135 Brompton Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL, United Kingdom

TRAIN STATION: Knightsbridge

Carnaby Street in London

I love shopping for clothing on Carnaby Street! This was the shopping hotspot during the 60s in London, when fashion really became a form of radical self expression and personal morale.

Carnaby Street is in Soho, one of the trendiest neighborhoods in London. The clothing you can expect to find here is a mix of independent boutiques, cutting-edge (but small name) designers and vintage collections.

Being in Soho, most people tend to spend an afternoon on the strip before retreating elsewhere in the district for a really nice dinner and perhaps a few drinks.

Carnaby Street – by Edward – Wikimedia Commons

Piccadilly in London

Piccadilly is the very center of London, and an unmissable neighborhood to all first time visitors to the city. This part of town can be equated to New York’s Time’s Square; a collection of big billboards, bright lights, big name brands and shopping deluxe.

Here you’ll find clothing from stores such as Zara, H&M, Forever 21 and the likes. It’s chaotic, at best; the second busiest shopping district after Oxford Circus.

Piccadilly – by Rept0n1x – Wikimedia Commons

Markets in London

One should never overlook the many markets of London when it comes to clothing shopping. All over the city, there are markets just about every day of the week.

While some are better suited to collecting of trinkets and vintage furniture, others have impressive clothing stalls that make shopping new completely unnecessary.

The best market for clothing shopping in London would be: Camden Market, Portobello Road Market, Brixton Market and Brick Lane Market.

Portobello Market – by Arpingstone – Wikimedia Commons

While shopping your way through London, make some time for a guided walking tour through one of your favorite neighborhoods. Not only will you pass by other great shopping spots en rout, you’ll also receive valuable local tips from a city insider.