Starry Starry Night (Glasgow, UK)

With the rising popularity of everything that is vintage, I've seen a fair share of second-hand stores that tried to profit from this craze resulting in overpricing and an overall decline in the quality of merchandise. Then there are shops that seemingly try too hard to be cool or hip and end up no longer being true to the original concept. I'm happy to report that Starry Starry Night is vintage at its finest. In fact, this is exactly how a retro store should be like - if I ever opened one, I would probably try to replicate it (and fail miserably).

A mere 5 seconds away from the CdG Guerilla Store, the shop's bright green entrance is hard to miss. And the interior is just as fun as the quirky facade suggests, so you might want to free your whole afternoon to rummage through the treasures. The type of clothing and accessories you'll find here won't be designer, but is likely to be even more unique, good quality and quite reasonably priced. While most places will be able to sell you military style jackets and coats, the outerwear you can find here is actual military clothing ranging from an Irish Guard jacket to a Victorian Lord Lieutenant's uniform proudly on display. There was even a hat with Russian wording that implied it came from the Soviet Army. I must say this is way cooler than getting an inspired-by look.

If you want something more Scottish - feast your eyes on an entire rack lined with tartan kilts. My dear Significant Other (who by the way seemed to have almost more fun browsing than yours truly) asked me to guess the age of one particular kilt. I said 2006 - it dated back to 1960 but looked brand new and was made from the finest quality wool. And it only cost 90 GBP - on average a brand new kilt will set you back around 500 GBP!

Other notable finds included a good selection of leather jackets, wool coats and even more military outfits. This was all mainly menswear though, so I headed towards the back, where I found a nice assortment of (mostly fake) fur jackets and stoles, as well as a good range of women's leather jackets from the 70's. The adjoining space was dedicated almost entirely to dresses. Anyone in need of a cocktail dress should come here first. I sighted some amazing Victorian gowns as well as 20's style flapper dresses and some bohemian frocks from the 60's. I've been told that theatrical companies like to shop here and I can understand why.

If you're a jewelry fan, don't leave without taking a look at the glass counter in the center. Featuring antique brooches, chokers and bracelets to name a few, you're sure to find that special something you've been looking for. Bag lovers should check out the purses displayed nearby - you're bound to find the perfect accessory to one of the vintage outfits.

And if you need more accessories, an entire wall of shelves is filled with scarves, feather boas, funky ties, gloves and anything else you could possibly desire. The far end of the shop also houses Bethsy Gray's fine handcrafted silver jewelry which is made in the store's adjoining workshop , so definitely pay this area a visit as well. There are a few items that are too precious to be on sale but can be loaned to you for a good price, so don't hesitate to ask the shop keepers if you do see something that looks too valuable to wear. There's also a story behind almost every product in the store, so if you're curious someone in the boutique is bound to tell you more.

Safe to say that this is one of my favorite vintage haunts and I'll be sure to come back the next time I'm in town!

Address: 19 Dowanside Lane, Glasgow G12 9BZ
Opening Hrs: Mon-Sat: 10:00-17:30