Armstrongs (Edinburgh, UK)

Those who know me or this blog have probably realized by now that vintage shopping isn't necessarily my forte. I'm pretty impatient when it comes to going through racks and racks of clothes and accessories, yet I refuse to give up, as the perfect find justifies the time spent browsing. Many of the best vintage shops tend to be in the UK and Edinburgh is no exception. Armstrongs, situated on Grassmarket, one of the oldest streets in the city, was opened back in 1840 and was initially founded to give the less wealthy a more economical option of buying clothes. These days, this emporium is Edinburgh's largest and oldest vintage store and like most such institutions has garnered quite a bit of media attention as well as a celebrity fan base ranging from Kate Moss to the Kaiser Chiefs.

The jumble of clothes in the front room - where do I start?

The store windows gave me a first indication as to what I could expect once inside. Seeing the jumble of colorful frocks, antique dresses and feather boas , I knew I'd be greeted by a wide array of outfits from different eras - and I was well aware it would require a bit of digging. Nothing quite prepared me for the incredible assortment I found once I entered though. The shop itself is large enough, but every inch of retail space was maximized, whether it was the floor, walls or even the ceiling area. I was told that if I needed anything from above, I should feel free to use the various ladders standing about. I think I'll need to deal with the floor space first...

Kilts and kilt accessories, such as sporrans, for the gents.

The store's age already implies the type of pieces you will find here and in fact it does stock items dating back to the Victorian era (i.e. well before the 1900s), including bodices , jackets and skirts. Some of the more antique pieces won't be for sale, but are still great to look at. The front room included a lot of these older items which will probably be more sought after by collectors rather than people who want to wear something to a party. But there were also plenty of wearable pieces in this section, in particular the kilts and accessories for men and more floaty floral pieces for women. Looking up, I saw more dresses, boas and a great selection of hats dangling from the ceiling.

Left: View of the front room from the back. Right: Wellies & other colorful items.

The middle room, including one of the Egyptian mummy statues.

The items are roughly categorized by era and type of garment, though I never quite figured out which era was where. Safe to say, you'll find everything from 20s flapper dresses, 50s full-skirted creations, 60s hippie gear, 70s jumpsuits to 80s neon leggings. The owners are fairly secretive about how they source their items, but from what I could tell, most of them were in great condition and the pricing was decent as well. The most wonderful thing about the store were the props though. Despite being jam-packed with clothes already, the staff had somehow managed to squeeze in Buddha statues, Egyptian mummies, the odd stuffed animal or a dummy of a flying acrobat. Other memorabilia such as an old jukebox definitely helped give the store the vibe that you'd just stepped out of a time machine.

The furry flamingo was for sale as well (left). Right: A wide variety of scarves, stockings and yet another statue.

As I made my way towards the back, I spotted more trinkets, including vintage Polaroid cameras in a display and a nice selection of colorful wellies. The middle section seems to be the place to be if you're in need of a costume, with racks of wigs, more feather boas and the most colorful sequined outfits you can imagine.

The men's section in the back room.

The majority of the menswear had its own room with rows of (more) kilts, army jackets, leather coats, but also evening appropriate attire such as tuxedo jackets and bow ties. Despite the cramped area, this part actually had a nice skylight, which gave the room a less claustrophobic feel.

Jewelry and other trinkets.

On my way to the other women's department, I found some girly platform glitter pumps and a cute selection of costume jewelry. The main section was so full of clothes and shoes, I'm not even quite sure where to start. Boots (ranging from cowboy to casual riding boots) were laid out on the floor, while heels and elegant flats were placed neatly along a wall.

Shoes and a very cool jukebox.

Various dresses from 30s elegant couture to 40s romantic gowns, as well as more modern outfits (blazers, liberty print blouses etc.) were well represented. You could even get a vintage wedding dress if you need something for that special day. Many of them were hanging from the ceiling, which is also where I found a very interesting Santa outfit (still not sure if it was a dress or coat). Cashmere (as low as £25 for a cardigan), denim and accessories are the bestsellers, so be sure to check these items thoroughly.

This flying acrobat was a main attraction (left). More clothes, with wedding gowns floating above.

Left: Partial view of the women's section. The boxes held scarves & belts. Right: More dresses hanging from the ceiling, incl. the Santa-inspired one.

That's the great thing about vintage shopping - besides getting a truly unique item, shops like these aren't dictated by trends (unlike the high street or luxury designer stores), so if you are a hippie at heart and want flared jeans or have always wanted to channel Elvis, you're bound to find something here. I must admit that the store is not perfect for someone as impatient as I am, but I love browsing clothes from past eras and it once again reminded me of how timeless certain items can be, whether it's the leopard print (I found tons of scarves and jackets with this pattern) or the big shoulders.

Boots and more jewelry (left) & yet another figurine (right).

This might be a bit too much for a vintage novice, but it's still a great place to spend a little time. The store got busier as I left and you'll tend to see a lot of tourists, students or just groups of girls wanting to try on different cocktail dresses and crazy outfits. A second, slightly smaller Edinburgh outlet can be found on Clerk Street, but the great news is that even if you're not visiting this city anytime soon, Armstrongs also has it's own eBay store (accessible via their website) which delivers worldwide.

(images: Armstrongs)

Address: 83 Grassmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2HJ
Opening Hrs: Mon-Thur 10:00-17:30, Fri-Sat 10:00-18:00
Sun 12:00-18:00
Armstrongs Homepage