Whether it is your first or last year at NTU, everyone could do with a wardrobe refresh to kick start the term. What better way than to do it sustainably through vintage shopping?
First off, why shop vintage?
Well, other than being down to personal style, vintage clothing is a great way to combat the increasing world of fast fashion. Giving older items a new lease of life instead of going to landfills is also great for your carbon footprint. Along with supporting small businesses, you may find garments that are harder to come by in high street stores and online, sometimes for a fraction of the price. Additionally, the quality of vintage clothes is better than modern clothing in the fast fashion industry, and a quirky shirt could be a great conversation starter when meeting new people.
Luckily, Nottingham has some great spots and hidden gems to fulfil your vintage shopping needs for all budgets! Here are some to add to your vintage itinerary:
Cobden Place
Hidden away through a green gate off Pelham Street is Cobden Place, a vintage shop and café. Downstairs you will find a small café serving coffees, teas and sweet treats and a small selection of classic vintage clothes and trinkets; there is even a ‘create your own notebook’ station. Exploring upstairs, you will find a vast selection of more modern vintage garments in a kilo sale style, meaning there is a set price for the total weight of the clothes you buy. The staff are so friendly, and if you need a place to chill out after a hard day of uni, Cobden is the Place to be!
Thrift Store
Also on Pelham Street is Thrift Store, a vintage shop that has recently opened. This should be your go-to if you ever need new hoodies or T-shirts as they have discounted prices for multi-buys, such as two hoodies for £20. They also have a range of accessories such as hats, bags and belts along with your usual skirts, dresses and funky trousers.
Bubble Vintage
Located in The Exchange Shopping Centre is a smaller vintage store, Bubble Vintage. Despite its size, Bubble Vintage is a great shop to pop into if you are ever passing through the city centre. It is split over two floors, with men’s clothing downstairs and women’s upstairs. Unlike some other vintage stores in Nottingham, Bubble Vintage uses a colour-coded pricing system, so keep an eye out for a small, coloured dot on each tag, as that will tell you which price category it falls into. They also have a premium vintage section wherein the price will be stated on the tag. Make sure you bring cash with you for this one though, as they do not take card payments. If you ever need a cash withdrawal, just a few feet away from the storefront are two handy cash machines!
Braderie and Cow Vintage
These two shops are a short distance from one another further up Pelham Street. Both are good to go to if you have a slightly bigger budget and are looking for original one-off pieces, as they have sections in their stores for ‘re-worked’ items. Braderie also has an excellent uni-sex essentials section if you are looking for some brightly coloured T-Shirts and hoodies, whilst Cow has a more ‘Urban Outfitters’ vibe to their items.
Charity Shops
Charity shops are making a comeback in popularity amongst us uni students, and thankfully, here in Nottingham, we are spoilt for choice! Some notable mentions are the Sue Ryder Vintage and Retro, which has a ’50s-’80s theming and has exclusively vintage items, so if you are in the mood for a good old rummage, these are the shops for you. Similarly, you may have spotted a few White Rose stores around the city centre. Although they may not exclusively hold vintage items, they have some good bargains on popular branded items. Finally, British Heart Foundation have a store that features a section of vintage items on Clumber Street, just around the corner from Primark. They have all sorts of hidden treasures, and the best part is that your money is going towards a good cause so that you can shop guilt-free!
Hopefully this article has been helpful in kick-starting your vintage shopping journey or maybe even jogged your memory of some places to revisit. These were just a selection of my favourite vintage shops, but there are so many more throughout Nottingham for you to discover and explore! Have fun creating some new outfits to proudly catwalk into your next lecture in; who knows, maybe you will be the next up-and-coming style icon?!
Lead Image Credit: by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash