A few weeks back I spotted this vintage crochet lace blouse in Circa Vintage. I love to crochet and figure that it would take me around 10 weeks to create this masterpiece. That’s never going to happen so thank heavens for our wonderful vintage shops in Glasgow’s West End.

Looking for a bargain or something unique. Find something wonderful in Glasgow’s retro, vintage and nearly new shops. Whether you are looking for something from the 60s,70s, 80s, 90s, a second hand kilt or some Victorian finery you will be spoiled for choice. Glasgow has a fantastic selection of retro, vintage and second hand shops with clothes for men and women plus wonderful footwear, jewellery, hats and accessories.

If you’re looking for the perfect outfit for a Vintage or retro wedding or just fancy something beautiful and preloved you should check out these great shops.

Handbags and Gladrags

On my last visit to Handbags and Gladrags I spotted this amazing preloved French Connections dress. So smart, feminine and floaty, in beautiful shades of mauve and lavender. A perfect combination of the romantic and classy.

Maxine’s'Aladdin’s Cave of Clothes and Accessories’at 158 Dumbarton Road is worth a trip to Partick Cross(Kelvinhall Underground). Expert in the second hand clothes trade Maxine, together with husband Michael, has for many years run ‘Maxine’s', the jewel in the crown of Paddy’s Market. I predict that Handbags and Gladrags will be a great success in the West End. You’ll be amazed at the cheap price and enjoy Maxine’s banter. I was laughing out loud – some good Glasgow humour in the West End! (April, 2003)
Check out the new area at the back of Handbags and Gladrags
Fantastic designer gear, retro and accessories – you will not believe the prices.
Read the full feature

Circa Vintage

Circa

37 Ruthven Lane, off Byres Road, Glasgow G12 9BG
Retro and Vintage Heaven at 37 Ruthven Lane, off Byres Road.
Amazing range of dresses, jewellery, handbags, shoes and textiles.
Read the full feature on Circa Vintage
Telephone: 0141 334 6660,
circavintage@xln.co.uk
www.circavintage.co.uk

Retro

8 Otago Street, Kelvinbridge, G12. Telephone: 0141 576 0165

Lesley McGowan’s well established shop is the place to find your 50s, 60s and 70s gear – with a great selection of summer dresses, party frocks, quirky shirts, classy cardis, coats and jackets. There are also cabinets chock-a-block with costume jewellery, retro shoes, hats and bags. It’s a favourite student haunt – often full of Art Students after that certain look. They even get a 10% discount.

There is also a selection of linens and those highly sought after long velvet curtains, which look great and keep the cold out.

www.retro-clothes.com/mens_clothing.htm

Starry Starry Night

When Anna Graham arrived back in Glasgow from a soujourn in New York in 1987 it was her ambition to own a vintage clothing shop. With three friends (she is now the sole proprietor) she established Starry, Starry Night which has provided a focus for her passion for retro and clothing antiquities. There is not much that Anna does not know about vintage clothing and she has a story to tell about almost every item in the shop.

I particularly enjoyed hearing about Sandie Shaw’s pink spangled cat suit designed by her husband Jeff Banks. Apparently Sandie wore this sensational outfit to the 1968 Montreux Film Festival. (No matching shoes required.)

Charity Shops

At Partick Cross you will find the very large Salvation Army Shop, which is enormously popular and has a super range of clean and well ironed stock and also has its very own boutique! Barnado’s is just opposite and all along Dumbarton Road you can find charity shops – the Cancer Research Campaign at No 458 is good for bargains also Marie Curie Cancer Care No 383.

Byres Road and Great Western Road both have quite a selection. On Byres Road Barnado’s and Save the Children Fund (watch out for my friend Maureen Kennedy) are almost next door to each other (177 and 165). Nearer the top end of the road you will find Oxfam and a large Oxfam bookshop.

Shelter has two shops on Great Western Road and they both offer good quality stock and the one at No. 679 sometimes has clothes from BBC Scotland Costumes Department – these can either be very startling or real finds. This is also where I pass on my own retro collection and I like to see my ‘donations’ hanging up for sale.

Glasgow West End: Retro and Vintage Shops.