I never felt inspired to shop for the perfect vintage wear while living in Nashville, but in London the idea seems completely natural.  While preparing to attend a fancy dress housewarming party as Mr. Lucas and Miss Brahms from Are You Being Served?, Drew and I discovered several great places to shop for unique pieces of clothing.

Near Victoria Station there are several charity shops which stock gently used and well cared-for household items as well as clothing.  There is also a brilliant vintage shop, called Retromania, packed to the brim with mens’ and ladies’ wear.  Drew rather quickly found a suit and shoes; we deliberated a bit about the tie…  Facilities for trying on are available in the back of store to ensure a good fit before getting home.

On Monmouth Street, of Seven Dials, there is a lovely shop called Pop that feels very similar to a designer boutique – without the heart stopping prices.  Facilities for trying on are also available to Pop customers and the staff are quite helpful and outgoing.  I really enjoyed the atmosphere as well as the selection of quality pieces.

After donning our costumes, we joined the party in Ealing.  Meeting lots of lovely people, seeing a beautiful home in a lovely English neighborhood, enjoying deep conversations, and learning how to do “the caterpillar” was worth the joys of late night London transport.