Sunday 6 February 2011

Spitalfields & Brick Lane

Warning: the contents of this blogpost are over two months old now. Do not attempt to eat, drink or poke the blogpost. Recommended ways for consumption are: to read with great enthusiasm and zeal and to forgive the writer for her lack of inactivity about getting it all on here.

...So, over the Christmas holidays, myself and the famlay cavorted our way down to the Big Smoke that is London city to celebrate my brothers twentieth. The trip consisted of loitering around Leicester Square where we were staying, exploring Covent Garden and rummaging through the stalls and rails and vintage shops that make up Brick Lane and Spitalfields Market spritely heartbeats.
Now, turn off that brain of yours that I inundate with so much wordiness, sit back and relax and have a gander at my weekend in the capital, in picture form.


The dazzling Christmas decorations in Covent Garden
Dessert at Haagen Dazs Restaurant
Graffiti by street artist Space Invader popping up all around Brick Lane

Delving into vintage shops

...Ahh wasn't that nice. I do love London. For its vastness, for how cosmopolitan it is and without question, for its shopping. I only realised this year how many different markets - both big and small, both touristic and obscure - are scattered around the city, harbouring vibrant little quirky boutiques and shops where one can discover a little one of a kind treasure hanging off a coathanger, often with a very eye pleasing, smile inducing, handwritten price tag.

Our first shopping pitstop was Spitalfields Market in East London and then after a suggestion from my London residing cousin, we paid the stylish Brick Lane a visit.
Here are a few of the the purchases I clocked up on this shopping trip.


Coat from Traffic People in Spitalfields Market, Alexander McQueen Bag and Owl Necklace from Spitalfields Market, Jumper from Urban Outfitters
The very first thing to appeal to my greedy shopper eyes whilst traipsing throught the stalls of Spitalfields market was the Alexander McQueen bag shown above. I'm pretty sure Mr McQueen's very own eyes lured me towards the bag, how could I turn down a bag printed with such a statment image of such a fashion legend? Also, the ridiculously abundant size of the bag makes it perrrrfect for being a swag bag for future shopping trips.
The next object to make my eyes sparkle with giddy delight was the owl necklace, also shown above. Dangling delicately off from a railing in a jewellery stall, its ruby and sapphire coloured gems drew me in and I found myself unable to leave the stall without it. And at £6 it was quite a steal, considering it's size (the owl is the size of my palm) something like that in Topshop would easily go for at least double the price. So, influenced by the owls innate wisdom, I very wisely flapped my wings and snapped it up.
The cream jumper, I will admit, was not from any of the markets but from Urban Outfitters. But who can resist a peruse around Urban Outfitters eh? It's not a particularly exciting buy, but I love the versatility of this jumper. With its go-with-everything colour and fit, I've worn it copious amounts, with everything from brightly coloured shorts, floaty skirts and over dress with a belt - it's basically become my new best friend.

And last but certainly not least... my new coat. A few posts back I wrote about my Christmas Wishlist and posted this picture of a coat from Topshop, costing £350.


...And check out what I got...

...Go on, guess how much? How much did I get this for? £49.99 - yes that's right, fifty quid - a fraction of the price of the Topshop coat and almost identical. Mwahahaha. This absolute b-e-a-uuuty of a coat was found in a shop inside Spitalfields Market called Traffic People. I'd heard of Traffic People before and knew it was a shop not to miss, especially as they have a car parked outside their shop driven by some swankily dressed mannequins, their name emblazoned on the cars bonnet. I love this coat, I feel like a French woman running for the train everytime I wear it - and even though it doesn't have the same suade exterior like the Topshop coat, the deliciously soft faux fur interior more than compensates, and keeps me warm during even the most turbulent of Leeds' weather.

If you ever wake up and by chance find yourself in London, or, even more bizarrely, book a train down to the capital (unless you're an actual real life lucky Londoner) I would highly recommend Brick Lane and Spitalfields Market. If you're looking for a bit of an alternative scene to the overly commercial and exceedingly expensive side to London, make you're way down to East London's shopping district and immerse yourself in all that is vintage, vivacious and buzzing.

I couldn't think of another v-word.
















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