On the weekend I took an impulsive trip to Nottingham with my sister. It was your typical sisterly weekend – singing in the car, sleeping over on the sofa, and of course – thrift shopping!
I wasn’t planning on putting a blog post together when we first set off on the road together, but Nottingham surprised me with how many great places there are to shop ethically. Sure, you’ve got the usual high street, but there’s also a whole district for charity, vintage, and thrift shops. Here are my favourites from a day of exploring…
(P.S. You’re going to have to excuse the low resolution of the images in this post – it was such an unexpected trip that I didn’t have my usual camera on me!)
Braderie Vintage
19-21 Pelham Street, Nottingham, NG1 2ED
Braderie was my first introduction to the vintage fashion scene in Nottingham. The airy space and wooden floors were great to clatter around, with collections arranged by style, colour, and size. If you’re looking for mom jeans, sweatshirts, and lumberjack shirts, this is the place.
If Braderie’s Nottingham store is too far for you, you can also find them on ASOS Marketplace.
Braderie also has a great set of changing rooms to try clothing on, and the staff members are super friendly.
COW Vintage
2A George Street, Nottingham, NG1 3BE
COW was one of the first vintage stores I ever went into – this was their Birmingham branch, and I was a fresher at university. Sat in the artsy Digbeth area, I felt slightly intimidated and somewhat cool for discovering what was seemingly an independent Urban Outfitters selling vintage clothing that had been altered for today’s fashions.
COW Vintage is one of the more successful vintage chains in the UK, and their Nottingham shop is testament to that. They have racks and racks of altered corduroy dresses, button down jackets, and crop tops galore. They also stock some items that haven’t had any chopping or changing done to them – I picked up a sweet black and white checked scarf from their accessories wall.
Oxfam
16-22 Goose Gate, Nottingham, NG1 1FF
As you can probably tell from my LFW review, I’m a big fan of Oxfam. They have two shops in central Nottingham, with this one in the Hockley area (as are all these shops).
As with most charity shops, the layout is less aesthetically-pleasing than a vintage or thrift shop, but this one was better than most. There’s a good amount of space to navigate around the clothes, books, and accessories, and not too much squeezed on each rail.
Just like COW, Oxfam also have an online charity shop that I love to look through too.
Sue Ryder
30/32 Goose Gate, Nottingham, NG1 1FF
I’ve often found Sue Ryder charity shops to be hit or miss. Their place in Nottingham, however, is definitely a hit.
I was recommended their shop by Elly of Take It Up, Wear It Out, and I’m so glad she told me to pop in. Entering the shop is like stepping back in time, with their collection of clothing, armoirs, and trinkets all dating back to the last century.
I was taken with a few beautiful leather purses in pristine condition, but reasoned with myself that I don’t need anything more than my current Matt & Nat card holder. If you like vintage clothing and antiques, this is the place to go.
White Rose
2 Broad St, Nottingham NG1 3AL
My final stop on the thrift shopping list is White Rose. I didn’t get chance to pop into WILD, as it was closed at my time of passing, but I was taken by their window!
White Rose straddles the divide between charity shop and thrift store – they sell handpicked items of good quality and design, collecting these from their clothes banks across the city.
Also, make sure to pop into WILD Clothing next door – I missed their store completely thinking they were the same shop. Will definitely be heading in next time I’m in the city!