{"id":274784,"date":"2025-07-19T13:13:17","date_gmt":"2025-07-19T13:13:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/274784\/"},"modified":"2025-07-19T13:13:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-19T13:13:17","slug":"im-a-celeb-stylist-these-are-europes-best-places-to-find-vintage-clothes-and-the-dos-and-donts-when-shopping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/274784\/","title":{"rendered":"I’m a celeb stylist – these are Europe’s best places to find vintage clothes and the do’s and don’ts when shopping"},"content":{"rendered":"

Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more<\/a><\/p>\n

When on holiday, it\u2019s always fun to see the main tourist attractions \u2013 but vintage shopping is a great way to take in a new destination too.<\/p>\n

But it can often be hard to know where to start.<\/p>\n

Fear not, as help is on hand from Sian Clarke, who has styled the likes of Lorraine Kelly<\/a> and Sarah Pascoe.<\/p>\n

Taking me to London<\/a>\u2019s Covent Garden, as part of an Airbnb Experience<\/a>, she exclusively reveals her top tips for vintage shopping \u2013 including where to go for the best finds.<\/p>\n

\u2018Covent Garden is the best central place in London for vintage shopping,\u2019 she says. \u2018Because there are loads of smaller boutiques, which feel less overwhelming, and they\u2019re all quite close together, whereas in other parts of London you have to sift through loads.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s nice being able to dip in and out here.\u2019<\/p>\n

We first head to GOOD, a pre-loved clothes store, with a second branch in Kensington.<\/p>\n

Having told her I like bolder colours and fewer prints, Sian\u2019s first tip, as we step through the door, is to \u2018zone out of most of the clothes and only look at things that pop out to you\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"Sian <\/p>\n

Sian Clarke, who has styled the likes of Lorraine Kelly and Sarah Pascoe, takes Hayley Minn to London\u2019s Covent Garden, as part of an Airbnb Experience. She exclusively reveals her top tips for vintage shopping – including where to go for the best finds<\/p>\n

\"Sian\u00bfs <\/p>\n

Sian\u2019s best advice is to completely ignore the size written on the label. And she ends up being proven correct as, despite being a size 10, the first thing I try on is a \u2018size 16\u2019 shirt, and I love it so much I end up buying it<\/p>\n

But Sian\u2019s best advice, when it comes to vintage shopping, is to completely ignore the size written on the label.<\/p>\n

And she ends up being proven correct as, despite being a size 10, the first thing I try on is a \u2018size 16\u2019 shirt, and I love it so much I end up buying it.<\/p>\n

In our next stop, Wow Retro, there are rows and rows of denim waistcoats in many different shapes and sizes.<\/p>\n

Sian recommends trying a few different styles on \u2013 unbuttoned and buttoned up.<\/p>\n

She says: \u2018When you’re trying stuff on, try a couple of different shapes of the same item on, and then you’ll know when you find the right one.\u2019<\/p>\n

I also pick up a leopard print skirt and crochet top \u2013 pairing them together.<\/p>\n

The only problem with the top? It\u2019s completely see-through!<\/p>\n

But Sian comes to the rescue with the nifty trick of using a silk scarf as a bandeau top underneath.<\/p>\n

\"Sian \"She <\/p>\n

Sian recommends trying a few different styles of a denim waistcoat on \u2013 unbuttoned and buttoned up. She says: \u2018When you’re trying stuff on, try a couple of different shapes of the same item on, and then you’ll know when you find the right one\u2019<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The only problem with the crochet top? It\u2019s completely see-through! But Sian comes to the rescue with the nifty trick of using a silk scarf as a bandeau top underneath<\/p>\n

To my surprise, it doesn\u2019t even matter that all these clothes have completely mismatched prints \u2013 it somehow works.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s another tip from Sian \u2013 \u2018don\u2019t be afraid to mix patterns or colours\u2019.<\/p>\n

She says: \u2018Some people are so against mixing whites or neutrals, but you can do it.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s like that with loads of colours – people say you can\u2019t mix red and pink, or blue and green, but you absolutely can!\u2019<\/p>\n

Another tip from Sian – which leads to me taking the leopard print skirt home with me – is to \u2018think about what two or three other things you\u2019ve already got at home that it can work with\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018If you go for a neutral colour, you know that you’re going to be able to pair it as an essential,\u2019 she adds.<\/p>\n

Sian and my journey ends in Vintage Threads, which she describes as a \u2018more boujee, designer vintage store\u2019.<\/p>\n

But, while she loves Covent Garden for vintage finds, Sian\u2019s favourite place for pre-loved shopping is Italy.<\/p>\n

\"\u00bfMilan <\/p>\n

\u2018Milan is the best place I\u2019ve found for vintage shopping,\u2019 Sian says. \u2018It has a proper street of it, [Colonne di San Lorenzo and Corso di Porta Ticinese] which I really liked’<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u2018Milan is the best place I\u2019ve found for vintage shopping,\u2019 she says. \u2018It has a proper street of it, [Colonne di San Lorenzo and Corso di Porta Ticinese] which I really liked.<\/p>\n

\u2018Berlin is also just such a vibe.\u2019<\/p>\n

And when it comes to the UK, the north is best for vintage shopping.<\/p>\n

\u2018Bristol is really good, and in Manchester, there\u2019s a huge shop called ReMarket as soon as you arrive at Manchester Picadilly station,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

But her parting words of wisdom?<\/p>\n

\u2018Nothing is worse than the vintage you don\u2019t buy. If you fall in love with something vintage, buy it, because you won’t find it again.<\/p>\n

\u2018And if it’s outrageous, definitely get it!\u2019<\/p>\n

Sian\u2019s vintage shopping trip is just one of many Airbnb Experiences available on the app.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"When <\/p>\n

When it comes to the UK, Sian says \u2018Bristol is really good for vintage shopping’<\/p>\n

\"\u00bfCovent <\/p>\n

\u2018Covent Garden is the best central place in London for vintage shopping,\u2019 she says. \u2018Because there are loads of smaller boutiques, which feel less overwhelming, and they\u2019re all quite close together, whereas in other parts of London you have to sift through loads.<\/p>\n

In London, there\u2019s also the opportunity to do things like go on a Wizarding World Walk with TikTok historian David Harry<\/a> or dance with principal ballerina Francesca Hayward<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Around the rest of the UK, you can do things like roam the Lake District by Land Rover with a local guide<\/a>, or go alpaca trekking in the Scottish countryside<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Further afield, you can master the art of ramen-making with Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded chef Saburo Ishig\u014dka<\/a> in Tokyo or take a personalised fragrance journey<\/a> at a hidden perfumer’s atelier in Milan.<\/p>\n

In Mexico, you can step into the ring with a real Mexican luchador<\/a>, or there\u2019s even the chance to play beach volleyball with Olympian Carol Solberg<\/a> on Rio de Janeiro\u2019s iconic Leblon Beach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":274785,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5174],"tags":[2373,103945,92,17776,2000,299,5187,257,23384,183],"class_list":{"0":"post-274784","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-eu","8":"tag-affiliated","9":"tag-commercetravel","10":"tag-dailymail","11":"tag-editorial-impulse","12":"tag-eu","13":"tag-europe","14":"tag-european","15":"tag-london","16":"tag-lorraine-kelly","17":"tag-travel"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114880080467331851","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274784","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=274784"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274784\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/274785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=274784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=274784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=274784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}