Okay, listen. When I first went to Portobello Market I came armed with way too many articles printed out and photocopied, eyedrowgenerously by harassed friends who understood the vintage shopping Bible I was trying to compile in Microsoft Word but had no idea how to actually shop at the biggest vintage marketplace in London. When I left, I felt ripped off, defeated, and sunburned.
A true victim of Portobello’s premier vintage reputation. That was five years ago. Before iPhones but when I still worked at a job that required me to dress in neutrals and troweled on unspeakable quantities of foundation every morning.
Before I knew any better, I had traipsed up to Portobello Market because I read an interview with a stylish coworker where she raved about picking up her favourite pieces there. So, of course, I could do it too.
First timers, right?
Drink theGoogle-Articles-Of-Influencers praise Kool-Aid and charge in with your visions of vintage-wrangling glory?
I arrived around noon on a Saturday (“technically open” is synonymous with “prime-shopping-time” for sample sales and garage sales everywhere, people. ), cracked open my articles on what to buy and where to find it, spent forty-five minutes getting distracted by Halal lunch trucks before coffee even became an option, and left having dropped a painful amount of cash on the first item that made me weak in the knees: A beautiful teal wrap dress from the 1970s that fell apart the first time I took it to the dry cleaners. Defeated by all that was pretty and cheap, I vowed never to return.
THEN: Look Exactly Like You Know What You’re Doing – Even If You Don’t BUT: Money talks, people. And a tolerably-high-paying corporate job plus stubborness meant I was back. Every Saturday for months I’d roam Portobello despondently until something started clicking.
Where should I be looking? How early was too early? Why were the people dressed so normal?
It took years of exploration, deep cynicism about my own sense-of-style, and a solid grasp on the fact that someone with way better taste than me was somewhere selling THE DREAM DRESS before I got it down. But get it down, I did. My Friday morning ritual has become as finely-tuned and habitual as my pitch-prep weekday lunches.
Allow me to educate. Before we begin: let me just say that Portobello is not your average vintage mecca. Think of it more like an entire industry condensed into a few city blocks.
There are tiers here. An exclusive club of buyerto-whom-I’ll-never-sell_passersby. Once you stop SEEING things and start KNOWING things, you’ll understand what I’m talking about.
You never want to be the girl who walks out with a faux-vintage pea coat from Club Monaco that she accidentally bought because she thought it was vintage. There’s a right way to do Portobello. And I’m here to teach you everything I know.
Know When To Get There (And When To Leave) Alright, let’s start with basics. The market officially opens at 8AM on Fridays and Saturdays. But the real secret?
Hit it at 7AM. No, seriously. Go at 7AM.
I used to scoff at people who were “so early” at 8: 15 on Saturday mornings, stalking through not-yet-opened stalls peering over shoulders to see what everyone was hiding. That is, until I got to the market before anyone else but the stall owners themselves…and watched as a woman walked away with the Hermès scarf I had been hoping to find. “Got anything similar?” I naively asked the dealer, gesturing at the now-empty space beside a rack of silk scarves. He looked at me with mild contempt and said, “Early bird gets the worm, love.”I woke up after that.
Ok, so… 7AM it is. But why such emphasis on mornings? And Fridays specifically?
Well, because crowds. Tourists, shoppers, journeymongers prowling for treasure. Saturdays at Portobello are for tourists and people who work weekdays.
You will be fighting the crowds. Yes, even if you’re there at “opening.” Fridays before 11AM are golden. Many of the dealers restock on Saturdays with new goods for the weekend shoppers, so if you stick to the professional window of opportunity on Friday morning, you’re guaranteed to beat people to the best items.
Plus, there’s less competition! Do not forget your territory. Portobello Road may be long, but it’s not shaped how you think it is.
There are a lot of antique furniture dealers at the northern and southernmost reaches of Portobello. The southern stretch near Notting Hill Gate is mostly antiques: silver, china, jewellery, vintage décor pieces, etc. You’ll want to find the intersection of Westbourne Grove to dip into the vintage clothing section, which runs about two blocks until you hit Mulliner Gardens.
North of Mulliner Gardens is significantly cheaper for everyday second-hand shopping, but you also won’t find many vintage-specific dealers. My biggest mistake when I first started shopping Portobello was trying to start at one end and work my way through to the other. This resulted in me wasting hours browsing through antique jewellery and housewares before I even hit the vintage fashion district.
If you’re focused on clothing, do yourself a favour and cut to the chase. Your sweet spot is between Westbourne Grove and Mulliner Gardens. This is where most of the big-ticket vintage dealers set up shop.
Some you’ll recognise, like One of a Kind or Pellicano. Others are tiny stalls with mountains of hidden gems. This is where I personally scored a vintage Chanel blazer I still wear to death everyday.
The lesson: know the big guys, but spend most of your time digging through the less touristy stalls. Oh, and about those little arcades along the street? Two words: hidden gems.
I got my blazer from a tiny stall tucked away in the back of Admiral Vernon Arcade. One of the permanent dealers who obviously had no clue what he had in his inventory. And while you’re roaming around this section, get to know the dealers who only set up during the day.
I have learned over the years who has the best vintage clothing simply by paying attention to who sells out first on Fridays. Pro tip: the scarf guy in the Admiral Vernon arcade has amazing silk scarves and costume jewellery. He consistently undercuts himself on pieces that would fetch two or three times the price elsewhere.
Him. You’re welcome. Speaking of which, this is officially known as the “recon” mission.
My fail-proof strategy is to walk up and down the target area ONE TIME WITHOUT LOOKING IN ANY OF THE STALLS. I know, I know…it feels counterproductive. But hear me out.
I walk up and down Westbourne Gardens all the way to Mulliner Gardens twice, glancing at stalls that catch my eye before diving in on the return trip. Why? Example: two years ago I found an actual vintage Chanel trenchcoat.
About an hour and twenty dollars later I had filled my bag so proudly, not realising there was ONE MORE STALL at the top of Portobello (where else?) with an Hermes scarf I had been drooling over since the week before. Learning to pace yourself is key – trust. There are always exceptions to the rules.
One that comes to mind? Bottles of Absolute Ethical Niche Fragrance I learned about while researching this article. But in terms of shopping: if you see a one-of-kind piece that you know is gonna sell out, BUY IT.
Don’t leave it sit while you wander hoping to find better. Once you’ve done your recon, shop like you mean it. Want tips on what to actually buy?
Read on. But some of my favourite staples are: Silk scarves. Vintage silk scarves are WHERE IT’S AT at Portobello.
I’ve scored everything from vintage Dolce and Gabbana to Hermes scarves that were at least double marked down because the dealers didn’t know what they were buying (honestly, notUNcommon for printed scarves from that era.) Learn what high-quality silk feels like before you go. And brush up on print silhouettes too! I learned the hard way it’s generally best to avoid scarves with big anchors, sailing ships, or pigeons.
Leather. Leather jackets, specifically. There’s a reason half the fashion industry swear by Portobello for vintage leather.
Here’s my favourite: I found a cropped moto in the deepest chocolate brown leather for less than I would’ve paid for Zara’s version two years ago. It looks like a specialty designer jacket, but was probably mass-produced in an Italian factory at some point in the 1960s. You can usually spot fake leather from a mile away, but real leather will always feel buttery-soft, heavy, and smell like…leather.
Jewellery. Okay, this may require a bit more “know-how” than your average leather jacket, but vintage jewellery is a gold mine if you know what you’re looking for. Trust me: people wearing Helmut Lang in the office purchased some of the highest-end vintage jewellery I’ve seen without knowing what brands they were buying.
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Look for Art Deco styles and oversized gold pieces from the 1970s. Both are big hits on the runway these days, and you can easily incorporate vintage finds into everyday workwear. Haggle?
Sure. But don’t be THAT girl. Listen, I was REALLY worried about this segment.
Because everyone told me you were NOT supposed to haggle at Portobello. Like, it’s rude. You’ll get blacklisted by the dealers.
Etc. But newsflash: if the price was meant to be, it’ll happen. Dealers expect some negotiation on higher-ticket items, and most will start you off at prices that are slightly negotiable anyway.
My point? Hit them with your best shot. “What’s your best price on this?” is a great way to start. Many dealers will counter with their own “discount” rather than feeling insulted by your initial offer.
PS: If you build relationships with your favourite dealers, haggling becomes pointless because they’ll price things for YOU. Look familiar? You should.
When you first start shopping around, it can feel helpful to pop into random boutiques and try things on so you have a general sense of vintage sizing/what to expect. But seriously. Wear something that allows you to roam freely for hours.
Flats. Boots. Comfortable shoes.
Jacket or wrap you can throw on if it gets chilly in the arcades. Patagonia fleece, if you’re chilly like me. Comfortable trousers you can hike around in.
Jeans are totally acceptable. Crossbody bag to keep your hands free. QUALITY TOTES for your purchases, because you will buy things.
And finally, make friends with the Coffeemenu at Elgin Crescent. Got your drop everything and run? Coffee.
Backache? Coffee. Need to people-watch for twenty minutes?
Coffee. IS IT OPEN YET COFFEE. Here’s what else you should bring: Small measuring tape.
Seriously. My first stop is always a vintage shop in Soho that sells vintage clothing accessories and supplies. Among things like specialty buttons and seam ripppers, they also sell inch-wide measuring tapes.
Vintage sizes are inconsistent, at best. A size 8 from the 1960s will fit like a modern day 0, and a size 14 from the 1980s might fit like today’s size 6. Be prepared, and measure everything.
Magnifying glass. Don’t leave home without it. Trust me.
You’ll notice the tiny details in vintage pieces more once you have one on-hand: jewellery hallmarks, fabric weaves, colour fade…the list goes on. Ahem…I meant small. If you’re anything like me, gentle examination of potentially pricey pieces is A.) your favourite part, and B.) takes time.
Haul out that phone torch when you need to get up close and personal. Cash. Is King.
Seriously. While more dealers accept card payments these days than when I started shopping Portobello, almost everyone prefers cash because it’s easier (instant, done) and you might be able to negotiate a better price. You probably don’t want to pay with credit for $200 items, but that’s just me.
Layers. Remember how I said it can get chilly in the arcades? WATERPROOF JACKETS.
Summer months in London are unpredictable at best, and you will be lugging around purchases whether you planned on it or not. Rain will happen. Just put on a raincoat and get dressed like it’s 2015 again.
Water. You will get dehydrated from walking so much. Don’t be that girl.
Headphones. Do you listen to music while you shop? I don’t.
Because you need to concentrate, people. But if you’re that type of person, BY ALL MEANS. Are you sweating yet?
Good. Shopping at Portobello is serious business. It takes stamina, know-how, and a solid game plan to come out with the treasures you find elsewhere.
Summers will kick your ass. And while the winters are significantly less crowded, you may not find THAT jumper you’ve been searching for all season. And if you can brave rainy days, you’re set.
Every Tom, Dick and harried dealer who “might as well be here” because it’s only £5 to set up skips the bad weather, which means significantly less browsing competition. One last note before you go: Fast Fashion isn’t going to cut it for cute basics you’d otherwise buy at H&M. One of my favourite parts about investing in quality vintage is saving money on the clothes themselves.
I can buy a vintage tank top that costs £5 more than H&M’s version, but will last me five times as long. Not to mention will look a thousand times better than something mass-produced in who-knows-where. Which leads me to my final point: Vintage is an investment.
Pieces that were high-quality fifty years ago are only going to get more valuable with time. A Chanel jacket isn’t just a Chanel jacket; it’s a well-made jacket that will last you longer than any fast-fashion dress you bought on sale. Start small if you have to.
Scarves, like I mentioned before, are a great investment that don’t break the bank. Pair them with the right outfit and you instantly feel like you dropped way more than you actually did. I spent years building this routine.
Having my Starbucks order delivered to my desk while I prepped for meetings.
Watching the seconds count down on my Uber till I could burst out of my office and into the fresh morning air of dreams fulfilled.
Soak it up.
Get lost. Buy the dress. One day you’ll be just like me.
Or that girl. “This is Emmy!” Claire introduced us as we shook hands over Tower Records on Portobello Road. She looked exactly how I remembered myself five years ago. Bright-eyed, caffeinated, clutching a crumpled-paper-whose-yellowing-pages-were-highlighted-so-heavily-it-must’ve-been-born-that-way copy of Vogue’s Vintage Shopping Guide. “I could’ve warned you about her,” Claire said with a laugh as Emmy looked on eagerly. “She’ll run you ragged.” “She’ll school you,” I replied, waving Emmy closer. “Where are you shopping first?” “Um,” Emmy jumped, catching my nerd-alert gesture before it could escalate into full-blown intervention. “Well, I was thinking I’d start at the hat section?
Because I love hats!” “She starts at the hats,” Claire remarked, knowingly. “Watch.” Emmy and I grinned at each other, and before I knew it, we were swooping through the outdoor racks chatting like old friends. Claire waved as we passed her greeting her own circuit of dealers. I caught up with her at closing time, exactly five minutes after I stumbled upon the most beautiful velvet dress I had ever laid eyes on moments after watching Emmy walk out of Michael Kors with an oversized straw tote crammed full of vintage goodies.
Claire was loading up her car, already congratulating dealers on a successful day’s trade as they pulled up their tents. “So,” I said, breathless from my find. “Want to see what I got?” Claire laughed and shrugged. “Make your own coffee this weekend, kiddo.” “Is everyone insane down here?” Emmy asked as she expertly fitted her new leather jacket. She paused, trying it on backward like she’d owned it for years. “Besides you two.” “No,” Claire said with a smile. “It’s just buyer obsession.”
