Shopping

Independent Shopping guide: Introduction

In a recession, small businesses are usually hit worst. Shopping Editor Kirstin Innes channels the spirit of the Blitz as she launches our campaign to support local, independent shops

Glasgow - The West End

Independent Shopping Guide

Glasgow - The West End Leafy, artistically inclined, fashionable, but not in a corporate way, dear me no, the West End is one of the most beautiful – and thoroughly self–contained – areas of Glasgow. It is fed into by the students of the nearby…

Glasgow - Merchant City

Independent Shopping Guide

From the polished windows and grand granite buildings on Ingram Street to the lo-fi galleries that line Parnie Street, the Merchant City is a tale of two shoppers: as one strolls in and out of top boutiques, paper bags flapping in the wind and metal…

5 of the Best - Ethical Shopping

Independent Shopping Guide

Entrading, Seesaw Toys, Bolshie, Flux, Organic Pleasures.

Glasgow - Southside

Independent Shopping Guide

The actual boundaries of the Southside are a much debated issue, says Allistair Burt, who runs the Southside Happenings blog. ‘Everyone agrees that it starts at the river, but where does it end? The general consensus seems to be somewhere between…

5 of the Best - Hairdressers

Independent Shopping Guide

Boosh, Sublime, Jar Hair, Anton Steele, Emma Hall

Edinburgh - Old Town

Independent Shopping Guide

Independent shops in the capital’s historic centre, presided over by Edinburgh Castle, take their aesthetic responsibilities seriously. That’s not to say that they’re all authentically restored and historically preserved properties frozen in time, nor…

5 of the Best - Institutions

Independent Shopping Guide

Armstrongs, Tam Shepherd’s Trick Shop, Mr Ben’s, Avalanche, Word Power

Edinburgh - New Town

Independent Shopping Guide

The New Town is Edinburgh’s answer to Knightsbridge. Playground for the rich (if not famous), and stomping ground for the capital’s own Sloane Rangers. Tucked away in its leafy depths, Stockbridge’s posh bohemian vibe brings the eccentric charm of a…

5 of the Best - Supporting Local Talent

Independent Shopping Guide

GSA Shop, Che Camille, Red Door Gallery, Godiva, Velvet Boutique

Edinburgh - Leith and Broughton Street

Independent Shopping Guide

Colourful, down-to-earth, and as proud of the Shore’s chequered history as it is of the newly developed areas housing bright young things in penthouses, Leith combines gritty charm with the fruits of urban regeneration. Off the top of Leith Walk, closer…

Glasgow & Edinburgh - Honourable Mentions

Independent Shopping Guide

In Glasgow’s city centre, Sauchiehall Street, Argyle Street, the Buchanan Galleries and St Enoch Centre are mostly stuffed with high street chains, but we don’t want to overlook the number of excellent record shops in the area: Classics in the City and…

5 of the Best - Men’s Stuff

Independent Shopping Guide

Pageant, A1 Comics & Static Games, Goodstead, Mr Smith Underwear, The Men’s Store

5 of the best - Online accessories

Independent Shopping Guide

The internet has proved a boon for young, talented Scottish designers who can't afford to rent premises. Here are some of our favourites.

5 of the best - Record shops

Independent Shopping Guide

Underground Sol’ushun, Rubadub Records, Hog’s Head Music, Monorail Music, Missing Records

5 of the best tattoo parlours

Independent Shopping Guide

Our choice of tattoo shops in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Vintage Clothes Customisation: Sew much better

Over the last decade or so, as we’re sure you’re aware, it’s become not only socially acceptable, but positively necessary, darling, to wear second hand clothes. The vintage business is big – entire empires are built upon a few 50s prom frocks and some…

Retro Rebels

This week’s shopping pages were inspired by Margaret Thatcher. Bear with us, here. This is not a dubious excuse to tie the current vogue for padded shoulders back into some monstrous 1980s power-dressing aesthetic, as fashion editors always do whenever…

Street Smarts

This week, Goodstead and Oddities, both much loved Edinburgh streetwear boutiques, are shutting their flagship stores and opening new premises. Currently, people tend to assume that any change is related to the economy, so it’s refreshing to find two…

Taste Test - Hot chocolate

Beanscene Hot Chocolate, Chocolate Soup Hot Chocolate, Green and Black’s Organic Hot Chocolate Drink, Coco Hot Chocolate, Starbucks Classic Hot Chocolate, Options Belgian Choc

Valentine’s Day entrepreneurs

Michelle Aaron, cupcake baker from Glasgow Everybody loves to see a cupcake. If I’m selling them at a craft fair, people always stop and smile. I guess they evoke childhood memories and look fun. All that sticky frosting and sweet indulgence – there’s…

Preview 2009 - Fashion

For years now, predicting the upcoming season’s trends has been a matter of guessing which decade of the 20th century we’ll be nicking our looks from. Mini dresses and go-go boots? Flares? Flares again? Flares on men? All this rifling through the…

Shops: £20 outfit

Edinburgh is a hot bed of little boutiques selling one-off items. They are also often referred to as charity shops and on the £20 outfit challenge they become my best friend, as we bond over woollen knits and dainty brooches. ‘We’ve just had a delivery…

Shopping Hitlist

Herman Brown The Grassmarket has a fair few vintage shops, but Herman Brown’s is the cream of the crop. There’s no dodgy fancy-dress attire here, only cherry picked gems, meaning there’s less chance of leaving with some ridiculous item that looks like…

Books: Lost in Fiction

Every self respecting traveller needs a book in their backpack and being seen flicking through a battered copy of Jane Ayre will make you way cooler than if you were reading a pristine edition of the latest Harry Potter novel. Don't worry if you…