Retro is back. 80s is in. Vintage is here to stay.

London is the capital of vintage. It has some of the best hidden treasures of couture, designer and homemade vintage pieces Europe has to offer. Notting Hill and Soho have a dreamy balance of vintage fashion stalls and door bell entry boutiques that will dazzle and amaze you with their selection of designer gowns, accessories and jewellery. Their boutique windows are draped in floaty chiffon and fluffy tulle and designer pieces that long to be adored once more.

 But for more of the “dig deep ‘til you find buried treasure” fashion hunts, Camden Town and Portobello Road markets are best place to go.

The Westway flyover area of Portobello road is a London fashion institution. Second-hand clothes dealers sell side by side with young designers launching their collections, all at bargain prices. Brace yourself and head for a good rummage on a Friday morning when you may be less likely to be held up by tourists looking for “The Blue Door” from the movie Notting Hill. Look out for the Decadent Vintage stall, lavishly decorated with feather boas and twinkling fairy lights; this stall holds some of the best vintage bargains Portobello has to offer. It has everything and anything from 1920s sequined flapper dresses to 80s full tulle skirts – all at bafflingly low prices that would put Primark to shame.

But not everyone can take a day off and head into the centre for a day of leisurely browsing. So what’s a girl (or guy) to do? Start looking closer to home.

Kingston, undoubtedly, has some of the best high street named stores. Vintage inspired outfits have now infiltrated the main stream brands like Topshop, Urban Outfitters and H&M, and are carrying pieces that look like they were fresh off the set of Casablanca at reasonable prices, but you run the risk of walking into a lecture to find someone in the same outfit as you.

If you are looking for something truly original and one-of-a-kind instead make a bee line to Old London Road. Simply named Antiques, the emerald green framed windows show a peek into a maze of antique furniture that look like they are fresh off the catalogue of Laura Ashley, only these items have a history. You have to work deep into the back to find the stairs that lead up to the vintage fashion haven above.

The store has been open for 16 years and it is purposely set up to resemble an indoor market. Each little alcove and recess in the walls, corners and window bays are numbered. Each number is for a different trader who sources the stock to fill their area. With over 80 traders, it is unlikely that you will walk out of there without a purchase.

Pat, who works upstairs in the vintage section and also works independently at Portobello Market, said: “Vintage is so popular today, which means it’s easy to sell but very hard to find”. 

Browsing through the floors, some treasures nestled within the brick-a-brac, furniture and retro memorabilia included Anya Hindmarch, Chanel, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ralph Lauren. “We don’t know what comes in from one day to the next” Pat explained, highlighting that you have to call in regularly if you are looking for something in particular.  

A 1970s fuchsia silk wrap top for £25 in perfect condition, Lulu Guinness black satin stilettos for £75 and a full cream tulle skirt for only £10 were some of the discoveries made in just one visit.

Not all vintage shopping has to be trailing through markets, stalls and rows upon rows of clothing. Vintage shopping can now be done from the comfort of your sofa, yes girls, shopping online.  

Old favourites like Ebay offer some amazing deals on vintage clothing, but there is no guarantee on its authenticity or in what condition it is. Sites like myvintage.co.uk offer some great deals on occasion dresses. And with a sale rail and free postage and packaging when you spend over £75, you can’t resist. Steptoeantiques.co.uk has a bit of everything and you could spend hours from the comfort of your sitting room browsing through their well stocked categories of home ware, accessories, clothing and jewellery. It is a little pricier but everything on it is in fantastic condition and free postage for anywhere in the UK. This 1930s vintage sequined clutch bag is on sale at £35.80. Who said you can’t spoil yourself a little this Christmas?

Vintage has become the Marmite of the fashion realm. You either love it, or hate it. The fact that vintage clothing has become so accessible and is available on High Street, market place, secretly nestled boutiques and online, there is no reason not to embrace vintage or at least try your hand at it.

Rejuvenate clothes with a past and the stories they have behind them. Wear the unique one-offs, the exclusives and the extremely rare. Vintage won’t let  you down. If it lasted this long and has seen its way through decades of radically changing styles, trends and crazes, it’s not likely to go out of fashion any time soon.