SCOTTISH CLOTHES DESIGNERS & SHOPS.
Do you like or even love fashion, well i know everybody wears clothing but as to what capacity you take your dressing up too is your business.
I have a passion for fashion, and especially designer clothes with style, i find shopping therapeutic whether in a fashion boutique of whatever size, it's the quality that counts, and it feels good to discover a new fashion garment or a new shop.
Scotland has many towns and cities as well as villages in which you can find shops to shop in to satisfy your retail therapy habit, want or need. Buying yourself or someone else something gives both the buyer and receiver a good feeling, it's nice to give.
Scotland is yes, a beautiful country with much on offer, like nature, the great outdoors in which you can find wildlife and flora unique to Scotland's landscape. There are also small independant shops selling all manner of special wares, from pottery to clothing, items can be found whether a personal purchase or to buy as a gift or present for any purpose.
There’s a whole tartan army of Scottish fashion designers whose fame has spread further than the confines of this small nation. Known as the Mac Pack rather than the Rat Pack, the group of fashion designers includes the likes of Jonathan Saunders, Christopher Kane, Deryck Walker, Graeme Black and Holly Fulton are all Scot's and all go down a storm with fashionistas, although you’ll find it easier to buy their clothes in Knightsbridge in London, England than Princes Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. And that’s just the influential designers. Don’t get us started on the textiles, from tartan and tweed to cashmere and wool. Scotland is key to the fashion industry with its produce of textiles, and also supplies some of the worlds best fashion houses with Scottish produce.
Scotland has inspired designers for generations, and if it’s the real McCoy, not the crisps that you want, just have a look at what’s available in the Scottish village's town's and cities.
If you are in the Lothian region of Scotland near Edinburgh the capital of Scotland there are numerous designer fashion style shop's which range from the independantly owned stylish fashion boutique to the popular high street stores of Harvey Nicols and Jenners which are among the most reputable department stores available in the British Isles, they are both situated near Princes Street in Edinburgh, and a large selection of designer fashion style labelled brands can be bought here. Christopher Kane fans can try Cruise in George Street, Edinburgh for some of his sought after creations, while Corniche in the Old Town of Edinburgh near the Royal Mile, is the place to find Vivienne Westwood tartans.
There are other cities in Scotland where fashion is to be found, and it is possible to get fashions out of town. Although through the years many shops which were in Scotland are no longer shops or no longer selling clothes. The shopping for clothing which use to be available was vast, take Glasgow for an example, the shop Glasgow Warehouse on Glassford Street in Glasgow was an amazing source of designer fashion, and ichi ni san in Candleriggs Glasgow was neat too, oh, and Smiths Menswear in Rentfield Street Glasgow was smart, a real gentlemen's shopping experience, these shops are now closed and thats a pity.
But although some fashion shopping shops seem to have disappeared, some new emerging talents rise in the wake, making Glasgow another Scottish city where fashion can be found, like, Robert Watson also known as RabbieDenim who is a producer of quality made to measure bespoke denim jeans, Rabbie Denim hand made denim jeans in Scotland.
Handmade in Glasgow.
It is not just the large cities and/or towns where the best shops are found in Scotland. The Island of Skye or Isle o Skye as often refered, is an island off the West coast of mainland Scotland, a beautiful place and it's another producer of fashion that is a far away world from the cities fashion clothes shops, and if visiting Skye then a stop must be made at Shilasdair for the full fashion experience, you could have a yarn, or a hand knitted jumper pullover ... a pleasant other worldy fashion shopping experience which is a real treat of an escape if trying to escape from the normal world ofshops, as Shilasdair is an opportunity to share the experience of shopping for fashion clothing which is made by hand in the form of quality wool jumpers, as individual and unique as this shops products are it is the actual visiting and the one on one personal care and attention of the shop toward what would be classed as customer care or just friendly Scottish banter as you are told and shown all about the process of the complete business of this craft, from sheep to colour to drying and making, it is these factors which contributed toward the Shilasdair shopping experience being more than just buying a woollen jumper but as the shop being fondly thought of and kindly remembered and gladly revisited.
If its unique you want, and are in or close by to Edinburgh the Scottish capital then head for Joey D in Broughton Street, Edinburgh. Some time ago while out at a Scottish Fair i seen the most awesome collection of ladies handbags and it was these handbags which first brought my attention to JoeyD, and on further inspection of the bags i liked the style of fashion that had been created and again the background and ethos of this fashion business. When Joan Jett strode down the catwalk at the 2010 New York Dressed To Kilt celebration of Scottish culture, she was wearing a canary yellow Joey D kilt, a one off creation, like every single one of his pieces. Assembled from recycled Harris tweed, jeans, boiler suits and vintage fabrics, each of the men’s and womenswear designs and accessories sold in his Broughton Street Edinburgh shop is unique there’s nothing else quite like it.
A couple of doors along Broughton Street is Concrete Wardrobe set up by Fiona Mackintosh and James Donald in 2001 to promote Scottish based or trained craftspeople who create small production ranges. It sells clothing and accessories, but also glassware, ceramics and soft furnishings by Scottish designers Roobedo Tessuti, Pickone, and Donna Wilson.
The latter, Donna Wilson makes weird and wonderful wool creations which sell worldwide. Originally from the North East of Scotland, the Royal College of Art graduate’s quirky dolls, graphic patterned cushions, blankets and rugs are now produced in London but available at various outlets in Edinburgh and will always raise a smile.
If it's shoes or boots you want to buy then hop along to Pam Jenkins which is near Edinburgh's Princes Street at a cobbled area of town or i should say city namely called Thistle Street. Pam Jenkins stocks world reknowned fashion shoes & boots from label brand company designers like Jimmy Choo and Christian Louboutin and many other designers.
Why settle for American tan tights when you can have swirly, studded, with ornate bows and tassels in all colours of the rainbow? Bebaroque has shaken up the staid world of hosiery by making some of the most lusted-after tights around, and the duo behind the label, Scottish art school graduates Mhairi McNicol and Chloe Patience, are Edinburgh-based. Stockists include Urban Outfitters in Princes Street, so there’s no excuse for not sporting tartan, fringed or spotty tights so beloved of the likes of Kylie and Florence Welch while you’re in town.
Still in Edinburgh then try down in the West Port at Godiva, the work of young Scottish clothes and jewellery designers is showcased alongside vintage clothing and accessories.Totty Rocks, in Victoria Street, is home to Holly Campbell and Lynsey Miller and their designs, including beautifully tailored women’s and men’s accessories.
Bebaroque
Unit 6, Albion Business Centre, 0131 661 2332,
www.bebaroque.co.uk
Concrete Wardrobe
50A Broughton Street, 0131 558 7130,
www.concretewardrobe.co.uk
Corniche
2 Jeffrey Street, 0131 556 3707,
www.corniche.org.uk
Cruise
80 George Street, 0131 226 0840,
www.cruisefashion.co.uk
Donna Wilson
www.donnawilson.com
Stockists include Concrete Wardrobe (as above);
Just Scottish Gifts, 0131 226 4806
www.justscottishgifts.com;
Moleta Munro, 0131 557 4800,
www.moletamunro.com;
and The Red Door Gallery 0131 477 3255
www.edinburghart.com
Godiva
9 West Port, 0131 221 9212,
www.godivaboutique.co.uk
Joey D
54 Broughton Street, 0131 557 6672,
www.joey-d.co.uk
Totty Rocks
40 Victoria Street, 0131 226 3232,
www.tottyrocks.co.uk
IF YOU KNOW OF A SHOP IN SCOTLAND OR A SCOTTISH FASHION DESIGNER WHICH YOU WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE IN THIS INFORMATION PLEASE RESPOND COMMENT SEND A MESSAGE. THANK YOU.
