Debutante Clothing :: A vintage clothing and fashion blog for unconventional style where vintage and runway meet.

I am so very pleased to present Debutante Clothing's London Contributor, Mademoiselle Robot! Equal parts cuteness, smarts, and style, Mademoiselle gives us the inside scoop on anything vintage and cool from the stylish streets of London. Enjoy! -Sandra

Coming from Paris, I am used to a very homogeneous & cyclical lifestyle, where one trend replaces another. So if you like a type of music or clothes that aren't "in", you can't really find anything anywhere.

When I first moved to London, what struck me most is the sheer amount of coexisting trends. Not so much in Fashion, as people here have very individual styles and don't are not overly trend led, but in music, nightlife etc.

What is interesting about London though is that those different "tribes" don't really mix that much, and seem to stay put in their respective areas. You can pretty much divide London into four big sectors North, East, South & West.

East London - Late '40s to Early '60s

Even though the original "Swinging London" was found around Carnaby Street, it is now in East London that you can find most of the mid-century styles.

In the evenings, around Shoreditch, Bethnal Green & Old Street, there is a multitude of places to go to. A lot of people can be seen sporting prom dresses, checked shirts or bouffant hair dos. Nights like Grind A Gogo, the Birthday party or the Lady Luck club  are the best examples. A new night called The Blitz even features a '40s style band in a World War II décor.

If you are in it for the shopping, there are lots of small vintage clothes shops around Brick Lane. Every time I go there, a new shop appears. For furniture, around Spitalfields Market is the best place to hunt.

Icons - The Broken Hearts DJs, Katy Perry

West London - Late '60s and '70s

Portobello market is well known for its vintage treasures. Not only from the Seventies, but from all eras, as far back as the Twenties. However, there is a distinct hippie vibe in this area. Walking around Westbourne Grove (a short 5 min walk from Portobello Market), you cross paths with a lot of Boho princesses. Not always authentic vintage style, it definitely stems from Seventies groupies. If you are a fan of the GTO (Girls Together Outrageously)  you will feel right at home there.

Icons - Sienna Miller, Alexa Chung

North London - '80s

Camden is a strange area for fashion as it attracts such a wide variety of people. The area is mostly popular for 80's fashion - especially heavily rock influenced styles. You also find quite a few 80's does 50's new rockabilly kids around there. The best illustration of this new rockabilly being Vivien of Holloway's designs .

Icons - Peaches Geldof, Kelly Osbourne

South London - '90s

A lot of students live around New Cross and Camberwell and the style du jour seems to be Grunge. Doc Martens, lumberjack shirts, vintage denim and chunky knitwear is the local style. Sometimes a few VERY brights are thrown in for a bit of old rave style.

Icons - Agyness Deyn, M.I.A.

Don't take this as a London guide though, it is only my humble interpretation of London's vintage geography. Someone else's personal experience of the city might lead to completely different conclusions.

-Mademoiselle Robot

Parisian expat in London, Mademoiselle Robot is a magazine Editor turned fashion blogger.  On mademoisellerobot.com, she offers style tips, interviews of artists and designers, outfit ideas and she even launched her own TV channel!  Her blog has been featured in the Independent, A nous Paris, Modepass and many others.

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