Vintage heaven in Cape Town

After every visit to Capetown, more and more is discovered cementing it’s place as the number one city to visit. This time, it was the realisation that vintage clothing in Capetown (a valuable commodity in some cities) has not adjusted it’s prices to what they are in other places – vintage shopping as it should be. Result!

Words: Zoe Brown from www.anybodysomebodynobody.com

Here are my picks for the best vintage shopping in CT:

Kalk Bay

If you take a 25 minute drive out of the city you arrive into Kalk Bay – a sleepy beach town full of quirky stores, perfect for a Sunday afternoon stroll. Deriving its name from the word ‘kalk’ mean ing ‘lime,’ the name was inspired by the 17^th cen tury Dutch res id ents of the vil lage who used to extract lime from the sea shell depos its, used in con struc tion. It is still a fishing village and working harbor.

Most of the stores are veritable goldmines for trinkets and one-of-a-kind home wares but as ASN had to travel light, items needed to be the kind you could stuff into a suitcase. ASN’s pick of the best stores would be:

Franki’s Vintage Clothing: The vintage room at the back of Franki’s is a real treasure trove. Pick and choose embellished bags, beads and drama pieces from the ‘40s onward as well as wonderful second-hand clothing from modern designers. Where: 70 Main Road, Kalk Bay Tel: +27 (0) 21 788 6776

The Trading Post: Established 11 years ago and transformed out of the old railway station. Rummage through and find silver ware, army uniforms and paraphernalia, coins and crockery. We found some very old editions of Hello Magazine that kept me entertained. Where: 71 Main Rd, Kalk Bay Tel: +27 (0) 21 788 9571

The Railway House: A cute little antique store with a crêperie located out the back if you feel like a pancake or two. ASN was in heaven here as the selection of large scale items like chandeliers, old chairs and gilded mirrors is exquisite. Where: Main Road, 7975 Kalk Bay Tel: +27 (0) 21 7884761

London Road Vintage: Now THIS was the find of the day. Within minutes we had rummaged through and picked a DVFesque shirt dress with matching belt and some bright pink Harem pants that will be perfect with super-stacked heels and a white vest. All for around AED 100. Where: 21 Main Road, Kalk Bay Tel:+27 (0) 763981035

Lovin Cape Town Shopping

very Princess Jasmine..

City Centre – Capetown

‘Long Street’ is where it appears to be at. Much like a city such as Melbourne or parts of London, the street is a mix of funky boutiques and cafes that reveal the ‘cool’ side to the city. After lunching at Royal Burger (the best milkshake you will ever drink, swear down!) we hit a few of the vintage stores which were literally bursting at the seams with piles and piles of retro clothes.

Second Time Around: This store is known to have one of the best collections but you will need to sift through a lot to find the gems. Jumpsuits were-a-plenty but you need to be size six or smaller to squeeze into them and the shoes were also on the small side BUT we had success with two dresses perfect for the Dubai summer; a black ethnic maxi dress and a pretty floral tea dress with lace detailing. Where: 196 Long Street,Capetown Tel: +27 (0)21 424 8597

Journey: ASN loved this store for its selection of new and vintage women’s wear, menswear, art and homewares. We picked up a long maxi-skirt that was in the softest knit and an old mans shirt perfect with a pair of jeans. This store is a little bit pricier than other stores but still substantially cheaper than shopping in other countries. Where: 186 Long Street, City Centre, Cape Town +27 (0)21 424 5209).

Afraid of Mice: We took refuge in this store when the heavens opened and a downpour ensued – a great excuse to kill time! According to their website, Afraid of Mice is filled with the clothes you wish your mother had kept for you when she was young. This is high-end vintage shopping; pieces feature from Chanel, Oscar De La Renta, Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren and Stella McCartney. Elle Magazine also rate it: “This is a top-notch vintage store offering classics at affordable prices, a shop to spend a good part of your day in.” So we did. Where: 88 Long Street, City Centre, Cape Town Tel: +27 (0)21 423 7353).

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