Our Favourite: Vintage Shop…
Purple Haze, 52 Fossgate
The Walmgate/Fossgate area of York is a firm Vision favourite; as already noted in our first entry into the Little Black Book, the street is teeming with gorgeous little restaurants and shops, including the best Indian restaurant in York, Mumbai Lounge (although many people will tell you that it’s Akbars).
While York centre has all the high-street stores you could ask for – a large Topshop and Topman, H&M, River Island, Jack Wills, French Connection, Levis etc – it also has a great selection of quirky smaller shops, unique to York. Sarah Coggles is one you may find yourselves drawn to; I would definitely argue that the men’s shop is far and away better than the women’s equivalent and the shop, while nice, is pricey – it sells Vivienne Westwood, Comme des Garcons, Ralph Lauren and PRPS. Visit www.coggles.com for the full list of their stock.
However, since we are students, the majority of us can’t spend all our pennies on expensive designer gear and, thus, many turn to the York vintage scene, in which there are numerous shops to choose from. Yet Purple Haze stands a cut above the rest. A fantastic little gem of a store, it is small but perfectly stocked, with different items available every time you go in. From accessories such as belts, sunglasses and clutch bags to leather hold-alls and totes, not to mention fabulous trinkets and jewellery in abundance, Purple Haze stocks something to suit every buyer wishing to purchase something that little bit different.
Purple Haze caters for both men and women; you’ll find great jumpers, shorts (currently stocking a whole rail of vintage high-waisted Levi’s in various washes), men’s bang-on-trend short-sleeved shirts, tweed jackets and ’50s-style dresses. I bought a lovely floral dress last term with a sweetheart neckline and a flared skirt from the waist, I’m sure it was only around £20 and it fitted perfectly too. With this vintage shop, the clothes actually fit!
Now this may seem a strange statement but I’ve been in so many vintage shops where the dresses and skirts are always enormous. It may have something to do with the fact that the shop owner alters the clothing herself, with a sewing machine located in the back of the shop. Most of the dresses are reworked, turning vintage clothing into wearable items for the fashion-conscious student.
They also stock popular reworked vintage-make POP, the only shop in York to do so. Purple Haze is genuinely the best vintage shop I’ve been to outside the capital and certainly rivals those on London’s Brick Lane. From the moment you walk in, the thought that goes into picking the pieces and styling the store is obvious and they always have a fab selection of items, which is constantly updated. Plus, the ladies who run the shop are friendly and helpful – a welcome change from impersonal high-street stores.
I absolutely recommend you give Purple Haze a visit when you arrive in York. I am already excited to see what they will be stocking for autumn/winter!