The Knowhere Guide

Shops and Hobbies in Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh*

Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh Clothes, Magazines, Art, Galleries, Hobbies

Clothes Shops, Shoe Shops, Fashion and Bargains

• Loads of retro clothes available here in Edinburgh for some reason. Try 'rusty zip' around the uni area. Or Armstrongs in Mayfield. Or Flip (for skater clothes and crap clubbing gear) opposite Old College. Or Armstrongs in Grassmarket.
• those two oxfam approximations on nicholson st (?) next to the sta...scored a nice marks & spensers number there for 4 quid...smells like edinburgh, haven't washed it since.
• cult top class shop
• everywhere on cockburn street
• -flipp incorporated (south bridge), ground control (cockburn st.), cult (north bridge). cool alternitive clothing shops but a little pricey!
• Cult is my favourite. The obvious ones are on princes street (next, gap, topshop, river island etc), more expensive ones on George Street (coast, french connection etc). waverly market is shit, but fort kinnaird out of town is not bad.
• The charity and second-hand shops rule. They are found all over the place.
• Stay away from Princess Street if you're looking for "evening wear." Check out a few of the shops on South Clerk Street, although its always worth going through to Glasgow where the clothes shops are 60 times better.
• Waverly market is the best for shops such as Kookai and Morgan. Thee's also a really cool but really posh shop called Zazou there. Basically, the best shops are there!
• Odd One Out - Candlemaker Row. Skater's gear, club gear, nice friendly staff. Can be pricey but there is always stuff on special offer.
• Original Casuals is Edinburgh's most exciting new mens designer clothing boutiques. Find them at 14 South Clerk Street. Founded by a consortium of style obsessed former soccer casuals they stock a fime range of Stone Island, Burberry, Gant, Paul and Shark, Paul Smith, Armani and more. Call them on +44(0)131 662 8506 for details of their latest range.
• Armstrongs - two of the best second hand clothes stores belong to Armstrongs. Everything from Combat & Adidas to kilts & dinner jackets. Not the cheapest, but certainly the best.
• Feather boa fans should seek out Armstrong's in its new home at the end of the Grassmarket. Feel the quality!
• I have just discover two small shops which sell cool skating clothes thanks to a mate. They are called "Kool" and "Wacky" and are on Victoria Street across the road from the Music Box. They sell second hand as well as new and have a big range of different coloured combats, hooded tops and Baggies. Also hemp shoe laces which is a novel idea. Whats more, they normally carry flyers for "23" so you can buy clothes and find out when the next "23" is on at the same time.
• Go to Glasgow! There aren't that many good shops in Edinburgh, but the best ones are McKenzie and Smiths in Hunter Square. Xile in the Waverly Shopping Centre. Jenners! (of course). Cruise in St Marys Street.
• Smiths Menswear: Check it out - staff are rad, know what they are talking about, one to one personal care, all the clothes you want to wear, D&G, Armani White Label, Hugo etc
• Cruise: stuck up staff, inefficient, no idea of customer care... some nice clothes though (and some ghastly ones)

Arts, crafts and such (Anything from pukka art galleries to craft shops. Trendy and twee both welcome.)

• Pick a pocket or three dozen on the Royal mile in August. Some of the side streets nice and narrow with no cameras!
• theres a nice little art shop on south clerk street, the people who own it are always friendly, although they dont stock enormous canvases they will order them for you! they also take passport photos including american sized which is handy. other than that...theres one on north bridge, bigger but more expensive unless you have student discount. their door has been broken for like 2 years. weird. and here's a secret - au naturale, that furniture/interiors shop at ocean terminal, sells art supplies wicked cheap! like canvases for 5 quid and pallettes and all sorts. obviously its not the best quality, but hey its cheap.
• The Dean Gallery is worth it just for the Cafe.
• helio's fountain on the grassmarket on south bridge crystal clear and enchantment on cockburn street and alligator on south bridge
• Helios Fountin- Grassmarket sells beads, and art stuff.
• I don't know if it is still there but the Firth Gallery in William Street was quite a nice wee place with some interesting little exhibitions that changed regularly
• The fruit gallery's quite good. You get some real toss pots in it.
• Kev Banx the peoples poet worth checking out of a friday night
• Round The World in Victoria Street. Lava lamps and rude birthday cards. Say hello to Lisa.
• The Collective Gallery in Cockburn Street.

Magazine and Comic Shops

• wh smith likes....that where i buy my spidermans.(and the porn)
• Forbidden Planet on bridges is where the nerds like to lurk.
• -forbidden planet - south bridge.
• Deadhead comics is more "hardcore", but Forbidden Planet on S Clerk Street has got oodles of cool comics and toys. They've got all the new star wars toys now.
• Forbidden Planet, South Bridge. Sells South park, Simpsons, Star Trek and Science Fiction Comics , videos ,teeshirts and merchandise
• Forbidden Planet (Bristo Square) - good range of comics, excellent SF/fantasy novel selection downstairs, some videos too. Cheap (stlg8.99) TNG videos at the moment. Range of models and other collectables.
• Deadhead Comics (Candlemaker Row) - slightly more expensive than Forbidden Planet, but wider range of non-mainstream (i.e. non-Marvel) titles. Especially good for Image titles.

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Last updated: 2007-07-19