Now, I do want to say that I’m not one of those po-faced people who toffily like to say ‘Support local produce. Down with the corporate fat cats! Buy your cheese/meat/bread from your local shop to combat the supermarkets.’ I’m really not. I take modern convenience for granted and I have no qualms about walking into Sainsbury’s/Tescos’s to get my groceries. That said, East Finchley, a suburban place in London that’s neither out of town nor centrally located, does offer some comforts that I enjoy. A gander in Black Gull’s bookstore. 
A fry up at Casa Pepe’s. Fish and chips at Poseidon’s (MUCH better than Toff’s in Muswell Hill which always gets ranked in Top 10 chippies in London…). The idea of walking two minutes up your LOCAL high street and buying an outfit as opposed to taking the tube into town and sweating it out with the throngs is even more pleasing and I can do that at Lazooli, a shop that sells a bit of old and new and also buys old clothes too. There’s vintage designer and high street in manner of Bang Bang. Baskets of vintage hoisery, local jewellery designers and art for sale. It’s not the hippest of places and is aiming for ‘Bright and Welcoming’ as opposed to ‘Haughty Cool’ which is why it sits so well next to Phoenix Cinema, the charity shops and a really odd electronics stores that sells fairy lights all year round.
Me thinks for a lot of people, the possibility of buying fashion gems within two minute vicinity of your home is simply not possible, but the ickle places that seem so randomly placed geographically are still breedingly healthily, so I’d love to hear about your local picks that aren’t likely to be any published shopping guides and perhaps give your local community a bit of ‘oomph’ in the fashion stakes. Of course, if you happen to live by the central throngs, lucky you too and whilst I work in town and spend my majority of time out there in Zone 1, on Bank Holiday Mondays like these, I prefer the local no-effort high street walkabout.
You’re very lucky to live in such a nice neighbourhood, and this also make me want to explore those out of usual london places!
what are you saying??? TOFF’s is truly wonderful
i am definately going to make a trip to e.f for this though! thanks for the heads up (if you will)
This place looks gorgeous! You have to include in the London shopping guide 😉
I like to take little trips to suburbia finding little gems like this one.
Why have I never seen this shop? Very strange, do you dream up these places Susie?
xx
Local shops make the city look special. And this one looks fantastic!
That’s a nice-looking shop. I like the idea that it’s not crammed chock full to the point that it’s difficult to find things.
this looks like serious haul!- my area is a little bohemian so the only two very niche vintage sellers are ransacked daily by the hipsters in the’hood.
Must pop down soon…
Susie – love the bank holiday highlights, and tips on your local shops. I have a couple of favourites by me in Queens Park (NW6). A gorgeous place called Merchant Archive (only details I can find are here http://alisoneldredblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/gordon-crabb-at-merchant-archive.html ), which sells some beautiful vintage pieces along with wonderful photographs and furniture. The other is called Iris (http://www.irisfashion.co.uk/contact.php ). It is all new pieces, and quite pricey, but houses some great designers. If you ever come by we could have coffee!! Hope you enjoyed Hyeres.
Isabelle: Toff’s is good…but Poseidon (on a Weds-Sat mind you…) is better and cheaper…
Miss M: I HEART Queen’s Park as I used to live in Willesden Green! I’m going to trip it up there pronto soon….
Hi Suzie
its Jessica Tamsin’s researcher for her book Green Is The New Black. We have met before a fashion show, but it was season’s ago not sure if you remember. Love this piece on shopping Locally. If you have any other ideas on antthing ‘green’ and fashion let me know and have a look at my blog http://www.greenisthenewblack.typepad.com/ I’ve mentioned you today!
ANyone else who has any ethical fashion ideas they would like to see on our blog message me on fashionablygreen@hotmail.co.uk
x
Ah, you’re lucky being so close to such great stores 🙂
yes you are right – I spend a lot of time complaining about lack of shopping opportunities in my town and lack of time to go shopping but actually, I do have a really great vintage shop not 10 minutes walk from my house. – I must go and visit it again
Really lovely bit of information and so utterly charming.
Really lovely bit of information and so utterly charming.
wish I could be in that little shop- looks like a dream!
Oh so you’re from East Finchley! I’m from Enfield! We should meet up some time 🙂
This is crazy! I have been reading your blog for a while and love it. I am studying abroad in London right now, and my homestay is in East Finchley, two seconds from High Street. Thank you for writing about this!
Thanks so much to everyone who posted a lovely comment about Lazooli. I’m delighted you like the look of my special shop so much. You’ve made my day. Do pop down soon for some fun dressing up.