Local Independent Clothing Shops You Don’t Know About But Should

 Clothes shopping in Canterbury can be easy and simple, especially since most of the brand name shops are cloistered within Whitefriars: H&M;, Zara, Topshop, Primark, Next and so on. But whilst these shops offer a good selection of clothing for the average student, it’s not difficult for someone to have the same clothes as you. The good news is that Canterbury does offer a number of independent clothes shops, selling a range of unique clothing within budget, especially if they are on sale. Here are a few gems…

Lullah

Recently opened last year, Lullah offers an interesting collection of dresses and skirts, with styles ranging from embellished party to casual ones, as well as dressy blouses and a good selection of accessories. Its normal prices are comparable to Topshop and River Island, but don’t let that put you off. Most of its collections come in three sizes and the shop only purchases one of each, so the chances of wearing the same clothes as others is very slim. Lullah is situated near Chocolate Café on Palace Street – look out for its baby blue window frames as you head towards Burgate.

Angels

Both a body piercing and clothing shop, Angels on St Margaret’s Street specializes in some gorgeous ball gowns and formal dresses – you can see some of them in its window display, as well as on the second floor – though the price tag is also quite hefty. If you’re looking for decent jewellery and masks for a formal party, Angels is the place to go; they offer a good and affordable selection of Venetian-style masks. The basement is for body piercings and they sell different body piercing accessories as well. Besides formal dresses, Angels sells a range of clothing styles arrayed from spunky and funky to elegant, chic. Most of these articles come in one or two pieces only, so the uniqueness factor is also quite high.

  Leather Fashions

If you’re looking for an affordable leather jacket, look no further than Leather Fashions. Tucked at the start the Palace Street, across from Lullah, is a very decent leather jacket shop. It’s always got a few racks of discounted leather jackets outside, so start your search there. If you can’t find the style you like, head in and the shopkeepers are happy to suggest different styles and let you try them on.

  Siesta

This funky-looking shop with its green-and-white exterior is situated at the corner of Palace Street, across from Chocolate Café. Siesta does not only sell both men and women’s clothing, but also unusual accessories and cultural products such as musical instruments and handicrafts. It boasts a fair trade policy, only purchasing from small suppliers on a fair trade basis. Upstairs, clothing from around the world is arranged by colour; there is an assortment of quirky and colourful items, ranging from jumpers, kaftans and dresses to socks, gloves and hats. Siesta is a really cool shop even if you’re just there to have a look around.

 

These are just a few hidden gems of Canterbury’s shopping scene – there might be more lurking within Canterbury’s streets, so it’s always worth exploring around the city!