By Madeline Nave
I’ve only been in London for about two and a half weeks now and haven’t quite found the type of vintage I’ve been looking for. Yes, Shoreditch is home to cool, in trend vintage shops, but it’s not real vintage.
Last night in my search for Head & Shoulders, I stumbled upon a cool window display and loud entrance playing old radio music. I was lured in by the music. Expecting to walk into some type of club or restaurant, I was instantly surprised to see 50s kitchenware along with day handbags, men and women’s hats and mannequins in clothes from the 20s and 30s. I had entered the world of Radio Days.
I conversed with one of the owners, Lee, the whole while I was sifting through original dresses and sweaters which were perfectly arranged in the back of the shop in a pink room lined with hanging dresses, pictures, mannequin heads, scarves and the like. He showed me pairs upon pairs of original sunglasses from the old days, some he had repaired and some he had found that still had the actual tag on them.
Lee and his partner Chrissie started Radio Days in November of 1993. The store offers a wide selection of clothing, collectibles and memorabilia from the 1920s to 1980s. The shop is divided into categories, and the walls are lined with magazines, sheet music and old advertisings.
One bit of advice Lee gave me was about 80s polyester, “It was crap then, it’s crap now.”
I could feel Lee’s love and passion for the items in his shop. I wouldn’t doubt that he knew every decade of each piece and where/who he’d gotten it from. The shop even has designer label purses, sunglasses, jewelry, dresses and jackets.
He stressed the importance of what makes his store so great: the music. Music is the main ingredient, and it fills the effervescent shop. And that’s one aspect that puts Radio Days above the rest.
Radio Days is around just for another eight months. His closing hours are flexible–he closes when he feels after 6pm. Lee also stressed that he’s open by appointment and late nights. Just call on the day you wish for an appointment. Radio Days is available for prop hire and buys too!
Radio Days
87 Lower Marsh, Waterloo, London SE1 7AB
020 7928 0800
Mon-Sat 11AM-late