You wear it well
We’ve never really been advocates of fast fashion at Trend. It’s partly because we believe if you can buy a top for £3, someone further down the line isn’t having a good day churning them out. It’s also the reason that we average around £3000 worth of clothes we’ve never worn and send £140 million worth of clothing to landfill every year.
Maybe we should be more like the French, buying fewer pieces, but sticking to flattering styles and quality fabrics, which last much longer and cost less per wear. With so many of the big chain clothing brands being bought over by cheap online retailers or closing their branches in the city, we thought it was time to show our local independent clothing and footwear shops some love…
For the ladies
Country Ways
Country Ways on Holburn Street is the place to go for country wear that combines style and longevity. This spring, we particularly like their ankle boots from Fairfax & Favor, as well as flattering base layers and hoodies from My LeMieux and boots form Dubarry. countryways.com
@hamishmunro
@hamishmunro has long been the stylish Aberdonian’s first choice for new shoes. You’ll alsofind a great selection of ladies wear. Current favourites
include duck egg blue t-shirts and sweaters from Sandwich, patterned dresses from Oui and casual trainers from Ara. something-for-me.co.uk
LoLo + Co
LoLo + Co on the corner of Netherkirkgate and Guestrow always has the best selection of white shirts in town. The new collections have a fresh, preppy feel, with selections from Tommy Hilfiger, Gant, French Connection and some great tops from Purotatto. loloandco.co.uk
No.18
No.18 is just a couple of doors along from Tiger Lily on Chapel Street and is always worth a visit. It has a superb selection of accessories, particularly scarves, bags, gloves and even facemasks with a bit of bling. They have a great range of cards and gifts too. Facebook: No.18 Gifts and Cards
Sirene Boutique
You’ll find Sirene at the top end of Union Street. This season’s standout buys include Ottod’ame’s black culottes, Emme’s colourful shirt dresses, retro t-shirts and Essentiel Antwerp’s rather lovely watercolour tops. It’s a good choice if you’re looking for something unusual but unfussy. sirene-boutique.com
Tiger Lily
Tiger Lily is on Chapel Street and is great for relaxed off-duty dressing. Currently, we’re loving their organic t-shirts, Queen of Hearts sweatshirt, spring dresses and playsuits. tigerlilyboutique.co.uk
Bellino
Bellino on Thistle Street specialises in easy elegance. You’ll find leading European and UK labels such as Claudia Strater, Fraas and Pomodoro as well as some great footwear and accessories. bellino-shoes.com
Esslemonts 2
Esslemonts 2 on Thistle Street always has something covetable in stock. For spring, we’re loving the new selection from Marella, part of the MaxMara Group, which features dreamlike blues and caramels. Their MAC Dream Jeans are flattering and the new DECK by decollage is also worth checking out. Facebook: esslemonts2
Bentleys of Banchory
Bentleys is known throughout the North East for its superb selection of mother of the bride, formal and occasion wear but it’s also great for casual outfits, with over forty brands in store. bentleys-banchory.co.uk
Dressage
Dressage in Peterhead has been a destination store for over two decades, offering a superb selection of Mother of the Bride and occasion dressing. It also has some wonderful informal pieces from designers such as Frankie Lyman. dressagepeterhead.co.uk
Catwalkers
Ellon’s Catwalkers stocks a range of designer labels, accessories and jewellery selected with tremendous care by owner Alison Walker and her team. Alison has a great eye for colour, silhouette and a dash of the dramatic. catwalkers.co.uk
Kaga Gifts
Kaga is on the High Street in Turriff and is always worth the trip. You’ll find lots of colourful bags, scarves and costume jewellery and their summer clothes selection is always bright and fresh. They stock gifts that you won’t find elsewhere including scented candles, purses and cosy slippers. kagagifts.co.uk
Celebrations of Turriff
Staying in Turriff, Celebrations has an extensive range from Gerry Weber, Taifun, Joseph Ribkoff, Gina Bacconi, Esprit, FeeG, Basler, Eugen Klein, Monari, Weird Fish, Marble and Just White. They also have a personal shopper if you’re looking for something for a special occasion. celebrationsofturriff.co.uk
If you’d rather not buy new, there are also some great options for second hand and vintage clothes. The Dress Agency on Holburn Street has some amazing labels and is a great place to put together a new look without breaking the bank. There’s a wonderful vintage shop called Encore down in Fettercairn or you could try Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland’s designer charity boutiques in Cults and Stonehaven. You’ll also find LouSells pre-loved designer wear in Stonehaven’sMarket Square.
For the chaps
Esslemonts
Esslemonts is just along from their ladieswear shop on Thistle Street. The selection bridges the classic and contemporary, with everything working together well. It’s a great choice for a wardrobe refresh whether you need a top to toe revamp or just some new socks.
Signature
You’ll find Signature and Signature 2 on Union Street, where they specialise in designer and casual wear from designers including Belstaff, C.P.Company, Oliver Sweeney and J.Lindeberg. This season’s colourful Madras check shirts from Gant give an instant wardrobe update. signature-menswear.com
Pure
Like Signature, Pure is based on Union Street. The collection focuses on contemporary luxury from leading Italian and European brands. You’ll find everything from swim shorts to evening wear and they even offer a made to measure suit service. pure-man.com
Kafka
Kafka on Alford Place has been one of the city’s fashion destinations since the 1980s, but still maintains a grip on cutting edge style from informal
designer brands like Engineered Garments and Arpenteur. They have some particularly good striped chambray shirts from Quartermaster for no-effort style. kafkamercantile.com
Country Ways
As you might expect, Country Ways offers country clothing for men, but it also has one of the city’s best selection of lifestyle brands for men. The emphasis is always on quality and durability. We particularly like this season’s selection from Holebrook Sweden, Aigle and Barbour. countryways.com
Gibbs Menswear
Gibbs is out in Inverurie and offers a great choice of heritage wear including tweeds and highland dress as well as contemporary styles. Look out for classics from Loake and Lochcarron and their own brand, Mitchell Scott. gibbsmenswear.co.uk
Attic Clothing
Attic is in the Academy Centre off Belmont Street and specialises in youthful brands with a sporty, practical edge. This award-winning store rates in FHM’s Top 100 and is the place to go for rugged looks from Carhartt, Redwing, Edwin and Obey. atticclothing.com
Celebrations of Turriff
Turriff’s department store covers every conceivable menswear need, from suits to casual clothes, underwear and nightwear. They stock Magee, Douglas & Grahame, Eterna, Remus Uomo, Glenmuir, Gabicci, Duck and
Cover, Weirdfish and Esprit. celebrationsofturriff.co.uk
For the kids
Daisy Chain
Westhill’s Daisy Chain offers a great selection of special occasion kids’ clothing from designer and European brands, like Adee, Mayoral and Le Chic. The size range goes from newborns to aged ten. The family runs store is perfect for gifts, wedding outfits and party dresses. You’ll even find fairy wings, tiara and wands to match. Facebook: daisychainwesthill
Trendy Treads
Since opening in 2005, Trendy Treads in Inverurie has become a destination store for well-made children’s footwear. You’ll find everything from the sweetest little white leather Mary Janes to dinosaur wellies designed for muddy puddles. They offer nearly two dozen brands including dance shoes from Capezio, Freed and Bloch. trendytreads.co.uk
Indi & Will
Balmedie’s Indi and Will has evolved to be rather more than a kids’ clothes shop. As well as colourful, practical clothes and special outfits for birthdays and parties, you’ll find everything from accessories and interiors to toys, gifts and even some super-snuggly adult loungewear from Scamp & Dude. They have over sixty brands including Baggu, Bob & Blossom, Another Fox and Bombay Duck. We love the toys from Jellycat and Le Toy Van. indiandwill.com
Bob and Lulu
Bob and Lulu, situated on Ashley Road in the West End, is the city’s kids’ footwear specialist, known for their excellent fitting service and their great selection of shoes for school, dressing up and practical play. You’ll find brands like Geox, Shoesme, Hummel, Bopy and Lelli Kelly, as well as clothes from Mayoral and Pastels & Co and some great accessories. bobandlulu.com