Directory of vintage fashion suppliers
At the Candlelight Club’s award-winning parties you can recreate the Roaring Twenties right here in London, complete with cocktails, jazz bands and cabaret acts.
Part of what makes us special is that everyone dresses in period costume—it really is like stepping back in time.
We’re sometimes asked to recommend somewhere to get a suitable dress or a period hairdo. So we've put together a list of the best sources. (If you have a recommendation yourself please email us and we'll add it.)
Better still, we've secured some exclusive discounts just for Candlelight Clubbers. To get the discount codes, just sign up to our newsletter.
Vintage and reproduction clothing and accessories
(see below for costume hire)
rock my vintage
Online purveyor of a unique selection of original vintage and vintage-inspired dresses and accessories, giving you the opportunity to own classic, quality, one-off vintage pieces or invest in a contemporary design that embodies that vintage style. They cover a range of vintage eras but you can see some of their 1920s schmutter here. Candlelight Club customers get a 20% discount. Sign up to our mailing list to get the discount code.
ZAPAKA
Online purveyor of vintage-inspired womenswear, mostly in the form of 1950s-style dresses, but they also have some beaded flapper dresses. They appear to be based in China but deliver all over the world. The story goes that founder Mary Wang started haunting fleamarkets looking for retro chic back in 1968, founded Zapaka as a way to offer timeless elegance to likeminded shoppers and has been doing so throughout the ensuing decades. Candlelight Club customers can get a 20% discount. Sign up to our mailing list to get the discount code.
Lovett & Co
Lovett & Co know you want jewellery that makes you feel feminine, stylish, glamorous and individual. Their popular 1920s collection takes its cue from the heady days of flapper girls and the Great Gatsby, using original pieces from the era as inspiration. Candlelight Club customers can get a 15% discount at check-out. Sign up to our mailing list to get the discount code.
Retro stage
Online retailer selling vintage-inspired dresses and accessories, primarily 1920s and 1950s styles. They have a broad range of flapper dresses, shoes, bags, capelets and accessory packs, affordably priced, and offer free worldwide shipping. (They give a US phone number but the goods are evidently dispatched from China.) Candlelight Club customers can get a 15% discount at check-out. Sign up to our mailing list to get the discount code.
frock and frill
Fashion brand whose vintage-conscious aesthetic includes a line of 1920s-inspired flapper dresses. The garments are designed in-house then hand-stitched and beaded in India. You can buy online from the Frock and Frill website, but there are also bricks-and-mortar stockists. They are offering Candlelight Club customers a 25% discount if you buy through their website. Sign up to our mailing list to get the discount code.
peckham rye
A West End tailor with a family tradition stretching back 200 years. Their shop in Carnaby Street sells a range of silk accessories such as bow ties and scarves, socks and shirts with exotic cuffs and collars, but they also offer made-to-measure and fully bespoke suits and coats, with a house style that betrays their origins as military tailors. They make ties for clubs (including one club that only has four members) and military regiments and even make ties for Savile Row tailors Huntsman. Drop in to the store to pick up your Candlelight Club discount card offering a 15% discount on all purchases.
Peckham Rye London, 11 Newburgh Street, London W1F 7RW
Wardrobe Shop
Gowns inspired by the Jazz Age, Edwardian and Victorian eras, primarily by Nataya (their main line of whimsical, romantic dresses; see below), formal and informal retro gowns, vintage-inspired wedding dresses, wedding accessories and more. Their range includes designs up to the 1940s. Based in the US but offers GBP pricing and delivery to the UK in 4–20 business days. Candlelight Club customers can get an exclusive 10% discount. Sign up to our mailing list to get the discount code.
the revival retro boutique
Offering a range of reproduction clothing in sizes 8–18 inspired by the 1920s to the 1950s (it's worth visiting the shop as there is more choice in store than online), plus reproduction shoes, scarves, pearls, fascinators, jewels and much more. Candlelight Club guests will get a 10% discount on selected 1920s dresses upon production of a valid ticket when shopping in store.
30 Windmill Steet, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2JL
atelier millinery
Formerly located just off London's Carnaby Street, Atelier are now based within Revival Retro (see above). They offer fine hats, fascinators and hat-making supplies for ladies, as well as a limited range of trilbies for gents. They also run hat making courses. They are offering 10% off all supplies (new and vintage) and full-price ready-to-wear hats to Candlelight Club customers. Sign up to our mailing list to get the password.
30 Windmill Steet, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2JL
blackout ii
This Aladdin's Cave is crammed with original ladies' fashions from the 1920s to the 1980s, plus costume jewellery, hats, bags, lingerie and shoes, and menswear from the 1940s on, including a good range of ties and cravats. They are offering a 10% discount upon production of any valid Candlelight Club ticket.
51 Endell Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9AJ
360 degrees vintage
Vintage clothing, accessories and homewares, previously based in the indoor part of Greenwich Market and rated by Homes and Antiques among the top 50 vintage shops in the country, but as of July 2019 now online only. They were offering a 10% discount upon production of any valid Candlelight Club ticket (not sure how this will work online).
house of vintage
At the junction of Cheshire Street and Brick Lane, this shop spans a wide period from 1920s to 1980s. They are offering a 10% discount to customers who mutter "Candlelight Club" when making a purchase.
4 Cheshire Street, London E2 6EH, 12–7pm Monday–Friday, 11am–7pm Saturday, 10.30am–6pm Sunday (020 7739 8142)
paper dress vintage
Selling clothes, shoes and accessories from the 1900s to the 1980s, this establishment also boasts on on-site alterations team, café, cocktail bar and arts/music space where they often have evening events—drawing classes, jive classes, live music, open mic, fashion shows, book launches, club nights, comedy nights and more. Mention that you're looking for something to wear to a Candlelight Club party and they'll give you 10% discount. Note that they are no longer at their original Curtain Road address.
352a Mare Street, Hackney, London E8 1HR (020 8510 0520)
pennies vintage
Located between Angel and King's Cross, Pennies Vintage has one of the largest collections of original 1920s flapper dresses in the country, as well as a wide selection of pre-1950s fashion and accessories. Mention that you're a Candlelight Club guest and you will get a 10% discount.
41a Amwell Street, London EC1R 1UR (020 7278 3827)
Oliver Vintage
Run by the son of Penny from Pennies Vintage above, Oliver Vintage specialises in vintage and antique clothing from the Victorian era through the 1950s, as well as select designer and haute couture pieces from throughout the 20th century. Their range includes a large selection of original 1920s beaded dresses, ravishing embroidered kimonos from the 1920s and the 1930s, piano shawls encrusted with embroidery and antique lace wedding dresses. Mention that you're a Candlelight Club guest and you will get a 10% discount.
Wednesday to Sunday, Unit 5, Portobello Green Arcade, 281 Portobello Road, London, W10 5TZ
dolly and dotty
Offering an extensive range of reproduction dresses, tops, skirts and headbands, though admittedly with the focus on the 1950s, rockabilly and a bit of 1940s swing, rather than Prohibition era. Candlelight Club customers can get a 10% discount. Sign up to our mailing list to get the discount code.
modern vintage style
Online store selling vintage costume and designer jewellery, as well as vintage-style gemstone jewellery including necklaces, pendants, bracelets and earrings. (They also have the odd tie pin or pair of cufflinks for gents.) They are offering Candlelight Club customers an exclusive discount of 10% on all products. Sign up to our mailing list to get the discount code.
michelle Krausz
Jeweller Michelle Krausz makes bespoke, handmade headpieces, hair combs, earrings and jewellery. She sculpts each one selecting exquisite materials sourced from the 1920s to the 1960s, accented with fresh water pearls and vintage crystal details. Mention the Candlelight Club to get a 10% discount. Check out her lush Instagram page at www.instagram.com/krausz_jewellery
Light in the box
An online service (almost certainly based in China, so allow for delivery time) that sells all manner of clothing, accessories, sporting goods, consumer electronics, etc. It turns out they also sell affordable mens- and womenswear that would be suitable for the Candlelight Club. Just type “1920s” or “Gatsby” into the search bar. The dress shown here is £29 at time of writing.
simon james cathcart
Purveyor of vintage-inspired menswear, offering 1920s- and 1930s-influenced suits but also more casual looks and workwear items, such as shirts, trousers, knitwear, caps, shoes, etc. Simon’s attention to details includes having the fabrics woven special for him to achieve the pattern, weight and feel of the vintage originals.
little black dress
A website designed to help women find their perfect outfit for a special occasion, including a blog with style guides, event guides, etc. Their bestselling brand used to be Gatsbylady, offering affordable flapper dresses, perfect for a night at the Candlelight Club, but I’m not sure the brand is still going…
tin tin collectibles
Original 1920s dresses are hard to find, and I've never seen quite so many together in one place as you will find at Tin Tin. Mind you, they don't come cheap… This place has a lot of stock crammed into a small space, but they now also have a separate vintage luggage department on the first floor.
G38–42, Alfie's Antiques Market, 13–25 Church Street, London NW8 8DT (020 7258 1305)
levisons
Just off Brick Lane, this emporium, unusually, focuses almost entirely on men's clothing, hats and shoes.
1 Cheshire Street, Shoreditch, London E2 6ED (020 3609 2224)
this shop rocks
Eclectic mix of general vintage with some interesting finds—including some rare 1920s clothing—though prices can be steep. No website and the Facebook page was only recently reanimated after a gap of five years, so perhaps best just to pop in.
131 Brick Lane, London E1 6SA, 11–6pm all week (020 7739 7667)
Heyday vintage style
Website of a firm specialising in reproduction 1930s, 1940s and 1950s clobber including a limited range of menswear (though the clobber on display for men all seems to derive from the 1940s onwards). The owners are swing dancers, so the clothes are designed to be hard-wearing and easy to care for.
passionate about vintage
Online shop offering high-end vintage, vintage-inspired and designer costume jewellery, specialising in the 1920s to 1950s, run by Canterbury-based collector Natalie Leon.
gotham city style
An online shop on Etsy selling 1920s-style headbands and fascinators—they have over 1000 styles to choose from. Even though they are based in San Francisco, postage to the UK is very reasonable.
au clown de la rÉpublique
At 11 Boulevard Saint Martin, 75003 Paris, you can buy very cheap Jazz Age accessories—35 euros for a dress and feather headband; long black gloves and cigarette holders are both 9 euros a piece. They also have costume rentals. For more posh costumes and rentals (Louis XIVth themed balls) see Académie du Bal Costumé, 22 Avenue Ledru Rollin, 75012.
deco wear
Bespoke period outfits made by Welsh designer Barbara Green, to patterns created from original garments, including flapper dresses and evening gowns, with matching accessories, as well as boating blazers and Oxford bags for men.
Both a physical shop (in Darwen, Lancashire) and thriving online emporium, this family-run business offers a wide range of women's vintage clothing, designer vintage, 50s clothing, indie clothing, vintage accessories, vintage costume jewellery, vintage collectables and vintage homeware. But we don't stop there. We also stock a wide a varied range of alternative clothing, brand new reproduction pieces including accessories, jewellery, retro clothing, fifties style and vintage style rockabilly dresses from names such as Hell Bunny, Collectif, Banned and more.
TILDA KNOPF
A 1920s repro brand, offering flapper dresses, headbands and handbags. They offer an online shopping service with shipping to the UK.
NATAYA
Nataya designs feminine, whimsical apparel inspired by the 1920s and Edwardian era. Ideal for adding a bohemian, romantic touch for any party, event or wedding. Also available from Wardrobe Shop (see above).
La Vie Delight
Selling by mail order from their studio in Bangkok, La Vie Delight recreate high-end 1920s fashion using robust modern materials for 'real world' wardrobes, as well as to create outfits for 1920s-themed parties. The clothes are made to order by hand, seemingly with a turnaround time of about a week, and shipped internationally by DHL.
Cocoa Couture
Cara Wagstaff restores original 1920s garments so that they are wearable today, as well as hand-making vintage style jewellery. She has strong links with the Art Deco hotel on Burgh Island and regularly operates a pop-up shop at events there. You can purchase online or visit her physical shop in Cheltenham.
Cocoa Couture, 9 Clarence Parade, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3NY (01242 233588)
costume and accessory rentals
admiral costumes
Buckinghamshire-based costume hire that comes heartily recommended by a Candlelight Club customer (pictured, in the outfit she hired). They have an online shop selling generic party costumes, but it looks as if you are better off visiting in person to get access to their best stuff.
86 Westbrook End, Newton Longville, Bucks MK17 0BX (01908 372504)
Vintage hair and make-up salons
lipstick and curls
A vintage hair and make-up styling team who offer their services for parties, weddings, hen nights, photo shoots, and sometimes their own pop-up salons. They are currently offering Candlelight Club customers a 10% discount on their "Takeaway" visiting service.
info@lipstickandcurls.net, phone 0208 690 6416 (London), 0113 457 1557 (Leeds) or 07879 076449
kitty's vintage salon
Mobile make-up artists and hair stylists specialising in vintage styles, offering make-overs for hen parties, proms, weddings, etc. Mention the Candlelight Club when booking to get a 10% discount plus complimentary false lashes!
nina's hair parlour
Founded in 2005 by Nina Butkovich-Budden, Nina's Hair Parlour was the country's first vintage hair and makeup salon and went on to acquire many film, TV, stage and celebrity plaudits. Nina has had bricks-and-mortar salons in The Cut and Alfie's Antiques Market, but following the launch of their Personal Premiere Service in 2012 the Parlour's service is now by appointment only.
the powderpuff girls
Vintage beauty stylists the Powder Puff Girls formerly had two "Powder Rooms" in London, one in Shoreditch and one off Carnaby Street (at the latter you could sip on a Bellini while you are pampered) but it looks as if their services are currently offered at your own premises only. The work has featured in the pages of Vogue, Elle and Harper's Bazaar.
Hen party activities
glam hatters
Running workshops making fascinators or jewellery (or flower crowns) for your hen party, at London venues in Exmouth Market or Kentish Town, a range of other venues around the UK, or coming to your home. Mention that you are a Candlelight Club customer and you will receive a 10% discount on their premium package.
Banner image by Michael Marks
