19-07-2025
EXCLUSIVE I'm a celeb stylist - these are Europe's best places to find vintage clothes and the do's and don'ts when shopping
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When on holiday, it's always fun to see the main tourist attractions – but vintage shopping is a great way to take in a new destination too.
But it can often be hard to know where to start.
Fear not, as help is on hand from Sian Clarke, who has styled the likes of Lorraine Kelly and Sarah Pascoe.
Taking me to London 's Covent Garden, as part of an Airbnb Experience, she exclusively reveals her top tips for vintage shopping – including where to go for the best finds.
'Covent Garden is the best central place in London for vintage shopping,' she says. 'Because there are loads of smaller boutiques, which feel less overwhelming, and they're all quite close together, whereas in other parts of London you have to sift through loads.
'It's nice being able to dip in and out here.'
We first head to GOOD, a pre-loved clothes store, with a second branch in Kensington.
Having told her I like bolder colours and fewer prints, Sian's first tip, as we step through the door, is to 'zone out of most of the clothes and only look at things that pop out to you'.
But Sian's best advice, when it comes to vintage shopping, is to completely ignore the size written on the label.
And she ends up being proven correct as, despite being a size 10, the first thing I try on is a 'size 16' shirt, and I love it so much I end up buying it.
In our next stop, Wow Retro, there are rows and rows of denim waistcoats in many different shapes and sizes.
Sian recommends trying a few different styles on – unbuttoned and buttoned up.
She says: 'When you're trying stuff on, try a couple of different shapes of the same item on, and then you'll know when you find the right one.'
I also pick up a leopard print skirt and crochet top – pairing them together.
The only problem with the top? It's completely see-through!
But Sian comes to the rescue with the nifty trick of using a silk scarf as a bandeau top underneath.
Sian recommends trying a few different styles of a denim waistcoat on – unbuttoned and buttoned up. She says: 'When you're trying stuff on, try a couple of different shapes of the same item on, and then you'll know when you find the right one'
The only problem with the crochet top? It's completely see-through! But Sian comes to the rescue with the nifty trick of using a silk scarf as a bandeau top underneath
To my surprise, it doesn't even matter that all these clothes have completely mismatched prints – it somehow works.
And that's another tip from Sian – 'don't be afraid to mix patterns or colours'.
She says: 'Some people are so against mixing whites or neutrals, but you can do it.
'It's like that with loads of colours - people say you can't mix red and pink, or blue and green, but you absolutely can!'
Another tip from Sian - which leads to me taking the leopard print skirt home with me - is to 'think about what two or three other things you've already got at home that it can work with'.
'If you go for a neutral colour, you know that you're going to be able to pair it as an essential,' she adds.
Sian and my journey ends in Vintage Threads, which she describes as a 'more boujee, designer vintage store'.
But, while she loves Covent Garden for vintage finds, Sian's favourite place for pre-loved shopping is Italy.
'Milan is the best place I've found for vintage shopping,' she says. 'It has a proper street of it, [Colonne di San Lorenzo and Corso di Porta Ticinese] which I really liked.
'Berlin is also just such a vibe.'
And when it comes to the UK, the north is best for vintage shopping.
'Bristol is really good, and in Manchester, there's a huge shop called ReMarket as soon as you arrive at Manchester Picadilly station,' she says.
But her parting words of wisdom?
'Nothing is worse than the vintage you don't buy. If you fall in love with something vintage, buy it, because you won't find it again.
'And if it's outrageous, definitely get it!'
Sian's vintage shopping trip is just one of many Airbnb Experiences available on the app.
'Covent Garden is the best central place in London for vintage shopping,' she says. 'Because there are loads of smaller boutiques, which feel less overwhelming, and they're all quite close together, whereas in other parts of London you have to sift through loads.
In London, there's also the opportunity to do things like go on a Wizarding World Walk with TikTok historian David Harry or dance with principal ballerina Francesca Hayward.
Around the rest of the UK, you can do things like roam the Lake District by Land Rover with a local guide, or go alpaca trekking in the Scottish countryside.
Further afield, you can master the art of ramen-making with Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded chef Saburo Ishigōka in Tokyo or take a personalised fragrance journey at a hidden perfumer's atelier in Milan.
In Mexico, you can step into the ring with a real Mexican luchador, or there's even the chance to play beach volleyball with Olympian Carol Solberg on Rio de Janeiro's iconic Leblon Beach.
