Disappointment. I was excited for this store…read more This store has interesting clothing to offer - some vintage some new. The prices were pretty steep. Many clothes were damaged, and the tag did not mention the damaged item. I understand that items are vintage, but it should be disclosed of the condition of the clothing. The v store was very hot and packed with people. I was unable to look at everything because shoppers kept bumping into me or cutting me off unfortunately. The clothes were not very organized either. It was hard to look through them. If they did crowd control and limit the shoppers inside, I may have had a better experience. This has been the most disappointing shop during my Scotland holiday so far.

One of my favorite vintage shops in the world! I look forward to coming here every time I am in…read moreEdinburgh. I have found some really unique pieces for great prices.

Rusty Zip is a spin off of Armstrong's, and has all the quality of the vintage outlet crammed into…read morethis compact shop. Armstrong's is sprawled out in a vast space, but I quite liked being able to pick through the packed railings in here without having to travel too far! Garments are nicely ordered, well displayed (as you would expect from an Armstrong's store) and have the same fun, frilly vintage appeal. There are spangles galore, not to mention a decent selection of beaten up cowboy boots. It's worth noting that the clothes shipped off to this outlet are considerably cheaper than in Armstrong's proper, with sparkly 70s disco boob tubes coming in at a fiver! They had some nice leather jackets cheaper than I've seen elsewhere, and a good selection of clothing for guys. They had some great offers on denim shirts - if you buy a denim jacket you get one for free! The shirts were dirt cheap as it was and with denim making a big comeback this season, I can see their Lee shirts selling out faster than a speeding bullet. The staff were friendly and relaxed, going about their business while leaving me free to browse. It's a bit more laid back than Armstrong's and with more bargains. Love it!

As previous reviewers have mentioned, the Rusty Zip is a little sister of Armstrong's, one of the…read morebiggest vintage clothes stores in the City. The Rusty Zip is quite small but crammed full with garments, trinkets and accessories. I personally am a fan of their leather post man bags.My flatmate loved their shoes, which were in very good condition, and not to mention affordable, considering they were leather boots. Their cashmere jumpers are quite nice, and they have a good selection of men's clothing as well. Prices vary depending on the garment in question, and their are some true vintage pieces in here. Whether or not you would ever wear them, or if you question if vintage shops are just over-priced second-hand shops I will leave that to you. I still like the quirky finds in this shop and it's down-to-earth attitude to it's stock. (they even have 70's disco glitter boots for your Abba fever party- not just brand stuff)

Yeah, the clothes in here are definitely wacky, but I think Scotland needs more colour in its life,…read moreso I'd be damn happy if more people shopped here. The colour is to counterbalance the general grey demeanour of the sky, of course. I've gone in here more than a few times. Always with the intention of not buying anything. And so far, I've been successful. This is not to say I don't want to. I do, oh I really do. The hippie I keep repressed in my clothes-heart likes knitwear, a lot. But I'm strict with it. Most of the time. When it demands money from me, anyway. But Joyce Forsyth is the kinda shop you should go into anyway. Because it's interesting. There's a knitting machine on site. I'm sure there's a more accurate term than knitting machine, but that's what the device seems to do, so, let's just leave it at that. And you can see the woman knitting away at it if you walk in at the right moment. They sell loads and loads of knitwear, from hats to gloves to socks to coats to jumpers to etc etc, but all above the price-range I would've liked.

I bought a beautiful cardigan / short jacket May 2015 , colours are blue and soft liliac, I have…read morereceived many compliments back in Australia, I wear it with jeans or dressier pants and love it. Joyce went out of her way to help me, I couldn't decide on the colours , the bolder red was in my size but the blue tone was too small - no problem, Joyce made a blue to fit and had it ready for a final choice for the morning we left Edinburgh 3 days later - she had also washed and pressed it. Yes they are expensive but the shorter jumpers and cardigans are affordable as a one off quality garment - I will be enjoying mine for years. I hope to treat myself to a jumper if I return to Edinburgh next year

I lived a 2 minute walk from here last year and spent a morning a week browsing through the…read moregoodies! There are a few locations in Edinburgh, but this one has my favorite of the owners personal collection( vintage boots to die for). Also I've gotten some of my favorite pieces here! There's a ton of leather, denim, button down shirts, period clothing (although there's a lot more this at the grass market store), it's great for daily staples as well as statement pieces! One of my favorite vintage shops in the world! I'll be back soon :p

Amstrongs has always got ripe vintage pickings. It is one of the most famous vintage stores in the…read morecountry, and was impressed to see the sign on this outlet saying it was founded in 1840. 1840! They were living in a time that everything was vintage (to us, anyway). It makes me wonder why they used to sell! However, despite my praise for the other outlet's glitzy displays, this Armstrong's has a bit less pizzaz. Don't get me wrong, it's still a prime target for rummaging, and I don't tend to surface from the shop for at least half an hour. But today I was let down (like in the other store) by vaguely ignorant customer servicem and by finding a few of my clothes on the rails! A 40s inspired Haiwaiian dress, eh? That may be the case, but what the tag failed to highlight was that it was in H&M last season. Not only that, but a fair few items from my wardrobe turned up in there, to the point I felt like I was in the Truman Show. I have a really horrible jumper I wear in bed that makes me look like a creepy kids TV presenter, and was surprised to say the least when it turned up in here (although perhaps not surprised at why it is unlikely to be purchased anytime soon.) Armstrongs is always fun, but I can't deny I was a bit disappointed. But I'm still going to go back because - well, it's Armstrongs!

Excellent cobbler. Mark works extremely well, is kind, friendly and honest.read more

Cobbler's Key is an often forgotten little cobblers/locksmiths on busy South Clerk St…read more Most people go to Timpsons nowadays, the chain store that has really cornered the market on key cutting and shoe repair- an ever necessary business. The truth is that the quality, as far as new keys are concerned, with professionals at local stores like this, if often far better. At least that is my experience. Cobbler's Key also offer watch battery replacement, patching and stitching of clothes as well as providing a range of leather goods. They also do gardening tool sharpening! Although I can't imagine there is a huge demand for that around here.

It's my hen night on Saturday (because that's totally relevant to this review...) and the plastic…read morenub-thing (official term) had disappered from the heels of shoes that match the dress I might wear. I had a mini- freak out when I realised that the shoes needed to be fixed and I would need a 24 hour turnaround on it. But, there was no need to worry as when I popped into SOS he guy said "oh, that'll just take two minutes to fix" and while I waited he told me about how walking through grass can pull these bits out of shoes, and that there are bits and pieces of women's heels all over the Meadows. He then continued his small talk into work, my hen night (ok I may have brought that one up), etc, while he sorted my shoes. At the end of it, I parted with a mere £7 and was very pleased with myself. So, thumbs up to the friendly SOS guy.

Let's face it, all girls have numerous pairs of perfectly good shoes that can no longer be worn…read morebecause of broken heels or holes in the soles. Instead of being sensible and taking them to the menders, most of us resign them to the back of a cupboard and mourn their absence. I resolved to stop doing this and took my beloved red boots (worn heels, holes in the soles) to SOS repairs in Bruntsfield. Within an hour the friendly cobbler had them looking fabby again and all for the princely sum of £18. Job's a good 'un.

Edinburgh and its cobbled streets! My heel on one of my favourite pairs of boots was about to go,…read moreand all my local shoe repair shops didn't seem to have the right equipment to fix it ( I had no idea a simple heal repair could be so hard). Eventually, one shop pointed me to Timpsons. This shop saved me! Next day it was fixed and good as new and at a great price too! However, their key cutting is somewhat questionable, as my flatmates new keys from this shop broke only 3 weeks afterwards. So, as far as show repair is concerned, I would most definitely head to this shop, the guy is friendly and chatty and my shoe is still intact.

This is basically just a Timpson's shop, with all the usual services but I'm writing this review…read morepurely on the basis that Graham the branch manager here is absolutely great! I've been here a couple of times to get shoes re-heeled and maybe it's the fact that it is quite a traditional trade but you sort of feel like you're getting the kind of service your grandparents bemoan the lack of on this day and age. He always gives you some good chat and clearly has good relationship with all his customers and staff and when you're in there everyones in on the joke!

Stopped into the women's store recently on a trip to Edinburgh. The first staff person I…read moreencountered me seemed like she couldn't be bothered to make a sale. Others wouldn't even to look up when I asked them a question. I was so disappointed as their selection is stunning. Needless to say I bought elsewhere.

Great clothing made with great materials Really worth the…read moremoney I suspect I'll be wearing my purchase for many years to come

This is one of the many little clothes and jewellery stores on Southbridge/Nicolson/Clerk/South…read moreClerk Street... the day this street gets one name I shall rejoice! I suspect the man I usually see working in there is the owner, and he's friendly enough! If you've ever been to Lookah, just opposite Old College, you'll see this shop definitely has the same inspiration. They sell some clothes, which aren't that memorable, but it's the colourful and Indian-inspired jewellery and bags that are "unico" in this shop (I couldn't help myself!) It's not an expensive store either, so you can really go crazy and decide to cover your whole arm in bangles if you feel like it!

Unico was once described to me as one of those shops that sold European stuff, bits and pieces that…read moreyou see in markets in France and Spain. And it kinda is. It's cheap and cheerful. Don't expect to have the stuff you buy there last very long. At all. They sell a variety of cheap boho scarves, leg-warmers, those big airy trousers, skirts, earrings, rings, etc. I've only ever been there for leg-warmers as I normally don't know where to go for that kinda item. They lasted a few months. The quality was alright, but not perfect. The staff are, and have always been, friendly to me. Teensy shop, but full of stuff. Mostly stuff you probably don't need, but most shops in Edinburgh are like that anyway.