Stockholm 2nd hand

The most Hype city in Europe!

Everything is "cool", people on the street are ALL beautiful and looks like just out of an MTV video. Style it's a must!

Beyond Ikea in Stockholm you can really experience the best of the interior design and it's such miles away from the stereotyopes which we use to have about the "cold" Scandinavia. It's very interesting to observe the pattern of consuption of this city, which looks both devoted to consumerism and edonism but at the same time with some responsability, fair trade and environmental awareness.

For example, during my stay last weekend, the scandal of H&M using cotton coming from Uzbekistan which has been hand-picked by children without any working rights has been striking the first pages of the newspapers and the headlines of the TV News. Something which happens in many different Countries but it does not touch public opinion in such a massive way. Same goes for the news coming from the IPCC (Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change of the UN) which was happening in Bali and that was raising the percentage of the green party of 1% every day.

Coming to responsible patterns of consuption, second hand shopping (which is one of my personal passions) is also a must in Stockholm. I will try a short comprehensive review of some of the best vintage shops in Sodermalm, which is the island south of the Centre of stockholm, which is actually the most laid back and alternative zone of the city.

Let's start with my favourite shop: "Judit" (Hornsgatan, 55 - Metro Mariatorget, tel. 086583037) - The owner is a guy from Napoli, so we became friend since I was first time there one year ago and I bought a green leather jaket. You can find really classy stuffs in best condition. It's not so cheap, especially if you are used to shopping in Brussels, but it's definitely worth a visit and a buy. They have also the girls shop just few metres from the boys one.

Other places worth a visit are the Stockholms Stadmission shops, which are in several places (Hagagatan, 3; Hantverkargatan, 78; Hornsgatan, 58; Lovholmsvagen 16-18; Skanegatan, 75; Stortorget, 5) the special thing about this place is that all the money you spend there to buy either clothes, forniture, plates, glasses, etc. goes to the homeless people of Stockholm. So definitely a responsible shopping and i found some nice stuffs for christmas there.

Then the list of the nice second hand shops is quite long, it is definitely worth a visit "Beyond Retro" (Söder, Åsögatan 144, T: +46 (0) 8 641 3642; Souk, Drottninggatan 53, M: +46 (0) 8 5591 3643; Souk, Mäster Samuelsgatan 56, M: +46 (0) 8 5591 3642, www.beyondretro.com) and "Modern Retro" (wollmar yxkullsgatan, 9, Metro Mariatorget, tel. 086407292; www.modernretro.net) and I also liked a lot the small shop of Pakladeriet in Södermannagatan, 19, tel. 084629190).

Well now you know where to go.
Enjoy Stockholm!