I came home yesterday evening from a very pleasant little trip to Helsinki. It is and remains one of my very favorite cities, and this was only my seventh visit to it :D. I went with my mom, who likes it just as much as I do. It is, in my mind, one of the truly beautiful cities this world has. Finland's own version of Art Nouveau, the Finnish National Style, and a building boom in the early 1900s produced some incredible buildings - I am again and again fascinated by the many ideas and details I see on walls all over this city. Plus the neo-classical style buildings along the Esplanade and Senate Square, with the white Dome church towering above it, and some more modern, but no less stylish buildings... it bowles me over every time.
The Esplanade, Market Square and Dome from the ferry boat.
We stayed in style too, at the Torni hotel, which was built in 1931. This Art Deco icon's tower has a bar at the top on the 14th floor, which towers over the whole city and offers an incredible view.
Wherever I go abroad these days, I of course am on the lookout for vintage shops, as vintage is just too expensive and hard to get unless you get lucky at the charity shop here in Switzerland.
So I did my research before we left :eureka:, looking only for those shops that sell real vintage, not just last year's designer stuff. The first shop we went to turned out be on the edge of Helsinki's design district, and I guess the last time we were there we missed it only by a block or so, whist poking around that area...! Anyway, I got lucky on the first rack and found this very elegant 40s little black dress:
It needs some seam repairs, but nothing dramatic. No labels, but I guess it could have been made in Finland. The name on the side zip's pull looks finnish, and she had a lot of dresses with finnish labels in them, some of which I knew already.
The next day was the big vintage shopping spree
. The other shops all lined up nicely along the the northern part of streetcar line 3, which also doubles as a city tour. We'd done it before, but on a very foggy, cold winter's day. First up was a shop I'd been to before and have gone to ever since. It's also on the same street as a lovely leather products shop, that sells the best quality leather gloves (made in Finland). I've made a lucky find at that shop before, and this time I found another 50s jacket (nooo.... I never have enough of them :lalala: ).
Next was a shop I knew, had been to several years before on a previous trip - and then I couldn't find it again
. I knew it was around there, on a corner, but somehow missed that corner every other time. I suspected that it was the "one that got away" when I looked it up online. Bingo. So it was, and my mom got lucky with a yummy 40s jacket. I had taken my black 40s jacket on this trip, and she kept saying she would have to make herself one like that, that looked good with jeans. Well, now she found the real thing. The lining needs to be replaced, but that's a small feat for her.
The other two shops were two I didn't know before either, but were just as nice as the others. One was in a place I didn't know at all before, but I found a very elegant nylon tricot slip by Bali there:
The last shop was in a place where I got lost before more than once, whilst looking for the Temppeliaukio church (the one built into the rocks). Too bad I never stumbled into that shop before then!
All in all I can say the shops were all just what I was looking for! Cute, well-sorted, fair prices and nice people - I know the next time I go to Helsinki, I will need extra time for vintage shopping again!
We also did the "usual" stuff of course... The first shop we hit on Monday morning being Marimekko,
where I bought a cute dress from their current collection, one of their classic stripy shirts and... shoes! Marimekko did a collaboration with Converse - that was a thing I didn't want to miss. Sales had started on the previous Friday, and we were lucky to both get a pair. Mom bought lots of Marimekko fabric, I bought some too, from the classic Unikko design, from which I want to make a summer shift dress from a 1960s pattern. We shopped some more for shoes at Pertti Palmroth - incredible quality shoes made in Finland. Their winter boots are not only chic, but also truly warm.
Not to forget the finer things, we also hung out at many of Helsinki's great cafés, trying all sorts of lovely cakes . The Finns sure love their sweets, no matter the age or gender... (we did see two men in suits and ties sit down for cake and coffee in a café that does the yummiest cakes of all one mid-morning...).
Sitting at Café Fazer on a side street of the Esplanade, watching a greedy seagull eyeing the fish-delivery truck at the luxury hotel opposite, and counting the fake Vuitton bags walking by (there were loads!).
Jugend Café Aschan, a former bank, recently renovated and turned into a café. Finnish National Style in all its glory.
Karin
The Esplanade, Market Square and Dome from the ferry boat.
We stayed in style too, at the Torni hotel, which was built in 1931. This Art Deco icon's tower has a bar at the top on the 14th floor, which towers over the whole city and offers an incredible view.
Wherever I go abroad these days, I of course am on the lookout for vintage shops, as vintage is just too expensive and hard to get unless you get lucky at the charity shop here in Switzerland.
So I did my research before we left :eureka:, looking only for those shops that sell real vintage, not just last year's designer stuff. The first shop we went to turned out be on the edge of Helsinki's design district, and I guess the last time we were there we missed it only by a block or so, whist poking around that area...! Anyway, I got lucky on the first rack and found this very elegant 40s little black dress:
It needs some seam repairs, but nothing dramatic. No labels, but I guess it could have been made in Finland. The name on the side zip's pull looks finnish, and she had a lot of dresses with finnish labels in them, some of which I knew already.
The next day was the big vintage shopping spree
. The other shops all lined up nicely along the the northern part of streetcar line 3, which also doubles as a city tour. We'd done it before, but on a very foggy, cold winter's day. First up was a shop I'd been to before and have gone to ever since. It's also on the same street as a lovely leather products shop, that sells the best quality leather gloves (made in Finland). I've made a lucky find at that shop before, and this time I found another 50s jacket (nooo.... I never have enough of them :lalala: ).
Next was a shop I knew, had been to several years before on a previous trip - and then I couldn't find it again
. I knew it was around there, on a corner, but somehow missed that corner every other time. I suspected that it was the "one that got away" when I looked it up online. Bingo. So it was, and my mom got lucky with a yummy 40s jacket. I had taken my black 40s jacket on this trip, and she kept saying she would have to make herself one like that, that looked good with jeans. Well, now she found the real thing. The lining needs to be replaced, but that's a small feat for her. The other two shops were two I didn't know before either, but were just as nice as the others. One was in a place I didn't know at all before, but I found a very elegant nylon tricot slip by Bali there:
The last shop was in a place where I got lost before more than once, whilst looking for the Temppeliaukio church (the one built into the rocks). Too bad I never stumbled into that shop before then!
All in all I can say the shops were all just what I was looking for! Cute, well-sorted, fair prices and nice people - I know the next time I go to Helsinki, I will need extra time for vintage shopping again!
We also did the "usual" stuff of course... The first shop we hit on Monday morning being Marimekko,
Not to forget the finer things, we also hung out at many of Helsinki's great cafés, trying all sorts of lovely cakes
. The Finns sure love their sweets, no matter the age or gender... (we did see two men in suits and ties sit down for cake and coffee in a café that does the yummiest cakes of all one mid-morning...).
Sitting at Café Fazer on a side street of the Esplanade, watching a greedy seagull eyeing the fish-delivery truck at the luxury hotel opposite, and counting the fake Vuitton bags walking by (there were loads!).
Jugend Café Aschan, a former bank, recently renovated and turned into a café. Finnish National Style in all its glory.
Karin
