If you're in London and you want to go vintage shopping, admire some street art, or hit up a '90s-themed restaurant, the place to be is Shoreditch. This hipster London neighborhood has become a well-known haven for artists, creative young people, and the culture-obsessed. But it's much more than a gritty-chic haven for cool kids.
Sure, the 'hood is crawling with beanie-clad young people snapping Instagrams of their artisanal flat whites. But the face of the neighborhood has changed a great deal across history. In the Victorian era, this historic East End district was well-known for its many music halls and theaters. More recently, a number of tech companies and creative studios have settled in the area, bringing along a population of millennial tastemakers and making the area decidedly posh. It's basically the Williamsburg of London — plenty of campy bars, well-dressed people, and devastating hipness to go around.
If you're planning on finally making that cool kid pilgrimage — all the while panicking that you might not pass for cool enough to be there — you're in luck! We've teamed up with Rimmel London to give you the skinny on what to wear, where to go, and what to do in Shoreditch.
What To Do...
Once you get to the neighborhood via the Shoreditch High Street tube station, soak up the urban rustic feel of the area with a stroll down High Street, then move on to the Arnold Circus bandstand. Once you get hungry, or in the mood to shop, take advantage of the great markets that the area is known for.
Old Spitalfields Market is the original, old-school covered market, but with its offerings of trendy street food and chic boutique clothing, it definitely keeps up with the times. If 21st century, eco-friendly markets are more your thing, hit up Boxpark — an artisan market where all the stalls are made of old shipping containers. So Shoreditch.
What To Wear...
If London is a hurricane of edgy style, Shoreditch is the literal eye of the storm. But these days, edgy fashion involves a cheeky sense of humor and a heaping helping of nostalgia. Get that look in '90s-inspired duds like distressed denim jumpers, flannel crop tops, and round-frame sunnies. Tie the ensemble together with a pair of sneakers (or, as the Brits call them, trainers), and you'll be looking cool and comfortable as you skip down Brick Lane.
Getting The London Look...
When it comes to beauty, you'll want to use a similar strategy to fashion — strike the perfect chord between playful and edgy. A shimmery shadow (such as Rimmel London's Magnif'Eyes Double Ended Shadow & Liner in Queens of a Bronzed Age) and a funky, half-up topknot will give you that perfect, playful, too-cool-to-care look.
Finish it off with a witchy, deep crimson lip shade like Rimmel's The Only 1 Lipstick in "Oh So Wicked." Nailed it.
This post is sponsored by Rimmel London.
Photos: Lauren Perlstein; Illustrations: Mary Rabun / Bustle; Styling: Jenna Wexler; Model: Thatiana Diaz; Makeup: Elisa Flowers; Hair: Akihisa Yamaguchi
