The 100 best shops in London – accessories

The best accessory shops in London

• Arckiv - © Rob Greig

  Arckiv

  Arch 67 Stables Market, London, NW1 8AH

  Number 44 in the full list
  If ever there was a shop to make you regret going to Specsavers, it is Arckiv. Tucked in the bowels of Camden Market, in among the vintage clothes, this ocular retailer sells an unrivalled selection of archived frames, which range from the cool (think Colin Firth in A Single Man) to the absolutely bonkers – (think Elton John on Crackerjack). A favourite of costume designers, it’s also an excellent source of eyewear for those citizens who want specs that enhance their street cred. Read more about arckiv
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  Cutler & Gross

  16 Knightsbridge Green, London, SW1X 7QL

  Number 49 in the full list
  Well deserving of a pat on the back, Cutler & Gross has metamorphosed from a small Knightsbridge optician to the heady heights of Erdem and Giles Deacon collaborations. A new collection drops in store twice a year, and the iconic Vintage eyewear range, meanwhile, draws rock and film stars to the sister shop at number seven, which has period gems dating back to the 1920s. Read more about Cutler & Gross
  Recommended by: Geoffrey J Finch.
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  Tatty Devine

  236 Brick Lane, London, E2 7EB

  Number 72 in the full list
  Based at the very top (or bottom, depending on how you look at it) of Brick Lane, crafty jeweller Tatty Devine are ‘old Shoreditch’, launching its super-bright shop more than a decade ago. Owners Harriet Vine and Rosie Wolfenden are the queens of trompe l'oeil perspex, best known for their custom name necklaces complete with trademark Tatty plectrums and cute animals rendered in brightly coloured acrylic. They have a second, brilliant store on Monmouth Street. Read more about Tatty Devine
  Recommended by: Melanie Rickey.
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  James Smith & Sons

  53 New Oxford Street, London, WC1A 1BL

  Number 79 in the full list
  It’s gratifying to know that a shop as particular in its tastes as James Smith & Sons can continue to maintain a Bloomsbury flagship. The umbrella and walking stick purveyor, founded in 1830, remains a family-run business. The New Oxford Street frontage still looks like it might have done in Victorian times, and the interior – all spick and span stacks of parasols and smart brollies – maintains the theme. Read more about James Smith & Sons
  Recommended by: Charlie Casely-Hayford and Stephen Jones.
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  Kirk Originals

  6 Conduit Street, London, W1S 1XE

  Number 95 in the full list
  Captain Kirk himself would feel at home in the Kirk Originals flagship store, just off Regent Street, which is more like the set of a sci-fi flick than a humble optician. But optician it is, and its trademark thick-framed glasses have appeared in countless films, music videos and on the noses of some of the planet’s coolest people, from directors to celebrity chefs thanks to their stylish and original design. Read more about Kirk Originals