A queer bookshop, a fresh pair of pants or something with rather more buckles? London’s LGBTQ+ shops have you covered, and occasionally uncovered. Here are the places to browse for books, fashion, underwear and fetish gear, from Soho’s familiar windows to independents south of the river. Come with a shopping list if you must. We can’t promise you’ll stick to it.
Queer bookshops
Gay’s The Word
Website www.gaystheword.co.uk
Address 66 Marchmont Street, London WC1N 1AB
Nearest station Russell Square
A quick browse at Gay’s The Word has a habit of becoming a very heavy bag. This independent LGBTQ+ bookshop is packed with queer fiction, history, poetry and memoir, with plenty to tempt you beyond the book you came in for. Its roots in London’s queer community run deep, but there’s nothing dusty about the reading list. Pick up a familiar favourite, discover somebody new or find a present that says a little more than another rainbow mug. Your bedside pile can take one more. Probably.
The Common Press, Shoreditch
Website www.commonpress.co.uk
Address 118 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 6DG
Nearest station Shoreditch High Street
Books, coffee and a good conversation. The Common Press has the ingredients for a very agreeable afternoon, with queer and intersectional writing at the heart of its shelves. Fiction sits alongside politics and poetry, while author events and community gatherings bring the words off the page. There’s plenty here to get your brain going before you get anywhere near the caffeine. Come for a particular title or surrender to a proper browse. This Bethnal Green Road branch is the Shoreditch sibling of the bookshop’s Dalston home.
The Common Press, Dalston
Website www.commonpress.co.uk
Address 97 Stoke Newington Road, London N16 8BX
Nearest station Dalston Kingsland
Dalston’s literary appetites are well catered for at this branch of The Common Press, where queer books and coffee make a tempting double act. The shelves put intersectional voices front and centre, with fiction, ideas and plenty of discoveries for readers who like to wander beyond the obvious. Author events and community gatherings give you another excuse to linger. A thoughtful present, your next obsession or just an afternoon in good company, take your pick. Do keep an eye on the branch when booking an event, as Shoreditch has its own programme.
Soho and Fitzrovia shops
Clonezone Soho
Website www.clonezonedirect.co.uk/pages/shops
Address 35 Old Compton Street, London W1D 5JX
Nearest station Leicester Square
Underwear, toys, fashion and fetish gear, Clonezone’s Soho shop can do quite a lot for your shopping list. Spread over two floors on Old Compton Street, it’s a place to get a proper look at the things that have been catching your eye online. Feeling adventurous? There’s plenty to explore. Just replacing a favourite pair of pants? That’s covered too. Ask the team about fit and materials if you need a steer. Whether you leave with a small bag or a whole new look is between you and your bank balance.
Prowler Soho
Website www.prowler.co.uk
Address 5–7 Brewer Street, London W1F 0RF
Nearest station Piccadilly Circus
Prowler is the sort of Soho shop where buying a present can become an exercise in keeping a straight face. Its Brewer Street shelves mix underwear, adult toys, Pride merchandise and gifts, with Prowler’s own pants among the temptations. There’s plenty for a purposeful shopping trip, and just as much to derail an innocent browse. Come for something practical, something playful or something you’ll explain later. With the rest of Soho on the doorstep, you can always take your purchases for a celebratory drink. No need to show everybody.
Prowler RED
Website prowlerred.com
Address 50 Old Compton Street, London W1D 4UB
Nearest station Leicester Square
If your wardrobe could do with a little less cotton and a little more intent, Prowler RED is worth a look. The fetish-focused sibling of the Brewer Street shop stocks harnesses, leather, underwear, toys and accessories from its Old Compton Street home. It’s a chance to see the gear up close, compare materials and work out what actually takes your fancy. You don’t need to arrive with an expert vocabulary. A bit of curiosity and a question about sizing will get you further than bravely buying the wrong harness.
REGULATION
Website regulation.co.uk/pages/visit-us
Address 13A Bateman Street, London W1D 3AF
Nearest station Tottenham Court Road
Latex, leather and bondage equipment get a proper outing at REGULATION’s two-floor Soho store. The range brings its own specialist designs together with other brands, covering clothing, toys and accessories for all sorts of interests. There are changing rooms too, which is rather handy when your next outfit involves more engineering than a T-shirt. Browse, ask questions and find something that fits both you and your imagination. Whether you’re building a collection or choosing your first piece of gear, Bateman Street has plenty to keep you occupied.
Liberation, the Libidex boutique
Website liberation-london.com
Address 4 Percy Street, London W1T 1DF
Nearest station Tottenham Court Road
Fancy a little latex? Liberation has considerably more than a little. The Libidex boutique fills two retail floors on Percy Street with clothing and accessories, from smaller finishing touches to outfits that are unlikely to slip past unnoticed. Seeing the colours and finishes in person is half the pleasure, and trying things on takes some of the guesswork out of getting dressed. Follow whatever catches your eye. Just head to Fitzrovia, as the boutique’s former Shelton Street address is no longer the place for this particular shopping mission.
South London fashion and fetish shops
FETCH
Website fetchshop.co.uk
Address Arch 6, Voltaire Road, London SW4 6DH
Nearest station Clapham High Street or Clapham North
Clapham’s railway arches have more to offer than another night on the dancefloor. FETCH stocks underwear, swimwear, clubwear and fetish gear, with harnesses and accessories for anyone whose outfit needs a bit more going on. It’s a handy place to see the clothes in person and find out whether that online crush survives a closer look. ARCH is next door, so shopping and a drink make an easily arranged double bill. Come for a wardrobe refresh or the finishing touch to your next night out. Sensible purchases are optional.
Fetish Freak
Website www.fetishfreak.co.uk/store.php
Address 76 Bolton Crescent, London SE5 0SE
Nearest station Oval
Leather, rubber, boots and harnesses, Fetish Freak has a fairly persuasive answer to an empty wardrobe. This independent shop near Oval mixes fetish clothing with toys and accessories, with locally made gear and made-to-measure leather among its interests. It’s the sort of shopping that benefits from getting up close, feeling the materials and asking a few questions. There’s plenty for an established collection and plenty to catch a newcomer’s eye. If you’re after something bespoke, have a chat with the shop about what you have in mind.
Shopping from the sofa
Prefer your purchases delivered? Esmale is a London-based online adult shop with plenty to browse. Use its website for orders and any collection arrangements.
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