Fashion & Shopping in & around Hastings

The main shopping drags are George Street and High Street in the Old Town, a cluster around Trinity Triangle in the New Town and the Norman Street/London Road crossroads in St Leonards.

Old town curiosities
Shirley Leaf & Petal is five floors of wildly creative artificial flowers – it supplies everyone from Glastonbury to the new Alice Through the Looking Glass film. AG Hendy & Co Home Store belongs to the chef Alastair Hendy, who started serving food among the stylish homewares last autumn. Soak sells delicious local Hastings products, including Romney Marsh sheep’s-wool soap and organic scents from the Hastings Soap Co. Get all your tobacco and humbug supplies at the Hastings Sweet Shop. Buy fish from MSC-certified Sonny Elliott opposite The Stade: he has everything from hot-smoked salmon to Rye Bay scallops.

St Leonards stalwarts
Andrew Hirst sources frills, furbelows, lace and buttons for his shop Wayward Haberdashers, and Bramwell & Cole does vintage clothes, ceramics and very groovy lampshades. On King’s Road, near the station, find specs to die for at RockOptika and quirky designer pieces at great prices from Pandora’s Wardrobe.