Gay-related
Prowler
Clone Zone
The world's largest gay retail company.
Unsurprisingly, Soho has a number of gay-related outlets, some of the best known are:
Clothing and accessories
Stromboli's Circus
Electic range of vintage clothing, furniture and other homewares. Some quite wonderful stock and a must for those in search of both retro chic and the truly kitsch.
The Great Frog
Rock and heavy metal jewellry specialist. Been in business here for more than 40 years. The iconic skull ring worn by so many famous rockers was originally designed and produced by Great Frog.
Social Suicide
Beautifully tailored men's jackets with a real funky design flair.
Ben Sherman
The flagship retail outlet of this iconic British fashion brand. Men's and women's clothing, accessories and shoes.
Others
Blackwell's
Small secondhand section in this mainstream bookshop.
Foyles
London's best known bookshop is a mazy warren containing a seemingly impossible number of books! It is not always easy to find your way around and although greatly improved since the renovation in 1999, the service is notably surly. Nonetheless, this place is a must for all book lovers.
Music and record shops
Vinyl Junkies
Cutting edge dance music including house, tech and old rare soul. A favourite with many famous DJs and producers.
Revival Records
Mostly old rock vinyl but just about any genre could jump out at you.
Soho has a diverse range of shops, tending towards the arty, boutique and independent style of outlet.
After a period in the 1970s and 1980s when Carnaby Steet became little more than a tourist trap and a pale imitation of its innovative, trend-setting heyday in the 1960s, it is now once again a major centre of new design. There are some especially interesting independent fashion stores in the small streets and courtyards off Carnaby Street, so it is well worth exploring the area carefully.
Berwick Street is notable for a collection of independent record shops specialising in different genres of dance music.