Fresh Garbage

I frequented this amazing little shop often in my teens and early twenties. It’s been part of the Belfast landscape for years. Rock, punk and alternative clothes and accessories. Unfortunately I’m far too old for it now but it’s a guilty pleasure of mine to still pop in and purchase a scarf or handbag and have a good rummage around. I hope it will remain for many years to come. Absolutely fabulous.

Sometimes I wonder how Fresh Garbage is still going after all these years. This random little place coming down with tie-​dye and incense and smoking accoutrements has been part of the fabric of Belfast for decades, and it just keeps going.
If you have need of a paisley scarf or a bong in the shape of a skull, or a teenager to keep occupied for 20 mins you should check it out. Or if you just have need for a taste of nostalgia in your 30s or 40s it is worth a visit just for that. That’s only why I was there and came out with 3 packets of incense and happy thoughts of student days, even though these days I’m more of a Yankee Candle girl.
That is the power of Fresh Garbage.

My mum used to go to Fresh Garbage when she was my age and it’s still cool — how does it do that? The best thing about the place is that you can tell the staff really love what they sell and the culture around it. It’s so far from the fake me-​to style shops out there it just cant be copied.
Smashing, authentic and unashamedly individual — just like all their customers.

Before any of you roll your eyes, wait till you hear what I have to say about this tiny piece of Belfast’s heritage. I (along with some of you, I’m sure!) frequented this gem of a shop when it was down the side of Primark and the guys behind the counter drank pints of Guinness and smoked (really!) behind the counter of a Saturday afternoon.
My mother? She hated it more than life itself, came in under sufferance and disapproved in a very wholehearted way. Flash forward nearly 20 years and the shop has moved, retaining almost all of its atmosphere (minus beer and fag ash) and is positively brimming with two things: stock of all kinds and varieties and whole squads of teenagers discovering it ‘for the first time’ all over again.
Would I buy slightly hippy stuff in it now? Why, reader, I did! When I was last in scouring the City for Christmas pressies for number one son and girlfriend I found jewellery, clothes, bags and scarves galore.
I also found a long, well tailored black velvet coat with beautiful embroidered flowers around bottom and up the sleeves. For those of you still scoffing, it’s the only coat I’ve had in the past few years that several people have said, ‘lovely coat, where did you get it?’. I was flattered and I really love my coat, so I stood up straight, looked them in the eye and said, ‘Fresh Garbage’, and with a swoosh of black velvet I left them gaping slack jawed (whether it was with envy or disbelief, I don’t know)!

Ah, Fresh Garbage. The shop I used to go straight to as a teenager when let up to Belfast clutching all my Christmas money in my sweaty junior metaller paws.
Fresh Garbage sells all sorts of alternative gear, from standard band T shirts to frilly Lolita dresses to logo vest tops. The staff are easy-​going and friendly, and if you can get near the counter in this tiniest of shops you’l always be helped to find what you want.
Four stars rather than five as the clothes, like all goth designer type ones, are blinking expensive, making me wonder how Young People Nowadays can afford to kit themselves out so fully. But the best part of Fresh Garbage is in its accessories, which are what I used to and still do go in for. Bandannas, bags, stripey socks, nose rings and the like are all plentiful and cheaply priced, and the shop also sells a great range of very bright hair dye in little pots for about a fiver, which the staff are always happy to answer questions about or let me gape indecisively in front of the colour swatch for about ten minutes before finally picking Pillarbox Red yet again. Lovely wee shop and very Belfast.

Word of Advice; Do not under any circumstances try and go into Fresh Garbage at around 4.30pm on a Friday afternoon during term time. The reason I say this is it will be packed full of geeky emo’s looking for their next quirky crazy purchase.
I could not even walk into the shop to do a decent review, so I left and am now spreading what I have learnt toy the good people of Unilocal

One of the original ‘hippy/​head’ shops back in the day and now grown into a little haven of all things hippy/​goth/​emo/​metal. You’ll smell it before you see it as the waft of incense is pretty strong and seems to be pumped into the place.
Interior is dark and normally there is some music blasting giving the place an atmosphere unlike most high street stores. There are tons of tie-​dye dresses/shirts/flags/bandana’s in the place plus a huge selection of t-​shirts and ‘rock’ accessories.
Not really my bag but the shop is definitely worth a visit and the staff are lovely as well.
Pros: Cool vibe.
Cons: Rather specific in its stock,

Fresh Garbage is a hippie/​emo/​goth mish mash of a shop.
You’ll notice it by the massive flags hanging outside the door. Inside the place stinks of Nag Champa incence, in a good way though. It’s a lovely smell!
When I stepped inside they were blasting Jimi Hendrix, which is always good in my book.
They have a large enough range of clothing crammed into the shop. There are rails of cute hippy dresses, hippy tunic tops (which look like they should be ash proof– due to the ineveitable consumation of joints whilst wearing such a psychadelic top!).
There are also loads of, frankly daft looking emo and goth gear. From luminuos braces, fishnets and black tutus I praise the Lord I didn’t wear this kinda of crap when I was a teenager. Although I will admit to wearing a Korn Issues top. Cringe. We all have crosses to bear.
Prices are moderate, come here if you’re a bargain busting emo or a glamorous goth. A cool little shop with a friendly vibe.

Eyeliner, tu-tu’s, leather, studs and spikes. This is Fresh Garbage.
A quirky cornerstore for everything gothic.
But even if this isn’t your style, take a peek as it has some gems in the form of scarfs, fake eyelashes and hoodies. It’s laid back attitude simply sells.
As well as this, the store provides a great range in earings, nose rings and other piercing fancies. And if you want to match crazy piercings with a suitably crazy hair colour, Fresh Garbage has the A to Z collection in temporary hair colouring.

Fresh Garbage opened in 1969 to the joy of the alternative scene ever since. You don’t find many shops like this around Belfast (See Stiletto, Rip Off) so it does a pretty thriving business. You’ll find all manner of clothing (huge baggys, bondage gear, leather cat suits, fluffy, frilly fishnet galore.) if you like any of the above then you’re bound to like Fresh. Not only does it stock clothing but they sell jewellery, badges, bags, bongs, incense, hair dye, make up, tins, scales, all sorts of smoking paraphernalia. Aimed at the Goths, emos, skaters, punks etc, it’s an alternative heaven. You should call in for the experience at least (the staff are great, there’s a girl with awesome pink hair, the young dazed and confused looking fella or the cool old dude who’ll always have a bit of craic, whoever is in that day, you’ll be treated friendly and warmly as you browse their range of items.

Fresh Garbage is Belfasts origional alternative store selling everything from jewellery to incence and clothing, to bags, perfumes and smoking accessories. Although not my personal stlye this place is awesome for halloween! They sell the ever fashionable contacts whether you want to look like a zombie or just want a change. The jewellery is funky and unique and the accessories are something to behold.
The amazing smell of incence is overpowering but in a good way, and brings you back to that time when everyone (your mum included) went through their crazy incence stick in every room phase! Fab!
Its cutting edge for alternative street fashion and does seem to have a little something for everyone! Shops which cater for the clientelle of Fresh Garbage are few and far between and whether your looking for something for yourself– be it clothing (goth, club, hippy or punk), accessories, jewellery or music, Fresh garbage really does have it all and more!

Fresh Garbage is legendary. It’s a vintage-​style punk and rock style that sells clothing and accessories primarily to Belfast’s Goth and heavy metal fans. Back in the ’60’s, it was a haunt for the Mods’n’Rockers so it’s got quite an interesting history to it. Even if you’re not into skull shaped necklaces and Nirvana wristbands, check this place out

This first and foremost is not my style. I would not wear the clothes in here purely cause if its not from Primark, chances are I don’t own it. However, that is not to stay this is a bad place. Quite the opposite in fact. The outside can be quite intimidating hence why I was dragged in by my sister to look inside.
It is a hugely well-​stocked shop (bordering on cluttered) but if you need anything thats alternative chances are this place as got it. I have a friend who went into town to get something to cover his walls and came out of Fresh Garbage with 5 flags and a t-​shirt (and yes all went onto his walls). The bits and pieces are relatively cheap and the staff are quite friendly and knowledgable (which is the best quality about shop workers) so all in all even if you don’t know what you came in for then they can help.
As I said its not my cup of cocoa but if you want something alternative and funky (not ‘Prince funky’ but more ‘stand out in a crowd funky’) then this is the only place you need to go

Fresh Garbage is an alternative clothes store/​head shop situated in the centre of Belfast. Fresh Garbage is a family run institution for the alternative scene in Belfast. Everyone has been there and bought a badly printed T-​shirt or a piercing.
The front is cluttered with all the various, bandanas, scarfs and flags which gives the place a bohemian look. The smell of incense as you walk in is almost noxious, but soon after a few trips it becomes nostalgic and now fills my head with good memories every time I come across the scent.
The staff are polite and are fully aware of all the products they sell and are totally happy to give advice and not just try and force a sale. Even if its not your type of thing, its worth just calling in experience its unique character and to buy some of that incredible incense!

The most I’ve ever bought in here has been to buy some necklaces and scarves when I went through a slightly Goth faze when I was about 13 and thankfully quickly passed me by. The owners of Fresh Garbage have really cornered the market in Belfast for Emo/​Goth type purchases, as there aren’t a lot of other alternative clothing stores here, and they offer not only clothing, but jewellery, accessories and incense/​candles and other paraphernalia associated with that type of ‘look’. And although it’s not my personal taste of fashion so to speak, I do admire them for being a different place and not conforming to the ‘norms’ of fashion. It’s definitely interesting for a browse, but only serious Emo/​Goth types should think about buying things here, as it’s more thier taste.

After getting lost several times in Dunnes, I finally found my way here, thanks to a very kind man with a goatee. As soon as i got in, I was already thinking of what our kids would look like. It had everything, from dark and emo to loud and completely crazy. I wanted to buy it all, but being restricted to £20, I went right to the band t-​shirts at the back of the shop, and tried on and brought an Avenged Sevenfold shirt. This place has everything a punk/​emo/​goth/​scene/​maniac would ever dream of. They stock make-​up, hair accessories, scarves, belts, wristbands, glasses, bags and weirdly enough bongs. The burning incense might put some people off, but i liked it contributed to the stuffy punk feeling in there. There’s only one changing room, which is a slight minus, but then, it is a pretty small store. They have great, legendary music playing, along with the music video, which sets a great vibe. Loved it, i genuinely suggest it, but not if your strapped for cash.

Love this wee shop, As a non-​conformist new aeon hippy, that wears (Spide clothes), I’d say the smell of incense is to mask the dirty stench (body odor) of the greasy Emos and Goths. Jees Get a wash people. I’m not a Gothic, I am happy in my own skin, I’m happy with clothes or with out. This wee shop has it all. Some cool clothes at not too bad prices and allot of interesting paraphernalia, if your into that kind of stuff. That is.

personally i have never really been a fan of this shop, just walking past it makes my nose sting from all the incense sticks and the like that are burning in there, although i dare say that if you were into the whole punk/​emo/​meteler scene it would be like heaven, though as i myself am not, i dont like it

Definitely a shop aimed for emos/​goths/​punks/​metal-​heads. lots of band gear and gothic influenced clothing. good for badges and the more unusual coloured hair-​dyes.
It is very very small though so it can get pretty difficult to move around if there are lots of people inside. also there is a strong smell of incense, which i quite like but which i know a lot of my friends find too overpowering