To go forward, you must first go back: it’s a mantra that applies nicely to shopping for vintage clothes. Renovating your look is the perfect opportunity to dive back into the past, finding forgotten gems and retro garms that can revitalise your wardrobe. We’ve picked out ten of the finest vintage shops in London to hunt down a bargain – and they’re even more fun if you turn it into a challenge like we did! 👇
1. What Goes Around Comes Around
A vintage store. In Camden Market. This would be a cliche, were it not for the care and attention with which What Goes Around Comes Around selects their stock. Clothes here skew towards the 80s America look, with varsity jackets, college sweatshirts, and Hawaiian shirts aplenty. A whole new look is well within your reach, as our video proves…
📍You’ll find What Goes Around Comes Around at Mezzanine 3, The Stables Basement, Camden Market, NW1 8AH.
🚇 Nearest station is Camden Town.
2. PICKNWEIGHT
A firm favourite over in Germany, this one’s a newcomer to the London vintage scene. Perched on the corner of Neal Street in Covent Garden, shopping here is done by the kilo, with a range of rare pieces scattered throughout the store. Rather dangerously, you won’t know the damage to your bank account until you take your finds up to the counter to be weighed. Still, it’s worth the risk!
📍You’ll find PICKNWEIGHT at 14-18 Neal Street, Covent Garden, WC2H 9LY.
🚇 Nearest station is Covent Garden.
3. Rokit
One of the most successful vintage clothes shops in town, Rokit has four locations across London – including outposts on Brick Lane and in Covent Garden. As you’d expect, you don’t reach the top by luck alone, and Rokit are extremely good at sniffing out retro fashions from designer labels, as well as looks from the worlds of military, ski and snow wear, and sportswear.
📍You’ll find Rokit at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
4. Beyond Retro
Another mini chain, Beyond Retro have a presence across the UK and Sweden, with Bristol and Brighton stores in addition to their three London spots. Curated edits are a big part of their service, with The Disney Edit, The Western Edit, and American Sports providing areas of particular interest. They also usually do a great Christmas jumper section come November and December.
📍You’ll find Beyond Retro at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
5. Atika
Two storeys of vintage fashion await you here, and with an outpost of Rokit nearby, you can have quite the fashion crawl on Brick Lane. A historic Victorian warehouse is now filled with unique pieces from the 70s to the 00s, whether that be denim dreams or retro sportswear. Meanwhile, homeware, gaming, comics, and toys form a large part of their stock, so you can just go ahead and refresh your entire home on a visit to Atika.
📍You’ll find Atika at 55-59 Hanbury Street, E1 5JP.
🚇 Nearest station is Shoreditch High Street.
6. Retromania
If you’re looking for vintage dresses, hats, bags, scarves, menswear and memorabilia, then, you need to pay Retromania a visit. This Pimlico haunt is full to the brim with glittering jewels, Hermes scarves, psychedelic blouses, extravagant ball gowns – you name it, it’s here – and all items come at a reasonable price. Proceeds raised here go directly to FARA, a charity helping vulnerable and disadvantaged children in Romania, so what better place to splurge on recycled designer goods and vintage clothes we say.
📍You’ll find Retromania at 6 Upper Tachbrook Street, Pimlico, London, SW1V 1SH.
🚇 Nearest station is Victoria.
7. Blackout II
Billed as ‘Central London’s premier store for all vintage clothing and accessories‘, Blackout II certainly deserves its spot on this roundup of the best vintage shops in London. A vast emporium spread over two floors, they stock clothes from the 1920s right the way through to the 1980s, so you can get your hands on some real treasures here. They have lovely staff here, and also specialise in magnificent costume jewellery, hats, handbags and shoes too.
📍You’ll find Blackout II at 51 Endell Street, London, WC2H 9AJ.
🚇 Nearest station is Covent Garden.
8. East End Vintage Clothing
The aim of the East End Thrift Store is to provide valuable vintage items at affordable prices – and boy you’re in for a treat with this one. You’ll find lots of vintage denim shirts for £15 and jackets for £25, and they also have a whole host of party dresses and suits here too. It’s all set within a converted warehouse in Hackney Wick – so it’s not the best looking spot – but with prices this good, who cares right?! In fact you can even fill a bag of vintage goodies for just a tenner!
📍You’ll find East End Vintage Clothing at 11B Chapman Road, London, E9 5DW.
🚇 Nearest station is Hackney Wick.
9. Paper Dress Vintage
Another Hackney stalwart here, Paper Dress Vintage is a bit of a different one it has to be said. Vintage clothing boutique by day, bar-come-events space by nights, it’s a real standout of the area and it’s easy to dig out some real gems at this one. Plus if the clothes weren’t enough, then you should also check out some of the events on here, which include yoga, comedy, live music, burlesque and even club nights! Rock on.
📍You’ll find Paper Dress Vintage at 352A Mare Street, London, E8 1JB.
🚇 Nearest station is Hackney Central.
10. Reign Vintage
Rounding off this list of the best vintage shops in London is Reign Vintage – a popular spot in Soho which sells both premium grade designer vintage clothing as well as cult high-end street wear brands. There’s everything here from Celine to Moschino, as well as other one-off garments which you likely wouldn’t find anywhere else. Plus, it’s right in the heart of Soho so there are plenty of restaurants and bars nearby for you to discover!
📍You’ll find Reign Vintage at 12 Berwick Street, London, W1F 0PN.
🚇 Nearest station is Piccadilly Circus.
So there you have it – a roundup of the best vintage shops in London. So if you’re looking to unearth some treasures and an array of vintage garms, you know where to head!
Also published on Medium.