A guide to vintage boutiques and luxury second hand online stores
For true fashionistas, there's nothing more exciting than searching for vintage treasures! It's a real treat for connoisseurs to immerse themselves in a retro-chic atmosphere, find iconic archive pieces and build a closet in the style of a bygone era. Explore fashion boutiques and online stores for an inspiring luxury shopping experience.
VINTAGE BOUTIQUES
New York
The undisputed mecca for vintage hunters is the East Village neighborhood in Lower Manhattan. Entire streets are dotted with second hand stores, thrift stores and antique stores. However, the real treasures of vintage fashion can be found in other parts of the city.
One of the pioneers in the world of New York City thrift stores is Designer Revival. For over 30 years, this boutique has offered a carefully selected collection of brand-name clothing, handbags, jewelry and accessories. Both vintage and contemporary designer pieces can be found here at affordable prices.
What Goes Around Comes Around (WGACA) is another iconic vintage store known for its unique collection of luxury goods from brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermès. The company has several locations in New York City, each offering its own special assortment. The flagship store on West Broadway, which opened back in 1993, specializes in the rarest and most coveted vintage pieces. And the new boutique on Wooster Street, opening in 2023, focuses on contemporary designer collections from the last decade.
For those looking for both designer pieces and unique pieces from the 1950s and 1970s, Edith Machinist on Rivington Street is worth a visit. Some real gems can be found here, from Oscar de la Renta scarves to YSL dresses.
Each of these stores offers its own unique vintage treasure hunt experience, making New York City a vintage fashion lover's paradise.
London
One of the oldest and largest flea markets in Europe is Portobello Road. Here you can spend a whole day wandering along the endless rows of antique shops and stalls. Must-visit for luxury lovers is Chelsea Vintage Couture, located in the Chelsea neighborhood of London. This boutique specializes in sourcing, buying and selling authentic pre-owned luxury vintage clothing from French designers including Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent and many more. Both haute couture and pret-a-porter collections can be found here.
Another place worthy of attention of vintage fashion connoisseurs is Rewind Vintage. Founded in 2010, this company offers a carefully selected collection of exclusive clothing, jewelry, handbags, art and furniture from around the world. As well as a central showroom in London, Rewind Vintage has opened pop-up stores in Italy and France.
For those looking for a mix of new and pre-owned luxury, Bella Ling on Beauchamp Place is worth a visit. This boutique offers carefully selected designer pieces that embody quality, luxury and sustainability.
Sellier is a Knightsbridge consignment store worth a visit for luxury clothing, bags and accessories.
Paris
For connoisseurs of true Parisian chic, the flea market of Pues de Clignancourt, the largest and oldest second-hand market in France, is worth a visit. The perfect place to find rare antiques, jewelry and Haute Couture clothing. No less legendary is the vintage outlet of Frippery. This second hand mecca in Montmartre organizes annual grand sales of the rarest haute couture pieces of the past - a rare opportunity to touch exclusive history. It is worth mentioning a couple of second hand boutiques with an exquisite selection of luxury items - The Room and Citizen Gallery.
Milan
Italy's fashion capital is also rich in vintage finds. One of the iconic places is the giant second hand Rai Raddrizzati, where the chaotic rows are filled with unique treasures from past eras and seasons. True hunters also owe it to themselves to familiarize themselves with Angelotti Market. Every two weeks, giant flea sales of retro clothing, fittings, and accessories are organized in different locations around the city. For a luxe resale, visit Castadiva Milano and Gioielleria Vintage.
Tokyo
In the Japanese capital, vintage chic is concentrated in the old “offshoot” of the Shinjuku district, Kannana. Here, entire shopping streets are filled with secondhand stores, antique stores and flea markets. Don't miss the iconic Re;Id Store, Brand Collect, QOO - multi-brand second hand stores that offer unique examples of Japanese street style as well as pieces from famous luxury houses.
Berlin
A true paradise for lovers of grunge style and subcultural aesthetics, Berlin's vintage capital, Radio. The Friedrichshain district is full of second hand shops and second hand markets with a selection of second hand goods for every taste. Don't miss the largest Humana, which occupies three whole floors! Brands from the 60s and 70s, design finds from the 80s and 90s and a real pop culture museum coexist perfectly here.
SECOND-HAND LUXURY ONLINE SHOP
The Vintage Bar is an online platform that unites more than 200,000 fashionistas from all over the world. The site provides an opportunity to sell unwanted items and purchase desirable closet items, thus promoting the idea of sustainable fashion. The Vintage Bar's mission is to make the fashion industry more sustainable by creating a growing community of like-minded individuals.
HEWI (Hardly Ever Worn It) is a UK-based luxury fashion resale platform known for its expert selection of brands and unrivaled customer service. Since its founding in 2012, HEWI has pioneered pre-sale fashion, first in the UK and then globally, contributing to the development of the circular economy. The company works with renowned brands such as Sotheby's and British Vogue, as well as being the first resale partner at London Heathrow Airport.
Farfetch is the leading global platform for the luxury fashion industry, connecting shoppers in over 190 countries with products from over 1,400 of the world's best brands, boutiques and department stores from more than 50 countries. The platform provides a unique shopping experience and access to the most comprehensive range of luxury goods in the global marketplace. Farfetch also offers a Second Life service that allows you to buy designer handbags, jewelry, watches and clothing second-hand.
Joli Closet is a leading online resource for buying and selling pre-owned luxury and designer items. The site offers a wide range of branded handbags, clothing and jewelry at discounts of up to 70% off the original price. You can find items from brands such as Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Celine, Burberry, Gucci, Prada and Balenciaga. Joli Closet guarantees the authenticity of all items sold thanks to thorough verification by expert authenticators. The platform also provides a convenient and secure service for selling luxury items through online consignment.
1stDibs is an online platform that connects design connoisseurs with over a million unusual items. Founded in 2000, the site embodies the atmosphere of a Parisian flea market in a digital format. 1stDibs offers a wide selection of vintage, antique and modern furniture, decor, art, jewelry, watches and fashion from trusted sellers from around the world. The platform allows buyers to purchase items directly, haggle over price or participate in auctions, and interact with sellers at all stages of the transaction, including product inquiries, price negotiations and customization orders.
Sign of the Times London is an online platform that brings together 45 years of experience from two well-known British second-hand luxury clothing stores, Sign of the Times in Chelsea and Timpanys in Berkshire. The company specializes in authenticating and valuing designer goods. The Sign of the Times store originally opened on Chelsea Green to sell clothes owned by celebrities of the time, and quickly became a popular destination among the fashion elite. Today, signofthetimeslondon.com offers carefully selected luxury goods to customers around the world, maintaining its reputation as an exclusive resource for fashion lovers. The store's popularity among celebrities is evidenced by the fact that supermodel Kristen McMenamy, by her own admission in Vogue, purchases 70% of her closet at Sign of the Times.
Vestiaire Collective is one of the world's largest luxury resale platforms. The site is updated daily with over 35,000 new items, offering a wide range of choices for luxury lovers. Founded by Fanny Moizan, the company aims to change the fashion industry by promoting the idea of conscious consumption. Vestiaire Collective is actively involved in global sustainability initiatives, collaborating with BBC Storyworks and Global Fashion Agenda to create documentaries on the real cost of fast fashion. The brand's philosophy, expressed in the words of Fanny Moizan - “Less is more”, reflects a commitment to creating a meaningful business with purpose and impact on the fashion industry.
FASHIONPHILE is a pioneer in the resale of ultra-luxury goods, founded in 1999 by Sarah Davis. The platform offers access to rare and coveted luxury goods, guaranteeing their authenticity and excellent condition. The company, led by Sarah Davis and CEO Ben Hemminger, has become one of the world's leading resellers of pre-owned luxury goods for over 25 years. Also, FASHIONPHILE is Neiman Marcus ' exclusive resale partner, attesting to the high quality of their services and collections. The brand's philosophy is that true luxury should be affordable and that sustainable consumption can make life not only better, but also more fun.
Founded in 1972, The Back Vault specializes in collecting and selling unique vintage jewelry. Founded by two partners with different personalities united by their love of rare stones and jewelry, the firm has become an expert in vintage jewelry over the course of half a century. The company's collection reflects the beauty and craftsmanship of bygone eras, including diamonds and signature pieces from such renowned brands as Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, Bvlgari, David Webb and Buccellati. Each piece of jewelry is carefully selected and authenticated by a team of experts. The company's goal is to offer customers not just outstanding jewelry, but true works of art with a history that can become family heirlooms for generations to come.
Wherever you find yourself - on the streets of New York, in romantic Paris or hipster Berlin - be sure to visit second hand shops and flea markets! After all, these places hold priceless treasures of bygone eras, and the search for vintage finds is like a real cultural adventure!