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Philadelphia is a vintage-loving town. Maybe it's the large student population, or the city's close proximity to amazing bulk vintage sellers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Whatever the reason, it's a blessing — not only are there several great boutiques dedicated to affordable, curated clothing and accessories from the ‘20s on through the ‘90s, but some of Philly's best stores period include sizable selections of vintage within their contemporary shops.
In Philly, there's something for every type of vintage shopper, whether you prefer to dig through racks and racks of clothes or have someone else do the dirty work for you; whether you're into prim-and-proper dresses from the ‘50s or vintage band tees from the ‘90s; or whether you're looking for a $5 thrill or have a whole paycheck to burn.
(And New Yorkers! You've got no excuse — Philly is just an hour away by train, and it's much more affordable.)
If you haven’t picked up on it yet, the vintage-in-the-back-of-the-shop thing is huge in Philly, and many of the best boutiques include a small selection. Vagabond is no exception, with four racks in the back of the store featuring Levi’s and Wrangler jeans (in small sizes!) and funky dresses priced around $18. If you’re lucky, you might be able to snag one of owner Megan Murphy’s collabs with local brand Riverside Tool & Dye, like vintage Levi’s with tie-dye patchwork and hand-dyed vintage wool coats.
This bright, gallery-like space in Old City offers home goods and high-quality vintage with a ‘70s to ‘90s feel — think carpenter jeans and Levi’s 505s, perfectly faded tees, and boho printed dresses — all hovering in the affordable $30 to $40 range. The store also stocks a small selection of contemporary accessories and homewares, like local Peg & Awl bags.
Though the food in this neighborhood is top notch, there aren't a ton of great options for shopping on Passyunk — but Mesh Vintage is a highlight. Head here for men’s and women’s leather jackets, rad T-shirts, and a sizable dress collection. The accessories, too, are pretty awesome; there’s a whole wall of shoes, hats, and purses. There's also another location of Jinxed across the street if you want to check out some antiques and knick-knacks.
This sizable shop in Queen Village has racks and racks of vintage, organized by item and color. You’ll find everything from vintage Playboy mags and Le Creuset pots to prom gowns and deadstock T-shirts. True designer items (like vintage Chanel heels) can be found up front by the register. There’s also a nice fur selection here, if you’re into that kind of thing.
If you like to dig, Philly Aids Thrift is the place to do it. This neighborhood institution (in — surprise! — Queen Village) sells donated clothes, furniture, books, and more. Take some time to walk around before you get to shopping, because the store is a bit of a maze; there’s a lot more for sale than you’ll notice right away.
For example, you'll find separate rooms for true vintage, clothes, shoes, furniture, and even a dedicated room for Christmas-related items. Prices are dirt cheap, and there’s an entire dollar room (dubbed “Dollar Land”) instead of the more typical thrift store dollar bin. Hit up Nostalgia next door on the way out for a totally different side of the coin.
Ritual Ritual in Northern Liberties is one of the best boutiques in Philly — for the locally jewelry and clothes, yes, but also for the small-but-mighty selection of vintage. The two small racks are full of one-of-a-kind items that are begging to be brought home; the selection ranges a perfectly faded Wrangler T-shirt to a wide-leg black lace jumpsuit.
Philadelphia’s northern neighborhoods (Fishtown and Northern Liberties) have a reputation for being hip, but the retail scene hasn’t yet caught up with the bars and restaurants. That is, except for Cultured Couture, a hidden gem on Girard Avenue. Those in the know head here for men’s and women’s designer vintage, plus funky extras like colorful silk scarves.
The vintage selection offered up by Moon + Arrow (a large shop that also stocks home goods, jewelry, and apothecary items) has been collected over the years from New Hampshire, Mississippi, and local sources. You’ll find wearable dresses and tees alongside more special pieces like a deer-skin fringe jacket. Pop into the art and antiques store accessible through a hallway in the back of the shop to scope its small selection of high-end vintage apparel before you head out.
Two well-known vintage shops formerly located in Old City recently moved into one storefront on the Bella Vista/Queen Village line, adding to all the other reasons why this neighborhood is the best in Philly for vintage.
Sazz offers up great denim and girly dresses from the ‘60s and ‘70s, while Briar's focuses on menswear of the pocket square and plaid wool variety.
For a bigger selection of the men’s stuff, head up to Briar’s showroom in Frankford — it’s a hike, but it’s also right above Bulk Vintage, a wholesale warehouse that supplies some of the vintage stores in the city (including Sazz) and is open to the public on Mondays through Saturdays starting at noon.
The vintage selection in the back of this variety shop is on-point — you’ll find everything from vintage sweatshirts for $20 to Levi’s cutoffs and dresses you’ll want to wear right out of the store. When you’re done, stop by the contemporary boutique Sugar Cube next door.
Jinxed, Philly’s best antique curiosity shop (surprisingly, there are several), has four locations throughout the city. The Fishtown shop may be the biggest, but the South 4th Street location in Queen Village has the added bonus of being right next to Tucker’s Diggs, a like-minded storefront that focuses a little more on vintage costume jewelry and clothing in addition to the furniture, art, and other vintage homewares you can find in both stores.
Records might fall under a slightly different category of vintage shopping, but this place is a gem — not just for the music (and they’ve got everything), but also for the unexpectedly good selection of vintage and bootleg band T-shirts. You’ll find never-worn tees repping acts as varied as Morrissey, Black Flag, Blink 182, and Prince on the racks in the back and by the register. Take a look at the wall in the front room for vintage shirts that are priced a little higher (around $50).
A sister shop to Sazz and the retail outpost for Bulk Vintage, Raxx focuses mostly on ‘70s through ‘90s vintage, meaning this is the spot to go if you’ve got your heart set on acid-washed denim, camo, colorful sweatshirts, overalls, or sparkly dresses and tops. The coat selection is particularly nice, with a range of leather and denim jackets as well as sportier styles.
This Queen Village newcomer started as a pop-up shop and just recently blossomed into a permanent retail collective featuring locally-made accessories, vintage, and artwork. The selection of vintage isn’t huge, but it it’s affordable and well-curated, with picks like denim vests and colorful slips and dresses. Don’t forget to check out the back room, too, currently being used as a gallery space for local artists.
If you haven’t picked up on it yet, the vintage-in-the-back-of-the-shop thing is huge in Philly, and many of the best boutiques include a small selection. Vagabond is no exception, with four racks in the back of the store featuring Levi’s and Wrangler jeans (in small sizes!) and funky dresses priced around $18. If you’re lucky, you might be able to snag one of owner Megan Murphy’s collabs with local brand Riverside Tool & Dye, like vintage Levi’s with tie-dye patchwork and hand-dyed vintage wool coats.
This bright, gallery-like space in Old City offers home goods and high-quality vintage with a ‘70s to ‘90s feel — think carpenter jeans and Levi’s 505s, perfectly faded tees, and boho printed dresses — all hovering in the affordable $30 to $40 range. The store also stocks a small selection of contemporary accessories and homewares, like local Peg & Awl bags.
Though the food in this neighborhood is top notch, there aren't a ton of great options for shopping on Passyunk — but Mesh Vintage is a highlight. Head here for men’s and women’s leather jackets, rad T-shirts, and a sizable dress collection. The accessories, too, are pretty awesome; there’s a whole wall of shoes, hats, and purses. There's also another location of Jinxed across the street if you want to check out some antiques and knick-knacks.
This sizable shop in Queen Village has racks and racks of vintage, organized by item and color. You’ll find everything from vintage Playboy mags and Le Creuset pots to prom gowns and deadstock T-shirts. True designer items (like vintage Chanel heels) can be found up front by the register. There’s also a nice fur selection here, if you’re into that kind of thing.
If you like to dig, Philly Aids Thrift is the place to do it. This neighborhood institution (in — surprise! — Queen Village) sells donated clothes, furniture, books, and more. Take some time to walk around before you get to shopping, because the store is a bit of a maze; there’s a lot more for sale than you’ll notice right away.
For example, you'll find separate rooms for true vintage, clothes, shoes, furniture, and even a dedicated room for Christmas-related items. Prices are dirt cheap, and there’s an entire dollar room (dubbed “Dollar Land”) instead of the more typical thrift store dollar bin. Hit up Nostalgia next door on the way out for a totally different side of the coin.
Ritual Ritual in Northern Liberties is one of the best boutiques in Philly — for the locally jewelry and clothes, yes, but also for the small-but-mighty selection of vintage. The two small racks are full of one-of-a-kind items that are begging to be brought home; the selection ranges a perfectly faded Wrangler T-shirt to a wide-leg black lace jumpsuit.
Philadelphia’s northern neighborhoods (Fishtown and Northern Liberties) have a reputation for being hip, but the retail scene hasn’t yet caught up with the bars and restaurants. That is, except for Cultured Couture, a hidden gem on Girard Avenue. Those in the know head here for men’s and women’s designer vintage, plus funky extras like colorful silk scarves.
The vintage selection offered up by Moon + Arrow (a large shop that also stocks home goods, jewelry, and apothecary items) has been collected over the years from New Hampshire, Mississippi, and local sources. You’ll find wearable dresses and tees alongside more special pieces like a deer-skin fringe jacket. Pop into the art and antiques store accessible through a hallway in the back of the shop to scope its small selection of high-end vintage apparel before you head out.
Two well-known vintage shops formerly located in Old City recently moved into one storefront on the Bella Vista/Queen Village line, adding to all the other reasons why this neighborhood is the best in Philly for vintage.
Sazz offers up great denim and girly dresses from the ‘60s and ‘70s, while Briar's focuses on menswear of the pocket square and plaid wool variety.
For a bigger selection of the men’s stuff, head up to Briar’s showroom in Frankford — it’s a hike, but it’s also right above Bulk Vintage, a wholesale warehouse that supplies some of the vintage stores in the city (including Sazz) and is open to the public on Mondays through Saturdays starting at noon.
The vintage selection in the back of this variety shop is on-point — you’ll find everything from vintage sweatshirts for $20 to Levi’s cutoffs and dresses you’ll want to wear right out of the store. When you’re done, stop by the contemporary boutique Sugar Cube next door.
Jinxed, Philly’s best antique curiosity shop (surprisingly, there are several), has four locations throughout the city. The Fishtown shop may be the biggest, but the South 4th Street location in Queen Village has the added bonus of being right next to Tucker’s Diggs, a like-minded storefront that focuses a little more on vintage costume jewelry and clothing in addition to the furniture, art, and other vintage homewares you can find in both stores.
Records might fall under a slightly different category of vintage shopping, but this place is a gem — not just for the music (and they’ve got everything), but also for the unexpectedly good selection of vintage and bootleg band T-shirts. You’ll find never-worn tees repping acts as varied as Morrissey, Black Flag, Blink 182, and Prince on the racks in the back and by the register. Take a look at the wall in the front room for vintage shirts that are priced a little higher (around $50).
A sister shop to Sazz and the retail outpost for Bulk Vintage, Raxx focuses mostly on ‘70s through ‘90s vintage, meaning this is the spot to go if you’ve got your heart set on acid-washed denim, camo, colorful sweatshirts, overalls, or sparkly dresses and tops. The coat selection is particularly nice, with a range of leather and denim jackets as well as sportier styles.
This Queen Village newcomer started as a pop-up shop and just recently blossomed into a permanent retail collective featuring locally-made accessories, vintage, and artwork. The selection of vintage isn’t huge, but it it’s affordable and well-curated, with picks like denim vests and colorful slips and dresses. Don’t forget to check out the back room, too, currently being used as a gallery space for local artists.
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