The best vintage shops in Manchester

Located on the main student drag of Oxford Road, Bare Necessities say they want to make ‘sustainable fashion more affordable’. With rails and rails of pre-loved retro gear including designer sportswear, high quality denim, knitwear, leather and more, you’re sure to find a unique piece that’ll mix up your wardrobe without frittering away the student loan. With everything from y2k pieces back to 70s and 80s finds, it’s a total treasure trove for people who are over Manchester’s high street offerings.

Quite possibly one of the greatest charity shops in the North West, this Barnardo’s Vintage in Cheadle is always full of clothing, furniture and trinkets at very affordable prices. This is the place where previous shoppers have purchased fabulous ski suits for a mere ten pounds – as well as countless other fashion finds over the years. It’s well worth jumping on the X57 for.

Premium, hand-picked pieces of vintage are what Bionic Seven specialises in. Located on the smart, green-fronted stretch of Port Street businesses which include The Modernist and Doll Parts, the store is cosy, but has more than enough space to spend time rummaging. They specialise in menswear, and you’ll find Barbour jackets, old school Berghaus and Rab Gore-Tex gear, Adidas jumpers, caps and Levi’s jeans in abundance.

This place has moved around quite a bit over the years, but always within the same 500m radius and actually not through any fault of their own. Their old site was on Tib Street and had to be vacated because everyone banged their head on the way in, while they had to move again due to a fire in the old NQ Live Club. It’s great if you want denim stuff, old footy shirts and the odd XXL flannel shirt, as well as loads of 90s dresses and funky sunglasses. We’re glad it’s stuck around over the years.

Although Cow is on the higher end of the vintage shop spectrum – a lot of the hard graft of sifting has already been done for you – you can still find some bargains, especially when it comes to sale time. Without having to dip into your savings too much, there can be some cracking pieces to be found – think graphic tees, leather coats, heavy knitted jumpers, leopard print and some wildcard accessories too.

This is a real ‘if you know, you know’ fashion gem. The people of Altrincham have been familiar with Elite for years, though there’s now a city centre store in their pre-loved empire too. Dress agencies work by buying up unwanted clothing and accessories from those who don’t want them any more, cleaning them up and selling them on again. That means you can find all sorts of pieces from the likes of Gucci, Alexander Wang and Bottega Veneta, and there are some bargains to be had if you’re willing to get rummaging. For shoppers who love the thrill of a good charity shop find, Elite very much ups the ante.

Located towards the top end of Oldham Street, Gone Fishing Vintage specialises in expertly selected vintage garments from around the world. You’ll find 80s and 90s vintage, alongside a curated edit of Italian designers providing flair and dynamism to second hand, sustainable shopping. The space has also become a hub for the local creative community, regularly hosting brand pop ups, DJ sets and art exhibitions in store.

A go-to vintage/charity haunt for many years now – Oxfam Originals has a great selection of wardrobe staples and statement pieces. It seems that if any Oxfam shops around the region get anything designer or decent donated – it comes here and, in the past, it has had everything from cracking Fred Perry gear to Levi’s originals and even some real leather Lederhosen.

Pop has been an Oldham Street institution for years now and its combination of excellent second-hand clobber, great sunglasses, and rather excellent self-made new stuff has ensured that it has remained where it is and doing some rip-roaring trade. They have a great selection of vintage jackets downstairs, as well as some excellent homeware stuff for pretty decent prices. They usually always have some sale stuff on too if you’re looking for even more bargains. You’ll find a Pop Boutique outpost over in the alternative emporium that is Affleck’s too, surrounded by other fashion and non-fashion gems.

Curating unisex vintage from their store in the ABC Building on Quay Street, Permanent Orbit seeks out really special pieces from brands streetwear and workwear brands like Levi’s and Carhartt. If you like well-constructed garments with a little wear and tear and a heavy dose of Americana, you’re bound to find something you’ll love in here.

With a huge warehouse on Piccadilly Trading Estate, Vintage Folk are specialists in vintage and pre-loved streetwear. This place is ideal for those who love to roll their sleeves up and rummage around in search of a rare gem. If you like your heritage workwear brands, old school band t-shirts, denim and athletic gear to have a story behind it (and a more affordable price tag to boot), set some time aside and get yourself down to Vintage Folk. They also take their show on the road, with pop-up events across the country.

More than just a vintage shop, the team behind ReMarket describe their operation as ‘an innovative physical marketplace dedicated to preloved items and circular fashion’. What that means is that they’ve filled their huge space on London Road (aka Piccadilly Approach to you and me) with racks and racks of vintage garments sourced by a selection of different traders. Visitors can find a variety of lines and styles on offer. Archive X, which has roots in London’s world-famous Brick Lane Vintage Market, brings high-end designer pieces from brands such as CP Company and Stone Island. Cherry Blossom Vintage focuses on womenswear and jewellery, and 28Vintage branches out from its Stockport home with premium outerwear by the likes of The North Face, Helly Hansen, Nike, and Ralph Lauren. Blank Seams bring the denim, and Bare Necessities also have an outpost. Sound like thirsty work? Cupello’s also have a set up in store for coffee and cake-based refreshments.

Suzy Loves Milo is a relative newcomer to the established NQ vintage scene, tucked off Stevenson Square on Spear Street. They’re all about designer and rare vintage, with a distinct nod to streetwear, with excellent brands on display from APC to Stussy. A wonderland of weird and wonderful pieces from decades past, it’s no surprise that Chic mastermind Nile Rogers and pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo have been spotted there browsing the rails. A must-visit for those who like to stand out.

Ardwick isn’t the first place that springs to mind when it comes to shopping for vintage gear. SYLK Store hidden away in a warehouse on a backstreet behind the Apollo, is changing that, one garm at a time. Dexter and Sophy relocated from London to their hometown of Manchester back in 2016, and now curate SYLK Store both online and from their old mill space. This isn’t about raggedy sweatshirts and musty old denim, though. These are premium designer pieces, taking in labels like Dior, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, YSL, Burberry and Givenchy – but at considerably lower prices than buying new.

Owned by fashion blogger and vintage aficionado Sophia Rosemary, Top Of The Town is a great place to go if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind outfit for a special occasion. The store is a portal straight back to the 60s, complete with bold prints, vintage Jackie mags and various statement homeware pieces that unfortunately aren’t available to buy, and are for ambience only. Sophia hand picks some of the rarest vintage pieces you’ll come across, that will no doubt be a staple of your wardrobe forever.