We have been in New York City for ten days, eating brunch, lunch and dinner, visited museums, listened to gospel in Harlem but most importantly....been to a hell of a lot of vintage stores. Below we list some of our favorites among them all.
10FT SINGLE BY STELLA DALLAS
This is one of The Vintage Map's absolute favorite stores, of all the stores we have visited. Not only for the great range of high quality clothing but also for the feel of it. This store breathes vintage and the love for it.
We would guess there is about 60% womens clothing and 40% mens which is pretty unusual so this place is a must for every vintage loving man. There are two rooms in this store but they both have pretty much the same kind of clothes. Piles of denim jackets and pants, tees with prints, leather jackets, shirts of all kinds, 60s and 70s dresses, blouses, unisex sweatshirts, boots, sneakers and other footwear.
The only bad thing about this store is the amazing stuff hanging from the ceiling, they're not for sale and it drives me crazy!
Price Level: MEDIUM
SCREAMING MIMI'S
Placed on the same street where we spotted Dustin Hoffman strolling slowly on the sidewalk. He was probably not wearing vintage gear from Screaming Mimi's, a vintage store that offers a wide selection of men's and women's wear. The clothing is sorted by decade and/or style and that is something more stores should copy, we think. So much easier to find what your are looking for.
The clothing is of high quality and many times rare, bot for men and women. In the men's section they have a rack with old theatre pieces that would be great for the brave or the costume party. Hopefully for the brave, we love the brave. There is also a rack where we found 60's nehru shirt/jacket, glam shirts, ottoman vests and other fun stuff you won't find in many places.
Besides this there are classic vintage dresses, blouses, shirts, denim jackets and pants, flares, skirts and shorts, hawaii tops, hats, jewelry and more. Take your time to go through them all, there is absolutely no junk here.
You should also ask the staff if you could look upstairs, that's where the truly rare pieces are. Expensive but simply amazing stuff.
Price Level: MEDIUM/HIGH
URBAN JUNGLE
You will go absolutely bananas when you visit this place, a bit hidden away from the more pulsating areas but definitely worth the detour. Take the L train to Morgan Ave and from the station there is a five minute walk.
Urban Jungle is huge and the prices here are probably unbeatable. Cheaper than a flea market for sure. The racks and shelves are long and just filled with shirts, t-shirts, Levi's jeans at 5 dollars, denim jackets, shoes and boots. And of course, dresses, blouses, leather jackets, belts, hats, slacks, sneakers, printed t-shirts and plain ones. Everything cheap.
If you are street trendy and love for example mo'm jeans this is without a doubt the place for you. Your bags will be filled within minutes. But, if you are looking for rare pieces and older looks the store has probably already been pumped dry by vintage store owners.
Price Level: VERY LOW
NEW YORK VINTAGE INC.
Have you ever been to an interactive fashion museum where you can touch everything, try all the garments on and even buy them? Neither had I, before I visited New York Vintage Inc. in Manhattan.
This place is incredible. The two room store is packed with vintage clothing and accessories from designer brands such as Pucci, Hermes, Versace, Chanel, Balenciaga, Mugler, Dior, Valentino, Gucci and many many more. The list of famous designers is endless here. And all the garments are in mint or near min condition and from the 1920’s to the 1990’s.
We were shown around by a friendly man who gladly showed us and told us about all the pieces in the store, even though he was probably pretty sure we wouldn’t buy anything because to truthful, this place is way too expensive for my wallet. But if it’s not for your, this place will be your new favorite store without a doubt.
Price Level: VERY HIGH
ARTISTS & FLEAS
The is actually not a vintage shop but a weekend market in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. A market that is a must for every vintage loving girl or woman and men who enjoy wearing or looking women's clothing. There are men’s clothing as well but mostly pretty boring stuff.
The first thing you meet when you enter the market is Gypsy Nation and their amazing collection of vintage dresses. One of the more impressive I’ve seen. Rare pieces from the 20’s to the 80’s. Rather expensive but be sweet to the owner and she will go down a great deal.
There are a few more vintage clothing stands in the market, including Thriftwares and Amaracord. It seems the stores are fronting their most exclusive and most beautiful garments which is perfect, they have already picked out the goodies from the mass for you J.
Price Level: MEDIUM/HIGH
METROPOLIS
What is the one garment that never ever goes out of style? The t-shirt of course! Metropolis is kind of a heaven for all tee-lovers. This East Village shop has an impressive collection of vintage t-shirts of all kinds. Sport, band, concert, cartoon, superhero, nerd, heavy metal, movies and much more, sorted by category for the customers.
The prices range from $35 to way more for the rare ones. T-shirts are collectables and here they know all about it so don't hope to make a bargain here, you get what you pay for. They do have a couple of bins with cheaper stuff but don't even bother, you go here for the cool pieces that cost more.
Metropolis also has a basement with more classic vintage. Sport, denim and military jackets, blazers, pants, denim, coats and so on. All top quality pieces and for men only. Definitely needs to be explored as well.
Price Level: MEDIUM