One of my goals this year was to learn to appreciate vintage clothing shopping. Conscious consumerism is something that’s been on my mind a lot the past years, and shopping pre-loved clothes is such an easy way to make a pretty big impact. Not to mention you can buy actual, true vintage clothing there from decades past, which aligns perfectly with my style at the moment. I was a bit hesitant to shop vintage at first though, as I had this image in my mind of overstuffed, musty little shops full of clothes with armpit stains. Now, I did definitely encounter some of those on my journey, but I also discovered lots of absolutely amazing vintage shops around Amsterdam that I’ve already happily returned to. Today I want to share my favourites with you: the best of the best when it comes to vintage shopping in Amsterdam.
Before we get started I do just want to say; these aren’t the type of second hand store where you can buy a t-shirt for €2. My priority lies with having a nice shopping experience, having room to breathe inside a store where I don’t mind spending a bit of time, and having a curated selection of actually nice pieces that are worth having a look at. Most of the stores on my list offer clothing at high street/mid-range prices, but you will get items for that price which originally cost more. Alright, let’s move on to the list!
Penny Lane Vintage
Find it at: Eerste van der Helststraat 11C
Let’s kick off with my ultimate favourite: Penny Lane Vintage. This is a very well curated store with a large variety of items from different time periods. I’ve found multiple pieces I wanted to buy here every time I’ve visited, it really is very hard to walk out of here without a purchase. They have quite a few high-end branded pieces and there’s a whole rack dedicated to just Burberry coats. It’s not all high-end though, you can find plenty of more affordable items as well. Penny Lane is my go-to vintage store and always the first stop on my vintage shopping trips.
Kiloshop De Pijp
Find it at: Albert Cuypstraat 100
In the kiloshop, the price of your purchase is determined by its weight. Each garment has a different colour label which marks its price per kilo. It’s a bit of an odd system, but it works. The store is very pleasant to shop in, as opposed to some other large second hand shops in Amsterdam. It’s one of the biggest stores in this category but it’s not crammed full, there’s plenty of room to walk around. They have lots of ’80s items so if you’re into clothes from that period, this is definitely the place to be.
Marbles Vintage & Design
Find it at: Ferdinand Bolstraat 28
Marbles is a smaller store for sure, but they have all the denim. Seriously, piles and piles of jeans (mostly Levi’s) and denim jackets. They have a bunch of other stuff as well, but when I’m looking for new jeans, this is where I’ll go.
1953 Retro & Chic
Find it at: Staalstraat 2
Oh my gosh, you need to visit this one even if it’s just for the experience. 1953 is teeny tiny, but they have the most authentic and old selection of them all. If you’re looking for truly vintage stuff from the 60s and older, this is probably your best bet. They have a very small selection but everything is wonderful and you can tell straight away it’s been curated with lots of love and care. Definitely worth having a look around. Oh, and they actually have a selection of authentic bullet bras, which I haven’t seen anywhere else!
Zipper Vintage Clothing
Find it at: Huidenstraat 7
Zipper is more of your typical second hand clothing shop, where you’ll find mostly modern pieces. I haven’t seen much in here that was older than ’80s, roughly. They do have a wide selection though so if you’re looking for something specific, this is a good place to check.
Laura Dols
Find it at: Wolvenstraat 7
Another one of my favourites! Laura Dols specializes in occasion wear. All of the downstairs is dedicated to it, with a whole section for just wedding dresses. Oh, the wedding dresses… I actually don’t recommend you look at those at all because you’ll end up with a wedding dress you don’t need, haha! If you’re looking for a prom dress or a piece for any type of special occasion, this is the place to be. Upstairs they have a really nice curated selection of vintage clothes too, although it’s a bit smaller. The ladies who work here wear vintage themselves (’40s style) which is a nice touch :)
I Love Vintage
Find it at: Prinsengracht 201
A bit of a different store to end the list: I Love Vintage sells both true vintage and really nice vintage reproduction/retro. The reproduction pieces are consciously produced and really beautiful, I fell in love with a teapot-print dress which I was just able to talk myself out of buying, haha! Also, the young lady who was working in the store when my brother and I came here is a lovely viewer of mine :)
These are my favourites at the moment. There are quite a few vintage stores around the city that I haven’t visited yet though, so if I come across any more hotspots I’ll definitely be sure to update this post.
Wow these places look amazing! Though I’m only 17, I’ve always loved vintage things, especially clothing… Thank you for this post!
– Sophie
Lovely! Thanks for your recommendations. I usually just pop into Episode, but I think Episode is a bit on the pricier side… Although I know true vintage can get quite expensive quite quickly. If you ever have the opportunity, I would definitely recommend going either to an edition of ‘Vintage per Kilo’ (usually also in Amsterdam) or visiting vintage stores in smaller cities. I live in the tiny city of Gorinchem, and there is also a small vintage per kilo-shop here. Because vintage is not as popular here (yet), you usually get really nice items for a good price. In addition: thrift stores in the country sides usually have loads of gems, in contrast to the thrift stores in the larger cities :-)
Oh, and final tip: if you are looking for vintage-inspired clothing, I definitely recommend Joanie clothing! It’s a London-based shop, but they do online orders as well. They can be a bit pricey (say 50 – 60 euros for a dress), but the quality is nice and their items are so lovely!
There is a lot of vintage shops in Oslo in the centre and Grunerløkka. Cheap or expensive prices in vintage. In Norway we have to donate all clothes we get rid of. I wash those clothes in advance. I think many cities in Europe have vintage shops. I’d like to visit some vintage shops.
I really liked the shopping tipps. I only visited Amsterdam once before. If i come back , i will certainly visit your recommended stores. :)