Best of Philly

Best Vintage Clothing

2021 Best Vintage Store Whose Name Encapsulates the Mood of 2020

Cruel World Vintage

There’s nothing like a good vintage t-shirt, and there’s no such thing as too much merch. At Cruel World Vintage, a highly curated collection of vintage clothing is available to suit every nostalgic mood. From Whitney Houston tour memorabilia to dark-wash Levis 501s, you’ll be thrown back to your chosen decade in a flash. Shop online, or email to make an appointment at their private West Philly location. Read More »

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2021 Best High-End Vintage, Suburbs

Katy Kane Vintage & Couture

In the wake of the debut of the Halston miniseries on Netflix, Katy Kane — the shop’s owner and an Antiques Roadshow appraiser — sold out of the ’70s designer’s looks in 24 hours, drawing interest from here to Hong Kong. She finds her pieces through private house calls; browse her proverbial closet online, then visit her appointment-­only studio in New Hope. Recently acquired: designs from Jackie Kennedy favorite Sybil Connolly. Read More »

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2021 Best High-End Vintage, City

Moore Vintage Archive

At this shop in the Bok Building, you can level-up your wardrobe with vintage women’s wear from Issey Miyake and John Paul Gaultier and expand your mind with rare books from writers of color like Sonia Sanchez and Toni Morrison. Read More »

1901 South 9th Street #1H, Philadelphia, PA Website

2020 Best Vintage Shop for Designer Labels

Wayward Collection

All the offerings here are thoughtfully chosen, but the designer selection is a standout because it focuses on form, not flash — nothing is logoed or loud. You’ll revel in the joy of knowing that your jacquard blouse is 1970s YSL, your shirtdress is Halston, and your wide-leg pants are D&G — but no one else will know. Read More »

Operates inside Cuttalossa & Co., 47 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA Website

2020 Best Vintage Shop for MInimalists

Textile

The vintage goods in this Kennett Square shop form a well-curated collection — a Wynona Rider ’90s flowered dress, a Working Girl ’80s white blouse, a Michelle Pfeiffer puff-sleeve jumpsuit from the ’70s — that says, “I’m cultured and deep but never over-the-top.” Read More »

210 South Mill Road, suite 103, Kennett Square, PA | 610-444-3570 | Website

2020 Best Remixed Vintage Apparel

Grant Blvd.

Former Jenkintown councilmember and teacher Kimberly McGlonn launched her line in 2017 with a clear and personal mission: to create something sustainable, and to support those who came through or are in the prison system. And every time you snap up one of her pieces — fuchsia jeans with sewn-in denim pockets, cropped tie-front blouses made from reclaimed materials — you’re supporting the cause. Read More »

| 225-773-6247 | Website

2020 Best Vintage Shop for Sneakers

Common Ground

How to be a style setter and do your part for the planet in one step: Shop here. On a recent scroll through their site, we spotted basically mint-condition Nike LeBron 9s from 2011, unworn Yeezys from 2018, and nearly new, hard-to-find green Rick Owens for Adidas sneaks for $230. Read More »

134 South 11th Street, Philadelphia, PA Website

2020 Best Vintage Shop for Quantity

Bulk Vintage

Bulk is the depot that sells vintage to vintage stores. Pre-COVID, they’d open up their warehouse to the public once a month. They’ve since pivoted, and smartly so: You can now shop their site and buy by the bundle — as in, a collection of 12 blouses from the 1970s for $60. Read More »

4324 Tackawanna Street, Philadelphia, PA | 215-533-2300 | Website

2019 Best Vintage Shop for Glam-Lovers

Spot 86

Shop this appointment-only studio for Chanel, Dior, glitzy jumpsuits and beading on denim — all curated on owner Troy Blake’s trips to Paris and London. Read More »

2424 East York Street, Suite 212, Philadelphia, PA | 800-974-8676 | Website

2019 Best Vintage Shop for ’90s Obsessives

The Shop on Girard

Trigger warning to those over 35: “Vintage” today means Backstreet Boys concert tees, Starter jackets and high-top Jordan 1s. If this makes you feel old, shop here anyway, if only because they play Goonies on a VCR. Read More »

316 East Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA | 215-303-5092

2016 Best Instagram for Vintage Clothes

Greatest Friend (@greatestfriend)

While Greatest Friend's Kensington showroom is worth a visit, it's the well-curated Instagram shop that has us clicking the refresh button with alarming frequency. Owner Angela Winter Means posts tidy images of lacy frocks, '70s gowns and mid-century Japanese dresses, complete with measurements and prices. All it takes is a quick DM to make them yours Read More »

1714 N Mascher Street, Philadelphia, PA | 610-703-6126 | Website

2014 Best Vintage Clothing Shop

Malena’s Vintage

This is where designers and stylists for brands like Free People come to score vintage inspiration. Ask nicely, and Malena might walk you around the corner to her new, semi-secret private showroom, packed with treasures (arranged by decade) that will make vintage hounds go weak in the knees. Read More »

101 West Gay Street, West Chester, PA | 610-738-9952 | Website

2013 Best Vintage Clothing

School of Vintage

We are so glad this LBI shop survived Sandy, because losing its cache of impeccably edited vintage (sorbet-hued tulle gowns, full-skirted 50s dresses, many accessories) would be losing a very stylish side of history. Read More »

1509 Long Beach Boulevard, Surf City, NJ | 609-494-1171 | Website

2012 Best Vintage Clothing

Malena’s Vintage Boutique

Now settled in bigger, brighter digs just down the street from its former spot, Malena's has more room for its thoughtfully edited, well-priced selection of vintage from the Big Names (Chanel, Herms, Halston) and the equally cool No Names. On our short list: a 1930s pastel slip, a 1940s hat, and the coolest-ever Azzedine Alaa cropped leather jacket. Read More »

101 West Gay Street, West Chester, PA | 610-738-9952 | Website

2011 Best Vintage Clothing

The Katacomb: Vintage

For some, the search is the best part of shopping vintage. For everyone else, there's Brooke Dillon's appointment-only boutique, where the best stuff (read: Chanel and YSL and Oscar) has already been found and dry-cleaned for you. Read More »

1514 Pine Street, 1st Floor, Philadelphia, PA | 215-520-2911 | Website