A Fashion Lover's Guide to the Best Vintage and Thrift Shops in NYC

New York City is a fashion behemoth — there's an abundance of exciting shopping but it can be a lot to navigate.

Home to a famous fashion week, major fashion publications and top design talent, it's of course also filled with some of the most iconic retail destinations in the world — far beyond Madison Avenue and SoHo. It's also where some of the coolest thrift and vintage shops have their doors open.

To navigate the NYC thrift and vintage scene, it's helpful to know what you're looking for since many shops are curated to specific taste. (Just browsing is always fun, too!) Sellers like L Train Vintage have a massive selection, which means there's a wide array of brands and styles available. Others, like Trintage, are more curated around an aesthetic, while still others are product-focused, like What Goes Around Comes Around's specialty in vintage designer accessories. On top of that, as thrifting has grown in popularity, there can sometimes be issues with low-quality fast fashion items flooding the racks.

We combed through the map and narrowed down the list to our favorite NYC thrift and vintage stores, paying special attention to those that collect quality pieces, across budgets and sizes. From Manhattan to Queens to Brooklyn, keep scrolling to learn where stylish New Yorkers go for vintage fashion.

Amarcord Vintage

Amarcord Vintage opened in 2000 and has since grown into one of NYC's destinations for luxury vintage clothing. Thanks to its focus on high-end designer pieces, the shop is like a time capsule of the decades with fascinating finds from AlaÏa to Chanel, Courréges to Mugler. Owned by Patti Bordoni and Marco Liotta, Amarcord's accessories selection is also stellar. It's not hard to find the likes of Dior clip-ons or 1980s-era Yves Saint Laurent jewelry.

Located at 223 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Awoke Vintage

Awoke Vintage is for the person who loves to dress in color with careful attention to accessories. The Brooklyn-based shop has a range of classic pieces, especially vintage denim, graphic tees and watches. Awoke Vintage is favored for its $5 and $10 bins where shoppers can snag a deal and one-of-a-kind and reworked pieces like this scrap denim jacket.

Multiple locations

Berriez

Berriez is a studio in Brooklyn that specializes in vintage, reworked apparel and accessories with a focus on plus-sized clothing, which is already notoriously hard to find in the traditional retail market. Book an appointment to shop in-store or browse the website. This is a destination for everything from trendy sets with bows to timeless denim. The studio also partners with independent designers (like Fiot and Journal) for limited-edition drops.

Located at 544 Park Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205

Desert Vintage

Desert Vintage is known for its artful and elevated presentations of archival designer pieces. An antique smock dress or Yohji Yamamoto coat? No problem. The array of quality pieces across womenswear and, newly, men's is what makes this a favorite of fashion fans and professional stylists alike. New York's location is in the Lower East Side, but there's also a shop in Tuscon, its original location. After opening in 1974, the boutique rose in popularity and caught the eyes of Salima Boufelfel and Roberto Cowan, who took over in 2012 and brought Desert Vintage to the big apple.

Located at 34 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002

Ellen Shop

For more than 20 years, Ellen Koenigsberg has built a loyal following at her vintage shop on the Lower East Side. She has an eye for luxury pieces that transcend trends, including faux-fur jackets, Yves Saint Laurent leather pieces and simple button-ups. The Ellen Shop's picks will be best for someone who leans into a refined style, but still likes a touch of fun.

Located at 123 Ludlow St, New York, NY 10002

James Veloria

James Veloria's aesthetic is distinctly punchy and, at times, punk. The Lower East Side boutique carries a splashy mix of women's and menswear styles, from high-end designer to mass retail brands. For a corseted piece by Vivienne Westwood or something bold from Issey Miyake, this is where to go. It's a foolproof place to find pieces for a party or a statement addition to a capsule wardrobe.

Located at 75 E Broadway #225, New York, NY 10002

L Train Vintage

With the growing interest in thrift and vintage — not to mention spiking New York rents — there's no doubt that prices have gone up. But L Train Vintage, which calls Brooklyn home across several stores, is one of the holdouts that carries a huge selection of pieces at relatively reasonable pricing. While there are higher-end pieces throughout, these stores are great places to hunt for items like military surplus, faded T-shirts and shoes. (Plus, the L Train Vintage tote bags have become their own phenomenon as a cool-kid accessory. If you know, you know.)

Multiple locations

Luke's

Specializing in menswear, Lucas Fracher's eponymous Luke's is a Lower East Side shop filled with the coolest streetwear finds. It opened December 2022 and has since stocked coveted pieces from the likes of Denim Tears, Balenciaga, Chrome Hearts and Louis Vuitton. Luke's has wooed its cult following not only for the careful curation but also for the quippy captions under new Instagram posts, announcing fresh drops in-store.

Located at 261 Broome St, New York, NY 10002

Monk Vintage

Casual, funky fresh options feel endless at Monk Vintage. The walls are lined with colorful T-shirts, and the racks are similarly stocked with bright pieces. Sure there are classic items here and an assortment of high-end designers, but the boutique is also a destination for fun vintage pieces that are hard to come by. Giving is encouraged: For those who donate clothes, there's a 25% discount off the store.

Located at 500 Driggs Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Other People's Clothes

Other People's Clothes is slowly growing into a Bushwick-Ridgewood institution. It's not just the clothes that draw shoppers in — it's also the funky interior, welcoming staff and assortment of home goods and accessories also for sale. Of course, the clothes are great: Racks are well-organized, size inclusive, range in price and have a nice variety of brands.

Multiple locations

Plus Bklyn

Plus Bklyn is a Brooklyn-based boutique that specifically curates vintage and secondhand pieces for sizes 0X-6X, which are often overlooked by other shops and retailers. The offering range from partywear to classic skirts, bright prints and snazzy accessories. With its bright-pink walls and neon signs, shopping at Alexis Krase’s store is always an experience, and items are also available online.

Located at 490 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211

Procell

A staple in the Lower East Side, Procell has a very energetic and timely curation of vintage pieces, which is what makes shopping here so fun. (For example, just in time for a "Barbie" summer, the store brought in a pink Fendi dress.) It's these special finds that make Procell customers like Amy Sedaris and Jon Caramanica loyal: sports jerseys, visor hats, archival Comme des Garçons and more.

Located at 5 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002

Proprietors

Proprietors is a destination in both Brooklyn and Hudson, New York for elegant-yet-bright staples with vintage flavor. Since racks are organized by color, it's no surprise that hues jump out upon entering, from from pumpkin suede coats to cerulean swimsuits. There are also home items for sale, like candle holders and floral decor.

Multiple locations 

Rogue

Emma Rogue's eponymous Lower East Side vintage shop is quickly becoming a favorite for its unique printed hoodies, cargo pants and outerwear. The Y2K look is especially prominent here, and the shop is developing its own personality through interviews with shoppers and those passing by alike. Plus, the bin sales tend to be quite buzzy.

Located at 53 Stanton St, New York, NY 10002

Seven Wonders Collective

Seven Wonders Collective sprawls across Brooklyn and Manhattan between three storefronts, each stocked with an assortment of apparel and accessories. There are a mix of aesthetics here, from leopard fur coats for the trending "mob wife" aesthetic to vintage leather and frilly blouses for the coquette-leaning. Founded by Melissa Blumberg, the space also hosts events alongside various vendors to bring fresh energy to the space.

Multiple locations

The Niche Shop

Funny enough, The Niche Shop isn't about any particular fashion niche, but riffs off the nickname of the store's owner, Nichole Sesti. Its doors opened in April 2022, and the shop has since been serving the Upper East Side a mix of spunky, personality-forward selections. From its winter outerwear selection to its lineup of cowboy boots for fall, Sesti's picks are always aware of timely trends and the season.

Located at 311 E 81st St, New York, NY 10028

The Vintage Twin

The Vintage Twin is another quintessential NYC spot with a wide array of styles and brands for the taking. While curated edits are available to shop (like Y2K or leather bombers), the boutique might be most loved for its Jeanius Bar: This is where shoppers can walk in, get sized and styled in vintage jeans, including free alterations post-purchase. Appointments can't be made in advance and styles available at the "bar" span from $40 to over $350 for denim made in the 1960s and onwards.

Multiple locations

Thirteen Crosby

Since 2018, Thirteen Crosby has been serving up a mix of vintage and independent labels with a Y2K flair in SoHo. It also carries an in-house line and graphic tops (like this Lindsay Lohan mugshot tee). Clothes in the boutique are full of spirit. While some are available online, the selection in-store is much larger.

Located at 4A Prince St, New York, NY 10012

Trintage

Located in Harlem, Trintage is the spot to find "fly shit," as the store's Instagram page proclaims. The boutique curates on-trend vintage, from handbags to faux fur coats, cargo sets to colorful dresses. Plus, Trintage is known for its dedicated team that will help customers find what they're looking for in-store or, if it's not in stock, help source it.

Located at 182 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10026

Vintage Queens

Visiting Vintage Queens (cheekily located in Queens) is like stepping into a period film. The boutique is focused on providing pieces from as far back as the 1910s through early 2000s. There is an abundance of lace blouses, Edwardian-style garments and vibrant prints. The appointment-only shop is also currently offering limited pieces from from the set of the "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and a bridal selection.

Located at 18-23 Astoria Blvd, Queens, NY 11102

What Goes Around Comes Around

What Goes Around Comes Around is an iconic destination for vintage luxury handbags and accessories, whether classics or unicorn pieces. This is the place to find a range of Chanel bags, fine jewelry and watches. Founded in 1993, WGACA now has multiple locations and offers an authenticity guarantee to protect customers from any potential counterfeits. While the online shop is vast, in-person boutiques across NYC offer their own unique finds.

Multiple locations

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