This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to New York

These days, when street-style photographer Johnny Cirillo wants to take pictures of imaginative dressers for his popular Instagram account Watching New York, he camps outside certain vintage stores in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. “I know that cool people are coming and going,” he says. One favourite spot is Awoke Vintage, a store well known for celebrity clientele (Lana Del Rey, Emily Ratajkowski and Malia Obama have been spotted there), which becomes such a scene on Saturdays that it can be difficult to get inside at all, so thick are the crowds of chic young things checking each other out on the public catwalk of Brooklyn’s Bedford Avenue.

A lot has changed in shopping in the past decade. Once, the ultimate New York City fashion experience was a Carrie Bradshaw-inspired trip to Barneys (now closed). Today, in a wobbly economy and as online retail dominates, the idea of going shopping as a leisure activity — perhaps having an afternoon cocktail surrounded by paper bags afterwards — feels positively retro. In New York, though, there is one type of fashion retail having an IRL moment: second-hand clothing. As Liisa Jokinen, a vintage-fashion expert who has been compiling a map of the best shops in the city since 2017 (downloadable as an app here), says: “There is not one week that I don’t hear about a new store opening or hear about someone who plans to open one.”

Much of this is a youth-fuelled movement, driven by the revival of fashion from the 2000s (stores such as Awoke are filled with dream 1990s and 2000s items: Vivienne Westwood corsets; Jean Paul Gaultier mesh T-shirts.) Jokinen has noticed that many of the store owners are fairly new to the clothing business, having built up the customer bases and inventory on platforms such as Depop during the pandemic. But there are diverse offerings, too, in a shopping scene that ranges from highly curated designer treasures to “pile ’em high” thrift shops and Americana-inspired menswear. 

The energy in the sector is fuelled by broader cultural shifts, says Jokinen. “Shopping second-hand is not a niche activity any more — there is more demand, no stigma.” Plus “so many mid-priced clothing companies — brands like Mara Hoffmann — have had to close recently”. This leaves those who want quality clothing without having to pay $1,000 for a pair of high-end designer trousers potentially more open to second-hand and vintage.

With all this demand — and inflation, surging rents and competition for prized garments — prices are certainly not cheap compared to days of yore. Sadly, I rarely hear stories today of savvy shoppers finding Gucci blouses in the bargain bin of a thrift store. Still, in the best shops, compared to new designer or even mid-priced garments, prices are favourable. 

There is also an energy about the sector that feels refreshing — a pride in reuse and sustainability, and a unique flavour to many of the shops’ experiences. And even beyond the brick-and-mortar, there is plenty going on every weekend, says Jokinen, who recommends following her on Instagram to find out which pop-up or vintage markets are in town during your visit (her favourite, A Current Affair, comes twice yearly). 

Certainly, from people-watching in Williamsburg to chatting with sales associates while browsing the racks at a pop-up market, second-hand clothing seems to bring people together. In the internet age, that feels refreshingly, well, vintage.

James Veloria 

75 East Broadway #225, New York, NY 10002

Finding James Veloria feels like an Only-in-New-York experience. The shop — a neon-hued oasis dominated by a huge pink heart-shape cut out of the wall — is tucked away on the second floor of an unassuming shopping mall on a traffic-clogged road right beneath the Manhattan Bridge. It may take you a moment to find it (I had to watch a TikTok video to work out the right entrance) but it’s worth it. The clothes are not cheap but the quality is excellent. I actually gasped at some of the pieces on the racks (a pristine black Prada dress for $220; a 1990 Gianni Versace men’s yellow palm-tree print shirt for $170.)

There are other vintage shops throughout the whole floor of the building, as well as cool New York brand Eckhaus Latta. It feels like stumbling upon a chic secret (most shops are open Wednesday to Sunday; some, like James Veloria, are open all week). With its location in the heart of Chinatown, you’re also in a brilliant spot for post-shopping dumplings. Website; Directions

Seven Wonders Collective and Stella Dallas

203 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211 and 285 & 281 N 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

It is very difficult to choose one high-end vintage shop in Williamsburg, so here are two, a 10-minute walk from each other. Seven Wonders has three locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn but the Williamsburg flagship is huge, beautifully curated by a collective of several vintage dealers and hard to beat. On my visit, I found Issey Miyake Pleats Please trousers for $328, a buttery Michael Kors black leather blazer for $248, a Jean Paul Gaultier 1999 mesh T-shirt for $478 and a fringed cowboy rawhide leather jacket for $438. Website; Directions

Stella Dallas is technically two side-by-side stores. Stella Dallas Living is a beautiful, curated shopping experience with soft music and rich fabrics everywhere. There are rare, delicate 1930s lace dresses lining the walls (many for around the $500-mark) and a preponderance of designer and trend-led items (Balenciaga sneakers, $145; $95 cowboy boots). Next door, 10ft Single by Stella Dallas is a more down-to-earth selection of $30-ish thrift, the racks packed with printed T-shirts, jeans and dresses to rummage. Website; Directions

Crowley Vintage

147 Front Street, suite 303, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Sean Crowley, formerly a long-term Ralph Lauren employee, describes the aesthetic of his highly curated, yet comprehensive, store as “Anglo-American” and “Ralph Lauren-adjacent”. This treasure trove is the place to come for traditional menswear pieces from 1880 to 1980. It is vintage rather than thrift — a distinction reflected in the prices — with many rare pieces on show. Highlights include beautiful suits (from 1960s seersucker Brooks Brothers to English tweed and Savile Row pinstripes) for around $500 to $800. Also on sale are Barbour jackets, military coats, knitted jumpers and vests, leather belts, Harris Wool tweed overcoats and vintage umbrellas (refurbished to retain the patina of age on handles while also withstanding the weather) for $275 to $325.

Crowley knows his extensive collection inside out and is on hand for advice in the store, which is open to the public on Saturdays but can be visited by appointment too. There are staggering not-for-sale pieces (like a pristine 1904 French Academy uniform made from black wool, hand-embroidered with green olive branches in silk thread) dotted throughout on mannequins, as well as tongue-in-chic British-inspired decorations (wooden Oxford university rowing shields and even a picture of Churchill and a bearskin hat.) Website; Directions

Other People’s Clothes

150 Marcy Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211

While prices for both vintage and thrift have skyrocketed recently, OPC (which has two branches in Brooklyn and one in Queens; I visited the gargantuan Williamsburg location) proves that it’s still possible to find a bargain. It has almost everything your heart could desire, including curve sizes and menswear. Most items cost $8 to $35, including mid-priced brands such as Reformation and Farm Rio, and everything is organised by colour. There is also a selection of higher-value pieces (I had my eye on an oxblood Jil Sander box-shaped handbag for $575 but sensibly left with a $22 dark floral shirt by Lauren Ralph Lauren). It’s light, bright and a bit easier to navigate than the average thrift store, but it does require effort. Come if you’re in the mood to rummage and try on a lot to a soundtrack of loud music. Website; Directions

Where do you shop for vintage in New York? Tell us in the comments below. And follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter

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