The Best Vintage Shops In Manchester

Manchester’s Northern Quarter is a mecca for vintage lovers, offering a network of streets where the best thrift shops in the city can be found within a few minutes walk from each other. This alternative area of the city is where to head if you’re seeking retro boutiques or bespoke charity shops catering to Manchester’s vintage-loving locals. Whether you’re seeking ’90s nostalgia, ’70s style or a ’50s frock, we share our little black book of the city’s finest vintage shops.

1. We Are Cow

Store, Shop

Situated in the heart of the Northern Quarter, on the corner of Oldham Street and Church Street, We Are Cow is the go-to place for Manchester’s student population and anyone else seeking a ’90s-inspired look. You’ll find both menswear and womenswear nestled within the two floors; the first floor showcasing a selection of re-worked and vintage garments, with a staircase descending to an Aladdin’s cave of vintage. The emphasis here is on a ’90s aesthetic, with plenty of ditsy floral dresses, pinafores and flannel shirts, but you’ll also find items as varied as velvet shorts and distressed denim jackets.

Pop Boutique

Pop may now have stores scattered around the UK, but its very first retail outlet was located in Manchester, just across the road from its present-day boutique in Afflecks Palace. Each piece of vintage stocked in this store is carefully selected by a dedicated team of vintage lovers, who pay close attention to detail to ensure that only the best quality and most interesting styles secure a coveted spot on the rails. The two-storey space also stocks Pop’s own branded collection and a variety of retro furniture and accessories, as well as housing Barberella’s hair salon and a cute little café.

Pop Boutique, 34-36 Oldham Street, Manchester, United Kingdom +44 161 236 5797

The funky, decorated exterior of Pop Boutique and Barberella hair salon

2. Retro Rehab

A beloved Northern Quarter institution, Retro Rehab is a funky boutique located at the top of Oldham Street, selling dresses from the 1940s to the 1980s. Featured on The Telegraph’s list of the best vintage fashion boutiques in the country, Retro is a must-visit for anyone with a keen interest in the styles of times gone by. The majority of their vintage finds are lovingly restored and they also stock a collection of reworked dresses and skirts crafted from vintage fabrics.

Retro Rehab, 91 Oldham Street, Manchester, United Kingdom +44 161 839 2050

Vintage dresses arranged by colour | Courtesy of Retro Rehab

3. Oxfam Original

Store

There are plenty of great charity shops situated in Manchester and its suburbs, but it’s Oxfam Original on Oldham Street that local fashionistas flock to. Renowned for gathering curated collections of the finest vintage garbs, this store is more akin to a specialist boutique than your local thrift store. Unearth the odd designer gem, rediscover forgotten highstreet staples and seek out unique accessories at this long standing Northern Quarter favourite.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.