The Best Vintage Clothing Stores in Melbourne, Australia

RetroStar Vintage Clothing is Australia’s largest vintage store. It specialises in clothing from the 1940s to the 1990s and stocks over 10,000 quality vintage clothing items and accessories, which are sourced from around the world. This includes flares and leather jackets from the 70s, classic band tees from the 80s and pop culture paraphernalia from the 90s. RetroStar also has biannual warehouse sales, where nearly 20,000 items are priced under $10 – it’s every vintage lover’s dream.

Secondo Boutique is known for its luxury vintage items. Here, you’ll find sought-after clothing from international labels like Gucci, Diane Von Furstenberg and Prada, along with pre-loved designer accessories at a cheaper price points. This includes bags from Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Chloe. The store also welcomes new clients who are interested in consigning their own luxury vintage garments.

Vintage Garage is basically a vintage marketplace, stocking clothing and accessories from over 40 specialist vintage dealers and designers. The store specialises in clothing from the 50s and 60s – think rockabilly dresses, vintage dress shirts for men, accessories and vintage fabric galore. Other women’s clothing in store includes fur jackets, swimwear, cardigans and shirts. Vintage Garage’s flagship location is its Collingwood boutique, but it also has a second store in Preston.

The two Hunter Gatherer stores in Melbourne — located in Fitzroy and the Royal Arcade in the CBD — are run by the Brotherhood of St Laurence, a non-profit organisation that works to alleviate and prevent poverty across Australia. Your purchase goes directly towards helping the community. All of the vintage and retro-inspired fashion pieces found at Hunter Gatherer are hand-picked by volunteers from the thousands of items donated to the Brotherhood annually.

American Rag has been operating in Melbourne for 28 years, with stores in both the QV Shopping Centre and Southgate. Eileen Carney is the American-born but Australian-based owner of American Rag; her team regularly travels to the States to hand-pick the best vintage clothing, footwear and accessories for the entire family. Pay particular attention to their impressive vintage dress collection, which has pieces from as early as the 1930s. Both stores are restocked with new pieces weekly, so you never know what you’ll discover.

Out of the Closet has been operating from Brunswick Street in hipster Fitzroy since the late 80s. The team at Out of the Closet pride themselves on providing fashionable, affordable and high quality vintage clothing, hand-picked from overseas. They have a large selection of 90s dresses for under $40, as well as vintage men’s pop culture and American sports shirts from the 90s. There’s also another Out of the Closet store in Melbourne’s city centre, which has a large collection of vinyl records.

Vintage Sole has been operating in Melbourne for 10 years. Today, it has three locations: Brunswick Street in Fitzroy, in the CBD, and on Chapel Street in Windsor. Vintage Sole sources its vintage clothing, footwear and accessories from around the world. Some of the items for sale at Vintage Sole include an array of cowboy boots, pre-loved leather jackets, dresses from the the 50s and 60s, men’s shirts, Levi’s 501s and 70s flares.

Martin Fella, the owner of Martin Fella Vintage, hand-picks all clothing for his store from auctions in Australia, Asia and the United Kingdom. His North Melbourne store stocks a variety of pre-loved luxury brands, including Givenchy, Chanel, Christian Dior and YSL, which are mixed in with other high-quality, unbranded items. Fella also stocks an extensive range of classic men’s vintage pieces, and, in winter, colourful hand-made beanies.

Shag has been a favourite for vintage enthusiasts since 1996, when it opened on Chapel Street, Melbourne’s most fashionable shopping street. This vintage shop is chaotic and colourful, stocking everything from vintage hats and oversized 80s jumpers, to 90s Moschino pants and vintage shoes from Italy. They also have a location in Centreway Arcade in the city.

Bruce is a designer consignment store, owned by New Yorker Emily Oberlin and her partner Daniel Nielsenbeck. They have two Bruce locations: one in Clifton Hill and one on Gertrude Street in Fitzroy. Bruce is known for its selective range of designer vintage and second-hand pieces, from brands like Diane Von Furstenberg, Paul Harnden Shoemakers, Isabel Marant and Prada.

The vintage marketplace of dreams, Retropolis handpicks the best collector’s items and gathers them all in one place for hours of browsing. Over 40 eagle-eyed sellers stock everything from fashion and furniture to records and musical instruments, so it’s almost impossible to leave empty-handed. The space is open seven days a week too so you never have to wait too long for your next vintage fix.

Monkey Jar was opened by two Melbourne friends in 2009 and is now a thriving vintage bazaar in the heart of Fitzroy. The owners pride themselves on sourcing the most unique, extraordinary and downright weird items from around the world and shoppers can expect everything from sequin hotpants to vintage shell suits and rainbow mesh skirts that will turn heads wherever you go. If you don’t like to look like everyone else, this is the place for you.

Like an irresistible dressing up box for grown-ups, this glorious boutique on Brunswick Street makes every day feel like a special occasion. The shop stocks women’s fashion from the 1920s to the 80s, but specialises in high-quality 1950s wear that looks straight out of Hollywood. There is new stock every week and a sprinkling of covetable homeware amongst the velvet, satin and lace.

Vintage is a family affair at this store in Brunswick. The family-owned business started as a hobby 20 years ago and opened the current shop in 2015. Every item is carefully selected and includes vintage fashion, home décor, memorabilia and furniture that will stand the test of time. If you really want to sniff out a bargain, ask about their regular and extremely popular warehouse sales with a $10 room to die for.

If you’re dreaming of the good ol’ US of A, dress the part with the extensive range of vintage American clothes in this store in Richmond. Hand selected by native Californian Ashley Tell, the racks include casual streetwear, historical items, vintage sweatshirts and a suitably impressive selection of cowboy boots and Stetsons of course.