Last year I challenged myself. I decided that I would only buy clothes from second-hand or thrift shops. The same year I also decided that I needed some adventure in my life. I decided to study a semester abroad. The choice fell on Birmingham.
So when I arrived in Birmingham, which by the way is heaven for shoppers, I had to pull myself together and remember my promise to myself: To only buy clothes from vintage shops. And so the search for the best vintage shops in Birmingham began.
I quickly realized that Birmingham wasn’t only great for regular shopping – it was also a city filled with vintage treasures. And I am a big fan of sharing the treasures you find on your way, so here is a list of my favorite vintage shops in Birmingham.
Some of the best vintage shops in Birmingham are COW vintage, Urban Village and Top Banana. There are also great vintage and second-hand markets. If you are willing to take the bus a little further out of the city, you can find hidden vintage treasures as well.
Why vintage shopping is great for the environment
Vintage shopping has become more and more popular in recent years. And I do understand why. With fast fashion copying It-girls’ style every hour, making it available on big shopping sites, the trend changes every week – hell, even every day.
Vintage shopping isn’t just great for your wallet, it is also a great way to make your wardrobe more sustainable
We buy more and more clothes, actually so much that one full truck of clothes is burned or sent to landfills every second! So it is no surprise we are starting to look for options that help protect the earth. And vintage shopping is a way of doing exactly that.
Vintage shopping isn’t just great for your wallet, it is also a great way to make your wardrobe more sustainable, since you are buying clothes that someone else already had enjoyed wearing.
Want to know more? Then find out how sustainable clothing production works here
This means that the clothes you buy in vintage and second-hand shops haven’t had a negative impact on the environment, because it didn’t need to be produced first like the clothes you buy in regular shops.
Vintage shopping is also a great way to make your style more personal since you will have items that aren’t available in the high street chains. Because of this, vintage shopping is one of my favorite sustainable fashion tips to give when friends ask me how they can make their wardrobe more sustainable.
A list of the best vintage shops in Birmingham
And now to the fun part – a list of the best vintage shops in Birmingham. I have found some great items in these shops and they are all worth a visit if you want to explore the second-hand and vintage clothing selection in Brum. So let’s dive in.
1. COW Vintage
Cow vintage offers renewed and re-designed second-hand clothes that have been through the sewing machine once again. Here you will find clothes from popular fashion brands that have gotten a new design and you will find unknown brands with attitude.
Put another way: In Cow Vintage you will find unique fashionable clothing you won’t see anywhere else. The shop is quite big and you can easily spend a lot of time here searching through the stands for the hidden treasures.
The vintage shop is located in multiple places across England and you can find out more about what kinds of styles they have at their website here.
Cow Vintage location:
82-85 Digbeth,
Birmingham B5 6DY,
United Kingdom
2. Urban Village
Located in Digbeth, Urban Village was one of the first vintage shops in Birmingham to see the light of day. The store is filled with history and it is like stepping back in time when you walk through the decorated doors to the shop.
Here you will find old records, vintage toys, and of course some unique vintage clothing. In the shop, you can find vintage clothes from the ’50s/60’s/70’/’80’s and the ’90s, so if you want to take a trip down memory lane or just explore the history of fashion this place is definitely a good place to start!
Urban Village Location
10 Minerva Works
158, Fazeley Street
Digbeth
Birmingham
3. Top Banana
Top Banana vintage shop is located in Kings Heath, which is Birmingham’s creative neighborhood. I guarantee you won’t miss this shop when visiting Birmingham’s lively neighborhood because it’s got a big bright yellow front.
The store has some very popular brands in their second-hand selection such as Converse and Vans. They also specialize in original American brands and clothing. So if you want to pep up your style with a Hawaiian shirt or a cool pair of sneakers, this is the shop for you.
You can find out more about the store at their website here.
Top Banana Vintage location
14 York Rd,
King’s Heath, Birmingham B14 7RZ,
United Kingdom
4. Credit Crunchers Vintage
This might not look like a place to find vintage treasures, but let me tell you – the eye deceives. Even though Credit Crunchers Vintage at first glance makes you think of an old garage, this is the ultimate place to find the ultimate hidden gems.
The prices here are low and you will have to search a little longer through the stands and piles of bags and clothing, but I always think the hunt for the perfect piece of second-hand clothes is half the fun! This shop is definitely one of the vintage shops in Birmingham where you will find the most for your money’s worth.
Credit Crunchers vintage location:
23 Moat Ln,
Birmingham B5 5BB,
United Kingdom
5. Thrifty Store Birmingham
If you want cheap vintage (and a lot of it) then Preloved vintage kilo sale in Birmingham is probably just what you are looking for. Located in one of my favorite areas in Birmingham, Thrifty Store Birmingham arranges vintage happening though out the year in their warehouse in the creative neighborhood Digbeth.
You have to keep an eye out for the happenings since they don’t follow regular opening hours. Instead, you can go to vintage kilo sales and other vintage happenings. They have the collect clothes and I assure you that you will make a bargain if you go here.
Keep an eye out for happenings and vintage kilo sales at their Facebook or their Instagram. If you aren’t lucky enough to be in Birmingham when the vintage kilo sale is happening, you can also check out the Preloved Vintage Wholesale’s calender right here to see, if they are having a vintage wholesale instead.
Thrifty Store Birmingham Location
Floodgate Arch
B5 5SR Birmingham,
United Kingdom
6. The rag market
If you are looking for something I guarantee you can find at Birmingham Rag Market. Here they have everything from carpets, clothing fabrics to fish and fruits. And of course, some of Birmingham’s best vintage shops are hidden inside this old building.
The Rag Market in Birmingham is world-famous for its products and you won’t be disappointed if you decided to walk into the cave and explore a world full of fabrics, textiles, and food. If you are looking for the best vintage shops in Birmingham it would be foolish not to make your way passed the Rag Market.
If you know how to make your own clothes, you can also find the most outstanding fabrics here, that can be made into something special by the help of your sewing machine.
Rag Market Location:
50 Edgbaston St,
Birmingham B5 4RB,
United Kingdom
7. Newlife
Shopping at Newlife is good for your pocket, it’s good for the environment and it’s good for disabled children to quote the shop itself. Newlife has six stores in England and in all of them, you will find recycled clothes, textiles, footwear, accessories and housewares from major clothing companies.
But not only do they help major fashion companies becoming more sustainable, they also support the charity for disabled children. Newlife is therefore one of the vintage shops in Birmingham where you get to support the earth as well as others.
You can find more information on their website right here
Newlife store location
Yew Tree Retail Park,
Stoney Lane,
Yardley B25 8YP
8. Red Cross and other charity shops
What can be better than supporting the earth by buying second-hand clothes? Well, supporting a good cause at the same time would definitely be great too. And that is exactly what you can do at the charity shops, such as Red Cross, placed around in Birmingham.
This is a very different kind of vintage experience. But don’t underestimate these places. These places are some of the best vintage shops in Birmingham to really make a bargain! This year I bought a pair of the most beautiful boots that were almost identical with some of the designer shoes I had looked at on online vintage sites! And for less than 10$!
Let me tell you – nothing makes your day as finding a pair of gorgeous shoes or a beautiful top at a second-hand shop, where the money also goes to a good cause. That really makes my old vintage heart burst over with happiness.
Last comment
I hope you found this list of my go-to vintage shops in Birmingham helpful and that you are ready to go explore all the amazing second-hand and vintages shops Birmingham has to offer!
If you know of any vintage shops in Birmingham that didn’t make the list, but definitely should, then write a comment down below or write us a message. We would love to hear from you!
Love,
Anna
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