Italy, the fashion capital of Europe, is famous for its elegant, sophisticated and timeless sense of style. Having been a major player in the fashion industry for decades, there’s no shortage of fantastic vintage and consignment stores to explore.
The prices in Italy’s leading vintage stores are hard to beat which is great news for fashionistas on a budget. But, it’s not just fashion-conscious students that are attracted to vintage and consignment stores because you can often find iconic designer items from years gone by which are no longer being made.
These sartorial treasure troves are great fun to browse and certainly a must-visit for anyone who takes the concept of Sprezzatura seriously! It can be quite hard to find a vintage or consignment store in Italy’s smaller towns and villages but all the big cities have a few of these gems tucked away amongst the bustle of modern life.
In this article, we’ve compiled Italy’s top vintage and consignment stores in all the major cities, to help you replenish your wardrobe at prices that won’t break the bank.
Twice Vintage Shop – Rome.
Situated in the bohemian district of Trastevere, the Twice Vintage Shop has a beautifully eclectic range of vintage clothes, handbags, shoes, and more, for both men and women. Stocking all the top designer vintage labels, and some that you won’t have heard of, you never quite know what you’ll find when you drop by to browse through the racks. With clothes, shoes and accessories stacked to the ceiling, the Twice Vintage Shop really feels like an Aladdin’s Cave of absolute bargains.
Flamingo – Via Del Boschetto, 123. Rome.
You’ll find everything from classy sunglasses to vintage shirts, dresses, jeans, 60s dresses and a thousand other amazing items. This beautifully curated store is located in Rome’s Monti district and specializes in selling retro funky clothing at great prices as well as second-hand designer pieces that have stood the test of time. All of the items in the small shop are carefully selected and in great condition, so in many cases, you won’t even be able to tell that they are second-hand.
King Size Vintage – Via Leonina, 78/79 – Rome.
King Size Vintage is one of Rome’s most iconic destinations for old-school fashionistas. Stocking rare flapper dresses, 70s shoes, shirts and lots of up-market designer pieces, the products are mid-range in price and guaranteed to add a touch of sophisticated flair to your wardrobe. It’s great fun to explore the different rooms and racks, each of which is full of wonderful sartorial surprises just waiting to be rescued. The staff are super friendly and always ready to give you tips and, on occasion, point out things that you would never have found on your own.
Pifebo And Pifebo Kilo Shop – Rome.
Pifebo is just a short walk from the Monti district and specializes in 80s and 90s American-style vintage clothes and accessories. The large establishment has a superb range of hard-to-find items including collegiate crewneck sweatshirts, genuine Made in the US leather jackets and an excellent selection of denim jeans, jackets and shirts. Next door to Pifebo, at Via dei Serpenti 141, the store also has a ‘kilo shop’, where you can buy 1 kilo of funky vintage denim, outwear, tops and skirts for as little as 10 Euros; so if you’re looking for some serious bargains then look no further than Pifebo Kilo Shop!
L’Armadio Di Coco – Venice.
When it comes to style and fashion, Venice never does things by halves, and L’armadio di Coco is no exception. The store’s name, ‘L’armadio di Coco’, means ‘Coco’s Closet’, and it really does feel like you’ve stepped into a magnificent wardrobe of a world-class fashionista. This ultra-elegant, luxury boutique store sells the premier vintage brands and accessories for the woman who has a timelessly sophisticated taste. The prices are not for the faint-hearted, but the items in Coco’s are real collector’s items that you’ll treasure for the rest of your life. The business is run by Arianna and her daughter, and together, they have grown their Venetian store into one of the must-visit vintage fashion stores in Italy.
Vintage-Venezia – Venice.
This unusual vintage store has a good range of items including hats, dresses, bags and accessories. There’s a reasonable selection of clothes but the small store really excels when it comes to hats, with huge collections of unique high-fashion hats that are perfect for special occasions as well as a stylish cruise down the Grand Canal. So just remember, next time you’re in Venice and you need a one-off haute couture hat to complete your summer outfit, make sure you drop by Vintage-Venezia to find something that will make a splash as you stroll through Saint Mark’s Square.
Sangueblu Vintage Shop – Venice.
This fantastic vintage store in central Venice offers a lovely range of pre-owned and vintage clothes and accessories for men and women. The store’s carefully curated collections combine multiple brands and are selected to incorporate items that exhibit the finest tailoring and cuts. There’s a good selection of items, which are constantly updated with new finds, to suit every budget and retro taste.
Melrose Vintage Alinari – Florence.
Melrose Vintage is a classy, American-themed vintage store in central Florence. As you step through the doors of the store you’ll feel as though you have time traveled to California and arrived sometime in the late 1960s! The store is surprisingly large and numerous rooms are all filled to the brim with vintage Americana treasures, so you’ll be sure to find what you’re looking for as well as a few unexpected surprises. There are vintage Levi jeans galore, scarves, tops, outerwear, dresses and everything you would associate with 1960s America.
Rrose Selavy – Florence.
This delightful store provides retro fashionistas with an amazing range of stunning garments at prices that are well below the high street average. With designer brands stashed in piles of folded clothes, don’t be fooled by the store’s modest size because there’s far more on offer than meets the eye. With racks along the walls, hung with beautiful gowns, blazers, trousers and more, the tiny store is definitely one of Florence’s best-kept secrets.
There are also lovely collections of accessories, trinkets and lots of fun items to give you ideas for how to complete your outfits in a uniquely inspired way. The staff in the store are very friendly and once they understand what you’re looking for they’ll help you locate the perfect garment amongst the huge piles and bursting racks of vintage fashion items.
Boutique Nadine – Florence.
Situated on the banks of the River Arno, Boutique Nadine offers customers an enchanting mix of new and vintage garments, accessories and collections from newly emerging Italian fashion designers. With its innovative approach to combining authentic vintage items with garments made by up-and-coming designers, Boutique Nadine is making waves among fashion-conscious Florentine women.
The collections are carefully curated and unapologetically feminine in style, with sophisticated silks, cashmere and vintage lingerie. A genuinely timeless store with an owner who goes out of her way to give her collections a personal touch, there are few vintage stores in Italy that can compete with Boutique Nadine in terms of sheer elegance and class.
Ambroeus Milano – Milan.
It’s not easy to make your mark as a vintage clothing store in Milan, a city that is the world’s capital of cutting-edge fashion and the headquarters of countless global brands. However, Ambroeus has done just that! This fantastic vintage store sells an amazing array of garments and accessories for men and women. The highly knowledgeable staff will guide you around the racks and help you identify the exact brands you’re looking for. Ambroeus stocks a huge mix of vintage brands including Levi’s, Lacoste, Armani, Versace, and Max Mara, to name but a few. The store has a definite 80s feel, so you won’t find a lot of older 60s-style clothes, but for a trendy urban look, Ambroeus has you covered.
Groupies Vintage – Milan.
Groupies Vintage is a super funky store that sells second-hand garments, hand-made clothes, vintage designer gear, animal prints, sequins, band T-shirts, recycled items, tie-dye tops and overwear as well as a lot of 1980s-style urban streetwear. With new items constantly arriving on the shelves, there are always exciting new collections on offer.
Each piece is hand-selected by the shop’s owner, Alice, so you can be sure it’s in pristine condition and represents the fashion sense of the store. You can follow the store on its website where they list the latest arrivals and showcase the current collections in the store. Groupies Vintage has a super friendly vibe and if you’d like to give a friend a lovely surprise you can even buy them a Groupies Vintage gift card. Lastly, if you’re looking for some real deals, you can go up to the 2nd floor of the store and buy vintage clothes by the kilo.
Hangover Vintage – Milan.
Located in the hip Navigli district of Milan, near the canal and the heart of the city’s nightlife, Hangover Vintage sells a rare collection of garments and accessories that are inspired by the elegant 40s and 50s era. There’s a massive range of clothes and accessories to browse that include stunning artisan shoes, vintage dresses, blouses and hats that cater to the really refined fashionista. As well as selling the original articles, you can even order personally made-to-measure reproductions of iconic garments from the past, a tailoring service that is hugely popular with local students and anyone who has a specific item in mind but just cannot find it anywhere!
Italy Has Great Vintage Stores.
Italy has been relatively slow to pick up on the recent vintage trend, in large part because the nation is such a world leader in cutting-edge, industry-leading fashion. However, in recent years, vintage stores have been making waves amongst the Italian fashion scene and now you can find amazing vintage stores in all of the nation’s major cities.
Not only are vintage clothes super trendy but shopping for second-hand clothes is an extremely sustainable way of updating your wardrobe with items that will never go out of fashion. So next time you’re planning a shopping trip, make sure you include a couple of local vintage stores in your day’s itinerary.
