York’s Best Vintage Clothing Shops
Our 2025 Guide to the best places for rummage and a bargan
I like my clothes how I like my furniture: with character, stories to tell, and ideally cheaper than new. Luckily, York is blessed with enough vintage shops to make even your nan’s wardrobe jealous. Here’s my highly subjective, not-at-all-comprehensive-but-still-brilliant guide to some of the city’s best places to dig for retro gold.
Our 2025 Picks
Vault Seven Vintage – Lendal
The new kid on the block – and a flipping good one. Vault Seven is like walking into your cooler cousin’s wardrobe, if your cousin had impeccable taste and a thing for 70s suede.
The vibe is “curated but cosy” – less chaos, more clarity. Great lighting, brilliant branding, and a rotating rail of absolute gems. The kind of place where you go in for a browse and come out feeling smug, stylish, and slightly poorer (but in a good way).
Bonus points for the warm welcome – these folks genuinely love vintage and it shows.
Dog & Bone Vintage – Castlegate
This one’s for the cool kids. Or the not-so-cool ones trying to look like cool kids (hi, it’s me). Dog & Bone is packed to the rafters with denim jackets, graphic tees, and the kind of cord trousers that scream “creative writing degree”.
They often have rails of stuff for a fiver – perfect if you want to look like you time-travelled from 1993 but don’t want to remortgage the house. Bonus points for being just off the main drag, so it feels like a secret even though it’s not.
Expressions Vintage – Walmgate
Part vintage shop, part fancy-dress fever dream, all kinds of fabulous. Expressions is the kind of place where you go in looking for a top and come out with a feather boa, a Victorian corset, and a sudden urge to host a murder mystery party.
It’s small but mighty, with an ever-changing mix of eras, styles, and glitter levels. If you’ve got a themed party coming up, or just want to do your weekly Lidl shop dressed like it’s 1942, this is your spot.
Sue Ryder Vintage & Retro – Goodramgate
Now this one is a charity shop – but don’t let that fool you. It’s fully leaned into its vintage vibes, with themed displays, proper curation (fancy word alert), and prices that don’t make you do a double take and mutter “that’s Primark, mate”.
The staff know their stuff and are always up for a natter about 70s flares or mid-century lamps. It’s also one of the best places in York to bag a bargain that’ll make you look like you just stepped out of a Wes Anderson film.
Chinese Laundry – Walmgate
No, it’s not a dry cleaner – although the name confused me too. This one’s for the serious fashion hunters. Think rare finds, 90s designer labels, and the kind of knitwear that says “I went to art school but I’m humble about it.”
It’s a bit pricier, but the quality is bang on, and you’ll find pieces you won’t see anywhere else in York. Ideal if you want to wear something unique but not in the “I found this in the loft and Febrezed it” kind of way.
Whether you’re a vintage veteran or just someone looking for a funky jacket that doesn’t cost your life savings, York’s secondhand scene is blooming. My advice? Grab a coffee, wear shoes that are easy to take off (changing room Tetris is real), and take your time.
And remember – fashion is cyclical, but regret is forever. So buy the coat. You’ll look fabulous in it while walking York’s cobbled streets pretending you’re in a period drama where the main character also drinks craft ale and complains about parking.
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