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Vintage Shopping in Portland

Old-school cool comes easy in Portland, thanks to a red-hot selection of retro apparel.

Updated Jan. 5, 2022 2 min read

Eden Dawn

What fashion statement do True Blood actress Kristin Bauer and Grammy-winner Adele have in common? Both are big fans of the stunning dresses that are up for grabs in Portland vintage shopping scene.

And why not? Portland boasts nearly 50 vintage shops, offering up meticulously curated — and constantly updated — collections of costume jewelry, traditionally tailored suits and, of course, racks upon racks of dresses that span decades. The city’s vintage bounty has fashion-savvy visitors stuffing their suitcases to the limit with secondhand goodies.

“The Portland vintage scene is thriving,” says Liz Gross, owner of Xtabay Vintage Clothing Boutique, one of the town’s hottest resale boutiques. “And people from all over the world seem to know about it.” (In fact, Xtabay has outfitted celebrities, including Bauer and Carrie Brownstein from Portlandia.) Gross, who started her fancy frock shop in 2001, credits Portland’s reasonable rents and abundance of estate sales and thrift shops for creating the buzz.

So what’s the key to scoring big on your own time-travel shopping trip? Gross advises going slowly and enjoying the thrill of the hunt — and having “a hell of a lot of tenacity.”

Vintage Shopping in Portland

Knowing where to go helps. Here are seven shops that are sure to leave with you with a case of vintage fever from head to toe.

With dozens of unique vintage diamond rings, costume jewelry and Bakelite bangles, Gem Set Love is a go-to spot for the about-to-be-engaged or anyone desiring the title of “Best Gift-Giver Ever.”

Scope out the ultimate geek-chic accessory — eyeglasses —among more than 1,000 pieces of clothes and accessories from the 1920s to now at Hollywood Vintage.

Revamp your record collection (or create one)with a visit to Crossroads Music, a Southeast Portland institution. The 20-year-old shop boasts 35 vendors selling every musical genre under the sun. (Sure, that means their stacks are a little disorganized, but digging and discovery is part of the fun of record stores.)

No trip through Portland’s style hall of fame is complete without a stop at Magpie, which, unlike most other shops, carries children’s pieces. If you think full-size vintage is cool, wait till you see it miniaturized.