Eden Dawn

Vintage Shopping in Portland

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

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.

a collection of ties and hats at Hattie's Vintage in Southeast Portland
Colorful vintage threads abound at Hattie’s Vintage in Southeast Portland.

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, and people from all over the world seem to know about it.

Liz Gross, owner of Xtabay Vintage Clothing Boutique

“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.

Related

Antiquing in Portland

Mid-century furnishings, hardware, kitchsy collectibles and vintage lighting and furniture all await in Portland's carefully curated antiquing scene.

Read more

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.

Shopping
5 To Try

More Vintage Shopping

  • House of Vintage

    House of Vintage is a collective of over 60 independent dealers sharing 13,000 square feet to provide Portland with a massive collection of vintage clothing, furniture and art.

  • Workshop Vintage

    This boutique offers new, locally designed goods alongside vintage items. Peruse apparel, accessories, jewelry, furniture, collectibles, home decor and more.

  • Artifact: Creative Recycle

    This boutique offers a curated collection of unique furniture, vintage clothing, accessories, household goods, art and more.

  • Sugar Mountain Vintage

    This psychedelic thrift shop located in Northeast Portland’s Mystic District stocks everything from crystals and elixirs to shearling vests, retro patches, vintage tapestries, rugs, baskets, and 70’s-era housewares.

  • Village Merchants

    This spacious vintage store offers clothing, accessories, home goods, artwork, antiques and furniture.

Vinyl Shopping in Portland

From vintage wax to new European imports, those rare releases you’ve been searching for are surely waiting at one of these rockin’ local vinyl stores.

Read more