Vintage and Second-Hand Shopping in London

Published 4 March 2025 · Updated 28 September 2026 · By the Guide to London editorial team · Editor: Terje Moy

London's best vintage and second-hand shopping is concentrated in a few areas: Brick Lane and Spitalfields in the East End, Portobello Road in Notting Hill, Camden, and a handful of large vintage stores in Soho, King's Cross and Dalston. Add the city's charity shops, where donated clothes sell cheaply to raise money for good causes, and you can dress yourself for very little if you have time to look.

"Vintage" in London usually means clothing and accessories that are at least a couple of decades old, chosen and cleaned by a dealer and priced accordingly. "Second-hand" is broader: anything previously owned, from a £5 jumper in a charity shop to a Victorian chair on a market stall. The two overlap, but they feel very different. A curated vintage store is quick and reliable but costs more; a charity shop or an early-morning market takes patience and rewards luck.

This guide covers the areas and shops that have kept going for years, with the trading days we checked on the official sites in September 2026. Opening times change, so treat them as a starting point and check again before a special trip.

Brick Lane: the heart of London's vintage trade

If you only have one day for second-hand shopping, spend it on and around Brick Lane in the East End. The street runs north from Whitechapel towards Shoreditch, and the old Truman Brewery in its middle has been turned into a cluster of markets, shops and food halls. Side streets such as Hanbury Street, Cheshire Street and Sclater Street add smaller boutiques, so you can easily spend a whole day here without taking a train.

The largest single stop is the Brick Lane Vintage Market at 85 Brick Lane, an underground space that the Truman Brewery describes as home to more than 100 vintage traders. It opens seven days a week: 11am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday, 11am to 6pm on Saturday and 10am to 6pm on Sunday (September 2026). Expect everything from 1970s dresses and old band T-shirts to 1990s sportswear and workwear jackets.

Next door, the building once known as the Sunday Upmarket is now Upmarket, the Brick Lane Food Hall. It is open daily (11am to 6pm Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm on Sunday) and is mainly about street food now, but at weekends a retail section with independent makers and a few vintage stallholders is added. On Saturdays and Sundays the Backyard Market and the Tea Rooms by 146 Brick Lane open as well; the Tea Rooms focus on antiques, homeware, books, records and retro furniture.

On Sunday mornings the street itself turns into a market. Tower Hamlets Council lists the Brick Lane Sunday market from 10am to 3pm, with stalls for fashion, food, art and bric-a-brac. This is also when the area is at its most crowded. For more on the food side of the street, our guide to Brick Lane's curry houses and bagel bakeries explains what to eat between shops.

The big vintage stores worth crossing town for

Several vintage chains buy in bulk, sort by style and decade, and restock constantly. They are the easiest places to start if you dislike digging through piles, and they are open every day. Prices are higher than in charity shops, but you pay for the selection and cleaning.

Rokit

Rokit, which started in Camden in 1986, runs four London shops (September 2026): the flagship at 42 Shelton Street in Covent Garden, a main store at 101 Brick Lane and an accessories shop at 107 Brick Lane, and a shop at 225 Camden High Street. Covent Garden opens 10am to 7pm daily, the two Brick Lane shops 11am to 7pm and Camden 10am to 6pm. It is strong on denim, outerwear, American sportswear and reworked pieces. The Covent Garden branch fits easily into a day around Covent Garden and Seven Dials.

Beyond Retro

Beyond Retro, which also trades in Sweden, now has three London stores: Coal Drops Yard at King's Cross (its largest), Stoke Newington Road in Dalston, and Argyll Street in Soho, a few steps from Oxford Circus. Its former shop on Cheshire Street off Brick Lane is no longer on its store list, so ignore older directions that send you there. The Soho store is the most convenient for visitors; the King's Cross store sits among the shops and restaurants described in our King's Cross neighbourhood guide. Beyond Retro closed its own online shop on 31 July 2026, so the physical stores are now the main way to buy.

ATIKA

ATIKA, which used to trade as Blitz, is at 55-59 Hanbury Street, just off Brick Lane and close to Spitalfields. It describes itself as holding over 20,000 pieces, with a lot of denim, outerwear, 1990s and Y2K fashion, graphic T-shirts and designer vintage. It opens 11am to 7pm Monday to Saturday and noon to 6pm on Sunday (September 2026).

None of these is the only good option. Brick Lane and Camden in particular have dozens of smaller independent shops, and many of the best finds come from places without a website.

Portobello Road for vintage clothes and antiques

Portobello Road in Notting Hill is London's most famous street market and still one of the best for vintage. The key is picking the right day. According to the market's official site, the whole market trades on Fridays and Saturdays; Monday to Thursday you mostly find fruit, vegetables and household goods.

Friday is the day for vintage clothing. The stalls on Portobello Green, under the Westway flyover near Ladbroke Grove station, specialise in vintage clothes and accessories, and Golborne Road at the northern end has bric-a-brac and furniture. Saturday is the busiest day and the only day the antiques arcades at the southern end open, most from about 7am until about 4pm. On Saturdays Portobello Green carries more new fashion and less vintage than on Friday.

On most Sundays there is no street market on Portobello Road, but the market's site says some vintage clothing and bric-a-brac stalls and shops near Portobello Green still open. Our full guide to Portobello Road Market covers every day of the week, the antiques arcades and how to get there, and the Notting Hill neighbourhood guide covers the rest of the area.

Camden, Spitalfields and the other markets

Camden Market in north London has been selling alternative fashion since the 1970s. It is open every day, and the Stables and Lock areas still have vintage stalls and shops among the newer brands and street food. In autumn 2026 there is an extra draw: a pop-up vintage market with fashion, vinyl and homeware at Hawley Wharf every Saturday from 3 October to 28 November 2026, 11am to 5pm, free to enter. Our Camden Market guide explains how the different areas fit together.

Old Spitalfields Market, a covered Victorian market hall a few minutes from Brick Lane, is best on a Thursday, when its antiques market takes over. The market says it has run since 2003 with more than 80 stalls of furniture, jewellery, maps, homeware and fashion, from 8am. On the first and third Friday of each month there is also a vinyl market for second-hand records. See our guide to Old Spitalfields and the Brick Lane markets for the weekly timetable.

Smaller East End street markets are more about bargains than curated vintage. Petticoat Lane (Middlesex Street and surrounding streets) is a Sunday clothing and textile market, which the council lists from 9am to 3pm. Roman Road Market in Bow trades on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 8am to 6pm; the council also mentions a retro-style extension on the third Saturday of the month, which is worth checking before you go. Columbia Road is a Sunday flower market, but several shops along the street sell vintage clothing and homeware, so it combines well with Brick Lane; see our Columbia Road Flower Market guide.

South-east London has Greenwich Market, which is worth adding if you are already in Greenwich.

Charity shops: the cheapest way to shop second-hand

Charity shops are a British institution. They sell donated clothes, books, records and household goods, and the money goes to the charity that runs the shop, such as a medical research charity or an animal welfare group. Staff are often volunteers, prices are low, and stock changes every day because it depends on what people donate.

Where you shop matters more than which charity runs the shop. Shops in wealthier residential areas tend to receive better-quality clothing, including designer labels. Good areas include Chelsea, Kensington, Marylebone, Hampstead and Islington, as well as local high streets further out, such as North End Road in Fulham, which the old version of this guide mentioned for its cluster of affordable second-hand shops. The Charity Retail Association, the trade body for charity shops, has a shop finder that you can search by area.

The Association explains that many charity shops sell their most valuable donations, such as antiques, jewellery and art, online rather than in the shop, so the chance of finding a rare designer piece on the rails is lower than it used to be. Everyday clothing, books and homeware are still plentiful and cheap. Our guide to seeing London on a budget has more ways to keep costs down.

Planning a vintage day by neighbourhood

London is large, and crossing it several times a day wastes time and money. The simplest plan is to group your shopping by area and give each area its own day or half-day.

A good East End Sunday starts at Columbia Road around 8am or 9am, moves on to Brick Lane for late morning, and finishes at Old Spitalfields in the afternoon. The Shoreditch neighbourhood guide has ideas for the evening. For the West End, Beyond Retro's Soho store is a short walk from Carnaby Street and the shops of Soho.

Several of the East End stops are on the London Overground's Windrush line, which calls at Shoreditch High Street and Hoxton; our guide to the DLR and the London Overground explains how it works. Wear comfortable shoes and bring a sturdy tote bag or backpack, because a heavy coat or a pair of boots fills a small bag quickly.

How to judge quality, size and price

Vintage clothing needs a closer look than new clothing. Check the armpits and collars for stains, look along seams and zips for damage, and hold knitwear up to the light to find moth holes. Smell matters too: a musty smell can be hard to wash out. In curated stores most items have been checked, but on market stalls it is up to you.

Sizes are the other trap. Sizes from past decades were cut differently, and labels from the 1970s or earlier often run smaller than a modern label with the same number. Try things on where you can, or bring a tape measure and know your own measurements. Many shops have changing rooms; market stalls usually do not.

A piece that almost fits can often be altered cheaply. A tailor can take in a waist or shorten sleeves, which is usually easier than letting something out. If you love an item but it is slightly too big, it may still be worth buying.

Prices in vintage stores are normally fixed. On market stalls, especially for antiques and higher-value items, polite bargaining is common and expected, particularly if you are buying several things or paying cash. Start by asking whether the trader can "do a better price" rather than naming a low figure.

Buying second-hand and the environment

Many people now choose vintage and second-hand clothing because it keeps garments in use for longer and reduces demand for new production. The Charity Retail Association estimates that UK charity shops kept 339,000 tonnes of textiles out of landfill or incineration in 2018/19.

For visitors there is a practical side as well. A vintage jacket or a pair of old boots makes a more personal reminder of London than most mass-produced gifts, and it will not look like anything your friends at home already own. If you want ideas for more traditional gifts too, see our list of London souvenirs worth buying.

Paying and staying safe while you browse

Most vintage shops and many market stalls take contactless card payments, but a few smaller traders prefer cash, so carry a small amount. A shop is free to decide which payment methods it accepts. Our guide to money and cards in London explains cash machines, card limits and currency.

Crowded markets on weekend afternoons are where pickpockets and phone thieves work. Keep your phone in a zipped pocket or bag rather than your back pocket, and do not leave a bag hanging open while you look through rails. Our guide to staying safe in London covers the common tricks.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the best vintage shopping in London?

The Brick Lane area in East London has the greatest concentration, with the Brick Lane Vintage Market, ATIKA, two Rokit shops and many smaller independents within walking distance of each other. Portobello Road on a Friday and Camden Market are the next best areas to visit.

What day is best for vintage shopping on Brick Lane?

Sunday is the liveliest day, because the street market, the Backyard Market and the Tea Rooms are all trading. It is also the most crowded. The Brick Lane Vintage Market and the big vintage shops open every day, so a weekday visit is calmer if you mainly want to shop.

Is Portobello Road good for vintage clothes?

Yes, but go on a Friday, when the vintage clothing stalls around Portobello Green are at their fullest. Saturday is better for antiques. From Monday to Thursday the market mostly sells fruit, vegetables and everyday goods, so vintage hunters will be disappointed.

Are London charity shops cheap?

Yes, they are the cheapest way to buy second-hand clothing in London, although prices in wealthy areas are higher than in the rest of the country. The best-quality donations tend to appear in shops in residential neighbourhoods such as Chelsea, Kensington, Marylebone and Hampstead.

Can I bargain in London vintage shops?

Not usually in shops, where prices are fixed. On market stalls, and especially with antiques dealers, asking politely for a better price is normal, particularly if you are buying more than one item or paying cash.

Sources

• The Truman Brewery - Our Markets (checked September 2026)
• Upmarket - The Brick Lane Food Hall (checked September 2026)
• Tower Hamlets Council - Markets in Tower Hamlets (checked September 2026)
• Portobello Road Market - When to visit (checked September 2026)
• Old Spitalfields Market - Antiques Market (checked September 2026)
• Camden Market - Camden Vintage Market (checked September 2026)
• Rokit - Our stores; Beyond Retro - Soho store; ATIKA - Visit us (checked September 2026)
• Charity Retail Association - How do charity shops work?; How do charity shops help the environment? (checked September 2026)