Vintage and Retro - Seattle

Vintage Seattle - 8 shops to check out on your next trip

A couple months back, I had written up a quick vintage shopping guide for my trip to Portland I did in 2018. Since that one was so popular, I decided it was time for round two. Seattle is another great west coast city to go to if vintage shopping is your jam. They have great food, and a bunch of really rad shops. Not being a Seattle local I can't say I am an expert of Seattle vintage shopping, but here are a few that I've checked out and loved on the couple trips I've had.

Rove Vintage. This shop is great if you are on the hunt for more of a 70s old band tee shirt vibe. This store is pretty rock n roll grunge with rows of denim and leather jackets. If you are more into a mid century aesthetic, they do have a few hidden 60s gems that hide in their rows, but I wouldn’t go out of your way if you have 0 interest in the later chunk of the century’s style. Although it is nicely located making it an easy walk from Capitol Hill, and other good nearby shops and restaurants.

Dress From Pretty Parlor
Cardigan from Dancing Days

Pretty Parlor. This shop has everything I desire in a vintage shop. Well curated pieces spanning the middle of the century. Everything is color codes and there is pretty much something for most people’s budget. Store pets?! Honestly I wish I lived in Seattle just so I could routinely visit Pretty Parlor. I suppose I will have to settle with constantly visiting their Etsy shop. Located in Capitol Hill, this place is an easy visit if you are staying in that area, or even downtown. They do have more than just really rad dresses, lingerie, shoes and handbags for femme folks. Tucked away in the back they also have a bridal section that my heart craves to see, and lots of menswear in the front of the shop. On my last visit I purchased a lovely fall colored shirt waist dress.

Revival. If you are more of a trendy instagram vintage lover, this is probably more of the place for you. Revival’s main focus seems more leaned towards local artist’s pieces which is rad as all get out. If you are very fashion forward, or have that super chic family member you need to buy a gift for, this would totally be a place I would suggest checking out. Even if you aren’t that person I would still suggest checking it out if you are in the area. They do have dedicated space for used and consigned pieces of clothing, and there were definitely some older pieces of vintage in there.

Le Frock. Come here if you have money to spend and you are all about that brand name stuff. I swooned at the rack of dress suits that I will never be able to afford (and probably fit) Le Frock is located on Pike, just down the street from Rove Vintage. I do get the sense that they are trying to gear themselves more towards class of humans who need to wear business attire most days. Still a lovely place to peek into to see if they have something on sale.

Lifelong Thrift. Okay so maybe not the type of vintage shop that the rest of the places on this list are, but still a lovely place to check out. It’s a pretty large place, stock full of stuff, so make sure you have the energy to properly look through it. It is a thrift shop after all. When I was there last, I found 2 cute velvet hats that were about 5 dollars each. If you take a look at their website, you can also see that they are a non-profit, support their local community and those with chronic illnesses.

Cardigan - Dancing Days
Skirt - Lucky Vintage

Lucky Vintage. I didn’t realize during my stay, but Lucky Vintage actually has three shops through Seattle. I had been to their Ballard location, but they also a U district and a Pioneer Square location. Their clothes span from the early 1900s up to 1990. Their Ballard location Instagram is one of my favorite accounts to follow. They are constantly posting fantastic flat lays of pieces that are currently in their store. If you spent any time with me over the holidays, or have peeks over at my social media, you’ve probably come across my cream plaid wrap skirt that I bought there. Everyone needs a wrap skirt for holiday meals in my opinion.

Trove Vintage. Up in Ballard is this very cute shop. It’s a femme dream, with soft lace and frills on dreamy vintage dresses. It is a little more on the pricier end, but very well curated. They also have a bridal section to their store too. If you have something you need a nice new (to you) dress for a special event, you might have luck here. Don’t expect to find anything masculine here though. There is pretty much no menswear to speak of here. Even finding a pair of pants will be a challenge.

Bon Voyage Vintage. It was my first trip to Seattle when I popped into Bon Voyage. If memory serves me right, we had just left the underground tour and saw that his place with still open. We peeked in and the space was full of punk kids, hanging out and drinking. Okay turns out they also have some rental space in their off hours. Fast forward to my next trip, we actually visited during store hours. So automatically this store gets bonus points for having a dog in their shop. They also had such a range of styles in their shop. Most of the things you find here will be later in the century, and more punkesque of style (see above for reference to my first visit) but they do have some more mid century stuff sprinkled through. There are a pair of wool sailor pants I had bought there with the intention of wearing all the time before losing too much weight for them.

Any of your favorite shops that aren't on this list? Let me know. I am always looking for an excuse to go to Seattle again, and check out all their good shopping.