The Best Thrifting in Portland
Magpie is a trove of true vintage clothes, perfect for any period-correct costume or wardrobe you might be assembling.
Thrifting often means digging, and Portland is full of sites to dig. Goodwill—especially the unsorted, by-the-pound “bins”—may be ground zero. Things get slightly more focused from there. We have two locations of the trend-forward chain Crossroads Trading and a pair of Buffalo Exchanges. Then you have the malls, where individual sellers organize under a single roof, like Hollywood Vintage, House of Vintage, and Memory Den. Still, shopping at any of these spots is an activity in itself, sometimes even a bloodsport, that’s as much about the glory of the find as it is buying clothes.
Another side to the local resale clothing scene is our wealth of particularly curated vintage, thrift, and consignment shops. These are the expert diggers’ public troves; the collectives where like-minded aficionados consign and trade their beloveds. The focus is on rare finds, not necessarily scoring a deal. And while there is still plenty of thrill to the chase, the proverbial hit rate is much higher at shops organized around a distinct sensibility, price point, subculture, occasion, time period, or specialized garment than general thriftiness.
If you’re after something specific, and “they” don’t make it anymore, or for any host of reasons you’d prefer to find it secondhand, you’ll find your spots below.
Deep Lake
buckman
Think of this consignment shop as a secondhand version of the city’s designer boutiques. Skewed toward women though largely androgynous, its compelling range of everyday garments makes a convincing case for the high-low aesthetic, blending mainstream vintage with niche labels. You’ll find Louis Vuitton next to J.Crew, Acne Studios next to L.L.Bean next to Bottega Veneta.
Real-deal throwback workwear fills the racks at Kissing Booth.
Kissing Booth
Richmond
True vintage workwear is the game here: the more stains, weathering, tears, and sun-fading, the better. Formed by a handful of collectors, including the guys behind vintage-inspired label Bare Knuckles, Kissing Booth is the spot for orange-tab Levis and 100-year-old henleys.
Magpie
hosford-abernethy
Everything packed into this triangular nest follows an eccentric, true-vintage wavelength: tweed, full suits, gowns, suede fringe jackets, a selection of bow ties and cummerbunds. Top hats and pillboxes, too. It’s a real time machine. Everything has its own handwritten tag providing a time period and brief description.
2nd Street
Sunnyside, downtown
This international chain opened its second Portland shop last year. While it involves some digging, shopping here is, for better and worse, like browsing Depop or Grailed in person. Look out for designer gems from Balenciaga, Issey Miyake, and Comme des Garçons, as well as hype-forward staples like Supreme tees and those Jacquemus Nikes.
Visii
northwest district
A Y2K lens guides this newer streetwear shop. It’s throwback Stüssy, Nike, and Stone Island pieces mixed with designer garments, the latter labeled with fashion-nerd context: Tom Ford–era Gucci and Riccardo Tisci’s Givenchy. Browsing the undecorated, cement-floored space, you’ll see how to style your mom’s old Celine bag with big Boss jeans.
Xtabay
hosford-abernethy
This is vintage in a polished, they-don’t-make-’em-like-they-used-to way. Pristine gowns and handbags are the deal. You could certainly buy your wedding dress here. Or something to wear to someone else’s or to a time-warp cotillion, a music video shoot, or a night at the ballet.
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