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Curated, eccentric, and hidden gems

For those who want to do more than just shop second-hand but find unique pieces at an affordable price, your best bet is to get  lost in the overstocked vintage caves of Berlin. These small, eccentric shops tucked in the corners of the city are where ‘60s boho fashion meets the Y2K grunge, and where you might just uncover that perfect pair of leather boots or an authentic hippie print.

If you already know exactly what piece will complete your collection, Let Them Eat Cake in Neukölln is the place. With items from the ‘70s and grunge club wear from the ‘90s, you can emulate your Berlin look for a free-spirited picnic by the river or an unforgettable night out.

Fans of Y2K fashion are welcomed at Sing Blackbird Vintage, also in Neukölln. Here, unique designer pieces that you’d see the icons of the millennium wear, roam the shelves of this time machine. It’s been around for over a decade, and we’ve spotted incredible vintage finds from Cop Copine and Diesel, at very agreeable prices.

Another ‘70s-packed store is Soul & Style in Kreuzberg. It’s what you would imagine a boho vintage shop looks like, with lots of paisley and colorful pieces. It’s small but full of treasures on every shelf.

Loretta is a vintage store with carefully handpicked items from various eras, each incredibly unique and with a story. The pieces are high-quality, and you can find a range of jeans and T-shirts, and a rich collection of shoes and accessories. 

Haha You’re Ugly is an eccentric and offbeat place for those who want to curate their very own self-expressive style with pieces from the ‘90s onwards. In addition to second-hand, the shop regularly offers upcycled and remade items, meaning many pieces are true one-offs.

Another unique store featuring one-of-a-kind reworked and upcycled pieces is Therapy Recycle & Exorcise. Ran by sisters Angie, Poli, and Andrea Aguirre, this place turns pre-consumer (industrial waste) and post-consumer discards (vintage, second hand) into expressive, quintessentially Berlin fashion items, championing genderless fashion. Therapy Recycle & Exorcise’s pieces can be found online and offline in nine stores across Europe and Argentina. In Berlin, you can experience Therapy’s redesigned items at RARE COLLECTIVE & STORE BERLIN and REUSE SUPERSTORE at BIKINI BERLIN.

Designer vintage shops

There are fashion lovers who walk the streets in never-seen-before items, mixed and matched in a one-of-a-kind way. You might wonder where these walking fashion gurus source their inspiration and curation. The answer is designer, often called archival, vintage stores. From the ‘60s through to the Y2K era, Berlin has a few gems full of vintage designer pieces by Maison Margiela, Gucci, Versace, and more - rare finds waiting for you.

Das Neue Schwarz is one of the most popular high-end vintage stores for luxury statement pieces. They often stock items by Maison Margiela, Comme des Garçons, and Yamamoto.

Garments Vintage features rarely-worn, carefully curated pieces at more affordable prices, including designers like Stella McCartney and Burberry. You can trust the expertise of store owners and costume designers Astrid Lafos and Sandra Keil, who often source pieces from TV and film productions.

Buzz for entry ​​on the first floor at Hermannplatz to enter Kryza - a boutique of rare designer pieces. Their assortment is broad, mixing funky dresses, quirky mules, and statement jackets.

Wsiura is a true Berlin original, filled with hard-to-find archival designer pieces by Mugler, Versace, and John Galliano, as well as one-of-a-kind art fashion pieces, such as Vava Dudu’s suit featured in The Columbist’s rave fashion photoshoot. Owner Dawid curates high-fashion in an underground and chaotic way, making the store even more unique.

Thrift haul chains

Then there are the big-name thrift stores with multiple locations around the city, where you can dig through piles and racks to find one-of-a-kind pieces as well as affordable modern items.

Humana is Europe’s largest second-hand chain store. It’s hard not to find something when you visit. Depending on the location, prices and quality vary, so it helps to know what you’re after. If you’re looking for a staple leather jacket or fun, costume-like wear, Humana is the place to be.

For a more curated experience, Vintage Revivals offers items sorted by color and category, making it easy to find something unique at either of their Berlin locations.

PICKNWEIGHT is a classic “vintage by the kilo” chain with several locations throughout the city. It’s perfect for bargain finds, and you might just discover something truly special.

Rental fashion

Why buy something you’ll likely wear once when you can rant vintage finds - both for special occasions and everyday flair?

Kleiderei is Berlin’s pioneering “fashion library,” with shops in other German cities. The principle is quite innovative. As a member, you can rent up to six items at a time and swap them out as often as you like. That way, you can try different styles, with both vintage and contemporary clothing and accessories featured. Non-members can purchase items too.

For special occasions, Nightboutique offers vintage designer fashion for rent. Their high-end collection is ideal for trying something truly unique without the long-term commitment or extra environmental impact. Visits are by appointment only.

Flea markets

No vintage fashion haul is complete without a trip to the flea markets. Honestly, it’s hard to even begin listing them as there are so many and what you’ll find is a hit and miss, completely determined by the fashion reins of the day. Some of our favorites include the ones at Mauerpark, Boxhagener Platz, and Kreuzboerg Flowmarkt. Which ones are yours?

Online marketplaces and shopping apps

Sometimes the best way to search for curated vintage fashion is online. Today’s apps offer AI recommendations that make finding your dream ‘70s piece easier than ever.

Vinted is perhaps the most popular secondhand app in Berlin, where you can buy and sell everything from vintage Dr. Martens to unique designer bags. 

Personalization and community come into place in Bought – a Helsinki-born fashion marketplace that uses automation to make buying and selling pre-loved items easier. The Fintech app adds a touch of personalization to sustainable shopping, has no selling fees, and offers same-hour delivery service in select areas.

Lovers of designer vintage can find authenticated pieces at Vestiaire Collective, which is known for its strict verification process and great selections.

Germany’s own, Mädchenflohmarkt (“girls’ flea market”) is a platform for second-hand women’s clothing and accessories, featuring everything from Louis Vuitton and Prada to more affordable brands. Mädchenflohmarkt also extends into a community platform with physical pop-up flea markets in Berlin.

WeDress Collective is a rental platform focused on sustainable fashion. Operating in Germany and Austria, it allows users and brands to rent out high-quality pieces. With eco-friendly logistics, bike couriers, and green cleaning services, it takes sustainability seriously.

Don’t forget to also follow Instagram vintage shops, as you can discover curated pieces from both local and European sellers.

Mend, repair, and remake

As Berliners love the story that comes with items, a little tear is not the end of it. Many choose to extend the life of their favorite clothing through mending, repairing, and remaking. Because each new stitch and patch adds a new chapter to the item’s journey, extending its life and helping the planet.

Bis es mir vom Leibe fällt is one of Berlin’s best-known transformation ateliers. Their “Wachküsserinnen” (“wake-up kissers”) bring your garments back to life through alteration, repair, and imaginative redesign. They’ve even received Berlin's Green Buddy Award (2017).

If you’re looking to try your own hand at upcycling your pieces, join classes and workshops offered by places like Wieder & Wider, Kostümkollektiv, Josefina Studio, and UY Studio. Many vintage shops like Dress Code Vintage also host open workshops. 

You can always also turn to expert repair services for a quick, efficient, and sustainable way to give your favorite garments a second life.

And if you want to get into the world of fashion tech, InMOE offers 3D ECO Fashion - a 3D printing workshop where you can design and create 3D printed sustainable pieces of your own.

Fashion apps changing the game

Technology and slow fashion are coming together to offer sustainable solutions, such as apps and platforms that help us better measure our carbon footprint.

Fast Footprint, developed by Humana, calculates the CO2 emissions of your individual wardrobe items and suggests greener habits. 

Once you’ve evaluated your wardrobe’s impact, Whering helps you make the most of what you already own. This AI-powered digital wardrobe and outfit planning app creates new outfit combinations from items you already own. It lets you organize your clothes into lookbooks, and even helps you pack.

After that, you can track your clothing usage with Save Your Wardrobe. The app uses AI to scan and manage your wardrobe virtually, while offering repair and upcycling suggestions to extend the life of your garment and reduce unnecessary repeat purchases.

Shop sustainable fashion brands

Alongside vintage and second-hand, consider shopping from sustainable brands. Berlin has many, offering bespoke, high-quality pieces from local designers. Here are five of them that are using innovative plant-based textiles.

To check a brand’s sustainability score, use Good On You, which rates fashion labels based on environmental impact, labor practices, and animal welfare, helping you shop more ethically.

So, what sustainable fashion choices will you make next?