Fashionistas are flocking to established and new shops all over Chicago, that fill their racks with vintage clothing that has become high fashion. Shopping for vintage clothing in Chicago has quickly become the thing to do every weekend with friends, making these stores the new mall hangout.
Here are my favorite vintage clothing stores in Chicago that carry the best selection of styles and labels around.
Hollywood Mirror 812 West Belmont Avenue
Hollywood Mirror is like a candy store of vintage clothing. Men’s, women’s, and children’s vintage clothing is all available at Hollywood Mirror, and that only takes up half of the store. I have had a lot of luck finding casual clothing at Hollywood Mirror, vintage t-shirts, mini jean skirts from the seventies, and even some casual dresses that can be dressed up or down.
Hollywood Mirror is a great place to browse for vintage anything, but the noise and lights are only tolerable for so long. My advice is to go in knowing what you want, ask a clerk to point you in the right direction and browse a little.
Strange Cargo 3448 North Clark Street I love the selection of clothing at Strange Cargo, just take a look around and you know they can appreciate the value of vintage clothing and how it can be worn today. Both new and vintage finds fill the racks and walls at this small shop. You can walk in empty handed and come out with an entire head to toe outfit. For those of you looking, this is the place to go in Chicago for old Air Jordans.
Silver Moon 1755 West North Avenue
Silver Moon is where I go to find vintage jewelry or vintage pieces for a special occasion. Before flapper style dresses came back into style a few months ago, you could always browse a good selection on the racks. Now though, anything slightly resembling 20’s-40’s fashion is quickly snatched up before the hanger even hits the rack. Go to Silver Moons if you are looking for something special, the pieces here are in very good condition and the shopping experience is grand. U.S. #1 1460 North Milwaukee Avenue Shopping for vintage threads as U.S. is serious business, kind of takes away from the fun of finding the perfect top in a pile of duds. Most of the vintage clothing from U.S. is designer, and half of it looks like your grandmother cleaned out her closet for the first time in her life yesterday. But, that’s ok because almost everything here is in excellent condition and the right piece paired up the right way makes the perfect look.
Wacky Cats 3012 North Lincoln Avenue
Wacky Cats is no longer a secret in Chicago. Anyone who is looking for vintage and asks around will be sent to Wacky Cats. This Chicago vintage clothing store has a reputation for stocking authentic and unique pieces, and it is somehow able to keep the merchandise coming in like no other store in Chicago. Wacky Cats reputation for authentic vintage clothing is so good in fact, that costume directors have hit the racks there as well.
A huge part of the store is stocked with clothing from the fifties, and at times there is too much clothing that my parents may have worn during the seventies. But, overall the selection evens out really well. Because of the stores popularity I highly recommend purchasing anything you like on the spot, it will not be there next weekend when you get over your spending guilt.
