Photo courtesy of Glitterati
From high-end to affordable, these are the best vintage shops in Cape Town for finding unique pieces from another era.
If your mother should have saved it for you, you can find it here. When I first came to Cape Town, I missed sorting through dusty clothing racks in Greenwich and Brooklyn's brownstone basements or searching for the perfect vintage silk scarf in Paris. But like everything else in Cape Town, this city can hold its own with the best of the best, and when it comes to vintage, it's no different. These are some of my favorites, the very best shops in Cape Town to explore the city's vintage scene.
Psst…Want more Cape Town, South Africa travel tips? Check out these other posts:
Guide to Visiting South Africa for the First Time
7 to 14 Days Itinerary for Cape Town
30+ of the Best, Most Iconic Places to Eat and Drink in Cape Town
Read on for the best of vintage and secondhand shopping in the Mother City.
Table of Contents
Muse Vintage Emporium, Woodstock
Second Time Around, Long Street
Gracious Daisy Vintage, Long Street
glitterati, long street
Tucked away in the Long Street Antique Arcade, Glitterati is packed full of retro fashion and accessories dating from the '50s to the '80s. The shop – centered around a bold pink chandelier – also sells vintage handbags, hats, jewelry, belts, and shoes sourced from local homes and auctions. Look through all the drawers and racks! There are hidden gems everywhere if you have the time to look.
AFRAID OF MICE, long street
Filled with the type of rare classic items that "you wish your mother had kept for you," this trendy vintage store is the place to browse. Most pieces are imported, one-of-a-kind, carefully curated, and hand-selected at Afraid of Mice. Think Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, and Stella McCartney. Come here for the fairly priced vintage jeans!
MUSE VINTAGE EMPORIUM, WOODSTOCK
Upstairs in the Woodstock Co-op, Muse Vintage Emporium keeps an incredible range of vintage, retro-metro clothing, accessories, and collectibles. They also sell beautiful handmade vintage quilts from the U.S., mid-century modern home décor, and tableware.
NEVERNEW, observatory
Nevernew has a large collection of women's and men's vintage clothing at reasonable prices. It’s one of my favorite places to go if I want to scour through clothing racks in search of that ultimate find.
second time around, long street
With its roots in 1972, Second Time Around, is one of Cape Town’s oldest, most well-known, and most well-loved vintage clothing stores. The racks are stocked by local collectors and walk-in customers with swing dresses, fur coats, men’s suits, bags, hats, retro jewelry, and original leather boots and heels from the '20s to the '90s.
GRACIOUS DAISY VINTAGE, long street
Not only does Gracious Daisy sell vintage-style clothing and accessories but also collectibles. "Think of the things your grandma hangs on her wall or places on the kitchen counter, memoirs from back in the day, Gracious Daisy has got you covered."