Manchester’s best vintage boutiques and thrift stores that you need to visit
Shopping second-hand is often thought of as buying old, unwanted clothes in an extremely limited selection of styles and sizes. But Manchester's vintage and thrift boutiques are completely reversing that stereotype.
The Northern Quarter may be a hub for vintage aficionados, but there’s actually much more to Manchester City Centre’s charity shop and second-hand scene than meets the eye.
Shopping second-hand is often thought of as buying old, unwanted clothes in an extremely limited selection of styles and sizes. But Manchester City Centre’s charity shops, vintage and thrift boutiques are completely reversing that stereotype, offering a wide range of preloved and upcycled garments to fit with the latest trends.
Unsure where to start? Here’s our list of the best vintage boutiques, thrift stores and charity shops in Manchester City Centre to check out.
Blue Rinse
Blue Rinse
Blue Rinse has quickly gained a reputation as one of the UK’s best vintage chains, and their Manchester store definitely lives up to this hype.
Specialising in 80s and 90s style, they offer a variety of classic pieces and reworked items for a reasonable price tag.
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Perfect for: retro football jerseys, denim and flannel shirts
Don’t let the name trick you, as this Manchester City Centre store is anything but your local charity shop.
They offer a curated collection of the finest vintage clothing that you won’t be able to find anywhere else, and their knowledgeable staff are on-hand to assist you in hunting down that one signature piece you need.
Perfect for: any retro and vintage designer labels
Whilst the brand is now something of a national treasure, it all began in their Oldham Street boutique.
Culture and fashion come together in this crazy, eclectic selection of items, as well as their own branded collection. They’re definitely at the forefront of the latest vintage trends.
Perfect for: retro furniture, clothing and accessories
Where to find them: 34-36 Oldham Street, Manchester, M1 1JN www.pop-boutique.com
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Bags of Flavor
Bags of Flavor
This retro boutique boasts a classic feel with its 70s and 80s vintage men’s clothing.
From their upcycled Burberry bags to vintage Berghaus jackets, they’re our go-to for an old-school sportswear and vibes.
Perfect for: waterproof jackets, bags and anything Adidas
This 90s inspired boutique has stores across the country, but their Manchester location is particularly influenced by the city’s musical history and bands like the Stone Roses.
From ditsy floral dresses to Hawaiian shirts, there’s a bit of everything on offer here.
Perfect for: flannel shirts, bomber jackets and pinafores
Where to find them: 61 Church Street, Manchester, M4 1PD www.wearecow.com
Style
Cult beauty brand P.Louise to open world-first megastore in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Viral make-up brand P.Louise has finally got the keys to P.Louise City, a world-first immersive beauty megastore in Manchester.
The brand-new destination for all things beauty will be launching an enormous retail space at Trafford Palazzo, spanning a whopping 19,000 sq ft and two floors.
The Manchester-born brand wants to combine shopping, entertainment, education, and community under one roof, hoping to recreate the magical feeling of ‘walking through the gates at a Disney park’.
The news of P.Louise City follows its retail reinvention with Boots stores across the UK, where they installed pink castle facades, giant gondolas, branded lorries, and loads more.
Now, the number-one-rated TikTok shop beauty brand is opening a world-first ‘beauty playground’, with immersive environments, interactive experiences, content creation opportunities, and education spaces.
P.Louise founder and CEO Paige Williams said: “We have had opportunities to go into retail before but I have always said we’d only do it if we could do it our way.
“Launching in Boots was a huge milestone for us because it brought P.Louise to the high street for the very first time, but P.Louise City takes that experience to another level. This isn’t just a store, it is our world brought to life.
“Everything we do is about creating memorable moments for our community and giving them bigger and better ways to connect with the brand they love, and that’s exactly what P.Louise City is all about.”
Leandra Dwyer, Asset Manager at Peel Retail & Leisure, said: “The opening of P.Louise’s first permanent flagship store at Trafford Palazzo marks a significant milestone for the brand and a proud moment for our team.
“The bold and immersive retail concept set to launch at P. Louise’s city store aligns seamlessly with the core vision of Trafford Palazzo – to deliver an extraordinary blend of experiential shopping and entertainment at TraffordCity, the UK’s foremost retail and leisure destination.”
P.Louise City is set to open at Trafford Palazzo in Manchester next month.
Manchester United set to release two classic remake kits, including a ‘blackout’ shirt
Danny Jones
Manchester United are reportedly planning to release not just one, but another two classic remake kits, based on one of their most recognisable shirts of all time.
As many other teams have done for special anniversaries and limited edition strips, one of them is set to be a ‘blackout’ version of the iconic design, too.
Having already dropped a re-release of the 1990-92 ‘snowflake’ away kit this past April, along with various other bits of lifestyle/casualwear, the success of their retro range needs no explanation.
With that in mind, supporters who remember the initial Adidas era, football fashionistas and collectors alike will no doubt be clamouring to get their hands on either or both of these shirts.
The right-hand side is an educated prediction by the outlet. (Credit: Footy Headlines)
Based on the same adidas Originals template initially used for the 1986-88- home kit, according to the ever-reliable Footy Headlines, a similar faithful recreation is scheduled to go on sale later this year.
We’ve already heard rumblings of a Man United fourth kit expected to be added to their rotation for the upcoming campaign, but this is thought to be separate from the match-worn 2026/27 alternate.
As you can see, the rumoured ’86 remake by United will mark 30 years since the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson first took charge of the club, before going on to spend the best of three decades there himself.
Featuring the traditional ‘adi trefoil’ logo and the famous Sharp Electronics sponsor on the front, as well as the sublimated old school pattern – just as seen with the aforementioned modern edition of the ’90-92 jersey – the second version will be exactly the same, only, you guessed it: all black.
With the INEOS ownership group clearly looking to double down on nostalgia and the improving mood around the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ now that they’re back in the Champions League, revenues already look to be on the rise.
Ruben Amorim famously turned this down – but not Michael Carrick…
The retro range has become just the latest of several new money spinners for the Red Devils as they look to get their finances back on track, as well as their performances on the pitch.
This summer transfer window is also now open, and with one deal already said to be done and at least a couple more in the pipeline, the income from merchandising will no doubt help to fund at least part of their various lots of these deals this year.
It isn’t just new players they have to pay for either, as it’s also costing them north of £1 million to returf the pitch inside the ground – and they still have the prospect of a new stadium to replace Old Trafford, let’s not forget.
Daisy Bradbury -
28th September 2020 
