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
Man replicates Manchester pizza restaurant’s loo in his own home
Daisy Jackson
A man has fallen so in love with the loos at a Manchester pizza restaurant that he’s recreated it in his own home.
Yep, while most of us spend our time trawling Pinterest or Instagram for our interiors inspiration, local Matt Hatt got his inspo on a trip to the toilet in town.
He was so obsessed with Nell’s vibrant orange bathroom interiors that he’s now created his very own cookie cutter version in his own house.
And Nell’s has been so impressed, they’ve even got stuck in to lend a hand with the finishing touches.
We are totally on board with Matt’s appreciation for a good restaurant loo – you can spend all the money in the world fitting out a dining room, but it really can fall apart if you head to a toilet with a wonky seat or a door that doesn’t shut or hideous fluorescent lighting.
Thankfully you don’t find too many of those around town these days.
From the ultra-luxury bogs around Spinningfields to the cheeky nude-covered toilets in the Northern Quarter, Manchester has a load of brilliant restaurant loos to explore.
The loos at Nell’s Pizza in Manchester. Credit: Nell’sMatt Hatt’s recreation of the Nell’s loo in his own home. Credit: Instagram @hattathome
One of the best is Nell’s, the New York-style pizza joint down at Kampus, which is painted a vibrant shade of orange.
Matt has nailed that bright toilet decor in his Victorian home in Manchester, down to the white subway tiles, the rounded wall mirrors, and the globe light fixture.
He even slid into Nell’s DMs to let them know about his project, and they offered to give him a branded pizza box, which Matt framed and hung on the wall.
Sharing his inspiration in a video filmed at Nell’s, Matt said: “If you’ve never been in a men’s toilet before, welcome. This is Nell’s Pizza in Manchester and this is the inspiration for our downstairs loo. Isn’t it fab?
Sephora confirms opening date for new megastore at Manchester’s Trafford Centre
Daisy Jackson
Beauty fans rejoice – Sephora has finally announced plans to open a store in Manchester, and soon.
The world-famous retailer, which stops luxury skincare and makeup brands as well as cult items, has secured a spot in the Trafford Centre.
This will be the third UK store for Sephora, which currently has two shops down in London, and its first trip up north.
And after a fair bit of teasing and plenty of rumours, they’ve confirmed that their next megastore will be right here in Greater Manchester.
Hoardings have appeared inside the Trafford Centre, plastered in Sephora’s black and white branding, around a unit next to AllSaints.
The signs read: “Manchester, you called it. Our first Northern store in 2024.”
Sephora says it will ‘redefine the beauty landscape in the North with an extraordinary product range that caters to the diverse needs of beauty enthusiasts’.
Cult brands stocked at Sephora include Huda Beauty, Charlotte Tilbury, The Ordinary, Glossier and Makeup by Mario.
Sephora wrote on Instagram: “You heard correctly — Sephora is coming to the TRAFFORD CENTRE, MANCHESTER.
“Get your shopping baskets ready as we’re on our way up north! More to be revealed soon, see you in 2024…”
The Trafford Centre shared: “You asked, we listened! The wait is over….your @sephorauk opens late Spring 2024.”
Sarah Boyd, managing director of Sephora UK, said: “We are extremely excited to bring Sephora to Manchester, one of the most vibrant cities for beauty in the UK.
“Expanding our presence beyond London is something that consumers have been screaming out for, and we are listening hard to them when deciding where to go next.
“The Trafford Centre, known for its iconic atmosphere and diverse retail offering, is the perfect location for our third store.”
Russell Loveland, managing director at Pradera Lateral – Trafford Centre’s Asset Managers, said: “This iconic beauty giant already has a cult following, and our own social media has been blowing up with enquiries from excited customers eager for Sephora to open.
“We are very proud Sephora chose the Trafford Centre for its next location, which will be its first store in the North of England, and know it will be a fantastic success and a great addition to our strong international brand lineup.”
One person commented on Sephora’s Instagram post: “This is the best news I’ve heard all year!”
Another said: “OMG ITS HAPPENING, STAY CALM”
And someone wrote on Trafford Centre’s post: “Omg omg can’t wait.”
Daisy Bradbury -
28th September 2020 
