Five places to go for vintage shopping in Seattle, Washington, with stores offering everything from wedding dresses to giftable items.
Omaima Wolf and BJ Tibbs opened vintage store Beats and Bohos nine years ago in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle (though they’re now based in Greenwood). Running the half record store, half clothing shop, the duo spends plenty of time sourcing and curating their collection of secondhand finds—but their favorite part of the job is “finding the perfect person for that special thing.”
Seattle may be the country’s burgeoning tech capital, but Wolf and Tibbs are more drawn to the human element of the city. Along with selling secondhand clothes and records, they use their space for different types of gatherings, including live music, writing workshops, macrame classes, and more, since “community is so important in our tech age.”
“When things are lively and people come through to chat with us and one another about music, fashion, or art, it really warms our hearts,” says Wolf.
And even though she has plenty of vintage at her fingertips, there are still a few other shops in town that she counts as go-to’s for special occasions. Below, Wolf shares the five places to visit for the best vintage shopping in Seattle.
The 5 Best Vintage Stores in Seattle
Le Merde
“The owners are just the sweetest and their stuff is quality. It’s got a magical wonderland feeling, plus they carry really great ‘smalls,’ or easy giftable items.”
Pretty Parlor
“Pretty Parlor is located in the popular Capitol Hill neighborhood. They do have vintage, but what sets them apart is the lines of “repro” (reproduction) items they carry vintage-inspired clothes that are tough to find originals of. Plus, reproductions may make you feel more at ease playing around in since they don’t have that age.”
Valley of Roses
“A small but charming hand-selected collection with bohemian and classic vintage styles.”
Bon Voyage
“Great people! We like to stop here when we do the Artwalk in Pioneer Square, Seattle’s first downtown district. They have a fun variety since half the space is split into sections of different local vendors. It’s not as generally curated but more of a mix, and you can definitely find cute stuff here.”
Trove
“A solid traditional vintage shop. It’s more on the feminine side of things with a beautiful wedding dress section.”