If you love a spot of retail therapy, living in the North East is an absolute dream. From luxury boutiques to high-street favourites, our towns and cities are crammed with some of the most interesting finds around. Whatever your style, you’ll find it here, but one area in which we’re particularly blessed is vintage stores. We’d love someone to hand us five grand for shopping in these shrines to decades gone by. And though that’s probably not going to happen, it won’t stop us dreaming!
So, with our wish lists in hand, what better way to feed our daydreams than with a run-down of our five favourite NE retro shops…
1/ Velvet Elvis
Right in the heart of Durham, Velvet Elvis has it all. They sell vintage clothing (obviously), bespoke jewellery and even personalised gifts. Not only that, but they also offer workshops where you can try your hand at everything from pottery to craft making. While you’re there, pop upstairs to their cafe and enjoy a hot drink and a cake as you listen to the retro records filling the air.
88 North Rd, Durham, DH14SP // https://www.depop.com/velvet_elvis_
‘Inside the Grainger Market, Newcastle upon Tyne‘ by Graham Robson via (CC BY-SA 2.0)
2/ Flip
You won’t find two items the same in Flip, which is a savvy shopper’s dream. They’ve been importing their clothes from America since 1978 and even have some new bits and pieces to try on if that’s your thing. Flipping through the clothing rails, we came across plenty of plaid shirts, graphic and old-school brand tees, funky jeans and even cowboy-style gear that reminded us of scenes from Wild Wild Chest from https://games.paddypower.com/c/daily-jackpots, based on the iconic Western style of yore – just take a look at the pics below! If we won the Daily Jackpot on that slot, you know that’s what we’d be spending it on. When travelling into Newcastle by train, this should be your first stop, as it’s a short walk from the station.
104 Westgate Road, Newcastle, NE1 4AF // https://www.flipvintage.com
Images by Flip Vintage
3/ Ding Dong Vintage
Just down the road from Velvet Elvis, Ding Dong Vintage is one of those shops where you can lose yourself for hours if you’re not careful. They’ve got a massive range of clothes to rummage through here – ranging from the 1900s all the way through to the end of the century. Unfortunately, there’s no website or Instagram account to check out, but trust us, this place is well worth a visit.
45 The Gates, Durham, DH1 4SL
“Ding Dong” by Vik Walker (CC BY 2.0)
4/ Port Independent
Interestingly, Port began life on the ASOS marketplace. They’re still selling on there, but if you’re in Sunderland, swing by and check out their range for yourself. It should be noted that Port Independent only stock menswear, but they also run Port Girls (https://marketplace.asos.com/boutique/port-girls), which as you might imagine, sells clothes for the ladies.
4 St Thomas’ St, Sunderland, SR1 1QD // https://marketplace.asos.com/boutique/port-independent
5/ Corner 93
Last but by no means least, Corner 93 is a little bit different. Yes, you’ll find great-value vintage wares here but the Sunderland store also sells luxury retro clothing and accessories – for when you’re feeling flush! Time your visit right and you can pick up unworn designer items for about half price of a night on the town.
93 Station Road, Fulwell, Sunderland, SA6 9RD // https://corner93.co.uk