The Steel City is great for vintage shopping.
I’ve compiled a list of Sheffield’s best vintage stores for you, whether you’re a student headed to Sheffield for the first time or you’re a planet-conscious local looking for tips.
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According to Oxfam, a staggering 11 million items of clothing end up in landfill every week.
Fast-fashion brands produce cheap clothes at a fast pace and discard them just as quickly, at the cost of the planet. Buying secondhand helps to combat the throwaway fast-fashion industry, and instead promotes a circular economy.
If you need any more convincing, check out my top five reasons to shop vintage.
You’ll see some symbols as you look through, so I’ve added a quick explanation at the bottom of the page.
Jojo’s General Store 
Address: 553 Ecclesall Rd, Sharrow, Sheffield S11 8PR
A short walk from Hallam’s Collegiate Campus, Jojo’s General Store is a vintage shop with a unique edge.
If you don’t go to Hallam, this place is a little further out of the centre than the others, but it’s worth the trip.
There’s a great range of menswear, especially outerwear, and so much of it looks practically new, including an impressive range of retro Nikes.
One of the specialities that sets the store apart, though, is its authentic military wear. Sound too niche for you? It won’t be. The items are so wearable, with the added bonus of an extra bit of history.
Best for: Men’s shirts, sweaters and outerwear
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Freshman’s 
Address: 6-8 Carver St, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S1 4FS
At Freshman’s, every rail is overflowing with a rainbow of vintage items, so it’d be hard not to find something up your street here.
There’s a huge range of choice, whatever your budget (from a £5 checked shirt, up to a thick chequered winter jacket at £45) or style (a retro patterned dress or an Adidas zip-up track jacket?). Just keep digging until you get to something you like.
There’s 10% off for students, and they often offer other discounts. It’s worth following their Instagram to jump on those, and to get outfit inspo from shoppers that drop by.
With a window display as beautifully eclectic as the stock – we’re talking disco balls, old-school mannequins, and a chopper bike – it’s pretty impossible to walk past Freshman’s without at least a glance inside.
Best for: Retro pieces and patterns, sweatshirts and knitwear
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Vulgar 
Address: Unit 2 129, The Forum, 127 Devonshire St, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S3 7SB
If the baby-pink exterior doesn’t catch your eye, what’s inside those walls will. Vulgar has been a Sheffield favourite for a while.
Their reworked pieces are great, like their extensive range of tie-back tops, and their rails are always constantly stocked with the latest popular pieces. If you’re looking for a pair of denim dungarees, look no further.
This place is perfect for students – it’s centrally located, surrounded by a bunch of other small businesses on Division Street, and they offer 10% off everything with a valid student ID (on top of the already low prices in the rest of the store).
One exception to that low pricing is their range of designer clothing, from brands like Versace, Louis Vuitton, and Burberry, which sets the store apart. These are definitely more investment pieces, but the price point is still much more accessible than buying new.
Best for: Rework crop tops, funky trousers, designer
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Preloved Kilo 
Address: 76 Division St, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S1 4GF
If you’ve been out of Sheffield for a little while – maybe if you’ve been away from uni during COVID – you might have missed Mooch’s transition to Preloved Kilo.
The changeover has definitely brought something a bit different to vintage shopping scene in Sheffield. Waiting for a one-off kilo sale event is a distant memory. Head down to Division Street any day of the week and grab some bargain pieces.
From funky shirts to floral dresses, everything is £15 per kilo. Plus heavier items like leather and denim are capped at £15.
You might even have sampled the store’s goods outside Sheffield, at one of their pop-up kilo sales across the country, or in a mystery kilo box delivered to your door. Even if you’re quarantining, Preloved has got your vintage fashion needs covered.
Best for: Retro clothing, loud patterns, bargain leather and denim
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Glass Onion Vintage 
Address: 194 Norfolk St, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S1 2JH
Glass Onion is consistently stocked with high-quality pieces that it made it to my list of favourites almost straight away.
The store is on the smaller side, so there’s not a huge range, but that also gives it a nice cosy vibe, added to by the natural décor choices (there’s OSB everywhere and I love it).
Items are so well selected that it doesn’t need to be bigger, including appearances from big brands – like Ralph Lauren, Patagonia, and Dickies – at littler prices.
You can probably tell how popular it is from the length of the queue outside. That’s for good reason. Things tend to be a little pricier, but you’ll be getting good value for that money. Plus, they recently started offering a 10% discount for students, sweetening the deal.
Best for: Graphic tees, outdoor/workwear brands (Carhartt, North Face), and shirts upcycled into facemasks
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Thrifty Store 
Address: 1–25 King St, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S3 8LF
This place offers the best of both worlds. Upstairs, alongside patterned walls and cool warehouse vibe, there are selected pieces – in particular, a nice range of colourful men’s shirts and outerwear at decent prices.
Head downstairs, and (if you’re in luck) you’ll find one of Thrifty’s Stores kilo sales, where you can pick up everything from vintage-style women’s trousers and coats to Christmas jumpers, all priced at £15 per kg.
If you’re looking for the perfect way to spend an afternoon, the store’s also right next to Kommune, so you can grab some independent food and fits in one trip.
Best for: Men’s shirts, women’s bottoms (denim shorts, vintage trousers), and outerwear
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prices
= Bargain, lots at £5–15
= Pretty cheap, generally £15–25
= A little pricier, but still affordable at £25–35
= Higher pricing, around £35–45
= Investment pieces at £45+
This is based on my assessment of the price I found for the majority of items in stock – you’ll probably find a bit either side of this!
types
In my mind, you can divide vintage stores into two categories:
Type A stores carefully select individual items. These places tend to invest more in less, reworking and cleaning pieces up more because they know they’re on-trend and will sell.
You’ve got more chance of buying clothing that’s currently popular (probably more ’90s/’00s and sportswear brand) and in a great condition here. The downside is that it often comes at a higher price.
At the other end of the spectrum, you get Type B shops. They tend to have more on the rails, so you can spend some time browsing, and things tend to be cheaper.
You’re less likely to find items that are really popular at the moment, but if you invest some time, effort and imagination, you’re still likely to find a ton of great stuff – including some gems that other people have missed.