The hunt for the best second-hand clothes shops in Valencia

With fast fashion increasingly critiqued for its ethical value, vintage fashion and second-hand shops are becoming the new big thing. With this in mind, I set out on a mission to explore some of these types of clothing shops in Valencia. Whilst most of them are concentrated in Ruzafa, my local neighbourhood, some of them are chains that have other stores located around Valencia.

FLAMINGOS KILO VINTAGE

Located opposite Café Berlin, Flamingos Kilo Vintage prices clothes according to their weight. Its display of cowboy boots and vintage scarfs was what initially drew me in to the store. This shop is ‘classic’ vintage – sports type retro jackets, gilets, and a selection of sparkly dresses. They also had a nice selection of shirts and maxi skirts. The only thing I would fault this shop for is the lack of tops – going out tops, camis, or just general, they didn’t seem to have many.

Carrer de Cadis, 17, 46006 València, Valencia, @flamingosvintagekilo

REUSADO VINTAGE

Having seen the pictures of this one online, I think my expectations of this one played out quite differently to the reality. We didn’t stick around to look at the clothing for too long here because it seemed quite specific – if you’re into sports jackets and jumpers, or polo tops, then this one might be the place for you. Located directly next to a tattoo parlour, it adopts slightly more of a grunge, skater boy sort of feel.

Carrer de Dénia, 12, 46006 València, Valencia, @reusadovintage

REBORN VINTAGE

Screaming quality over quantity, this small but slightly upmarket vintage shop is almost certain to have a few pieces that catch your eye. With an ‘upcycling’ section, this shop specialises in presenting old pieces that seem almost brand new. They seem to offer a little bit of everything. Whilst the first room offers an array of going out garments and skirts, and a section of discotheque style clothes, there is a second room round the back offering jumpers and gilet jackets. As the shop is small, you do not have to spend too much time scouting for a nice item – they seem to have been selective in the items that they have chosen. Resultantly, however, this shop is a lot more expensive than your typical second-hand shop.

Carrer de Cadis, 37, 46006 València, Valencia, @_rebornvintage

ROPA DE OCASIÓN HOMBRE-MUJER-NIÑO

Now this feels like a proper flea market style second-hand shop. Seeming like more of a local spot as opposed to a tourist destination, which I take as a good sign, this was also the largest second-hand shop I’d been to. This does mean, however, that you have to be willing to spend the time to look through the many hundreds of items. It will be worth it for the prices; I left armed with three items for less than ten euros. Arranged via type of garment – tops, skirts, shirts and so on so forth, this will also save you some time when looking. As I was paying, I also noticed a few slightly eccentric costume-type items. This was my personal favourite, although it may lack in its aestheticism compared to other shops.

Av. de Peris i Valero, 95, 46004 València, Valencia

KOOPERA STORE

I went to the Koopera Store in the ‘Torres de Serranos’ area, but there are a few dotted around Valencia. What I liked particularly about this one is that they arrange it by colour. This is ideal for saving time searching through clothes that you will never wear, when you know what colours suit you. Decent prices too, considering the quality of the items. It is also a good size store, so has a lot of selection but is not too huge.

Carrer dels Serrans, 29, 46003 València, Valencia, @koopera_org

Report by Anusha Vasudeva