Little Wings Factory Favourite Vintage Dress Shops in Manchester

In the UK, vintage style dresses have never been more popular. You are well aware that we at Little Wings Factory are huge fans of vintage, but only when it is done well, and here in Manchester we are so lucky to have a multitude of vintage shops to choose from. Here are our picks of some of our favourite little gems:

Cow Vintage

Cow Vintage started off life in a tiny unit opposite the bus stops in Piccadilly Gardens. It recently relocated to the trendy Northern Quarter. Its super cool interior was designed by Peter Masters (of Oi Polloi fame) and includes a slate roof inside, a wall full of cabinet doors and (our favourite bit) pink rails! The stock is usually affordable, and it has some amazing changing rooms too! There is a real focus at the moment on 90s stock as it is such a huge fashion trend, and is so linked with the city – Stone Roses, Oasis, etc.

Oxfam Originals

Oxfam Originals is aimed at Vintage shoppers with a serious vintage habit, it is not your run of the mill charity shop – if you find something here you have to have, be prepared to pay for it! Staff are super friendly and know their stuff, and they have lots of great stuff. If you visit, then take a minute to check out the window displays, these are usually humorous and quirky and should bring a smile to your face.

One of the things that Oxfam Originals do well is fifties dresses, which we are a huge fan of here at Little Wings factory. One of our favourite vintage style 50s dress is the Blooming Beautiful Verity Swing Dress –which is just perfect for summer:

                                                                           Blooming Beautiful Pink Verity Swing Dress - £42

Junk Shop

Junk Shop is anything but junk! It sells a selection of pieces made in Manchester from recycled fabrics – such as curtains and bedsheets. It is a great place to pick up unusual one of a kind items, including jewellery, and often features up and coming designers too. A little known secret as well is that sometimes they run sewing courses – anything from beginners guides, to making a prom dress, to learning how to upcycle.

Pop Boutique

Pop Boutique has a reputation for selling amazing vintage furniture and home accessories, but it did start out life as a vintage clothing store – and they still stock some amazing pieces today! As well as pure vintage pieces, they also stock pieces which have been reworked – perfect if you are not an average vintage clothing size! Be careful though, even if you go in just to browse, you are likely to come out with at least one of their amazing vintage cushions!

Affleck’s Palace

If you want different vintage options all in one place, then Affleck’s Palace is definitely the place to start! With such gems as Kuhl Vintage and Milner & Son, it is a vintage lover’s heaven. Kuhl Vintage has pieces which are handpicked, and you can sometimes even find things like swimsuits from the 1920s and beachwear from the 80s. Milner & Son has so much stuff crammed into a tiny space, and their collection of vintage shoes is unsurpassed!

So, that is a little taste of some of the places where Little Wings gets its inspiration from.