Before I moved to London by myself, I lived in Birmingham with my family where I was born, raised and grew up. I think Birmingham is definitely the place that molded me as a person. It made me become a smart person with money as there wasn't really places around that sold designer clothes and you could always find a bargain (which is probably where I've learnt never to spend more than £20 on anything). It also deeply affected the way that I dressed and still dress. You're constantly surrounded by vintage stores and charity shops so that's where I spent most of my time as a teenager.
As I've been living in London for almost 2 years now, I have more of a perspective of which vintage stores are great and which ones are shitty. So, here is my list of the best vintage stores in Birmingham.
COW Vintage.
Cow has been one of my favourite and go-to stores since I was about 15 years old. Not only do they vintage clothing but they also rework their clothing (much like the Urban Outfitters - Urban Renewal). They create unique, quirky and indie clothing for both men and women and also include jewelry and accessories.
Although their prices have gone up slightly over the years, they are definitely very well priced considering the quality and pieces that they sell. They feature a lot of Ralph Lauren and Levi for ridiculously good prices and always add a modern edge to them.
Not only is their quality and contents good but the shop as a whole is a great vibe to shop in. Cow is the shop where my 17 year old self first heard ALT-J's first album playing and became obsessed. The store is based in a warehouse and filled with quirky decorations and great storage utilities.
Cow is a great all around place. Based in Digbeth you'll find it to be the perfect place to shop if that is your style. They also host 'student lock ins' where there are DJ's, free drinks and great discounts. If you don't live near though, they have an online website (which I feel doesn't do the shop justice) and there are other stores in Manchester and I believe Sheffield and London.
Oasis.
I haven't actually been to Oasis since I've moved to London but I feel like it is definitely still there. Imagine a Camden Market stuffed into a fairly big 3 leveled floor and you have Oasis. They supply everything you need, from tattoo and piercing rooms to clothing and even a phone fixing stall.
This place is definitely a good place to venture round, especially if you're in the market for a cheap harrington jacket. Check on the website to find the address.
Custard Factory.
The Custard Factory in general is a great place to visit. It holds a certain modern/industrial/hipster element that is just nice to be surrounded by. Whilst the building mostly serves art exhibitions and has various cafes and even a theatre, the place also has great shops. These stores (from what I'm aware) change very frequently; the place is known as the 'creative quarter' and I think small businesses start out there and then develop from there onto different and bigger stores.
The kind of stores that are there are music stores, magazine stores, thrifty homeware, clothing stores and other quirky stores come and go. So if you're ever in the mood to buy some vinyls, pick up a Ralph Lauren shirt and then read a copy of Cereal Magazine then I guess this is the place for you.
Urban Village.
The Urban Village is on the corner of the custard factory and is a shop that sells vintage clothing, vinyls and homeware. If you're lucky, you can even grab a copy of Vice Magazine from there for free (it's the only place in Birmingham I know that stocks it).
The shop is very cosy and unlike Cow that reworks their clothing, Urban Village just sell vintage clothing such as Doc Martens, Adidas and Ralph Lauren.
Digbeth.
Digbeth in general is where most the aforementioned shops are located but what's best about digbeth is the vintage fairs that come to town almost every month. These vintage fairs include not only clothing but cars, scooters and homeware. There is always something go on around there and you'll always find a good piece or bargain.
The Back of China Town.
Not a specific store but behind China Town there are some great indie vibe bars and stores. I always manage to find cute music stores or book stores around there where you can pick up vinyls for 10p! There are always new vintage shops for me to find behind CT and they always have great pieces, even if it's just vintage collectables.
Walsall.
Whilst Walsall isn't in Birmingham, it's only a 30 minute or so train journey or a quick drive. One of the only reasons I go to Walsall these days (besides having to get my extensions from there) is to go visit the vintage clothing and homeware shops. Just by the new Asda by the market place, there is a whole street of shops that specialise in vintage things and you can often find a good pair of Doc Martens in them too!
Mine and my sisters most favourite place is the homeware shop though, where the shop is literally filled from top to bottom with hoarded goodies! Sometimes dirt cheap and other times reasonably priced, you'll always find a good statement piece in there (unfortunately I forgot the name but it's the only homeware place on the street and you can't miss it)
As I've been living in London for almost 2 years now, I have more of a perspective of which vintage stores are great and which ones are shitty. So, here is my list of the best vintage stores in Birmingham.
COW Vintage.
Cow has been one of my favourite and go-to stores since I was about 15 years old. Not only do they vintage clothing but they also rework their clothing (much like the Urban Outfitters - Urban Renewal). They create unique, quirky and indie clothing for both men and women and also include jewelry and accessories.
Although their prices have gone up slightly over the years, they are definitely very well priced considering the quality and pieces that they sell. They feature a lot of Ralph Lauren and Levi for ridiculously good prices and always add a modern edge to them.
Not only is their quality and contents good but the shop as a whole is a great vibe to shop in. Cow is the shop where my 17 year old self first heard ALT-J's first album playing and became obsessed. The store is based in a warehouse and filled with quirky decorations and great storage utilities.
Cow is a great all around place. Based in Digbeth you'll find it to be the perfect place to shop if that is your style. They also host 'student lock ins' where there are DJ's, free drinks and great discounts. If you don't live near though, they have an online website (which I feel doesn't do the shop justice) and there are other stores in Manchester and I believe Sheffield and London.
Oasis.
I haven't actually been to Oasis since I've moved to London but I feel like it is definitely still there. Imagine a Camden Market stuffed into a fairly big 3 leveled floor and you have Oasis. They supply everything you need, from tattoo and piercing rooms to clothing and even a phone fixing stall.
This place is definitely a good place to venture round, especially if you're in the market for a cheap harrington jacket. Check on the website to find the address.
Custard Factory.
The Custard Factory in general is a great place to visit. It holds a certain modern/industrial/hipster element that is just nice to be surrounded by. Whilst the building mostly serves art exhibitions and has various cafes and even a theatre, the place also has great shops. These stores (from what I'm aware) change very frequently; the place is known as the 'creative quarter' and I think small businesses start out there and then develop from there onto different and bigger stores.
The kind of stores that are there are music stores, magazine stores, thrifty homeware, clothing stores and other quirky stores come and go. So if you're ever in the mood to buy some vinyls, pick up a Ralph Lauren shirt and then read a copy of Cereal Magazine then I guess this is the place for you.
Urban Village.
The Urban Village is on the corner of the custard factory and is a shop that sells vintage clothing, vinyls and homeware. If you're lucky, you can even grab a copy of Vice Magazine from there for free (it's the only place in Birmingham I know that stocks it).
The shop is very cosy and unlike Cow that reworks their clothing, Urban Village just sell vintage clothing such as Doc Martens, Adidas and Ralph Lauren.
Digbeth.
Digbeth in general is where most the aforementioned shops are located but what's best about digbeth is the vintage fairs that come to town almost every month. These vintage fairs include not only clothing but cars, scooters and homeware. There is always something go on around there and you'll always find a good piece or bargain.
The Back of China Town.
Not a specific store but behind China Town there are some great indie vibe bars and stores. I always manage to find cute music stores or book stores around there where you can pick up vinyls for 10p! There are always new vintage shops for me to find behind CT and they always have great pieces, even if it's just vintage collectables.
Walsall.
Whilst Walsall isn't in Birmingham, it's only a 30 minute or so train journey or a quick drive. One of the only reasons I go to Walsall these days (besides having to get my extensions from there) is to go visit the vintage clothing and homeware shops. Just by the new Asda by the market place, there is a whole street of shops that specialise in vintage things and you can often find a good pair of Doc Martens in them too!
Mine and my sisters most favourite place is the homeware shop though, where the shop is literally filled from top to bottom with hoarded goodies! Sometimes dirt cheap and other times reasonably priced, you'll always find a good statement piece in there (unfortunately I forgot the name but it's the only homeware place on the street and you can't miss it)
