Guide to Reykjavik vintage shopping

My wardrobe consists of what I like to call "story clothes" or, in other words, clothes that tell stories of where I've been. Thus, vintage/thrift stores are a must when we travel. Our friend, Unnur, a Reykjavik native and savvy second hand shopper, was kind enough to take me out on a second hand shop tour in Reykjavik when we visited Iceland last month. I asked her if she'd be interested in creating a guide for all of you because somehow it seems like a lot of you have been to Iceland, are planning on going or would like to go. She did such a thorough job and I'm so grateful for her research. I've gone ahead and added the locations into a map which you can access on Everplaces.com Thank you! Take it away Unnur!

Hlemmur is where it all begins. It is just about the easiest place to find in Iceland because all the main busses go there and every single Icelander in the whole wide world knows where it is. The Grand Central station of Reykjavík if you will.

The first, and my personal favorite, vintage shop is right across the street from Hlemmur and chock-full of goodies at the lowest prices. It may not look like much from the outside but venture in and you won't be disappointed. Fatamarkaðurinn(The Clothing Market) is a sort of side project for another vintage shop, Spúútnik, selling similar clothes at a lower price.

Kassetta (cassette tape) is only a couple of blocks down Laugavegur, the main shopping street in downtown Reykjavík. It is a small but ohh so cute half&half, selling new jeans, lomo cameras and vintage clothing among other things.

Nostalgía (Nostalgia) is as cute on the inside as it is on the outside. A truly joyful place to visit. The prices are a bit higher than the previous two places, but it is worth the visit. FIY they sell Vintage Kimonos. Something everyone should know.

Spúútnik (Sputnik) is the mother of vintage in Iceland. They have an outlet in Kringlan mall as well as a side project vintage shop, mentioned earlier in this post. The shop on Laugavegur has a great selection of women's clothing as well as the biggest selection of men's vintage clothes. 

Rokk og Rósir (Rock and Roses) has the most gorgeous dresses along with other beautiful and girly vintage things. Even though their prices are generally a little bit higher than most other vintage shops they have sales and special offers every once in a while that totally make up for it. So keep your eyes open and your wallets stocked and ready because when they offer 7 items for only 55 dollars you are going to be able to find at least 14 vintage things you can't live without.

To some "second hand" does not sound as exciting as "vintage". But let me assure you, the Red Cross second hand store on Laugavegur has an incredible selection of beautiful vintage clothing. It is one of many Red Cross stores in Reykjavík, but I am pretty sure they hand pick the clothes for this little shop. You can always find something exciting in there, and the best thing is it's generally cheaper than the other places in the area and you can usually get a discount, that is if you are a bit flirty and good at negotiating ...I highly recommend paying the full price though, because its the Red Cross for Pete's sake!

Dótturflélagið (The Daugther Company) is a cute little half&half with a lot of character. The shop might not have an overload of vintage clothing, but it has wonderful employees who are more than willing to help, inform and make you feel right at home. There is even a little wall for poloroids of mothers and daughters who visit the store together and a little kiddie corner so the kids can play while mom tries on that awesome looking vintage jacket. 

Gyllti kötturinn (The Golden Cat) is an interesting, medium sized half&half. Even thought it is a couple of blocks from the majority of the vintage shops its worth the walk. They have a mixture of new and interesting designs and vintage that fits ohh so well together. And the shoes, all those lovely shoes. 

Kolaporið (The Flea Market) deserves a post of its own. In fact thats exactly what I am going to do. Some come back to my blog for a look at the one and only Icelandic flea market.

Thank you so so much Unnur! 

Edit: I've since added these into a map for you using Everplaces. Check it out here.