Where to buy vintage clothes in Camden, and what to pay

Open daily, roughly 10:00 to 18:00, and cash or card in your pocket. Camden Market is open seven days a week including bank holidays, according to Visit London, though individual traders keep their own hours and some close earlier in winter. Go in daylight and go before the weekend crowds if you want room to flick through a rail.

The plan is simple: do the Stables Market on Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AH, first, then walk back down Camden High Street for the two shops that are not in the market.

The Stables Market

Camden Market has its own vintage route, and it runs in a sensible order. Follow it and you will not double back.

Saddle Row: The Vintage Collection

Camden Market lists The Vintage Collection on Saddle Row in the Stables, and describes it as stocking non-worn vintage from the 1930s to the 1990s for men, women and children. Fringed jackets, cowboy shirts and retro band tees are the named lines. Its Facebook page says the focus is 1930s to 1970s clothing, with a smaller run of 1980s and 1990s skate, rock and hip hop pieces. If you want a band tee, this is where to start looking. It is also worth checking it is trading before you make a special trip, as listings differ on its status.

The Horse Tunnel Market: Time Tunnel Vintage

Between Camden Lock Place and the Stables Market, the Horse Tunnel Market holds Time Tunnel Vintage (unit D04). Camden Market describes it as vintage clothing backed up by 25 years of experience, and its own vintage tour recommends it. Heyvintage ranks it top of its Camden Town list. That is the one to spend the most time in if you like a proper rummage.

A few doors down: Camden Vintage

Camden Vintage is a few doors from Time Tunnel, in the Horse Tunnels (units D10 to D12). Camden Market describes vintage designer labels behind a big neon sign over the door: Burberry trench coats, Barbour jackets and original Ray-Bans. This is the pricier end of the market, so go for one good coat rather than a bagful.

Also in the Stables

• Vintage Planet, in the Stables Market, is described as affordable everyday vintage by the third-party site camdenmarkets.uk and is on Camden Market’s vintage tour.
• Collectif, a two-floor store in the Stables, started as a Camden Market stall in 2000. It sells retro-style womenswear, accessories and shoes. Be clear on what you are buying: this is vintage-style, not true vintage, which is fine if you want the look without the age.

Camden Market’s directory also lists Goldsmith Vintage for vintage jackets, Mina’s Gems for vintage silver and piercing jewellery, Oi Oi The Shop for punk and skinhead clothing and HanginOut for Japanese vintage. Have a look if you are passing, but they are not where we would start.

Camden High Street

Rokit, 225 Camden High Street, NW1 7BU

Rokit is open Monday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, according to its own store page. Camden is where the brand began: its own X post calls this its first shop and its smallest, and London x London says it started as a Camden Market stall in the 1980s. Thatsup, Time Out’s sister site, says it stocks classic vintage from the 1940s to the 2000s, designer and non-designer. One blogger rates the Levi’s and the upstairs sale room. An older Yelp review called it poor value, with £40 to £50 for a worn coat. Our advice: head straight for the sale room and the denim, and put things back if the tag feels cheeky.

TRAID, 154 Camden High Street, NW1 0NE

TRAID is open Monday to Saturday 11:00 to 19:00 and Sunday and bank holidays 12:00 to 18:00, according to its own site. It is a charity shop: TRAID funds projects tackling exploitation in the global textile supply chain. The Charity Retail Association lists it as a vintage and retro store. We have no firm price level for it, but charity shop rails are usually the place to look when you want to spend little. Check the tags and pay attention to condition.

What a fair price looks like

Treat these as rough guides rather than price lists. The third-party site camdenmarkets.uk says Camden Market vintage runs from around £15 for T-shirts to £200 or more for designer archive pieces, and describes that as below original retail.

• Plain tees and simple pieces: around £15 is a sensible starting point.
• Branded denim and jackets: expect more, and expect to look at condition. A worn coat at £40 to £50 drew a grumble in one Rokit review, so use that as a ceiling for tired stock.
• Designer labels: £200 and up is normal for archive pieces. At Camden Vintage, ask about condition and labels before you commit.
• Original band tees: rare ones are the priciest. Only Camden has previously put original 1970s tour shirts at £100 to £300.

Condition, brand and how rare the band or label is drive the price. Check seams, armpits and any print cracking, and ask if the piece is worn or non-worn. If a stall will not say, walk on.

The route

Start at Saddle Row, drop into the Horse Tunnel Market, then walk out to Camden High Street for Rokit and TRAID. Leave room in the day for lunch on Chalk Farm Road. The Stables is the best bit, Rokit is the safest bet for denim, and TRAID is for the patient.

Sources: Camden Market vintage tour, Rokit stores, TRAID, Visit London.