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This second-hand fashion scene The UAE business continues to expand with the arrival of two new ventures, Thrifter and Les Spot.
They join the ranks of established thrift and antique stores.
Catering to fashionistas who crave something unique and know their Balmain from their Belstaff, these additions mean there are plenty of places to get your vintage essentials.
Many shoppers are concerned about the environmental cost of fashion — especially Fast Fashion — More and more people are choosing to shop more responsibly. Also, in a fashion-conscious city like Dubai, buying antiques can eliminate the risk of saving and saving money for fine pieces just to party and see other people look exactly the same.
Old-fashioned luxuries are often available at rock-bottom prices, making them not only easier in the pocket, but also friendlier to the planet. Plus, as the hippest people in town know, the key to creating a statement look is folding a one-of-a-kind vintage piece into an outfit that ideally mixes high- and low-priced pieces.
Here, we’ve rounded up the best places to source high-end, mid-priced and cheap low-priced fashion across the UAE.
thrifty
Thrifter launched in the UAE on Sunday. Dubbed a “thrift shop,” the store sells out-of-season stock and teddy bear keychains starting at just AED5 ($1.36).
Despite just opening, Thrifter has received a flurry of positive comments on Instagram as it looks to bridge the gap between the quirky and the coveted, offering everything from decorative iPhone cases to miniature Superman bags.
Clearly designed to offer unusual items, it’s worth keeping an eye on to see what drops next.
More information can be found on its Instagram page @thrifter.uae
Attractions
Hidden in a villa in Dubai’s Al Wasl is Les Spot, a treasure trove curated by Hunoof Hamad. With over 12 years of experience in the fashion industry, Hamad uses her instincts to pick the best pieces.
Les Spot, which opened in May, capitalized on Hamad’s love of the 1990s, filled with vintage pieces like Dolce & Gabbana’s bright-pink zebra-print trousers, Ed Hardy jeans, and even knee-high studded Chanel boots. Like all good vintage stores, this is an eclectic and glamorous collection filled with pieces you won’t find anywhere else in the country.
More information can be found on its Instagram page @lesspot.ae
Wardrobe
Garderobe is a long-established Dubai store located in a charming villa on Jumeirah Beach Road in Dubai. Its online store is stocked with a huge assortment of second-hand luxury goods, neatly arranged into brands to speed up the search process.
Given its solid reputation, customers know they get their money’s worth. It sells gems like the Dolce & Gabbana Devotion tote in dark pink velvet for Dh2,718 ($740).
Garderobe also offers a handy online store editing tool, which lists items under headings such as “Luxury under AED 2,000”, as well as items from the wardrobes of well-dressed faces in Dubai, such as Dinz Sisters
More information can be found at www.garderobe.ae
closet
Since 2010, The Closet has focused on high-end bags, shoes, jewelry, accessories and what it describes as “true second-hand designer luxury.” Reputable, long-established and with a reliable verification process, customers can be sure that branded merchandise is genuine. Plus, both like and consignment shoppers can buy items at hard-to-beat prices.
While consignment stock isn’t strictly a vintage, as it’s usually only a season or two, and is sold on behalf of the owner, who typically makes a cut, it’s usually available in a variety of sizes and should appeal to more A wide range of crowd shoppers.
For fans of designer fashion, The Closet has collections from brands like Bottega Veneta, Hermes and Chanel. The site is divided into three sections: UAE, Egypt and Rest of the World, and ships worldwide, but buyers are advised to check where beforehand.
To make it more clear to shoppers, each item comes with a description outlining whether the item comes with a box, dust bag, or both.
More information can be found at www.theclosetonlineshop.com
luxury wardrobe
Luxury Closet in Al Barsha, Dubai is another gold mine, with a huge collection of men’s and women’s, divided into easy-to-use sections, including a section for exquisite understated clothing.
Pieces from Gucci x Balenciaga, Dior, Chanel and Hermes appear alongside watches from Rolex, Bulgari and Patek Philippe, each carefully verified to adhere to its “Pre-Owned, Authentic, Sustainable, Circular” guidelines.
The cheques provide peace of mind for shoppers looking to buy expensive items, such as the Hermes Bleu Hydra Clemence Birkin 25 tote for AED 92,116 ($25,078).
The sale section does mean you can pick up some pretty cheap stuff, with the Saint Laurent Paris Leather Cassandre Flap Shoulder Bag on sale for AED 3,000 ($820), down from AED 8,285 ($2,255). The original retail price was close to AED 10,500 ($2,858). The Luxury Closet also offers installments for purchases above AED 1,000 ($272).
More information can be found at www.theluxurycloset.com
restate
Retold has opened a new store in Warehouse 11, Al Quoz, a boutique blend of high street and high fashion, in addition to branches in Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Al Ghurair Centre. With more than 6,000 pieces in stock – with more added every week – keep an eye out until the perfect piece emerges.
The store has an easy-to-navigate website with just a drop-down bar, and everything is divided into simple, self-explanatory sections. The only downside to the site is that it doesn’t reorder images when pieces are sold, so sometimes users have to scroll through what’s sold to find what’s available.
While frustrating for some, there are some truly lovely pieces for those who persevere.
More information can be found at www.shopretold.com
fashion replay
Fashion Rerun is a site for vintage, vintage and frugal clothing for men, women and kids. Perfect for basics like simple tops and T-shirts, this is the best place to shop for wardrobe essentials at low prices.
The site provides information on sizes, brands and costs, with many items priced between Dh20 and Dh40.
Provide information under each image such as size (often in multiple systems), brand (if known) plus price, and many items priced between 20 and 40 dirhams, there are plenty of bargains available .
Offering new and used items, its retro section has a good selection of cheap t-shirts.
More information can be found at www.fashionrerun.com
Youkai Youkai Store
On the other side of the scale is the beloved ok ok shop Scattered around Hamdan Street in Abu Dhabi and Satwa and Deira in Dubai.
These all sell second-hand clothing for men, women and children, priced between Dh5 and Dh20. The name comes from Tagalog, which forms the basis of the Filipino language, which roughly translates to “digging.” And, that’s exactly what a visit entails – digging through bins full of second-hand clothes.
With endless floor-to-ceiling clothes racks and piles of clothes on the floor, ukay ukay store is not for the faint of heart. But if you like unexpected thrills and don’t mind diving with your hands, they’re a lot of fun.
Bargaining is practically mandatory and those who are ready to haggle can get things for as little as Dh1. Fresh stock arrives regularly, so delving into stacking can become a weekly routine.
A version of this article was first published in June 2020
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