I like to get the mood of a new place via the vintage scene, and Lisbon did not disappoint. I had my list – the flea market, a bunch of vintage and pre-loved fashion shops and an antique shop that specialised in tiles. Of course, I discovered other places that made my list below, but what compelled me the most about Lisbon is the equal calibre of both vintage and local sustainable brands.
Portugal has a strong reputation for clothing and textile manufacturing. I knew it was a go-to choice for sustainable brands worldwide, so it was exciting to discover the feel of fashion designed and made in Portugal.
Exploring Feira da Ladra Flea Market in Lisbon & Sintra
I visualised carefully carrying an antique Bordallo Pinheiro plate home, but I came back with vintage and locally made souvenirs to wear instead. You might be luckier than me on the homeware front, but either way, here is a guide to help you find the unique shopping places Lisbon has to offer.
Feira da Ladra Flea Market
Campo de Santa Clara, 1100-472 Lisbon, Portugal
Open every Tuesday and Saturday
On my way to the market, I passed the Church of Saint Antonio and heard about a long tradition where, one day each June, the city helps 16 couples in financial difficulties to get married at the church. Before my morning at the market, I saw it as a good sign to learn about St Antonio, the matchmaker saint. Like searching for a love match, vintage market finds rarely tick boxes on a shopping list, but that often means you see things that you didn’t imagine. Alas, none of the Portuguese crockery fit my needs, but I carried away a beautiful vintage navy raffia bag made in Italy from one of the small shops in the middle of the market.
You never know what you might find, with items ranging from repro to secondhand and antique, but bric-a-brac, vinyl records, glassware, clothes and textiles caught my eye.
New Jester Vintage
Calçada do Carmo 59, 1200-092 Lisbon, Portugal
New Jester Vintage & wearing the coral sixties shirt I bought
Dedicated to menswear, although I found even more here than in their sister store up the street dedicated to womenswear, New Jester has a dream collection of seventies shirts in every colour, streetwear, biker jackets, and Western fashion. I bought some tops, including an antique striped cotton workwear shirt to style as a dress. It’s so soft though that I’ve just been living in it around the house.
Ás de Espadas
Calçada do Carmo 42, 1200-091 Lisbon, Portugal
As featured in Vogue internationally, at Ás de Espada (New Jester’s sister store), you can find vintage and antique bags and a lot of fashion from the sixties to the eighties. I tried on a handful of pairs of trousers that were easy to find, arranged by size and material. The winner was a pair of unashamedly eighties leather trousers.
Pop Closet
Calçada do Sacramento 48, 1200-394 Lisbon, Portugal
Pop Closet & a Kenzo skirt suit
Pop Closet is a consignment shop with fashion neatly arranged in chromatic order in a contemporary space designed with upcycled fixtures that complete the slow lifestyle ethos. I spotted new Kenzo, nineties Armani, and noughties denim during my visit.
Aq2 Vintage Store & Arquivos
Aq2 -Rua de São Bento 394
Arquívos – Rua de Santo Amaro 6A
These highly curated vintage stores specialise in fashion from the nineties and noughties, offering a wide range of pre-loved luxury accessories and unique streetwear. I enjoy their Instagram posts, where they answer questions like “Why are these pants so expensive?”, delve into the story of forgotten rare brands and share insights they’ve learnt about running a vintage shop.
I also discovered Ines Pineau’s upcycled jewellery here. Based and made in France, the brand is also stocked at Printemps in Paris. You tap to pay on the metro now, but the carnet packs of tickets that Ines has recrafted as earrings are a wearable blast from the past.
Recrafted earrings by Ines Pineau
Also, check out their newest shop, Third Thrift Store, intended to democratise their offering with pieces ranging from 2€ to 50€ at Rue de São Bento 91.
Mess Vntg
Rua de São Marçal 103, 1200-424 Lisbon, Portugal
In my final hours in the city, I followed their street sign to discover this joyful little vintage shop filled with mainly nineties fashion. Founded by Sofia dos Santos, her Instagram feed of photos, mostly shot on film, gives you a flavour of the handpicked taste behind the edit at Mess Vntg.
Solar Antiques
Rua Dom Pedro V 70, 1250-094 Lisboa, Portugal
This is a fine antiques shop with ancient pieces and decorative objects priced for collectors rather than souvenir seekers. Still, I could not resist a visit to see their extensive collection of Portuguese tiles and three-dimensional Palissy plates. Dedicated not only to rescuing heritage pieces, they also enjoy sharing their knowledge about the different influences on Portuguese history revealed across the Solar Antiques collection.
Discolecção
Calçada do Duque 53 A, 1200-156 Lisbon, Portugal
This is a vault of secondhand and rare vinyl records covering many genres, including, of course, Fado, which made a good memento after experiencing the heartfelt Portuguese music live for the first time.
+351
There are two stores in Lisbon. This is the one I visited:
Rua da Boavista 81C, 1200-068 Lisboa, Portugal
+351 shop & wearing the socks I bought
The name comes from Portugal’s dialling code and Lisbon’s city life, where you are always close to a string of Atlantic beaches, inspires the collection of unisex clothes and accessories. Organic cotton and towel-like Terry cotton complete the laidback surfer in the city vibe. After stopping at a few restaurants for small plates around Rua da Boavista, I came across the shop and left with a pair of their +351 signature socks.
EmbaiXada
Praça do Príncipe Real 26, 1250-184 Lisbon, Portugal
Familiarise yourself with mainly homegrown fashion, design, art and food in this palatial Moorish Revival building that has been sympathetically restored to include a concept store. Apart from London’s Liberty, this was the first time I had seen such a beautiful shop, so spending a few hours in EmbaiXada, which means embassy was easy. Located in the ornately decorated Ribeiro da Cunha Palace, ascending the grand staircase gave me a rush – heightened by the pleasure depicted in the paintings on the walls. The clean, conscious, contemporary fashion contrasted beautifully with the historical setting, so I really enjoyed looking at the clothes once I pulled my eyes away from the architectural elements.
I bought an organic cotton T-shirt from Fairly Normal, a sustainable menswear / unisex brand inspired by surf culture, and cream denim pieces from Benedita Formosinho. These pieces encapsulate cool, comfortable elegance—Lisbon’s vibe exactly.
©Photographs Reclaimed Woman & Iain McConnachie