One good thing about recession - it makes second hand cool again. In a time when everyone is…read morewatching the pennies, charity and vintage shops are making a killing. This store opened up in 2009 and seems to be doing very well. I love going in for a wee hoke about and while, like at most second hands, the results are varied, I've managed to find a few little pieces amongst the rails. It is predominately clothing, but there is the odd bit of furniture which tends to be beautifully crafted dressers or wardrobes - just what you need to hold all your beautiful vintage items, right? The staff are always very welcoming, the prices are right and there's always something new to find, rather than the same old stuff you see on the high street normally. Plus, it's run by the East Belfast Mission who do a lot of good work in the poorer parts of East Belfast, engaging with young people and homeless outreach, so everyone's a winner!

'Vintage, re:use, re:style, re:store'…read more I love the idea of this shop. I hate waste and I'm always one for restyling my own clothes. This isn't just another vintage shop, it's slightly better quality than the others. They do a great job with mannequins, I'm always impressed with their window dressing skills. The clothes in the shop front was the first thing I ever noticed about the place. It's always a really good job. So kudos to whoever sets this up. Inside the store it's always laid out brilliantly, some vintage shops are a bit like TK Maxx at the best of times, you need a good few hours to sort through the jumble until you find the gem you're after, but in Vintage they've got everything in order around the shop and you can immediately find some real gems. They sell (amongst a myriad of others) trousers, skirts, dresses, shoes, jackets, formal and casual wear. Anything and everything. Paradise! Even their furniture is for sale (so pretty too!) Like most vintage shops they don't offer refunds but do offer a credit note exchange. I find this particularly handy if you don't have the time to try items on. You're always going to find something you're after anyway.

I was cutting through Wellington Street on my way to Upper Queens Street yesterday when I stumbled…read moreacross Octopus's Garden. Belfast used to be a wash with Vintage stores but over the years these have slowly become extinct so it's always good to see a new one rise from the bottom of the ocean - much like an Octopus. Octopus's Garden has many strands or arms/tentacles (may as well continue down pun street). It sells vintage clothing for both males and females, old school vinyl and various other retro artifacts. The main thing I liked about Octopus Garden was that their was a varied choice - the rails were jam packed with everything from flannel shirts, band T's to leather jackets and potentially bum cheek exposing denim hot pants. The prices were reasonable too - you often find that vintage stores inflate the prices of their stock but it seems that Octopus Garden have made a concerted effort not to extort their clientele. I was only going in for a browse but I ended up walking out with a loud shirt that has already proved a controversial choice - but that's the beauty of buying vintage items - they always divide opinion and create a talking point. I recommend popping in here for a wee duke round - you never know you might come out with your (not everyone's) new favourite shirt.

If I was trapped in the Garden of The Octo I would never have a time of misery or boredom. This is…read morethe slickest place so far and I would tell anyone who visits this city that loves music and old clothes to begin their journey here. I love this place!

Belfast gems in Belfast gem run by Belfast gem!!…read more Delightful shop run by the magical Mandy, assisted by her beautiful mother. Had a blast on my visit, picked up some gorgeous jewellery & the kinkiest shoes (which are also somehow tasteful?). Ordinarily I'm not a fan of much chat when browsing places, but the owner of Pretty Vintage is such great company, so helpful & so knowledgeable, you can't help but melt.

Place has more variety then most vintage shops in the area. However, the greatest part was the…read moreexperience with the owner. She was super friendly and helpful in finding the right piece. I love supporting local businesses and this one made my morning. I left when a peice of jewelry that I am treasure for life! Reasonable prices. Cheers!

Why have I never gone in here before? I had no idea it was so massive. As you walk in there is a…read morereally big display unit filled with jewelry - i'm assuming it's all second hand but that doesn't matter as there were some really lovely little pieces. The massive selection of earrings caught my eye with all sorts of colors and sizes and, get this, the prices started at around a pound! I'm starting to wonder why I bother paying a fortune cartain other stores when you can help charity, get a lovely piece and pay next to nothing all at one go. If you are a student and you need a desk or a decent TV for a bargain price then this seems to be the place to go. Out the back is crammed with old desks, wardrobes, tables, sofas and chairs all at very reasonable prices - now none of this stuff is modern or scratch/stain free but it is usable and functioning. A real God send if you are strapped for cash but still need a decent piece of furniture. I was really impressed with this charity shop and I will definitely be back in periodically, just to see if there is anything I can make use of in my wee house.

I love this place…read more.. It's got everything you need for moving into a new house from sofas, to chest of drawers and wardrobes. The store gets daily delieveries which means if you miss out on something be sure to take a look again the next day as something bigger and better could have arrived. A little lesson I learned the hard way is to put down a deposit if you see something you like because the items go so fast if you come back at the end of the day it will be gone. The shop is great for student houses as you can pick up bits and pieces for next to nothing and then not feel too guilty about leaving them behind when you have no room in your car when moving. As well as furniture the store does a few rails of clothing which is worth a quick look for some bargain basics.

This place was the best!! Definitely one of my favourite vintage/secondhand clothing shops to date…read more We noticed clothes plastered along the upper windows of a building and knew we had to check it out, so we eagerly followed the sign. The place is simply covered in everything you could ever want! I love finding quirky, original pieces, and it couldn't get much better than this. The man (who seemed to be the owner) was perfectly lovely, let us browse in peace and was very cheerful. He informed us that everything was half price- this was amazing considering how low the prices already were. It was overwhelming to look over everything but so much fun. We found great pieces and took our time trying them on in the spacious changing rooms. Dresses, blouses, skirts, jackets, pants, from all the various time periods. All the while, he was playing 60s hits and dancing and singing along! Adorable! He was incredibly helpful and not at all pushy- when a tunic didn't fit, he went into the storeroom to find more options. I ended up getting one of those and a gorgeous jumpsuit for a total of £7.50! He doesn't accept card but there's an ATM right across the street. I'm definitely planning my next trip to Belfast just to come back here!

This is a charity shop with a difference and frankly, was a bit of a god send to me whenever I…read morerecently moved to a new apartment that was dangerously empty when I got there. Unlike most other charity shops this one accepts and sells a lot of furniture and house hold appliances for shocking cheap prices, compared to what they would actually cost brand new. I got a full sized book case and coffee table from this place for around £45 all together which is great value, and they are in perfect condition. If your moving into a new place and need a lot of furniture for less or are just looking for a bargain, this is the place to go!

I love this charity shop, and have converted many a reluctant friend by dragging them along and…read moreleaving them to their own devices while I dive straight in among the clothes racks. They sell the standard clothes, hats, shoes, belts etc that all others do, but there's also a very wide selection of books and plenty of furniture and electrical stuff in great nick at great prices. My best bargains picked up there, apart from the many books, were a tie belt for 50p, and a full length grey Kookai coat for just eight quid. I got loads of compliments on both from other laydees who wanted to know where I'd bought them, and who were invariably disappointed when I told them. Even my mum's friends made a point of complimenting the coat, a true rarity for any item of my wardrobe. (It very nearly put me off it.) While most charity shops are of the 'call in as I go past' variety, the SVDP one is one I'd recommend getting on a bus for if you're not from the area. In fact, I think I'll take a run up there on Monday.

This isn't you're average charity shop, the idea behind Vintage Glow is to regenerate old and used…read morefurniture or up style it in girly terms. They are really on point with this idea as this seems to be a real trend gripping Belfast. I popped in on Monday and some of the items they had on offer you would expect to see in High Street shop windows, the beauty of this place is that all the furniture is reasonably priced and not only that but it will be a one off. Glow isn't just a great shop but it's also a great cause - the idea behind GLOW is that it provides women from both communities the opportunity to develop confidence and self-belief through creation and craft. The beauty of this place is that you can either purchase items that are donated to the GLOW team or you can bring in your own tattered furniture for a makeover. I would definitely pop in for a look next time you're on the Lisburn Road - you could pick up a bargain and help a good cause.

Dignity Thrift is a relatively new charity shop situated on the Antrim Road. I like charity shops,…read moreyou never know what you might find that people tend to just throw away. Some mans rubbish, is another mans treasure is the perfect cliché! The shop itself is pretty dark and drab looking inside. This is a local charity so they cannot afford doll up their shops like other major charities may do. Their merchandise is placed all over the shop in a really disorganised way, but if your looking for something specific then the volunteer ladies will always be glad to dig around for you. Despite its lay out, Dignity Thrift deserves three stars. It's trying to help people through its endeavours and shouldn't be scoffed at because they put all their money into their projects and not into new carpet.

i love fresh garbage a lot but the queue to get in is long and you have to wait 20-30 mins it's…read morebefore even getting into the shop itself, whenever you get in you can't even move because there is so little space, if you spend a lot of time in the shop you feel guilty of holding up the line outside. it's also really hard to let people past you because of the small space, you have to stand in a spot for a long time in order to let people pay and your just wasting time there. not to mention the overpriced clothing!! most are cringey as-well, most of the skirts there are around £60 and yes, are nice but wayy too pricey. good shop for alternative people but also not because there isn't a large variety. you cant even try clothes on aswell which is stupid staff are nice and will help :) i think that fresh garbage could do with an upgrade in a shop as in space because it's super hard to move around, and you cannot even look at clothes because you feel like you holding up a line or room for people to get past. bigger shop is definitely needed!! overall it's a good shop but very small. i'd say come during week days when you have the chance because it isn't as crowded.

Word of Advice; Do not under any circumstances try and go into Fresh Garbage at around 4.30pm on a…read moreFriday afternoon during term time. The reason I say this is it will be packed full of geeky emo's looking for their next quirky crazy purchase. I could not even walk into the shop to do a decent review, so I left and am now spreading what I have learnt toy the good people of Yelp.

I'd never even heard of this place until I heard about it from a fellow Yelper, and while on a trip…read moreround town I spotted it and just had to pop in. It is so aptly named, as the moment I walked in my eye was drawn to pretty things at every turn. Furs, fabric, patterns and jewellery all fight to catch your eye, and they have a good range in all sorts from the conservative to the 'out there'. As it is vintage, you won't find loads of things in your size, but if you find something you love that fits, buy it before it's gone. You'll love it and even better no one else will be wearing it.