The Nitty Gritty is a used clothing shop and costume rental store located on a Popular row of shops and bars off Barret Ave in Lousiville, Kentucky. I went shopping a few weeks back with my 5 girls and some friends when we stopped into this shop. The building walking in will Give you big time nostalgia vibes. Lots of oldest clothing styles and vintage items to browse in this two level shop. The men's department is upstairs and the costume rental area is in the very rear. When back there be sure to look in the rafters for some old school child terrorizing animal mascot heads that are fun to check out. On our trip here my oldest found a 50s retro looking swim suit that she fell in love with. It was reasonably priced so we made the purchase. Overall a pretty cool shop that was fun to browse and brought a blast from the past feeling for me personally. Only strange thing was there was rack with an old uofl mascot hoodie my second oldest wanted but it wasn't priced yet so they simply said "not for sale". read more

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We found this place on yelp and decided to stop by. We parked on the street. This is a two story building. The things they have in here are very unique. They also rent tuxedos and costumes. Very organized store. I purchased some stuff for my teenager. They had a lot of unique stuff. Reasonable priced. Overall had a good experience. read more

I've noticed this shop before but didn't get the chance to stop in until today. It's a second-hand shop with lots of vintage stuff! You can even rent costumes here! Yay! I was impressed with the selection of stuff. They grouped stuff by years: 50s, 60s, 70s, etc. You can find all kinds of things here! Leather pants, Christmas sweaters, masquerade stuff, jewelry, shoes, wigs, Mascot heads, and more. They've got women's stuff downstairs and men's upstairs. You can also find kids stuff upstairs. I didn't feel like prices were all that bad. Some stuff seemed expensive and some stuff seemed cheap. It just depends. The staff member was super nice and helpful. You can also try stuff on if you need to. read more

The Nitty Gritty - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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I love shopping at the Nitty Gritty they are one of my favorite vintage shops in Louisville! They have a great selection and variety. I love that you can rent costumes when needed. They also have vintage jewelry, purses, household items and others. I took my friend here and we just loved looking around and shopping their inventory. They have fittings rooms if necessary and everything is fairly priced, friendly staff and just a great vibe from the moment you walk in. read more

Almost 20 years since opening Nitty Gritty continues to offer unique finds by the decades, including costume rentals. The first floor is women's and second floor is men's. The bulk of the items are clothing but the store also offers accessories, shoes, purses, hats, suitcases, travel bags, kitchen decor and home decor. A few Playboys are even tucked away on the shelf. The items are fun and in good shape. Most are fairly priced especially for something unique. Just looking at things took me way back and made me smile. My only issue is the women's clothing is mainly small and medium, which I am not. I'd assume this is the same for costumes. So, not a good place for me personally but I have to give the store credit for what it offers to others. read more

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The store is very cute and has a great selection, but the best part was the owner! She was incredibly sweet and helpful! I rented a dress for New Year's Eve even though I'm from out of town, and instead of charging me a fee or having me put down an extra deposit she just made sure I had a little extra time to mail the dress back! Definitely worth a visit whether you're from Louisville or not! read more

Wow, talk about an impressive selection of legit vintage. For a small store, the Nitty Gritty packs a lot into it. I would identify this place more as vintage than thrift, as the prices will reflect the decades-old clothing that is still in great quality. You can find fur coats, handbags, and the coolest part are the costumes in the back. They have them organized by decade, and they are much nicer than the cheesy costumes you can buy at the Halloween stores! They do have an upstairs as well! Sadly they do not allow 'Big Ass Bags" as the sign says (and I get why,) and I had one. I believe they have more of a men's selection up there. The Nitty Gritty is a fun place to check out! read more

My teenaged son wanted clothes for Christmas and had never been thrift shopping, so we made a day of it and went to several stores to buy his new "wardrobe." Nitty Gritty was by far the most thoughtfully curated of the stores we went to - but also the most expensive. As we perused the men's section upstairs, we noticed that several items were well above the budget we had set in place. That being said, the quality of nearly all of the items was above average. This is a true vintage store - not one where you will find used clothes bought from Target four years ago (not that there is anything wrong with that either). After about half an hour, he settled on a pair of $30 snowboarding pants that normally sells, from what our internet search revealed, for well over $150, so even though there was some initial sticker shock, the pants were well worth it. He also procured a very vintage sweater vest for $12 which he is insistent he will pair somehow with the pants - I'm looking forward to seeing this outfit. At any rate, I highly recommend this store for the true vintage connoisseur - someone who is looking for well made, lasting pieces and is willing to pay the higher prices for quality. This store has been around for ages and now I understand why: it is a walk back into time. The staff is friendly and helpful, too, which is always a plus, and parking was not an issue, though I had worried it might be. read more

Nitty Gritty has become the go-to place if you are looking for a specific genre of vintage clothes. 70s disco? 80s glam? Square dancer? Flapper girl? Poodle skirt? And just plain hipster vintage awesomeness? The Nitty Gritty has the nitty gritty -- I see what they did there -- of putting your desired look together. And it's not just for the ladies. The Nitty Gritty keeps the fellas in mind as well. Plus, I'm very excited that they are doing more with costume rentals, having recently acquired several outfits from another costume shop that went out of business. I was in need of a circus ringleader outfit for an event -- ya know, as one does from time to time. The owner was able to outfit me with a glittery gold top hat and a red marching band jacket that adequately served double-duty. And since these pieces are truly vintage, that means they weren't the cheap, polyester, likely highly flammable items that you get if you go to a new costume store. I paid about $35 for a one day rental, which didn't break the bank. Nitty Gritty also has vintage pieces that you can buy. I've perused from time to time. The only negative I've found is that it can be hard to find items in anything but size small, but I know this is difficult with vintage pieces in general. And the owner and staff have always been the epitome of helpful and kind, taking time to go through pieces with you and search for just the right piece. Nitty Gritty is impeccably clean and organized, making it easy to peruse all that they have for a particular look or time period, and has accessories, shoes, costume bits (like gloves and ties) and other goodies mixed in. Whether you want to buy or just browse, Nitty Gritty is a fun trip to make. read more

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Oh no. I have just discovered my new favorite place to spend money. And it's only a block from my house. I am in trouble! I have driven past Nitty Gritty countless times, and have always admired their funky signage and vintage clothing their mannequins sport in the display window. What finally made me stop in was the perfect green '60s women's jacket and skirt that I have been looking for for YEARS. The ladies were super helpful in finding everything I needed to complete my outfit, and I even found more accessories and knick knacks I couldn't leave without! Nitty Gritty even has clothing rentals and offers tailoring in-house. They have everything really well organized and seemed eager to help me find just what I needed. If you're looking for it, I'm sure you'll find it at Nitty Gritty! read more

Outstanding shop. Looking for Derby attire for my wife. Great selection, staff, location, vibe.

This store is so cool! The quality of items are very high. And talk about taking a trip down memory lane! I loved it they had vintage Kmart sweaters with the original tags still on them. They had fashion as far back as the 50s from what I could see up through the 80s and 90s. You can rent costumes. We spent so much time there. I wish I lived closer. Or maybe I don't because I would go broke. read more

unique and fun. I can always find something special to fall in love with here! Just go in and look... you will find a unicorn.

Itty Bitty Nitty Gritty Kitty greeted us upon entry. Yes, that really is the cats name and he is adorable. I must agree, this is by far the best vintage store I have ever had the pleasure to shop at. Everything is well kept, carefully taken care of and they even put the decade on the tags so you know what era the items are from. The staff? Incredibly nice. The clothing? TO DIE FOR. Is just all good. One 60's Asian inspired form fitting Kimono later and my daughter was in 7th heaven. May I add that it was there just for her?? It had to be. She has has a difficult body to find anything for because her waist is teeny tiny and this fit so perfect it was just, well, right. Great shop! read more

It's always fun to browse and the sometimes wonderful, sometimes awful but always interesting mix of vintage clothing, accessories and other odds and ends. Most are for sale but a few are costumes to rent. The prices are a little high but that's not unexpected for Louisville's premier vintage store. The amazing mural on the outside of the store is well worth a visit on its own. read more

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This place is amazing. The owner, TERRY, spent over an hour with me helping me pick out just the right costume for my hubby and I for a Halloween party. She let me try on a dozen outfits and helped me pair them with matching outfits for him. Huge inventory of items available for purchase or rental. Last year we were Scarlett and Rhett, this year we are Kenny and Dolly. Love this place! read more

This is the place to go when you need a unique party costume or just want to go vintage shopping! Nitty Gritty has everything you would ever dream when it comes to all things vintage! The clothes and accessories they sell are all in great shape and are all unique! The staff is also extremely kind and helpful. This is definitely an amazing and fun place to go! The store is clean and organized, with many fun and cool stuff. I definitely recommend shopping here! read more

We wandered into this place during a trip to Louisville, mostly thanks to the reviews. This is the best vintage store I've ever been to, and one of the best consignment shops as well. I LOVE how well organized each section is, as well as the labeling of the decades on the tags of every piece. I swear I wasn't planning on buying anything, and walked out with a top from the 50's, all leather handbag from the 70's, and wool blazer from the 80's for just $60. I had to stop myself from getting hats, jewelry, skirts, and so many other things I was eyeing. The staff was very helpful and started a dressing room right away for me, and also taught us a bit about costume jewelry. Fyi: they have a room for nick nacks and women's sale items upstairs, along with a good selection of male clothing. read more

I love shipping at vintage shops but I would pass on this one. The selection is okay, and the pricing is kind of on the higher end. I've gone a few times over the years, and whenever I go the owner is always very overbearing and is kind of rude. She stared me down the entire time I was in there, and it just made me feel uncomfortable to be shopping there. read more

I went in to see the owner, Terri to show her some vintage jewelry to sell. I had several, heavy bags of which it took me hours to sort. My greeting from her was less than friendly. She turned up her nose at my jewelry and said things, like oh no and really insulted me with rude remarks. I originally told her I wanted to sell the whole lot. She wouldn't even look at anything beyond a few pieces. That was rude in itself. I told her there was some really nice pieces in the bags, but she was not interested. It's okay not to be interested but I didn't take my time and energy just to get insulted! Truthfully, I looked in her store and didn't find her pieces were all that great. I appreciated her time and it would have been nice if she would have shown me a little respect. read more

When I walk into The Nitty Gritty I am transported to a different time. A time somewhere between the 1930's and 1980's and it's all a magical adventure. I love finding unique pieces that express my personality and The Nitty Gritty has some great items from vintage dresses to boots and hats. Not to mention this place is a Highlands/Germantown staple. Looking for a flapper dress complete with feathers and a headband? They have it! Going to an 80's concert and want to wear a rockin' off shoulder top and flashy skirt? Yep- they have it. In love with the 70's free-spirited hippie look? Well, you are in luck! Guys- there is are unique items for you here too. Don't be shy. I recently have been on a mission to find the perfect pair of vintage cowgirl boots and I keep stopping back by "The Gritty" as I like to call it because I know in my heart they will eventually show up here. My most recent favorite purchase was a sequin headband with gorgeous feathers to complete a prohibition era Derby look. $10 well spent! They do have a few items that are new- including lots of pearls and boas. I still want to stop in one day when I have lots of time and do a movie montage fashion show. read more

This is for the bros... Hey bros, what's up? Say, you know how you dig on vintage clothing, but the vintage clothing industry doesn't recognize that our kind (bros) exist. Like, you go into a shop, and there's mad chick clothing everywhere. And, I mean, that's cool. Chicks rule. But not all bros can do the floral dress, ya know. I guess it's because bros don't care about how they look. Supply and demand lolz. Nitty Gritty blew my mind. On the first floor, everything is status quo. There's a lot of cool decorative pieces and jewelry, and of course, womens apparel. As a bro, that's cool, whatever. But then I saw the sign that said "Mens Upstairs." I was prepared to behold the tiny closet that will have may 10 or 12 pieces of mens apparel that most vintage shops have. And I went upstairs. Holy. Shit. There's an entire floor of mens vintage clothing. GOOD mens vintage clothing. Jackets, polyester, western, shoes, hats, ties, random what-nots, et al. The prices are a little higher than other vintage stores, but the trade-off is that everything they sell is in very good condition, and all of it is pretty cool. You don't have to sort and sift through the crap, it's all in pristine condition. I was really, really impressed. Nitty Gritty and Retro-Fit on Oak St. (they don't have a Yelp profile so I'll give them a shout-out here) are hands-down the best in retro kitsch and vintage wears in Louisville. read more

I have been going to Nitty Gritty since I was in high school and it is definitely the best vintage clothing store I have ever been to. I have checked out a couple of vintage clothing stores in New York and Chicago but the prices were completely outrageous compared to Nitty Gritty and the selections were not even comparable. Nitty Gritty is the only place my boyfriend has ever been able to find vintage clothes as well. read more

Yes! Yes! Yes! When we walked into this place, my face lit up. It's filled with amazing, vintage items. Of course my immediate thought was that stuff this cool cannot be affordable.. but, guess what, it is! I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the price tags, completely reasonable, especially for the quality. There are 2 floors filled with items for purchase and items for rent. The two women working the store (owners, I think) are friendly and more than accommodating. Unfortunately, we were there on a time limit, but I cannot wait to go back. If I lived in Louisville, let me tell ya, I would be shopping here daily. read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE! I love this place, I read other reviews and kept this place in mind to visiting. I stopped in with only 15 minutes to spare and that was a mistake. I never even made it to the upstairs that houses all the male vintage pieces. My clothing style is unique signature pieces and believe me I will find all the accessory and clothing pieces here I need. Like other reviewers I can also see my wheels turning for costume ideas. I thought it was great they even had a plus size section, since let's face it we use to eat less and be skinnier. The plus size selection wasn't too extensive, but it was still there. The very nice clerks also noted that the more you come back the better selection you will find. I made my boyfriend, who dragged me out of the store, promise to bring me back. I will have you adorable hat and muff, I will have you! read more

Awesome store and very friendly owner. If I lived here I'd be in every week! Be sure to check the upstairs sale room.

This is a really great shop, both for vintage clothing and for costume pieces. The store has a pretty extensive selection, including some men's clothes, which can be harder to find (men's clothes, I mean). You'll also find a variety of accessories to go with your new-to-you garb. As other reviewers have mentioned, the staff and the kitty-in-residence are friendly and welcoming. I'm not comfortable issuing a full five stars because I'm no vintage clothing connoisseur so I can't really speak to how it may compare to other places in terms of price or selection. Honestly, I rarely buy vintage clothing because I am worried about getting it altered for my body type. However, I did find a beautiful scarlet-colored 40s sweater suit that fits perfectly. I've worn it a few times and consistently receive compliments. So thanks, Nitty Gritty! read more

WOH! This just might be the best thrift store I've ever laid witness to. I was in search of a hat (and was convinced I would never find the EXACT hat I was looking for) and asked the owner of a local wine bar (Jenicca's. Great place, sadly is closing) where I might look. She suggested the Nitty Gritty. Not only did I find my hat IMMEDIATELY upon entering, but I also found several new articles of clothing! Authentic vintage garb and very reasonable prices. They also have a MEN'S FLOOR! Noone ever has clothing for guys, but they have a whole floor! They also have costume jewelry, random hats, buttons, belt buckles, shoes (including platforms), a few costumes, leg warmers, funky socks................ and a cat. (I'm very allergic to cats, and am just fine with the clothes I bought. They keep h(im/er) clean. There was a great lady working there, she may very well own the place. Super nice. We parked on the street, but discovered parking in back after we left. Yes! read more

I love the clothes they sell here! If you're looking for genuine vintage THIS IS THE PLACE!! They have clothes from every decade you could imagine. It's a neat, clean building, with a friendly staff and a laid back atmosphere. Things are reasonably priced. I go here often and I've never had a problem with anything. read more

The Nitty Gritty - A gorgeous dress I bought 4 years ago at the Nitty Gritty, I got it for $10 and I love it - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Possibly the best vintage store I've ever set foot in. Even though it was close to closing time, we were welcomed in and thanks to the good organization of inventory, I found exactly what I was looking for without any trouble. I will definitely be back. read more

NItty Gritty is an awesome vintage clothing resource. Terri (the awesome owner) carries a wide variety of eras--I think I've seen something as early as 1920s, and as late as the 1970's. I always seem to find something here because of the variety. One of the ladies who works there also does sewing, so you might find a one-of-a-kind bag or some damaged vintage piece that has been repurposed and made into something else. I like that Terri carries a few brand new staples as well: old fashioned stockings and a variety of fishnets in colors. Upstairs with the mens stuff, there is also a bit of ephemera for the home. This is a MUST for all vintage clothing shop junkies! read more

This place is just downright cool. Rows of cool styles, separated by era. Lots of neat art everywhere. A whole men's section upstairs. I love vintage, and this is my first stop for clothing in Louisville! read more

The Nitty Gritty may be the best vintage store I've been to, which makes it even better for me since I live here and don't have to travel far to get to it. The owner carries authentic vintage clothing in addition to shoes, jewelry and hats. New hosiery that complements the vintage clothing is also sold. The ladies who work there are super accommodating and helpful. read more

Have been frequenting since I was maybe 10-12. Had been always been wary about professionalism and friendliness level of staff, but this past time frequenting did it for me. Im such a Karen writing a review like this but it shocked me the rudeness I encountered. Have spoken with multiple people about similar experiences, I would be aware. read more

Hands down, the best vintage store in Louisville and maybe the world! The staff is great and super nice. The clothes are a great variety from every decade. Men, women, home decor, costumes, shoes. They have everything. The prices are great and very reasonable. Don't forget to visit the rough rack upstairs. It's a rack with stuff that needs some small fixing but the price is marked down a lot. They also sell a lot of handmade items and play great music for the best shopping experience. GO VINTAGE! read more

Don´t buy here if you want good services. I bought faulty stuff (could happen)  But : nothing happened, only an ominous man in the background cares ...haha. Don´t buy here! Goods sent back, since no more answers. FU. read more

Awesomely great place. Owner was very friendly and helpful. I liked the fact that I could rent an entire outfit for a 70's party. I was allowed to try on the outfit to make sure everything fit properly. read more

The Nitty Gritty is such a fun and eclectic store. From vintage clothing, hats, shoes and jewelry to random vintage items you are bound to find something that meets your eye. This is the largest vintage clothing selection in Louisville. The first floor has women's clothing and accessories while the second floor has costumes, men's clothing and housewares. This, along with Elizabeth's Timeless Attire, are my favorite vintage stores in town. read more

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I'm a big fan of vintage and small shops. I hate shopping here. The owner always treats me as if I'm on the brink of shoplifting. She stares me down and practically follows me around the store. Very unfriendly. Most of the clothes are ridiculous and costumey. Who is in the market for a really expensive, corny vintage costume? I don't know how it stays in business. read more

after going to that other vintage store, i really wasn't expecting much but this place raised the bar much higher. the prices are way more reasonable than queen of rags and they also had real vintage clothing items (not stuff from target and forever 21). i bought a lovely blouse for $14 and an octopus necklace for $20 (not vintage) that i'm in love with. there's also stuff for men which was great for my bf who hates to go shopping with me. this time, he was able to go browse in the men's section upstairs for manly stuff. this place also had a housewares section that had a bunch of cute vintage glass tumblers and other knick knacks. read more