Milan is known as a hub for fashion and design. Even sitting at a cafe provides inspiration. The locals strut their stuff on the sidewalks like they are catwalks. And any city with that much shopping going on is bound to have a thriving second hand clothes market. While we were in Milan, I knew that I wanted to do some second hand shopping. I had my girls tagging along with me, so they joined for some sustainable retail therapy. I did some exhaustive research to find the best thrift shops in Milan. Now I am sharing this treasure trove of treasure troves with you, along with my notes on each one.
Mercato Ortofrutticolo di Viale Papiniano
- Prices: $-$$$, bring cash
- Likely Finds: Anything from dollar store fans to designer fur coats.
- Level of Chaos: High.
- Fitting Rooms: Some vendors have an area near their van you can try things on in, but I wouldn’t count on it.
- This market is open Tuesday and Saturday from 8am-2pm. Here you will find a mix of farmer’s market and vintage market. More to the southwest is the food with fruit vendors, butchers, cheese mongers and bakers. As you move through there is a large variety of fashion vendors, from those selling cheap thrift finds to those with curated collections of designer vintage and even fashion houses that sell their own creations. Everything from hats, to dresses, to accessories, to household appliances you will find here. Also, some vendors are willing to haggle so don’t be afraid to negotiate.
Humana Vintage Milano (De Amicis)
- Prices: $
- Likely Finds: Cool vintage shirt or dress
- Level of Chaos: Mild. Organized by type of garment
- Fitting Rooms: Yes
- A short walk from the Viale Papiniano market is this lovely shop. Humana is curated but not necessarily designer second hand clothing at great prices. This location has men’s and women’s clothes as well as changing rooms to try things on. The De Amicis location is larger than the location near the Galleria and Duomo.
- Prices: $$$$
- Likely Finds: Vintage Designer Women’s Clothes
- Level of Chaos: None
- Fitting Rooms: Yes
- This is definitely luxury second hand in Milano. If you are wanting to find vintage designer pieces, THIS IS YOUR PLACE! The entire store is filled with high quality pieces from all your favorite designers. The prices are higher to match, so if you’re looking for a steal you are better off at one of the vintage markets searching for yourself. There is also a store in the Brera neighborhood, however this store was a bit bigger. They also have a store for men’s clothing on the same street.
- Prices: $$$$
- Likely Finds: Vintage Designer Men’s Clothes
- Level of Chaos: None
- Fitting Rooms: Yes
- If you are looking for vintage designer men’s clothes, this is the spot.
- Prices: $$
- Likely Finds: Women’s shoes and clothing
- Level of Chaos: Fairly organized by type of clothing
- Fitting Rooms: Yes
- This second hand store is a good middle ground for those looking for high quality, possibly designer pieces at more affordable prices. They have both designer and unnamed brands and if you’re looking for a deal, make sure you check out their basement. I found a beautiful floor length silk maxi skirt that was on sale because the zipper needed to be replaced. This is the women’s store, there is also a men’s store on the same street.
- Prices: $$
- Likely Finds: Great vintage men’s shirts
- Level of Chaos: Mild. There’s a lot to sift through, but it’s fairly organized.
- Fitting Rooms: Yes
Groupies Vintage Alice Di Cipriani
- Prices: $
- Likely Finds: Cool vintage t-shirt or leather jacket
- Level of Chaos: High
- Fitting Rooms: Not that I saw.
- Groupies is kind of chaotic. It is packed to the gills with cool t-shirts and leather jackets. I was a little overwhelmed and found it slightly difficult to browse, but if you are looking for shirts and leather jackets, this would be a great place to stop in at, especially since it is grouped nicely with a couple of other stores in the same vicinity.
- Prices: $
- Likely Finds: Vintage dress or shirt
- Level of Chaos: Mild
- Fitting Rooms: I believe they have a dressing room.
- Near the Galleria, this second hand shop has a number of lovely clothing. Curated, but not necessarily designer items but the prices are very good. This location is smaller than the De Amicis location.
- Prices: $$$
- Likely Finds: Vintage Designer Dress
- Level of Chaos: None.
- Fitting Rooms: Yes
- As with the Mora location, this location in Brera is very well curated with beautiful designer finds.
- Prices: $$-$$$$
- Likely Finds: Vintage Burberry trench or fun artisan jewelry
- Level of Chaos: Mild
- Fitting Rooms: Not that I saw
- This vintage market takes place on the third Sunday of the month from 9am-6pm. We were lucky enough to stumble upon it. There was a vast array of shops including many with designer clothes. I saw many Burberry trench coats while we were there. Additionally there are several jewelry stands and sunglasses vendors. This neighborhood is also just really cute.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Galleria Vittorio and the shopping area around it are full of more modern designer storefronts. There are both internationally known high end designer boutiques and lesser known local designers along Corso Vittorio. The galleria itself is worth seeing, especially if you are visiting the duomo. Be warned, bathrooms are on the 4th floor of the restaurants and if you don’t get a ticket from the restaurant you are patroning it will cost you 1 Euro.
RUNNER’S UP
These are shops that I did not personally go to due to time and not being easily grouped into an area we were visiting, but had on my list of good ones to try. The next time I visit Milan I intend to check a few more of these shops out. Watch this space, I will update as I add more details.
- SHARE – SECOND HAND REUSE
- I Love Vintage Milano
- 20134LAMBRATE
- Indaco Second Hand
- East Market Shop
- Usato Firmato Luxury & Design De Angeli Milano
- Ambroeus
- Napoleone
Milan is a very international city in Italy and feels very different from the other very Italian cities and towns that I’ve visited. Where is your favorite place to thrift shop?
Objects in Motion Travel 
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