The East End Thrift Store

*Dancing while the Macklemore song plays*
But sh**, it was ninety-​nine cents!
Coppin’ it, washin’ it, ’bout to go and get some compliments!
Yaaah, even though I’m not a fan of thrift shops, this one is actually nice.
They have a wide range of vintage clothes and I brought some pretty lace tank tops from here.
The shop is not that big but it looks neat and organized and there is also lovely girl that works there, it’s a pleasure to talk to her.
The best thing is their prices so you can shop all you want here if you find something you like.

Slightly off the standard Brick Lane route of vintage shops, The East End Thrift Store is the best value of the bunch, but definitely the most work.
Clothes in the store are separated between the seemingly endless piles of slightly disgusting overworn shirts and jackets and a few absolute gems.
To sort between the two is a lot of work and definitely something you have to have the energy for; bring some friends, try on anything particularly awful and don’t take the shop too seriously all whilst listening to whatever the person at the till fancies playing at slightly too loud volumes (I feel like Death Grips aren’t particularly helpful for any shopping experience)
The whole experience makes finding that perfect item all the sweeter and the price only improves the situation. You can fit about 6 shirts in a bag, making them about £1.50 a piece, a bargain for the the levi’s, wrangler, lee’s and other brands you can find if you search hard enough (last time I picked up a beautiful Tommy Hilfiger patchwork shirt)
One slightly disappointing recent development is the separation of some of the nicer clothing into individually priced items (in addition to the assembly vintage section), overall I feel like the fill-​a-​bag stock has decreased in quality and don’t even bother with the pound sales. The hour long queues lead to what is essentially a series of piles of disgusting broken clothes you’ll never want to wear and which will probably just sit in the bottom of your wardrobe slowly rotting.
If you’re in the area with an hour or so free, the East End Thrift Store is definitely worth a visit, just make sure that you’re prepared for what you’re getting yourself into.

UPDATE: I cannot get the smell out of my clothes, it’s a distinct smell in the store that I cannot place, and it just won’t leave despite dry cleaning the clothes that needed dry cleaning. Do I dare throw them in the wash?! Had to take it down to four stars. :(
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I nearly passed out when I walked in the door. I must have seen 50 things I would have tried mercilessly to shove into a £10 bag. And I had £10 on me. After spending my entire life thrifting in Arizona, I have never encountered anything like this. I had to leave empty handed before I spent money I didn’t have. Once I am gainfully employed, I’m going back to stuff that bag (and my tiny, tiny wardrobe).
Well done, East End. Well done. I’ll be back on the last Thursday to see if you’re still playing tunes and dishing out free drinks.

Great little hidden gem! The place was kinda hard to find down a back alley, but worth the time. They must have 200 leather jackets and tons and tons of jeans, cutoff shorts and overalls. Some things are on racks but there are also tons of waist high piles of random clothing scattered throughout. Prepare to dig! Mostly women’s stuff, but tons of leather jackets for men. No shoes, jewelry or any accessories like that, however. I ended up giving them only 4 stars because it could use a little more variety (at least when I was there!)
Prices were stuff-​a-​bag for £10 or £20, instead of individually priced, so bring some friends to help you get more bang for your buck. There are mirrors and two small dressing rooms in the back, too if you want to try stuff on.
The store did look a bit less organized/​more dumpy than some of the pictures (I think they might be slightly old?) but still similar layout and selection.

Located in a less reputable section of East London, this thrift store has a terrific selection and very good prices.
The warehouse is a bit dodgy and the clothes are not organized in any manner. A lot of strange people also tend to hover outside.
Worth a trip but can definitely be hit or miss.

BUYER BEWARE: The photos on this Unilocal store are very misleading. Those photos are from 2008. it looks NOTHING like that anymore (please see photos by me for accurate state of this place),
Also there are TWO thrift stores in the same place, I can’t stress this enough. They share the same space. One is ASSEMBLY VINTAGE, the other is EAST END THRIFT STORE. They are literally in the same warehouse space, but have two different entrances.
ASSEMBLY VINTAGE: is the «nice» section, that basically has already been picked through by the employees and put there with «set prices»… aka a pair of cut off jean shorts is about £10.
NOW.
EAST END THRIFT STORE: is the disorganized, disgusting, fill-​a-​bag thrift store next door, which still has some gems but you are going to have to get dirty and break a sweat to find them. There are some things I really love about this place, and some things I really hate.
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I had never been here before and went from previous Unilocal recommendations. Which by the way it is NOT located where Unilocal says it is. Meaning, the address is write but the map icon is not. So use Google/​Apple maps when you’re trying to locate it.
It’s down this cute cobble stone alley way off Whitechapel. It doesn’t look like there’s anything there at first but keep walking and you’ll find the sign «East End Thrift Store».
First off, they’re whole deal is that you can «FILL-​A-​BAG» for £10, or £20 for a bigger bag (they provide the bags there). So if you find some great pieces you aren’t going to pay more than listed above, which is exciting.
BUT…
You will have to do some SERIOUS digging. I’m not talking Goodwill/​Salvation army digging. I mean get down on your hands and knees/​elbows deep in some of the nastiest old clothing you have ever touched. Once you’re done with this place a few squirts of Purell isn’t going to do the trick. You are going to feel like you need a shower, trust me. I couldn’t stop sneezing and after touching so many fabrics with so many stains, I couldn’t help but wonder what was probably on me… bed bugs perhaps?
Honestly I am not IN LOVE with anything that I found, and the fact that I have to take up space in my already small suitcase with it is a bummer, I might just leave it here. But if you are a local and can take the stuff home it’s a score.
What I got: an awesome purple wool sweatershirt with a lion wearing sunglasses on it. It’s cooler than it sounds. They have a lot of great denim shirts (I bought a short sleeve one which I am wearing right now, I got a polka dot dress, the bottom needs to be desperately needs to be hemmed, a cute floral skirt (kind of 90s, buttons all the way up), a floral silk robe thing (which I ruined in the wash already, go me).
WHAT YOU WONT FIND THERE: they don’t have vintage t-​shirts in either section (Assembly vintage or East End Thrift Store). I really just wanted some tees, they literally have NONE.
WHAT YOU WILL FIND THERE: endless amounts of denim shirts, loads upon loads of ugly sweaters, great for holiday parties. You can also find tons of oversized, 80s leather jackets. Everything else is gross. Literally just dirty.
STAFF: there were two guys in their mid 20s working when I went it… they weren’t hard on the eyes if you know what I’m sayin. *wink wink* but I will say their choice of music sucked.
If you’re a die-​hard thrifter or someone who likes to transform old clothing, then definitely check it out. If you’re the type who is looking for last seasons Michael Kors handbags, this is not the place for you.

Full bag of clothes for £10? Yes please!
So close to the Whitechapel and still hidden away in an old garage/​storage kind of building. Although, I’m getting into the whole vintage scene, I did not expect what I saw… Firstly freaked out, then curious, than manically searching through boxes of old clothes, chatting with strangers and having time of my life… yep, that’s all I experienced in those two hours spent there. I got a beautifully fitting velvet skirt, green and blue plain sweatshirts for those already mentioned £10 and old never worn blue collar workers shirt.
Saying that the Thrift Store is kind of a place where you let yourself completely forget any lists and just get wild and messy! ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!

I love, love, love fill-​a-​bag style thrifting! This place has some great finds if you take the time to sift through. There is a whole section of SPARKLY THINGS, which should be labeled in only capital letters, as I’ve just demonstrated. Sadly, the SPARKLY THINGS section was not part of the £1 sale, but I can’t fault them for that. SPARKLY THINGS should never be undersold.
As for the £1 sale, it’s pretty excellent. You queue in the rain, pay £1 to get in, and then if you can wrestle any good finds away from the hipsters in the mayhem inside, you pay only £1 for everything. I got a nice cardigan and an incredible J. Crew skirt that fits like magic. It is easy to lose patience and think you’re not going to find anything. There are a lot of bad sweatshirts and t-​shirts filling the racks and taking up space, and it’s hard to navigate around all of the people and piles of clothes on the floor. Despite hating crowds and scenes like this, I would totally go back. And I will visit again soon to investigate the SPARKLY THINGS more closely.
Five stars for doing thrift shopping right in a part of town where it’d be easy (and where it’s very common for others!) to jack up the prices.

From what I had read about East End Thrift Store, I thought it would be like. well, a US thrift store. The merchandise has all been pre-​sorted so although the space is an industrial grimy one, you don’t really feel that there are treasures waiting to be found. I honestly don’t consider the merchandise here to be vintage per se. I know hipsters now are all about acid wash and horrible muddy 90s florals and these garments reside in abundance at East End Thrift Store. Just not my thing. It’s hard to find from the main street, too-​it is down somewhat of an alley and if you’re on the other side of the street you can’t even see the entrance to the alley unless you cross over.

This store is brilliant! I highly recommend it for anyone looking for good quality, cool vintage clothes

«Where their is vintage so is my heart also»
The thrift store is along a cobble alleyway to me that is vintage in itself.
I was here for one of their party which I think is held every month,(join their facebook page for updates)
I was met with a que which is not surprising when you throw in free drinks and a jumble sale which you can put clothes into bags, one bag for £10 and another for £20.
Advice: get their early cause their a mad rush and you never know what gems you can find. I got the £20 bag I got some cool stuff.
Looking through their normal vintage stock which was beautifully presented and with many arrays of colours I knew I would see something I would like. The prices range from £10 to £30.
They do men’s wear as well.
As Arnie would say «I’ll be back»

God this place is huge. Bigger than huge, if that’s possible. If you’re looking for vintage, and you’re one of those people who can quite literally wear anything, this is the place you should come. Not everything is brilliant, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a mint condition 50s prom dress. Instead expect lots of 70s clobber. Not my thing, but great if you can wear it.
It’s so much fun shopping here and rummaging about. Even though I’ve never actually bought anything.

as good as Beyond Retro but CHEAPER
PS_​a new addition UPSTAIRS, if you seek that high vintage chic.

Before coming here, I wasn’t really into thrift stores. All the ones back home are pretty rubbish and turned me off to the whole thing. Thank God, I found the East End Thrift Store. They have loads of really unique pieces and a great selection for both men and women. During my last visit, I found a really cute skirt and a fun belt. I would have had a nice dress or two but my hips and the dress had a bit of a disagreement… sigh.

I have to confess that I’m not a great clothes shopper. Like most of my male friends, I tend to go clothes shopping only when I need something specific — I then hit the shops to find this item and leave when I’ve got it. Job done.
Having been introduced to the East End Thrift Shop by Unilocal,I browsed a little here in case there were any bargains. Unfortunately, I don’t think vintage is my era and I didn’t really find much here to interest me. The only item which caught my eye was a USA team tracksuit from previous Olympics.
The staff were very friendly but just not my style. Sorry

This has got to be my favourite bargain store in the whole of London. You’d think that selling second-​hand clothing for £15 and below would be good enough for any shop, but, no, this shop goes the extra mile by picking up retro clothing and altering them to make them more suitable for today, or at least that was what I was told when I picked up a ‘70s shirt-​dress and commented on how unusual it was to find something which fit my 5 ft 3 in frame.
Also, the East End Thrift Store has parties every last Thursday of the month where they provide free drinks and music and open till late while shoppers browse. I arrived at the last party at 9 pm and asked the owner when it closed and was astounded by his response: Not for a couple more hours!
I’ve picked up quite a few goodies here: a Versace dress, a sky-​blue prom dress and two handbags (Tod’s and Kate Spade). They may not be perfect seeing as they’re second-​hand and all, but the price was most definitely all right.

They have a concentrated selection of the good stuff — often times, vintage stores are stocked with sht that you wonder who the hell would even buy. But no, not so for East End. It’s not the type of store that you feel like it wastes your time or tests your patience. It’s clean and very well organized. And it’s never been very crowded when I’ve been here, which is great, cuz the last thing I need at a vintage store is people up my ass and crowdin my space.
Everything is fairly priced as well, women’s pieces usually at about £15, with accessories from about £3−8.

I love this place and would reccommend it to anyone who likes fashion led (rather than era/​period-​led) vintage clothes. They’ve got their finger on the pulse, have great quality pieces and really good prices. Yeah it has gone up a little bit since they first opened BUT it was silly prices before, although that was great, you can understand the thinking. For a vintage shop on the Shoreditch outskirts though its definitely the most reasonably priced one I’ve been in.
Probably about 80% of my going out wardrobe is from here, I love it! Loads of tea dresses, good stuff for guys such as plaid and rodeo shirts. Lovely stuff and always cool music playing. What’s not to love?

They have parties — had to add that. I went to their year anniversary party last week and there was lots of free beer and the fizzy stuff. Alcohol and shopping is hard but also an astute ploy to get us all to spend. And spend people did and hang out.
It was pretty swell.
Get on their mailing list and go to the next party…

After reading some rave reviews from fellow Unilocalers about the East End Thrift Store, I set out on a mission to paint every banana at my local Sainsbury’s the color blue. Then I got sidetracked and went to the East End Thrift Store.
I almost missed the tiny passageway down to the shop and I would never have found the place if I hadn’t been trying to paint bananas. It’s tucked back on a desolate, small alleyway/​street with nothing but a sign and painted doors announcing the store’s presence. Rubbing my hands together greedily and laughing maniacally like you see villains do in cartoons, I went inside. I liked my first impression — rails of clothes, warehouse-​like walls, etc.
The clothes themselves though? Definitely not my type. I’m not big on 80’s vintage, even if it does involve lots of sequins, and 80’s dominated the shop like we were on the set of Thriller mixed with Pretty in Pink. Big, oversized knit sweaters were more prevalent than cowboys at a rodeo. There were also some 60’s and 70’s items, including lots of lurex tops, but not much from earlier decades besides, perhaps some coats. Considering I’m more a fan of the first half of 20^th century fashion, I was not bowled over. I feel like the place is Top Shop vintage section-​esque but at a third the prices.
If 80’s is your thing, maybe you should go back in time with a Delorean and Doc from Back to the Future. Or, maybe you should go to this shop because you’d like it a lot. Or, maybe you should go find all those bananas that I painted blue. Or, maybe you should buy me an icecream sundae with hot peanut butter sauce… now there’s an idea.