A Vintage(ish) Week in Mexico City
Feathers, flan, and papier-mâché poppers
I was totally unprepared for my descent into Mexico City. I had a vague awareness of the city being big, but I had no idea how sprawling it truly was until I was 20,000 feet above it. My nose was smushed against the window acrylic (I had a mask on) as I took in the seemingly endless expanse of colorfully painted buildings and vivid purple jacaranda trees. New York City might feel culturally large, but our measly 300-ish square miles 8 million people are basically in pipsqueak territory compared to CDMX’s 573 square miles and 20 million people.
Clearly a first timer’s single week visit would hardly allow me to even scratch the surface. I’m not writing this piece with the illusions of any kind of expertise! But despite being a newbie, I did go in prepared. A friend (and fellow vintage dealer) who grew up in the city gave me the run down before so kindly sharing her personal Google Maps recommendations list. I also chatted with other fellow dealers who have frequented CDMX for the last decade, and hung out with locals in the city every day.
There was one warning I got from everyone I asked about Mexico City: the days of cheap vintage are (mostly) long gone. The CDMX vintage scene is plentiful and inspiring, but the dealers know their worth. I found that the curated store prices were on par with prices in big US cities like NYC and LA. While the prices were lower at the markets, I felt they were generally higher than the average American flea. Most of the group I was with speaks Spanish as a first language, so that wasn’t a barrier to accessing better pricing.
Hot tip: Apple’s calculator has a built-in conversion feature. Tap the symbol at the top right corner and select the last option, “convert,” and switch to your currency of choice.
For a true expert perspective, I highly recommend Talía Cu of Latin-Zine.
Curated Shopping
What you’ll find: vintage t-shirts, leather jackets, workwear, cowboy boots, and really inspiring shop design. A lot of the vintage is American stuff, while the contemporary design scene was inspired by Mexican textile traditions, strong cultural pride, and (surprising to this visiting half Japanese American) Japanese style.
What I didn’t really see: high end women’s designer vintage, formal wear and/or designer heels, and any vintage shops with a super feminine curation.
You won’t be surprised to hear me point you in the direction of Juárez, Roma Norte, and Condesa. The centrally located cluster of neighborhoods are the epicenter of tourism in the city, which means gentrification, but also means there are incredibly cool stores on almost every block. As I mentioned in my Paris Vintage Shopping Guide, I never recommend beelining straight from recommended spot to recommended spot. Half the fun of vintage is in the hunt and the discovery, so you’re likely to come across plenty just letting yourself wander!
I did find that most of the stores I saw had a similar curation of more casual, menswear oriented apparel. There were tons of graphic tees, cowboy boots, and leather jackets! Interestingly, the designer goods I saw were only from a handful of the same major labels like Gucci and monogram LV. I saw a few printed Escada silk shirts and a couple pairs of colorful Versace Jeans pieces, but didn’t come across anything from the designers that are currently NYC vintage best-sellers like Prada, JPG, Issey Miyake, or Fendi.
I also saw a lot of suspicious labels and obvious bootlegs, so shop with caution.
My Favorites
The Erre Vintage isn’t really my personal style, but more my personal taste - does that make sense? Though I do have plenty of vintage tees and a few workwear pieces, the menswear-heavy shop doesn’t specialize in the kind of vintage I usually gravitate towards. But the store’s maximalist design, museum-like decor, and old world atmosphere still made it my favorite (and most memorable) vintage stop in the city.
Directly across the street you’ll find Erre’s gassed-up younger brother, The Erre Garage. The smaller themed store has a coffee shop, moto goods, and a selection of vehicle-themed vintage. I’ll be honest - I don’t know shit about cars! But I do appreciate a good vintage car tee, and would’ve bought the horse shirt below if I didn’t generally avoid any vintage apparel that says “America” on it.
If you’re in LA, Erre also has a location in Echo Park
Komure Moda Circular didn’t have anything I loved, but owner offered us complimentary tea and told us she did free tailoring on anything purchased in the store! That definitely adds a lot of value, so I’d stop in regularly if I lived in the city.
I’ll be honest - I wasn’t particularly blown away by the vintage selection at Loose Blues, but the store itself was just so cool. The multi-level design includes a bar/restaurant, the contemporary designs were sleek and well-made (and priced accordingly), and the Japanese-inspired ambience felt worth going back for.
The city may have sensed my desperation for girly clothing, because I stumbled upon certified cool-girl store Cueva. As a certified SOP advocate, I was particularly drawn to their pants with mini skirts attached. Everything from the locally-based brand is made entirely in their CDMX atelier. Because their styles are primarily stretch designs in mesh and lace, they are mostly synthetics. That being said, so is Fuzzi (the manufacturers of JPG mesh), so I’m not opposed to spending $100-ish for a locally made design in a fabric that would be at least double (or triple) made in silk.
Gramo glasses are designed in Mexico City but made in Japan, and both the beautiful store and their beautiful glasses have been on my mind since I left. I’m not in the market for pricey new frames, but my husband did buy me Italian glasses on a trip to Florence in 2023 and I wouldn’t be opposed to making chic global optical wear a new personal collection.
