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If you’ve been around the blog before, you might know that one of the things I’ll always make time for when exploring a new city is checking out the vintage/thrift shops in town (as well as the cool independent shops).
Lecce is totally the cool kid capital of Salento, so it was no surprise that there was an abundance of awesome shopping in Lecce.
I firmly believe that shopping small, independent, and secondhand/vintage or antique is one of the few guaranteed ways left that you can authentically engage with and explore a destination these days. With travel becoming more and more oversaturated, curated, and polished, I think it’s so important to hold on to the authenticity we have left!
Plus, this is a great way to collect one of a kind souvenirs, and actually chat with locals while you’re shopping. I’ve selected some of my faves for this post, and if you want the full list directly in your Google Maps app, check out my Puglia Maps!
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Don’t forget to check out the rest of my Italy posts and guides if you’re still planning your perfect trip!
The Best Vintage & Independent Shopping in Lecce
1. Biba Vintage & Remake
This is hands down one of the best Lecce vintage shops I visited.
So, if you only make it to one: make it this one. Luckily, it’s located about a block away from Piazza Sant’Oronzo (the main square of Lecce’s historic center), so that shouldn’t be difficult.
They had a lot of true vintage here, all in great condition, and pretty reasonably priced in my opinion!
You can expect clothes, accessories, shoes, etc. all from roughly the 50s-90s.
The woman working when we stopped in (who I believe was the owner) was super nice and helpful – and spoke excellent English as well!
2. HAUS 28
HAUS 28 is a fairly standard, casual vintage/thrift shop in Lecce’s historic center.
This one is pretty tiny, and best for anyone who likes casual clothes (think Levis, sports jerseys, 90s button ups, college sweatshirts).
One highlight is that they do some upcycling work, so you’ll find some matching sets, cropped tops, etc. that feel particularly unique.
Their website says they’ll even do custom work, if you happen to be in town for long enough.
With a great quality selection, and nice staff, HAUS 28 is a pretty solid shop to hit in Lecce.
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3. JaPa Quisicrea
So, JaPa Quisicrea was one shop in Lecce that we found completely by accident, and at first we thought it might be a flop. The front of the store is a bit… weird. Or rather, it’s not really my style: very hemp, hippie, dream catcher festival vibes.
However, the back section has a killer vintage selection. It’s quite small, but all the pieces were impressive.
There was one really cool coat that I was eyeing, but it was honestly way too hot to even think about trying on. There was also a very cool vintage men’s travel grooming set that Daniel had to be ripped away from.
4. Libreria del Sole
We only found Libreria del Sole because we were wandering aimlessly and I spotted the books flowing out from the doorway.
This rare bookshop in Lecce feels straight out of a movie or something. Books are piled to human sized piles, and the shelves are so cramped you feel like you’re in a maze. Some of the books are pricey, but that’s to be expected for a rare bookstore, in my opinion.
I bought a very cool book of Italian love poems, and a vintage Women in Design coffee table book. I also sadly left behind a very expensive French book on photography.
In the process of writing this post I noticed that Libreria del Sole has some horrible reviews on Google, mostly about how rude the owner is, so I do want to flag that to you all! We didn’t personally have any issues, and in fact we found him to be friendly, but Daniel also speaks Italian, there’s certainly a chance that that helped us. I think it’s still worth a visit, but I like to be upfront!
5. Vico dei Bolognesi – Concept Store
One of the best Lecce boutiques I visited was Vico dei Bolognesi, which was, once again, something we found completely by accident.
It’s always hard to explain these types of stores if you’ve never been inside one, but if you’re familiar with a “concept store”, especially in Europe, you probably can get the idea. There’s a little bit of everything here, and all of it is a bit superfluous, but in a fun way.
The whole back section is full of clothes, mostly for women, and shoes as well, while the front is more dedicated to accessories and home decor. I fell in love with some plates and a cutlery set which I tragically could not justify bringing home, but I’ve thought about every day since.
The owners were also super nice and chatty, so don’t be afraid to ask questions!
6. Atika Sartoria
We didn’t get a chance to visit Atika Sartoria for long (we just popped in to check it out before lunch) but it seemed really worth the visit.
They do a mix of vintage clothes and accessories, and completely unique, tailored pieces. Definitely higher end selection, not really ideal for the casual Lecce vintage shopper.
7. Casual Bay – Branded Vintage Store
Stores like Casual Bay aren’t usually ones I prioritize while traveling, but not because they don’t have a great selection and fair prices. This is your average, Americana-through-the-decades vintage shop in Lecce – very similar to ones you’ll find in most European cities, or even places like Singapore and Hanoi.
Lots of polos, lots of jeans, lots of patterned button-ups – you get the idea. It’s a big store with a wide selection, though, and I do recommend a visit if you typically make out well in these kinds of thrift shops.
When traveling these days, I’m usually on the lookout for something that feels totally one-of-a-kind to justify taking space in my suitcase with it and I find this vibe doesn’t often check that box for me, so I didn’t spend long at this particular shop myself.
8. MILÈ vintage
MILÈ vintage was my second favorite vintage shop in Lecce.
It has very cool vibes, great selection, and doesn’t feel cramped or gimmicky.
The items are quality, but to be honest, they felt a bit overpriced to me. At least compared to what else I was seeing!
When I visited it was mostly a selection of men’s clothing, so I didn’t get anything for myself, but it was still nice to look through and you may get lucky!
9. L’Archivio Luxury Vintage
This is one we sadly just did not have time to visit. It was on the agenda, but we were hot and couldn’t convince ourselves it would be worth it to trek out of the historic center (especially when we had already bought a… healthy amount lol).
From the looks of it you’ll find mostly women’s clothes, and a good mix of casual to nice pieces. Everything seems like it’s good quality, but I obviously didn’t have a chance to stop in, so do let me know in the comments if you have!
10. Antique & Vintage Market (Last Sunday of the Month)
The Lecce Antique and Vintage Market was one of the big highlights of our time in Puglia. It was definitely the best antique market we visited in Salento, and it wasn’t just my favorite shopping in Lecce – it was also probably my favorite thing we did in Lecce overall.
This was absolutely more focused on antique pieces than vintage clothes, so if you’re looking for vintage clothing pieces, this may not be the place for you. However, if you’re into old records, vintage table and glassware, knick knacks, furniture and art pieces: you’ll be in absolute heaven.
The market takes place on Viale XX Settembre, just along the south side of the park that the Istituto di Cultura e Lingue Marcelline is in, and it takes place on the last Sunday of every month. Try to get there early because most stalls will start packing up around 1pm (and it’ll be cooler before noon anyway).
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P.S. When you book using my links, you help support Rachel IRL at no extra cost to you. It’s a win-win!
Ready to shop till you drop?
I hope this post has got you excited to explore Lecce thrift shops and treasure hunt for all the vintage goodies the city has to offer.
I’d love to hear from you in the comments or via Instagram if you find any gems shopping in Lecce, or any shops you think I may have missed.
If you’re still planning your trip to Lecce check out the Lecce archives, and if you’re planning a full Puglia trip, check out the Puglia archives.
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