Gone with the Vintage...

At Second Time Around in Long Street, you can shop for everything that your vintage heart desires

“It is only the modern that ever becomes old-fashioned.” - Oscar Wilde

Second Time Around is one of Cape Town´s oldest vintage stores, situated on trendy Long Street. You might even say it’s the ultimate vintage-vintage store taking into account the original meaning of the term. In the first place vintage refers to everything that can be regarded as old. But in the fashion world vintage especially relates to clothes originating from the 30’s up to the 70’s. And not forgetting the time of pink, pop and punks, the legendary 80’s. Just everything that is “retro”, as the world’s fashion bloggers like to call it. In Britain vintage especially refers to fashion that is really old. The tatty Second Hand Used Look doesn´t count here! Vintage is something to be admired.

And that´s exactly the creed Second Time round sticks to. Here absolutely everything is original vintage and you’re bound to discover something to admire. The shop itself has been around for over forty years now. Dee, the owner of Second Time Around founded the small business in 1972 and still no end in sight!

Here you can just find everything the vintage-heart wishes for. Hundreds of dresses, including wedding dresses, old leather boots, handbags in all shades and all sizes, crazy hats for crazy cats, trousers in a variety of cuts, even old vintage china and a number of antique dolls feel at home here. All of the treasures have been collected over the last few decades. Partly sourced by Dee on her many journeys, partly gained from customers who come here in order to sell their old things.

It´s all gone vintage, darling...

When entering the store catty-corner from Cape to Cuba on Long Street you immediately absorb this typical second hand smell. A little bit old, a little bit musty. You nose the leather and the scent of history stocked in the clothes hanging around here. It’s a place filled with stories.

“Like in your granny´s home”, shop assistant Nuraan says. You just know that you´re in a vintage store. To Nuraan the best thing about vintage is that every piece is unique and individual. Every single item of clothing hast its very own tale to tell. It gives a certain character and is exactly what makes vintage clothing so unique and special for the person wearing it.

Those who shop at Second Time Around want to be different and show that through developing their own look. Some people are just not willing to wear what is promoted by fashion magazines, designers and fashion bloggers and what they regard as modern and ‘in style’. Vintage is about finding your own style, about signifying your personality. To be able to say, look, that´s me and that´s just the way I am and I am inimitable and I´m showing that to the whole wide world. Because I am the only person on this planet wearing this special outfit.

“Real Old School people”, is how Nuraan calls the vintage lover.

What is also important to the customers at Second Time Around is quality and material worth. To shop here requires appreciation and a willingness to pay a worthy price for the item of your desire. After all, a pair of well kept original leather boots from the 70ies may indeed be made for another twenty years of walking.

But what´s so special about Second Time Around?

“We´re unique, as our clothes is. You just never know what you´re going to find here, we really have a wide choice and fair prices. We´re always up-to-date. And when you are a real vintage fan then you know to appreciate us. Besides, we don´t have any problem being honest with our customers. After all we want them to be well-advised and bring to light the individual, the special value of each and every one”.

And what about Cape Town? Is Cape Town vintage?

Cape Town has a unique, age-old history shaping the Mother City down to the present day. You can find so much of Cape Town’s multi-culture and traditions on virtually every street corner. And after all, people in Cape Town are still people; many are old souls - real Old School people. People who love Second Time Around.

By Verena Lissek

196 Long Street | City Bowl | Cape Town | +27 (0)21 4231674

Find other vintage stores in Cape Town in our overview.

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