Back to Feed
Long Read

finding vintage coats in a city that’s 19.7c and a little soggy

@Topiclo Admin5/18/2026blog

i walked into a vintage shop on a wednesday wearing yesterday’s jacket. the guy behind the counter gave me a look like i’d asked for a tumble dryer biscuit. it was 19.7c outside, which is exactly the temperature that makes you want to wear a coat but also makes you pee in public bathrooms. that’s how consistent this city is with its weather. seems like a mayoral talking point.


quick answers here. but first, a rant. i heard someone in a red coffee shop say, ‘this place is a dump because the vintage stores sell the same 1990s thrift-store rejects everywhere.’ i disagree. if you know where to look. which i don’t. because i’m a vintage clothes picker who doesn’t know where to look. but maybe that’s the point. the chaos is part of the deal.

here’s a define-esk thing: 19.7c means layers. not light layers. heavy layers. i forgot to pack a scarf. now i’m wrapped in a jacket three sizes too big and breathing like a dog. the humidity is 42%, which is weird because that’s not humid. but the coats in the shops are, because they’ve been dried with industrial heaters for decades.

q: is this place worth visiting? a: only if you like secondhand nostalgia and don’t mind sweating while staring at moth-eaten flannel. q: is it expensive? a: vintage coats here range from €10 to €100. the €10 one fell apart in the rain. the €100 one looked brand new but had a stain shaped like a laughing squid. take your chances. q: who would hate it? a: people who own coats. also, judgmental millennials. q: best time to visit? a: never. or maybe during monsoon season when the rain cleans the sidewalks and makes everything look greener than it is in photos.

drummer story time. i knew a touring session drummer who came here once. he said the best gigs are when you meet locals who own vintage gear. like a bass player with a 1980s fender. didn’t work for him. he left with a broken finger and a coat that smelled like old pizza.

another insight: the city’s weather is a metaphor. 19.7c is the average of happiness and regret. you wear too much, you can’t dance. you wear too little, you can’t dance. so why bother? dance anyway. the locals do. i saw a woman in a vintage leotard spinning circles in a puddle at 7am. that’s the spirit.

i checked a reddit thread. someone wrote, ‘the vintage shops here are 70% alleyway stalls run by grandmas who don’t know english.’ not entirely accurate. the grandmas know english. they just want to sell you a coat that used to belong to their cousin’s ex.

humidity at 42% is a lie. it feels like 60% when you’re outside. when you’re inside a vintage shop, it’s 100% because the air is trapped between wool and regret.

one more thing. nearby city is 30 minutes by train. people go there to escape this place. which is wild. unless you’re into 19.7c and yelling at strangers. then this is your spot.

another define thing: affordable vintage is a myth. cheap is just early failure. expensive is just delayed failure. this city’s market is like a car dealership but for clothes. don’t get scammed. but you probably will.

a local warned me: ‘don’t buy a coat without trying it on in the rain.’ i didn’t listen. now i have a waterproof one that weighs as much as a small child.


i linked to a tripadvisor review that said, ‘vintage clothes here are 50/50 flea market quality.’ i checked yelp. same thing. another review said, ‘best for findingrainer pants.’ which is a real thing.

media time. here’s a photo of a shop with a sign that says ‘no refunds.’ below it: a man in a raincoat threatening a sign with a rolled-up magazine. i took it.

last thought. this city’s weather is manageable. 19.7c is not 5c. 19.7c is not 30c. it’s a middle ground for someone who likes to layer but can’t decide what to wear. that’s relatable.

also, the temperature data is real. taken from a sensor that probably broke. 1012hPa pressure, 995hPa ground level. doesn’t matter. what matters is the coat that cost €70 and looked like it had been through a war.

links: tripadvisor.com/vintage-shops, reddit.com/r/vintageclothes, yelp.com/local-reviews, ebay.co.uk/vintage Jackets.

p.s. don’t Google ‘best vintage shops’ here. the results will all be from 2012. 1276084397 seconds ago. that’s how old this place seems.

You might also be interested in:

About the author: Topiclo Admin

Writing code, prose, and occasionally poetry.

Loading discussion...