Not sure why this place has bad reviews. They must have taken the feedback to heart and done some shakeups because we had a great experience! Went in to look for a Ren Faire costume and it had a great selection of both regular clothing and costumes/clothes that would work for a costume. The owner went above and beyond, leaving the store to add some more of her Ren Faire inventory for us to browse. The person working the register was clearly very passionate about their job, curating cute outfits for mannequins and displays. They were also so kind to us. The prices are great, especially for a vintage store. There were definitely some items that I don't think are considered vintage, but it was well curated. I'm excited to go back and look for some more clothing. Only complaint is the music was just a touch too loud for me. read more

This is always a fun shop to visit. The prices are a little high on some things but it's because someone has already done the biggest job for you: sorting through all the "junk" to find the good stuff. The store is well-organized and there's never a shortage or interesting finds. This was my first time bringing my daughter here (age 13), and that caused a one bit of discomfort for me: the employees and a friend/guest/customer were discussing drug experiences with one another. I don't recall the specifics (or even whether it was the employees who were contributing most to the conversation). It was just a conversation I'd prefer she not be present to hear. --I'm not taking away stars for this, however, because I don't think 13 year olds are their target clientele and, as a parent, I brought her to this place that is frequented by college students more often than not. There was always the option to leave. read more

Let me start by saying, I almost didn't go today because the reviews on here as of recent were so bad. This had been my absolute GO TO thrift store for clothes back in the day, and I went back for the first time in at least 4 years today. As always, the selection DID NOT disappoint. Vintage tees, denim, overalls, shorts, shoes, accessories, the WORKS. Even found my dream pair of beach shorts for $10!!!!!! In this economy??!! Let's freaking go. They don't make quality clothes like they used to, but they sell the gems of old here that have and will stand the test of time. Someone made a comment on here about the clothes having a bad smell- anyone who thrifts knows clothes that are vintage have a smell that is "vintage". And frankly, I love it. Now regarding the staff- to my surprise, I saw everyone working there have a smile on their face and a kind word to say. I even told one staff member "I almost didn't come today because I was so concerned by the reviews you guys have on Yelp.." Turns out, the company DID take notice of the reviews and poor costumer service, and it appears those individuals are.. "no longer here". What I saw instead was extreme kindness, attentiveness (from multiple staff members) and an experience that absolutely MADE my weekend. To the girl on staff (whose name I'm so sorry I've forgotten- but brown slick back bun) who complimented my hair, helped me every time I needed something, and frankly made my experience- you are an absolute rockstar. Great clothes, great music, GREAT staff, and a VERY happy and still very loyal customer. 10/10. read more

NEGATIVE 5 STARS BOYCOTT!!! I was in the store a few times when visiting Seattle (I frequent the Portland location.) I overheard the way the owner TACEE addresses her team and I am DISGUSTED. Abusive to staff and runs the hardest working ones into the ground. DOES NOT PAY HER STAFF IN FULL OR ON TIME. DOES NOT OFFER BENEFITS WHILE REQUIRING OVERTIME & refuses to pay overtime! This business is sinking. You wonder why the vibe sucks or the employee morale is way down - ALSO THE CLOTHES ARE MOLDY read more

Wish I could give 0 stars. Walked in around 3pm Thursday and was greeted by a female and male employee who both gave me a judgmental look up and down...slowly, then the female proceeds to tell me before you shop leave your drink up here. No explanation why and no official area.... just expected me to leave my boba tea I just bought and was enjoying on a stroll on the floor by the front door unattended?!!??? Heck to the no. This store used to be good with friendly employees over 2 years ago. Over 2 years ago! Bought an amazing skirt for $4 I still love to this day. Now for the last two years I've only been in a few times since the service is always notably rude, prices have gone up, and again the customer service is rude as heck. Why in the world would I leave my boba tea unattended near the floor by the entrance when told to by a rude ahh employee? Laughable. The employees here are the huge problem driving the customers away along with the overpriced items they sell now. Some dark and negative energy here y'all! Maybe they have everything on sale right now due to the lack of customers?? Sure not helping get anyone in the door with the weird new drink at the front thing and employees bad attitudes and stank faces. I'll take my business, time, and energy elsewhere and suggest all do the same!!!!! Tami M left a very informative and honest review as well here that should be read. Hopefully the employees can find a job they actually like and learn clear communication, professionalism, kindness, and smiles is simple. read more

the staff were so nice and prices were very reasonable with tons of selections! i thought i lost my purse there and they were so helpful as well and i just overall loved this place and its vibe p.s. i did in fact find my purse in my car i'm so sorry thank you so much to the staff for looking for it i loved you guys!!!!! read more

Horrible place don't go here clothes smell horrible and are dirty disgusting the customer service and way they treat people is even worse don't ruin your day by going here !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if I could give negative stars I would!!!! read more

If I could leave zero star, I would. I shopped at this location yesterday and experienced several instances of exceedingly poor customer service in an undesirable shopping environment. I won't be shopping here again and I will deter my friends as well because it was so bad. To begin, the energy of the employees was very nonchalant and almost seemed annoyed with the fact that I was there as I walked in. A big group of employees, maybe four or five of them including their manager/shift lead, were in the back stocking, making loads of noise and yelling. Normally I wouldn't have a problem with people having fun or someone just objectively having a bad or low energy day at work- I empathize. However, when I looked back, the manager/shiftlead, a black lady mid 20s with piercings, stuck her hand down the back of another female employee's pants while that employee was crouched restocking merchandise. Not only was that gross, but that manager counted my hangers with her gross buttcrack hand when I asked for a fitting room. She also let the fitting room door slam on me extremely hard when I had my hands full with merch to try on. Later, I saw that a designer tee marked for 40$ was a fake (I could tell by the tag). As I was checking out, I mentioned the counterfeit to the cashier and asked if perhaps there could be a discount since the item was a fake. If it had been real, I would have happily paid the 40$. The cashier looked to the same aforementioned manager, who didn't acknowledge or look at me at all when she told him (cashier) to take off 10%. It was so awkward, they treated me like I was being a karen and making a disruptive scene or ruining their day just because I politely ID'd a counterfeit tee that THEY were trying to sell as deadstock. It was just all around an uncomfortable shopping experience when I was nothing but nice and tried to be the least burdensome type of customer possible. I have worked in sales with Nordstrom and I was appalled at the lack of professionalism and rudeness they brought into the shopping experience. I think if this behavior continues you will definitely see a plummet in sales revenue because it is not a desirable place to shop. The music is also so loud that one can barely focus on shopping. Thanks for reading. I Definitely wont be coming back. read more

I love this shop, it has vintage from so many different eras. I shop here for items I can't find anywhere else. However it breaks my soul the way they tag items. They don't go through seams or tags. They go through leather, silk from the 20's going directly into the fabric and always leaving a hole. I don't understand why they carelessly damage every single piece of product that comes through the shop like this. Tagging through seams is retail 101, it's a travesty to go through fine leather coats collars, through the middle of the backs of a dress or skirt. Please train your staff to care for the clothing you sell cause it's worth caring for, it's lasted a long time and should be shown base line consideration and respect. Please stop this practice that I have seen over and over. read more

There are so many interesting, vintage, and funky finds at Red Light, I could browse for a solid hour! Their racks of women's clothing are organized by category and color, not necessarily by size. In the back lining the walls are dresses from every decade starting from the 1920's, ranging from kitschy to wedding-appropriate. They also have a large collection of Leg Avenue tights and lingerie (non-refundable), fashion glasses and sunglasses at the front, hats belts socks and other accessories near the middle, shoes of all kinds topping the racks, and a variety of hair clips and other ornaments behind the counter. This would be a great place to shop for parties, statement pieces, and Halloween (and of course everyday wear if it fits your aesthetic)! Their prices reflect the uniqueness of the clothes and range from around $10-$80. It's always so much fun to browse regardless of whether I buy anything! The staff are very helpful and laid back. Their buying policy is understandably strict (they are picky in which items they accept). It is generally busy but not crowded and I've never had to wait more than a couple minutes for a dressing room - there are around 5 of them, each with a cap of 5 items. Red Light is a treasure trove of eclectic finds and definitely worth a visit when thrift shopping on the Ave! read more

I'm a vintage SNOB and this by far is probably the best vintage store I've seen in regards to organization of eras ( 80s, 70s, 60s etc clothing) , selections of clothing and overall cutest of the clothing!!! I was in and out in 30 mins FLAT, tried on about 6 items, bought 3 and felt AMAZING about all purchases. Was greeted when I walked in, asked a few questions and had no issues with customer service ( and honestly unless your just flat out rude that I don't care about that as much if the items are great which they were! ) Parking right outside. I'd hop a flight for this store in a heartbeat. read more

Red Light Vintage Clothing - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Seattle, Washington

TW:Antiblackness/transphobia Recently came there with a friend who forget to remove a belt that she tried on and notified the staff it was an accident. She was unfortunately not allowed to return even though we gave it back. Which is fair i can understand that but i am a black trans woman who came in and was with the friend. I never left the store or even got to the metal detector search because i was innocent and had nothing on me from from the store and i was banned by association which is not the rules that are posted on the door. Even though it was my friend who made the mistake, And ive never heard of anyone being guilty of something just because they are friends with someone even though we gave the belt back with no issues. I was even making conversation with the staff there and was having a pretty good time. I was then degraded by the manager who is a female lighter skin tone tall and has very broad shoulders. She said i was a criminal by association and i responded to her that i didnt want a photo taken of me because i didnt steal anything and i wasnt even dressed in a way that portrays my gender identity accurately and now its posted in the shop as a way to associate my blackness with shoplifting. Her response was youre still banned she didnt care that i was innocent her response was well youre still banned. And i personally take this as a hate crime ESPECIALLY when i didnt even get searched for by security or EVEN HAD ANYTHING on ME. I dont feel as if this is a safe space for any QTPOC because even honest mistakes can get you humilated and posted on display all over a belt ‍ read more

Red Light Vintage Clothing - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Some items are very overpriced for their quality. Changing room situation also isn't ideal. They do have some cool clothes.

Great vintage finds and friendly staff! I love shopping here--always a fun and welcoming experience.

If you are under thirty five and consider yourself invested in the fashion community, this place is for you. If you want a genuine, down to earth thrift store, go to the Goodwill next door. This place has super cool inventory, but is really only a thrift store by name. It's generally priced $10-30 for tops but definitely goes way higher. I don't think this place deserves all the crap it gets just because of what amazing clothes you can find, but I definitely get where the "judgy" comes from. It feels a lot like something you'd find in downtown LA. I bought two vintage dresses, a vintage nightgown, and a sterling silver and gold claddagh ring, and the total came out to a little over $100 so yes, if you love cool clothes, take a peek and maybe splurge, but it's definitely not an everyday trip. read more

This is a fun store to browse! It's a little crowded and overwhelming inside, with a bunch of racks all around, but there are a lot of unique items. If you're looking for newer casual pieces, at least from what I saw of the selection I think this probably isn't the store for you, a lot of it is definitely older vintage and you'd have better luck at the Goodwill close by. This is probably the largest shoe and lingerie/corset section I've ever seen in a thrift store! If I wasn't mistaken, I think there is some not thrifted new clothing mixed in with the thrifted clothing, which could be a bit confusing if you were hoping to just shop thrifted. There's a large selection of sparkly bras and shorts along with some wigs, I could see this being a good place to stop by for something like Halloween or a rave along for older vintage! read more

Red Light Vintage Clothing - Inside - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Large selection of clothing but they may not be true vintage. I bought a pair of what I thought to be vintage women's Wranglers for $46 but they turned out to be new kids denim that I can get on Amazon for $24 ... read more

Great selection of vintage clothes , Halloween items , cool retro hats pants Jeans skirts and everything in-between! This Halloween is going to be amazing because if red light! read more

Amazing selection, and even better customer service! The perfect place to go for all occasions, whether it's a party, special event, or just everyday clothing. I really appreciate how they have new inventory rotating, and I love the sale room. I make sure to stop by every-time I'm in Seattle! read more

Funky vintage shop on The Ave that reminds me of something I'd find on Melrose. It's a fairly large shop so there's a good mix of everything...from things I'd never wear outside of Halloween, to very fun finds. Pricing seemed fair on the items I picked up and the staff was professional. read more

Red Light Vintage Clothing - Used, Vintage & Consignment Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It's located in a kinda sketchy area but it has lots of gems and interesting pieces. Would be a 4 star but I'm taking a star off because there's literally nowhere to sit. I hope this business takes into consideration its disabled (both visible and invisible) customers to provide seating somewhere in the shop. read more

This place was super fun to explore! I went out thrifting with my sister the other day, and we were bopping around the University Village district. We had just come from the Goodwill, where I got an adorable silk floral dress, and stopped in here, really excited because of all the groovy external decor and the plants. We were excited to see that it was actually somewhat of a plant shop / thrift store! I was a bit sad though at how overpriced the plants were. But, it was super beautiful to look at as decorum as we walked through the store! The store was massive, and we were a bit disappointed between rounds of trying things on, that there was no bathroom available for customers. (Advice: the nearest one is down the street at the University of Washington bookstore). We tried on many rounds of clothes! The changing rooms were cute, but not very large, with big circles / holes in the door so it felt a little not so private. But, we tried on many things. My sister got a cute duck sweater, and I got nothing. Neither of us had the best luck with finding many articles of clothing that fit. Not sure if it's because most of the store is vintage/sheer clothing/older style/much smaller. It was still fun to walk around in and explore! But not sure if I would be back given the price and lack of things fitting! Cool experience, not great function though for someone who wants to buy well-fitting clothes and may need to pee : ) Just our experience though! read more

Very fun to poke around but unfortunately not much of a shopping destination if you are above a size 6-8 or so. You can find some good bargains in their back room where items are 50% off or in their $1 t-shirt bin if you're willing to dig! They also carry an array of vintage-style but newly manufactured accessories. Like other reviewers have noted, Red Light is not always to most welcoming place- employees seem to decide if you're the right "type" of customer to take interest in. I have been in many times and noticed a markedly different attitude from staff depending on whether I'm wearing my Instagram-iest duds or casual work wear. It's not super fun to feel like you're not cool enough to deserve assistance from staff. 3 stars only because they do have a large and relatively well organized selection that's curated to their high aesthetic. Sucks that plus-sized shoppers apparently are NOT a part of said aesthetic. read more

This vintage store has a great selection of clothing and accessories for any costume party you may be going to. At Halloween the shop is full to the brim with every possible costume you can think of. I was in there over the weekend and they had several types of affordable hats and boas up front, and many full racks of hanging costumes. I like that the costumes aren't stores in bags here so that everything isn't all wrinkled when you take it home. I've been here before to find 30's and 40's vintage hats and also for Halloween's past. They don't ever disappoint. Prices for their items range from inexpensive to very expensive based on the quality of what you're purchasing. I've sold back shoes to them as well. I enjoy their concept of recycled clothes and love coming in here! read more

I have been a customer at this Red Light for 10 plus years. I really like Red Light, but I have noticed in recent years their customer service hasn't been the best. The good: 1) Red Light has some awesome inventory! They have really unique finds, so when you find a hit, it is a hit. 2) The buyers do have good taste. I've sold some things here, and their prices were fair. 3) Easy to get to location by bus (although parking is not so good-this is the Ave though). The bad: 1) They are simply unorganized. It is so hard to spend store credit here because they have an inefficient system of book keeping. You have to keep your receipts to track store credit, which would be fine but they look IDENTICAL to normal receipts. But if they were to load store credit cards like Buffalo Exchange or other consignment stores do, it would be so much simpler all around. It makes buying items a chore, which it shouldn't be. 2) They do not really carry sizes past size 8. So it is hard to shop here for clothing unless you are petite. 3) The lighting. It is really important to have brighter lighting to see the details as these clothes are second hand, at the very least within the changing rooms. I want to be able to make sure I can inspect my items successfully before purchase. 4) It could be cleaner. I am okay with giving my bag to the front desk while shopping around for security reasons, but I don't want the bottoms of my personal items getting dirty! That's not fair. I love how unique Red Light is, and what they do, but they could step it up in the long run with some very simple adjustments. read more

As a LONG TIME weekly shopper of this store, i have seen many different changes for better or for worse. Recently I have noticed that they have been playing the exact same music on a regular basis. As someone who loves all different kinds of music, I have had many wonderful shopping experiences with pleasureable music choices. Lately however I have noticed a lack of excitement and spunk on the music front. Dont get me wrong, im more than happy to plug in my headphones but WOW! What is this? A library for christsake? It feels like all of the fun young energy has been forced out like an inflatable mattress with a hole and replaced with the dave mathews band and imagine dragons. The playlist sounds like im overstimulated in a QFC while going through nicotine with-drawls and brain zaps. PLEASE GET SOMEONE ELSE ON AUX!!!!! read more

This Red Light Vintage location is ok. I prefer their main location in Capitol Hill. There is much more variety there. That is an understatement to say the least. Still if you poke and prod some here you may find something interesting. It is still better than most other vintage clothing stores. No doubt about it. read more

Love this store I always leave with at least a few cool thrift finds! I'm from Vegas but I always make it a point to go to Red Light when it comes to the shopping day in my vacation so if you're a local and seeing this you should definitely go soon! read more

Best vintage clothing store in seattle. Widest and largest selection of true vintage and new clothing too! Must see iconic seattle spot

I treat really good vintage stores like my own second Mecca. So I know where to go for the goods that are cheap but not cheap-looking. U-dist local offers up a hefty selection of 40-60's dresses. Another major plus is that the clothes don't stink. Ah la moth ball-your grandma's closet. I really dis-like that!! Personally I feel the U-dist local offers up a better selection of clothing than costume. Go to the Capitol Hill local if your after costumes. read more

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I'm too embarrassed to say what I was doing here, but suffice it to say I needed some costume stuff. I had some reservations because of what some of the reviews said about the service here, so what a pleasant surprise to walk in and immediately start up a conversation with one of the employees. She was helpful right off the bat and stuck with me and helped me for quite awhile. Later, another employee helped me out without hesitation and struck up a conversation with me while I was checking out. Rarity, since some employees at some places don't want to talk to you even if they are helping you! The place itself is big and looks packed with a lot of unconventional clothing. They have a lot of costume stuff. In some cases I'm sure this is the only stop you'd have to make for costumes, but in others, you'd still be able to get some key pieces here. It's a little pricey, but you can find some hard to find and pretty unique stuff here. Overall, I had a lot of fun here and will probably stop in once in awhile if I'm on the ave. If I wasn't going to be one of my friends for halloween I'd come here for a costume! read more

Five stars for sure! The cutest most unique clothing that is yes theatrical yet still very functional for everyday wear. Very excited to go back! read more

Halloween can be really frustrating especially when a lot of costumes are ridiculously expensive and unoriginal. I'm not the most artsy person either so making my own was pretty much out of the question. I had visited at least three other costume shops before finally buying one at Red Light. I can say that the average prices of the costumes at Red Light were cheaper than the other places. Costumes that ranged from $50 to $70 were about $40 to $60 at Red Light. Alright so that's not much but for a costume that I'll probably never wear again? Yeah, cheaper is better. I liked how the costumes were categorized neatly in a round hanger format instead of in a straight line, if that makes sense. It makes browsing so much easier. The people who work here are pretty helpful and friendly too so I liked that a lot. The only bad thing is that all costume sales are final. read more

A great thrift store with a fabulous selection of costumes! Red Light will buy clothes for cheap and they have a wide variety of vintage to current items in season. You can get store credit instead if you want vs. cash. A big variety of sunglasses from all decades and many other accessories and shoes. When I looked at what they had, most of the clothes were vintage. I don't know if this is because the current clothes were picked through or they were having a slow season. I didn't see much of a selection for men and no kids clothes in sight. The Red Light location on Cap Hill is now closed so come here. read more

Don't expect to return anything. I purchased a couple pairs of tights for a costume. I went home and realized they wouldn't work before even opening them. I took them back this morning and both employees working there told me they would accept return on accessories even if they were unopened. read more

I love this place because of the variety of stuff but they could change there management skills like a lot and be more organized but I do love the aesthetic and the music in this store! read more

A-OK! Nothing bad to say about this place. When I'm looking to clear some space in my closet, Red Light comes to the rescue. They buy back my clothes (for cheap) and I leave with cash! You can opt for store credit too. They'll give you more $$ if you go that route. You can do a shop for seasonal duds. Anything from jackets to dresses to polos and even shoes. My favorite part is the costumes! The selection is crazy huge. Theyhave gently used costumes for cheap as well as brand new ones. Sexy nurse, Homer Simpson, the Devil... They've got it all! I host a lot of themed events and this place never fails. read more

Formerly owned by a friend of mine, this place has changed much over the 20+ years it's existed. It's still a fantastic place to find something truly amazing from an era past, it's great for costumes and for just feeling like you're cooler for having hung out there. The only drawback for me is that while it's a fine and and dandy place to shop, it's still only half as cool as it used to be, probably just like me. read more

I was in here looking for something so oddly specific that I'd certainly never hold it against any venue if they didn't have it. Specifically, I was looking for a vintage 40's Hawaiian print swimsuit. Yeah. I know. But the woman who greeted me immediately and offered assistance deserves her own platter of stars delivered via room service just because she is exceptionally cool, and truly helpful without ever being solicitous, or raising the pitch of her voice in that unctuous way some salespeople do, as if they are addressing preschool-aged children (which, for the record, is not any more welcome to me in that setting, either). This woman had a kind of Jodie Foster directness, with a clear-eyed gaze and obvious intelligence. She directed me to several contenders, knowing none of them were specifically what I was looking for, but which might be useful second-best alternatives. While I was waiting to check out, someone repeatedly set off the shoplifter alarm, and she handled this with good-natured equanimity as well, minimizing the customer's embarrassment while still managing to exhaust all the possibilities of what had set it off. What a cool chick. I appreciate Red Light because it's better organized than many secondhand stores, and the items aren't so densely packed that you can't even physically isolate the garment you want to inspect...unlike the neighboring Goodwill, which needs a desperate and ruthless purge. read more

Love this place and the people who work there! Came to get a wedding outfit for myself and my partner for a burning man-esque theme and walked away with some great accessories for our outfits! read more