The Best Austin Clothing Stores, Sustainable Vintage Fashion

by Carley Lake | Last Updated: May 29, 2020

The first time I went to Austin I floated down a river and went to the biggest Whole Foods I had ever seen. The second time I made my mom go down an in-bar slide on Rainy Street and check out all of the Austin vintage clothing and sustainable clothing stores with me. I love Austin (and my mom).

See below to see the top stores I dragged my mom to and to learn more about my favorite local Austin clothing stores.

All shops are saved to this Austin Good Finds Google Maps List to use on your upcoming Texas visit.

1. esby apparel

Founder Stephanie Beard (not shown above, that’s my friend Ally) designed menswear for Levi’s, Converse, and Tommy Hilfiger and wanted to find more transparency in the garment-making process. She also wanted to create a worn-often, long-lasting product. Soon esby, made for all genders with its unisex designs, was born.

Bestsellers include jumpsuits at $298, tunics at $180, and high-waisted jeans at $298, meant to be closet staples you wear over and over again.

esby produces in small batches but when there are leftover fabrics best-selling items are recut in these remnant fabrics and offered in limited quantities. So be on the lookout for your favorite tunic in a limited-edition fabric and color. This is a must-check out of the Austin clothing stores.

Price: $$ – $$$

Hours: Open Daily 11am – 6pm

Location: 1601 S 1st St a, Austin, TX 78704

Phone:(512) 243-8901

esby apparel website

2. Miranda Bennet Studio

The luminous colors of the flowing dresses, wraps, and coverups aren’t thanks to artificial colors made in a lab but plant-derived materials, including extracts of various wood varieties, pomegranate rind, and natural indigo. And even more impressive, the studio is transitioning to a sourcing initiative to utilize Zero Waste dye-stuff by seeking out natural dyes that are the by-product of other industries, such as saw-dust from central Texas grown and milled wood and avocado pits and skins from local food suppliers.

Each step in the production is thoughtful, celebrating the local community and the local environment. The company manufactures its apparel exclusively with Open Arms, a locally-based sustainable apparel manufacturer empowering refugees through fair-wage employment.

In addition to Open Arms, the studio started an agricultural partnership growing new plants for dyes with New Leaf Agriculture, a social enterprise creating jobs for Austin’s refugee population.

If the clothes at one of the top Austin clothing stores don’t sell you (which they will), the stories behind them should.

Price: $$ – $$$

Hours: Monday – Friday 10am – 7pm, Saturday – Sunday 11am – 7pm

Location: 1211 E 11th St Suite 101, Austin, TX 78702

Phone:(512) 432-5121

Miranda Bennett Studio Website

3. Fortress of Inca

In 2004, Texas native Evan Streusand discovered his first pair of Peruvian boots while backpacking through South America. He loved the mix of Incan textiles and the modern boot silhouette and soon started Fortress of Inca.

The shoes a Fortress of Inca are handmade in Peru (learn more about the shoemakers!) “with a focus on fair wages, gender equity, and good working conditions for all of our shoemakers” says the company.

Visit Fortress of Inca if you are looking for a new boot, but are sick of the same old Chelsea boot and standard 2-inch-tall booties.

Price: $$ – $$$

Hours: Daily 11am – 5pm, Closed Sunday

Location: 503 W Mary St, Austin, TX 78704

Phone:(512) 856-4622

Fortress of Inca Website

4. Solid Gold

Solid Gold opened its doors in 2006 as one of the first retailers and Austin clothing stores in Austin’s East Side neighborhood. With neighborhood expansion, the past ten years the store’s mission stays the same—to create a collection that is driven by design, sustainability, beauty, and an ethical sensibility. It’s a place selling pieces to be cherished for years to come while supporting and promoting artists and artisans from “our little Texas town and beyond”.

In addition to ethically-made clothing, pick up handmade candles, Austin coloring books, lotion bars (#plasticisnotfantasic), and even honey from East Austin hives.

Price: $$

Hours: Daily 12pm – 7pm, Sunday 11am – 4pm

Location: 1601 E 5th St #102, Austin, TX 78702

Phone:(512) 473-2730

Solid Gold Website

5. Feather’s Boutique

Austin houses a lot of vintage clothing…I mean A LOT of vintage clothing to discover. I chose to write about Feather’s in this sustainable designs list due to its top upcylced offerings across Austin clothing stores.

In addition to selling hand-selected vintage clothing, artisan jewelry, and vintage home decor and gifts, Feathers offers its own line of re-worked vintage, like embroidered DIY overalls (see photos above), under the label Feathers Originals.

I purchased a high-waisted vintage bikini I now wear on every body-of-water-bound trip. Find your perfect purchase for a day out on Lake Austin or at ACL…SXSW…the rodeo…etc.

Price: $$ – $$$

Hours: Daily 11am – 7pm

Location: 1700 B South Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704

Phone:(512) 912-9779

Feather’s Boutique Website

And before you go:

Austin Good Finds Google Maps List – Happy shopping!