How to Shop the Best Vintage Denim on Instagram

denim
Photographed by Franco Rubartelli, Vogue, January 15, 1968

Finding good vintage denim is difficult—finding that perfect pair online is even harder. Or at least it was until a new wave of vintage denim dealers started selling their stock on Instagram. Now, it’s possible to look through someone’s personal denim archive—perhaps physically located across the country—and send a direct message to the dealer to snag a unique piece on the spot. Thanks to near-daily updates, the hunt can become addicting, and it’s a race to write in before the caption changes to sold. Here, seven Instagram accounts that are changing the vintage denim game—stumbling across that one-off denim jacket has never been easier.

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@noirohioBased out of Dayton, Ohio, since 2005, Noirohio has been the denim world’s best kept secret for more than a decade. Now, they sell exclusively online through Instagram and Etsy, updating their feed several times a day with new arrivals. Noirohio is known for one-off ’70s pieces: zip-up jumpsuits with exaggerated collars and rainbow stitched hem lines compete with colorful patchwork suede bell bottoms. Cut-off jorts and high-waisted bootcut styles are also available for those craving understated staples, all expertly styled on the Noirohio account.

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@9thstvintageNestled in the heart of New York’s East Village is the 9th St. Haberdashery, a boutique dedicated to pre-’60s clothing that’s hard to find. Though the full extent of their collection can only be seen in-store, they post their most covetable denim finds on Instagram—a ’50s Levi’s midi skirt or a pair of 1940s stovepipe overalls. Before you hurry over to 9th St., make sure to double-check the captions and see what’s already been snatched up.

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@valleydenimWith an Instagram page full of street style inspiration images and a website stocked with frayed jorts and jackets, Valley Denim will give you every excuse to stock up on classic denim. The best part? Everything in their online shop goes for under $100. Lived-in jackets come in men’s sizes for that oversize Balenciaga look, while cut-offs are available in every shade of indigo. After only a year in business, Valley Denim has already achieved an impossibly effortless sense of cool.

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@_rawson

Another newcomer to the online denim scene, Rawson specializes in high-waisted, cropped kick flare jeans that hug in all the right places. A one-woman show, Rachel Glasder has a shop in Chicago, but her customers come from all over the country. Just one look at Rawson’s five-star raves on Etsy underscores the top-notch quality of her vintage selects. Denim items are styled on Instagram with lightweight linen blouses, soft T-shirts, and floppy straw hats. For those who want even more denim action, new additions are routinely showcased on Rawson’s Instagram Story.

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@duonycDuo is another East Village haunt, established in 2008 by sisters Wendy and LaRae Kangas. Gender-neutral dressing is their forte, and they mix classic vintage silhouettes with more contemporary designs. Duo’s jeans are the kind you throw on with a white tee and a trench—think those vintage bootcut Levi’s beloved by social media influencers. Product moves fast here, so keep a close eye on their feed for announcements about online discounts, new arrivals, and last-minute pop-up shops.

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@retrouveeshopIf the Dazed and Confused wardrobe became shoppable, it would look just like Retrouvée’s vintage shop. Their Instagram feed is a well-curated selection of retro denim paired with bandana tops and colorful knits. Founder Tarah Jane Kreutziger, who is based in California and started selling online last year, looks for styles that have transcended the decades, whose “lifespans were meant to be timeless.” High-waisted jeans with exaggerated flares are plentiful, accompanied by crochet crop tops and white Calvin Klein bootcuts.

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@dobbinstvintageBrooklyn’s Dobbin St. Vintage Co-op now has storefronts in both Greenpoint and Bushwick. Patched, embroidered, fringed, and stamped pieces can be found here, much to the delight of ’90s-obsessed shoppers. The six co-owners work to provide fresh vintage finds on an almost daily basis, and their Insta-feed reflects the bold colors and prints that flow throughout both shops. The more tongue-in-cheek items are hard to resist, and you may end up leaving with a Reese’s chocolate wrap skirt or a Kellogg’s Nascar bomber to go with those embellished Levi’s.