Rusty Zip

Great for clothes, I got an Armani jacket there and it was a pure gold find :)

I love vintage everything so this little treasure trove is right up my street. Totally not a high street store which is a good thing) it’s teeny cosy and jam packed with clothes which makes for a fun hunt! The staff were very friendly and helpful which is always a good thing. Definitely worth a look if you like your clothes to be one offs:)

Great shop. Picked up many great pieces of vintage and retro clothing from this store.

Im afraid to say that I don’t really get the whole vintage trend thing. I have only encountered the rusty zip in the last few years, but I am reliably informed that in the last while the store has gradually been increasing its prices and isn’t providing as good a range as it used to.
Unfortunately I am not in the position to judge quality, as quite frankly all I see in this place is old tat that you mum and dad more in their heyday thinking they were the badger’s nadgers. Everything just feels old and dilapidated to me, but then again I’m not exactly ever at the cutting edge of cool.
From what I gather from my visits, unless you want something for a special 70s style night out there isn’t much to see here, but I imagine for females who love hunting for something quirky its a great place to leaf through.
Unfortunately in my eyes it is just the Crusty Zip.

Seventies retro? Eighties retro? Vintage? Head for the Rusty Zip on Botanic Avenue. You need a bit of time to browse in here for the real gems, even though it’s a small shop. They have some really great, truly vintage bits of clothing, accessories and jewellery.
The Rusty Zip also has a useful companion website (tho’ no online shopping) which includes details of their weekly special (e.g half price jumpers). If you are an original, one-​off type of gal (or guy) the you’ll find all manner of trinkets and baubles here, as well as shoes, bags and scarves. It’s also a well-​known haunt for discerning fancy-​dress party goers.
It calls itself an ‘emporium’ and I reckon it just about deserves the title. It also has quite a good turnover of clothes, so make it a regular drop-​in spot. You’ll have to do this, anyway, so as to wrestle the best bargains from the marauding students. As they say in Scooby Doo ‘if it wasn’t for those pesky kids’!

Ah, Rusty Zip. Anyone reading my reviews (hi Mum), will probably infer correctly that I love shops like this. Selling all sorts of vintage and outlandish get-​you-​noticed gear, the shop itself is very well laid out and colourful, with cheerful helpful staff. I love all the scarves wound around the rail to the top floor, and usually unravel and buy at least one when I’m in. Great shoes and bags too, and oh how I love my floor length purple velvet cloak bought here for just £18. I haven’t got up the nerve to wear it out beyond the pub yet, but hopefully that day will come soon.
As with most vintage clothes, the sizing is a bit off sometimes, especially for trousers. And no, that’s not a lard-​arsey excuse along the lines of ‘That damn dryer shrunk my jeans again’. A 2010 size in a contemporary shop is not the same size in Rusty Zip, so be prepared for a fair bit of trying on and an even higher level of disappointment when those tartan flares, supposedly in your size, won’t even make it past one thigh. Still a great shop though, highly recommended.

I really like this store. It’s one of the best vintage stores I’ve been to.
Inside the displays are always really psychedelic and colourful. There are throngs of clothes to choose from. My best buy here was a black and emerald green fuzzy mohair cardigan which looks pretty rock n’roll and is snug too! Win!
I’ve also been in to find something mental to wear to a fancy dress party in my house a while back. The theme was ‘rare’ so I was looking for something really naff. The shop assistants helped me pick out a floor length 1920’s style dress, which I tipped off with an art deco turban!
There are laods of cool clothes downstairs and some real bargains. Upstairs are some of the more wacky prom dresses and crazy fancy dress gear. I’d say the Rusty Zip is a place to keep popping into on a regular basis, so you pick up all the good stuff.

The Rusty Zip was the first 2^nd hand shop I ever really came across and it’s still my favourite one in Belfast. I’m not much of a vintage shopper, but if ever I need something for a themed night, I can ususally find it in the Rusty Zip.
There’s still a fair portion of moth-​eaten clothes, but I find that the great items far outweigh the rubbish ones, which is all I ask for in a vintage shop!

Vintage heaven!
Rusty Zip is a really funky shop selling a whole range of vintage goodies. They stock things like hats, belts, coats, bags, coats and dresses. Its a fantastic place to go if you wear vintage clothes but also if you like to accessorise a little differently and don’t have to wear Primarks latest like everyone else! I especially love their dresses and they do have some cool tops too. Its moderately priced but not too expensive. A must-​go for all you quirky vintage fans!

If you like old clothes, shoes, hats, bags and gloves this is the place for you. If you are seeking a one off look that no one else will have, this is the place for you. If you believe that mass produced clothes are just too throw away and you’d like to help the planet, this is the place for you. If you don’t mind a funny smell and a slight itchy feeling, this is the place for you. Sometimes known as the crusty kip — it depends on what you want from your wardrobe… I have found some gorgeous jackets and tops in here but I have also tried on the strangest looking concoctions you have ever seen! I once bought a friend a coat that I thought was awesome: red velvet, furry collar, big gold buttons and a size 6 — I thought ‘if I’m not to have it, Orla will have it and love it as much as me’ I was so sure. She never had it on her back. If only I had lost three stone it could have been mine!
The clothes are all very reasonably priced with dresses from about £8 pound and the scarves, which are tied all the way up the banisters, are beautiful and only a few pounds each.

I have to agree with Emma P. here. Rusty Zip is a one of a kind. Vintage shops are popping up all around Belfast but personally I don’t think it’s lost any of it’s cool. I’d say that during the recession prices were possibly pushed up a little as I’m sure it was hard for them to survive (so this could account for their price chages)
Any time I’m up this end of the town I can’t resist a look in. All manner of amazing clothes and knick knacks are for sale no matter what your dress sense i’d say there’s something for everyone. Maybe it’s just not to the others taste but if vintage is your thing then don’t let this one slip by. It’s a must for the thrift loving shopper!

When I was a younger man I used to call to Belfast and this was one of the places I would go and get some new clothes. It was cool and fun, you could always pick up some nice stuff and it was dirt cheap.
However, one day out of the clear blue sky it changed. Lots of people started going and it got expensive and lost any sort of soul it once had. You can still get the same leather jackets, flares and the like but it feels like a chain such as Best Vintage or the like. Boring and dull and just not what it once was, which is a shame.

This place is great if you want to wear the stuff. But how often can a man get away with a disco shirt that even Travolta himself would have thought «eyy… no thank you»… The clothes are not entirely appropriate for going to class or having a sandwich, but if you want to wear something thats a bit special and with a chunky price tag, this place is the only shop you need to go to. Some call it vintage. Others say it’s old expensive junk. I’m lost somewhere inbetween the groovy 70s and the poor student in 2010.
It’s definately worth a look.

I don’t think I’m cool enough to go into the rusty zip. It’s a 2^nd hand shop that deals in vintage alternative clothing for, well for the cooler than me! My sheer lack of cred doesn’t stop me from coming in and having a look around. The place is separated into two levels (male and female). The guys section is a lot of flares and half rotten leather jackets that despite their clear tinge of green still look cool.
What shocked me about the rusty zip is, for a 2^nd hand shop, it is really, really expensive. For a pair of ¹⁵⁄₂₀ year old jeans, it was around £25! I very much doubt they ever cost that much when they were brand new! But, then again, I’m just not cool enough to appreciate this vintage gems (if it comes across as sarcasm, it really isn’t, I’m not).

This shop is beyond cool. I feel like a total impostor going in here because my dress sense is sooooo dull compared to the people who work and shop here. I usually end up looking here when I’m sourcing costumes for a show or thinking about ideas for Halloween or general fancy dress. It’s got all things retro and vintage, and not pretend stuff or cheap copies, it’s the real deal, leather jackets and funky boots and interesting, quirky hats and accessories, and there is always something new and funny to find. They even stock some mad looking wigs too. You can find some real bargains, although my usual problem is that one size doesn’t fit all — but I get around that by looking at the accessories on offer. A very unique, zany shop that is definitely worth a look, no matter what your taste.