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If you’ve ever overheard one of your pals say they were ‘born in the wrong era,’ direct them to the vintage-loving brand ModCloth. Launched in 2002 but carrying a retro aesthetic, ModCloth is an American brand that retails indie and vintage pieces.
One look at the brand’s website transports you to a 50s diner or a 70s music festival—since it has an abundance of high-waisted bikini bottoms and fun flared trousers that took over both eras. While it seems like this brand is utterly unique there are other stores like ModCloth.
The e-commerce boom saw the rise of various trendy fashion destinations but ModCloth owners Eric Kroger and Susan Gregg Koger knew there was space in the market for vintage dresses.
Even though they were still students at Carnegie Mellon University, the two launched ModCloth as a space to retail the vintage dresses they loved. In 2005, the fashion-forward students experienced major financial success and went on to receive their first round of funding only three years later.
Since the brand’s initial launch, ModCloth has expanded its product offerings and now has a full collection of apparel, swimwear, accessories, and shoes. The brand has never lost its vintage touch and exclusively sells vintage as well as vintage-inspired pieces.
If ModCloth is a brand you enjoy and want more of, read on to discover more info about stores like ModCloth as well as:
- Is ModCloth ethical?
- Other quirky clothing brands
- Unique clothing websites
How We Chose the Best Stores Like ModCloth
Since ModCloth is a unique brand, other stores like ModCloth are determined by analyzing the factors that make ModCloth as special as it is.
Price
When it comes to price, stores like ModCloth offer a price range that fits a variety of budgets. On ModCloth’s site specifically, you can shop for pieces as low as $5 and max out at about $330. This price range does include shoes which can drive the price increasingly upward for a lot of brands.
Style
ModCloth is for vintage-loving gals. From the fashionistas obsessed with Old Hollywood glamor to the bohemian babes all about that carefree old school style, ModCloth has the hottest trends from the 1930s through to the 1990s.
Here’s where you’ll find poodle skirts sold alongside the boxy silhouettes that were the highlight of the mod fashion era. While the ModCloth girl can take these pieces and style them into a more modern look, don’t expect to see anything current on ModCloth.
Quality
In addition to the ModCloth brand, the American fashion destination also retails a slew of other brands and branded collaborations. For instance, there’s the ModCloth for Hello Kitty joint venture which features the Hello Kitty imaging, logos, and text on various vintage apparel.
This makes it difficult to track whether the brand’s quality is 100% consistent across its website. However, the ModCloth brand itself does utilize sweatshops and short-shelf life fabrics like polyester.
So it’s safe to assume that ModCloth isn’t as devoted to providing top-shelf quality as it is to delivering the hot styles of yesteryear.
Selection
Since ModCloth has an abundance of apparel, clothing stores like ModCloth quite often have lots of selection too. Like most fast-fashion brands, ModCloth offers lots of new arrivals on an ongoing basis which adds to its already vast collection.
At ModCloth, you won’t find men’s or children’s clothing but the womenswear collection is stacked with apparel including:
- Dresses of various lengths and silhouettes
- Tops including basics, knitwear, sweats, blouses, and T-shirts
- Bottoms including pants, skirts, jeans, leggings, shorts, and rompers
- Accessories including jewelry, bags, hosiery, and scarves
- Footwear including heels, boots, platforms, clogs, sneakers, and loafers
- Swimwear (both one-pieces and two pieces)
ModCloth also offers a collection of plus-size clothing alongside a list of pieces under its collaborative collections. If there’s one thing ModCloth is missing, it’s definitely not variety. That’s because the brand always has so many items you can shop for.
Convenience
In 2020, the once-booming business experienced some financial issues and unfortunately had to close a number of its physical stores. However, this hasn’t slowed the brand’s continuing sales or changed the convenience customers experience when shopping for their products.
While there may no longer be a ModCloth store near you, the brand still has its online platform which offers global shipping and returns. Since the physical stores were only located in the USA, the closing of these locations only inconveniences a select number of ModCloth fans.
Diversity & Inclusion
What ModCloth lacks in quality, it makes up for with its commitment to diverse advertising. In fact, ModCloth was the first retailer to sign the Anti-Photoshop initiative known as the Heroes Pledge for Advertisers.
Since signing this pledge in 2014, ModCloth has stopped photoshopping models during the photo editing process. Co-owner Susan Gregg Kroger is also an active speaker about the Truth in Advertising Act which promotes honesty in marketing.
The year after committing to the truthful representation of models, ModCloth took its pledge of inclusion a step further by launching a swimwear campaign modeled by some of the ModCloth’s employees.
That same year, ModCloth aimed to rebrand its use of the term ‘plus-size.’ This came after it was revealed to ModCloth that most plus-size women feel embarrassed and ‘othered’ when their clothing is hosted on a separate site. In response to these results, ModCloth brought its plus-size product range onto its general site.
Although the apparel industry has been making strides to become more inclusive, not all stores like ModCloth share this company’s desire to do better in advertising.
12 Best Stores Like ModCloth
#1 – Lulus
Previously known as Lulus Fashion Lounge, Lulus is another vintage shop based in California, USA. Like ModCloth, this unique fashion palace also opened physical locations but later shut them down to focus exclusively on its online business.
Today LuLus is shoppable around the world—from the Americas to countries in Asia.
#2 – Chi Chi London
Chi Chi London is one of the many hot online fashion brands that came out of the UK. It specializes in dresses—from cute and trendy bold shoulder minis to bridesmaid dresses—that’ll make your jaw drop.
Chi Chi isn’t as vintage-focused as ModCloth but it does offer a few vintage-inspired pieces amongst its collection of currently stylish apparel.
While Chi Chi London does offer international shipping, the only currencies customers can shop in are AUD, USD, EUR, and GBP. So this makes ModCloth a little less convenient for shoppers than ModCloth.
#3 – Playful Promises
Fancy a bra? Or perhaps some naughty garters? Then Playful Promises is the London-based brand you need on your radar. Unlike the other stores like ModCloth within this list, Playful Promises is exclusively a sleepwear and lingerie brand.
PVC bodysuits and lacy knickers take over the site but the ModCloth similarities are seen through the retro balconette bras and corsets. And even though this is a brand loved by a crowd of modern women, the vintage-loving dolls can also find lots of products that suit their throwback tastes.
#4 – Unique Vintage
Unique Vintage is one of the stores like ModCloth most aligned with the brand’s aesthetic and love for vintage style. The poppy and bright vintage branding is carried from the store’s vibrant site right into its physical store in Burbank California.
Like ModCloth, Unique Vintage retails a wide selection of styles inspired by the ‘It’ trends of the 1920s right up to the 1990s.
#5 – Chicwish
ChicWish is a fashion mecca of indie designers catering to the vintage-obsessed. It’s one of the small handful of stores like ModCloth that also cater to children.
The styles range from obviously vintage-inspired to a slew of products that walk the line between retro fashion and currently trendy. The pieces on Chicwish are retailed in a variety of currencies including AED, AUD, BRL, CAD, EUR, GBP, HKD, INK, JPY, NSZD, RUB, and SGD. This increases the shopping convenience for Chicwish customers.
#6 – Reformation
What started out as a small shop selling vintage fashions in 2009 has quickly grown into an influencer’s go-to brand. Reformation has an abundance of hot styles and trendy pieces inspired by the fun fashions of yesteryear.
At Reformation, you can shop for wedding wear, apparel, and shoes. Reformation is also a brand that participates in sustainability practices like its shoe recycling program and collaborative efforts with sustainable cleaning brand Blueland.
#7 – Boden USA
For over 30 years, Boden USA has been serving its shoppers the best in men’s, women’s, and childrenswear inspired by vintage fashion. What started as a dream for an 8-style menswear catalog in 1991 has since grown to include a variety of styles for vintage fashion fans of all ages.
Boden also specializes in a range of vacation-friendly fashions—from swimwear and cute cover-ups to men’s cargos and Birkenstock-Esque sandals.
#8 – Zappos
Zappos started as an online destination for shoes before branching out to become a one-stop shop for apparel, shoes, accessories, and more. The Zappos website looks like an online department store since they carry popular brands like UGGS, Birkenstock, and Nike, to name a select few.
And although they sell a huge selection of items, the vintage look is not carried throughout Zappos the way it is at ModCloth.
#9 – Joanie Clothing
Joanie Clothing is another vintage fashion shop where you can scroll through the timeless styles of the 1940s straight through to the 1990s. Similar to ModCloth, Joanie also expresses an interest in body-diverse marketing and offers its plus-size range on its general site.
#10 – Everlane
Everlane is for women who value comfort and sustainability as much as style.
The Everlane customer flocks to the site for the brand’s effortless, chic apparel, including their modern knits, classic denim silhouettes, and basics you can count on. And many shoppers love the brand’s signature transparency and commitment to healthier retail practices.
#11 – Nuuly
Rent, resell or shop to own on Nuuly. The online thrift platform specializes in vintage finds you can borrow for a special occasion or buy outright. On Nuuly’s site, you’ll find pre-loved pieces from vintage-inspired brands like Free People and Anthropologie.
#12 – Alice + Olivia
If you’re set on finding stores like ModCloth but cheaper, you may want to look away from Alice + Olivia. But this may be difficult to do since the American luxury label is known for its punchy color palette and vibrant patterns.
The Alice + Olivia collection is a modern take on vintage fashion. Even though its styles are inspired by the ‘60s and ‘70s trends, the designs are fresh enough to stand beside the current trends on the market.
Alice + Olivia utilizes higher-quality fabric than ModCloth and it’s something the brand considers when pricing its items. While the ModCloth’s price point maxes out at around $330, expect to spend upward of $2,000 at Alice + Olivia.
Which Stores Like ModCloth Are Closest In Comparison?
When it comes to the overall aesthetic, price point, and selection, Unique Vintage is one of the stores like ModCloth that is most like the American brand.
Firstly, the price point of Unique Vintage ranges from $15 (regular price) to around $320. This is fairly close to the ModCloth price point and lets ModCloth shoppers know that they can comfortably budget for this brand’s products as well.
It’s clear in the name that Unique Vintage is a fashion destination for vintage-inspired finds and, much like ModCloth, Unique Vintage makes shopping extremely easy.
On the Unique Vintage website, shoppers can filter through which eras they prefer—whether that be the roaring styles of the 1920s or the easy-breezy styles of the bohemian-clad 1970s.
ModCloth fans will also be delighted to find lots of collaborative projects just like the ones they’re used to seeing on the ModCloth site. Cute and cartoony clothing made in partnership with Barbie, Hello Kitty, Strawberry Shortcake, and more, make up a great portion of the brand’s variety of styles.
Unique Vintage also retails its plus-size collection on its general site and takes part in body-diverse advertising.
The apparel sold at Unique Vintage—whether it’s a graphic poodle skirt or floral printed mod dress—is very similar to ModCloth clothing.
Both sites have an abundance of mod-tastic prints, flared skirts, dresses, and trousers, in addition to a list of other styles that took over the fashion scene decades ago.
So, of all the online stores like ModCloth, Unique Vintage has the most ModCloth-like aesthetic and price range.
Which Stores Like ModCloth Are the Most Affordable?
The ModCloth-like stores previously mentioned all vary when it comes to price range. But Chicwish comes out as one of, if not the most, affordable stores like ModCloth.
This could be due to its fast fashion-like practices or where and how the clothing is manufactured, but Chicwish is going to be kinder to your wallet than ModCloth and a slew of the other stores like ModCloth.
Chicwish is where you’ll find the average price of a dress to be $60 while the average price of outerwear—often one of the most expensive apparel items—checks out around $90. This is fairly cheap not only for a vintage-fashion site but for a general online fashion retailer.
In addition to the brand’s already affordable price point, Chicwish also offers various coupon codes and loyalty points when you shop for the brand’s items. And these discounts are similar to the promos offered at Shein or Romwe.
Although more affordable than ModCloth, you aren’t skipping out on quality when you shop at Chicwish since both brands utilize similar manufacturing practices as well as materials.
Chicwish may not offer the most outstanding quality but it’s a great fashion website for cheap and chic pieces inspired by the vintage styles you love.
Which Stores Like ModCloth Offer the Best Quality?
Stores like ModCloth with the best quality are the retailers using the best materials. And when it comes to quality, Alice + Olivia is the brand that’s winning compared to the other stores on our list.
Alicia + Olivia’s collections are designed and manufactured in America’s fashion capital, New York City. Creative Director Stacey Bendet relies on recycled cashmere knits, natural linen, and responsibly-sourced wool to make up the brand’s various fun and dynamic designs.
And while Alice + Olivia hasn’t always been 100% transparent about its sustainability or ethical practices, the brand is continuously making strides in the right direction to deliver clothing that’s both beautiful and long-lasting.
Final Thoughts
Stores like ModCloth capture the styles and fun fashions from years gone by that you might not have been around to experience the first time. These stores are important to the fashion market since they provide a one-stop-shop for a stylish niche that has a lot of fans in and outside of the fashion community.
So, hit up stores like ModCloth when you’re exploring a vintage era for Halloween and want to build a custom with pieces you can wear months after the spooky day is over. Or shop till you drop through a wide variety of rad retro styles to suit whatever kind of throwback gal you are.
Whatever you decide, know that ModCloth has your back, front, and feet covered when it comes to affordable vintage wear.
Looking for more stores like ModCloth? Take a look at these popular brands: