I celebrated my 40th in Antwerp, where I received a much more appealing midlife vintage Jaguar – this 70s silver necklace found at the Sint-Jansvliet street market. This was my first of a few favourites for vintage & antiques in Antwerp.

From Art Nouveau townhouses to the contemporary MAS museum with galleries stacked in a sixty-meter-high tower, Antwerp blends old and new charm. The city makes things of the past feel fresh, like the green Vitrolite bar at the centre of the cool hangout, Korsakov, or the carefully restored and converted convent, hotel August, where we stayed.

August hotel and Café Korsakov

The Sint-Jansvliet Sunday market is one of the oldest in Antwerp. The number of stalls varies according to the seasons, but weather permitting, every week it takes over the square next to the lift to the pedestrians’ passage (with Antwerp’s iconic 1930s wooden escalators) under the Scheldt River. If you brave the market in temperatures of -3 degrees as we did, it might be advisable to double park a glass of red wine and a coffee like one of the antiques dealers. 

Sint-Jansvliet antiques market

Rare wooden escalators in St. Anna’s Tunnel

We arrived at Sint-Jansvliet for 10am and a few stalls were still setting up, but like all markets, it is best to be there early and bring cash. ATMs are also a short walk away. Along with a few cabinets of antique and vintage jewellery where I found my silver necklace, another stall was dedicated to antique silverware, with candleholders and dinner sets. We also bought a piece of art, but the market is small, so it is up to luck on the day which is also part of the thrill. 

It’s ideal not to be too prescriptive with your list when shopping vintage, but deep down, I hoped to pick up a souvenir from one of the Antwerp Six. The six designers, including Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, plus Martin Margiela (also referred to as the 6+1 with Margiela), graduated from the Fashion Department of the Antwerp Academy in the early 80s, earning Belgian fashion its notoriety. Like any stylish city, the pre-loved fashion on offer represents the international luxury brands, but head to Labels Inc. and Rosier 41, and you’ll find a strong selection of secondhand pieces from homegrown talents. I found a boldly printed Dries outfit. 

I bought my colourful co-ord set by Dries Van Noten in Labels Inc.

We spent a long weekend in Antwerp, so if you plan to do the same, it is worth noting that some vintage shops are closed on Sundays and Mondays. A lot of the museums are also closed on Mondays. I planned my vintage map of the city and scheduled accordingly, and we were lucky that one of Goegekregen’s vintage events landed in Antwerp on my birthday, no less. Check their website for market dates in advance if you don’t want to leave it to chance. The event we visited featured two halls of furniture, homewares, vinyl records, fashion and jewellery. Some stall holders accepted card payments, but I found the apps were not always compatible with international banks.  

Goegekregen vintage & secondhand market

Should you find yourself in Antwerp on a Monday, and even if you don’t, JUTKA & RISKA is open seven days a week. Started by two Dutch sisters, here you can pick up the best of Y2K as well as designer vintage and unique upcycled pieces. I only got to peer in the window of Aboli Bibelot, an antiques shop with a focus on folk art, but the fact that it was closed when I visited is just another reason to return to Antwerp. That and Ciro’s, a classic French-Belgian brasserie which opened in the sixties and served the perfect blend of buzzy nostalgia I was looking for on my birthday.

A view through the window of Aboli Bibelot antiques shop and Ciro’s restaurant

©Photographs Reclaimed Woman