Mr Ben

Mr Ben has been a longterm favourite even before I moved to Glasgow 8 years ago.
Perfectly placed next to Mono (for some record shopping or bite to eat after some rail rummaging), this alladin’s cave is just off the beaten track enough to never be too busy, allowing you a relaxed shopping experience.
The place is pretty much packed to the rafters with all sorts of vintage classics, and you could easily while away a few hours here.
Usually vintage shopping for something specific is a bit of a nightmare, as you never know what the shops will have in stock, but I’d definitely recommend Mr Bens for some kitsch 80s jumpers, leather satchels, wool and silk scarves and incredible party dresses from the 20s through to the 90s. The prices range from very low to pretty high for the glitzier party dresses, but everything is priced very fairly for the condition and uniqueness of the item.
There’s a changing room up the back, and the staff (usually the owner) are always helpful and generous.
Do note that this is a cash only store, but if you happen to be in Mono for some tea and cake beforehand, they do offer cashback. A win-​win way to spend an afternoon east.

I can’t believe I haven’t written this review before now?! Shame on me as I have been a Mr. Ben customer ever since I moved to Glasgow.
Mr.Ben was then in the much missed Virginia Galleries building in the Merchant City alongside other great wee boutiques & local businesses. It was one of my ‘go-​to’ places in Glasgow city centre. However, it has been long gone now and so Mr. Ben relocated to Kings Court which was super handy for me as not only was it near one of my (then) favourite pubs The 13^th Note (and also now, Mono) but it was also right near a shop my friend used to work in.
The lady owner of Mr. Ben has always been super super lovely & friendly to me ever since the first day I stepped my Dr. Martened foot in her shop, the cynic in me would think this maybe could be to do with the fact that I used to spend about 80% of my wages in her shop back in the day (I wish I could be so footloose & fancy-​free now with my money!), but no. As I said, from day one as soon as I stepped into her shop she was friendly & helpful. She is just so passionate & enthusiastic about her clothes/​shoes/​bags and occasionally when I have been trying on dresses she has asked if she can see me in the dress; normally this would horrify me (in a ‘normal’ clothes shop) but because she is so lovely & an all round cool lady I am always happy to do so.
Like any vintage shop the stock goes through periods of being amazing & not so amazing… it just depends on what you’re looking for really. I am really into dresses, tops or skirts from the 1950’s — 1970’s, so quite a varied range but I do tend to find a lot of vintage shops now mostly stock 1980’s/1990’s gear, which is fine (and I guess still vintage) but it’s just not my bag. Mr. Ben always has a great range of vintage era pieces ~ they usually have a beautiful range of 1950/60’s ballgown/​evening dresses which are stunning (and a bit more expensive) and I often look at them lovingly *sigh*
Mr.Ben also has a great variety of footwear, bags and accessories. I have picked up a few bags & necklaces from here over the years & it’s pieces I still have & use/​wear to this day. They’re also good for knitwear. One of my most favourite knitted, Fair Isle cardigans came from Mr. Ben years ago & I still love it & wear it all the time.
The men aren’t forgotten about in Mr. Ben ~ they have a great vintage mens section with super cool jackets, shirts, trousers, shoes & tops. They also do a really good range of military clothing; really nice jackets & coats.
A lot of the customers that used to visit Mr. Ben back in the day were more of your students-​going-​to-​a-​fancy-​dress-​party type, but that has changed a LOT in the past few years, lots more folk are into vintage style/​clothing so this place is usually a lot busier then it used to be which is great for the owners but as a customer it means finding that perfect dress in your size is a bit more of a challenge now! Luckily for me I like a challenge & I enjoy rooting around searching for those perfect pieces for my wardrobe; I find that FAR more satisfying than just popping into Top Shop or somewhere & grabbing a dress off the rail. Bah. Anyone can do that!
Price-​wise it can vary but I have always found their prices to be fair and the price usually reflects the age or condition of the item. If however you feel an item is highly over-​priced and actually has a defect/​fault then usually the staff are happy to price down slightly your item if they see it to be fair. On the odd occasions where I have been buying multiple dresses (I used to do this a LOT… ahh. happy days!) the lady who owns Mr. Ben has given me a wee discount or rounded down the total price which is always a bonus! Not many places do that.
I love Mr. Ben and to me it is a Glasgow shopping institution and I hope it is always around, so long may it continue to reign!
P. s. For those of you not familiar with shopping in vintage shops most of them only take cash so please remember to visit the cash machine (the nearest ones are Argyle or High St) before you visit.

I’ve been to Mr Ben’s several times over the years but made my very first purchase today! A few hours before a 1920’s Gatsby themed party, I ventured in needing a helping hand to find the perfect dress just for the occasion.
Dress after dress (all beautiful!) passed my way to the changing room until… THE ONE. It has to be… It’s perfect… And looks just the right size! So with a quick change, I discovered that the dress of my dreams fit like a glove. Floor length black velvet Frank Usher with thin sequined straps and a fringed sequin top.
The dress itself didn’t have a price tag on it so I had to wait whilst the female assistant called her boss to check the price. (Daunting considering Vintage can be a costly affair!) Whilst it cost quite a bit more than I’d intended to spend, I felt like I was leaving with something really special and the assistant was lovely and did everything she could to help me leave with the perfect dress. (And hairpiece to match!) I know it’s something I’ll wear again and again and which will surely become a trusty piece in my wardrobe.
Mr Ben really is a charmer, with rail after rail of vintage goodies. I’ll definitely be back when my wardrobe needs a vintage boost!

Went in for the first time. Loved it, we spent a good hour just browsing, sadly not everything is in best of nick but that is all part of the charm. Though a little unnerving to see things like old army uniforms it’s still brilliant. The prices are really good value and you can get a great deal. Not everything is my style but then again all the style over 30 years is a lot so you won’t like everything but it’s a really great store and even if you don’t buy anything it’s like walking through a fashion museum anyway so worth a look.

If you’re trolling the vintage shops for any sort of military-​inspired (or downright authentic) wear, Mr Ben is the only stop needed on your list. There’s a frightening amount of uniform wear in this packed-​to-​the-​gills shop, as well as tons of fur coats (hey, at least it’s been pre-​loved), leather jackets and handbags. The shoe section up front is teeming with knee-​high boots but not many heels. Everything here is set up in a pretty open space so there’s nowhere to get lost. What you see is what you get. Great vintage marquee letters available in the display case, among other classic brooches and accessories.
Among my fine purchases here:
— emerald green cashmere cardigan
— gorgeous white silk dress from the 80s with an undulating, ruffled torso and red piping
— diagonal striped blue/​white boatneck shirt with drawstring waist
Cash only.

Vintag-​o-​rama. Mr Ben’s is everything good and right about Vintage shopping.
A little bit of a treck to get to is made up for by the fact that it’s a lovely big store choca-​full of vintage delights. It’s got a wonderful quirky and kitsch feel, and is definitely one of the more fun and ‘dress-​up’ style vintage stores in Glasgow.
That doesn’t mean you won’t find some seriously good genuine clothes wares here. There’s a whole two clothes-​lines dedicated to men’s leather jackets, and I spent 15 minutes looking at handbags and shoes.
Mr Ben’s covers all the bases: the staple 80s high-​waisted jeans, the 60s fur jackets, the ridiculous 90s prom dresses just asking to be matched with a poodle-​perm and shoulder pad jacket. In fact, for an 80s themed party my friend bought the most wonderful power-​jacket in a gold/​black shimmer, wrap-​around number. Words cannot describe.
Mr Ben’s is, in my estimation, the best vintage store in Glasgow. It’s big, the shop owner and assistants are more than friendly and happy to help you find what you need, and you’ll find some real one-​off vintage classics here.

Awesome second hand clothing shop. I don’t like calling stuff ‘vintage’ unless they’re wine or cars, because to be fair, it’s really just second hand. That said, this place is a veritable treasure trove of stuff. And it’s pretty well organised too. There’s a couple of changing booths and plenty to keep you busy browsing for at least half an hour — boyfriends beware. Check out the display stuff at the top of the back of the shop — there’s a Beetlejuice-​esque ballgown I fell in love with :)

If you’re on a mission for anything vintage, Mr Ben should be your first stop. Nay, you’re only stop!
Packed to the brim, (and I mean packed), it’s got the largest collection I’ve ever seen.
Note that the shop next door is a housing area for all of their stock. I mean it, they’ve got pretty-​ness coming out of every nook and cranny!
The benefit of this is that Mr Ben swaps over its collection frequently; so if you don’t find what you’re looking for one week, go in again and chances are they’ll have swapped things out.
It’s like a miracle rotating device for vintage pretty.

You cannot beat a bit of Mr Ben.
He has been the reigning king of Glasgow vintage stores for many a moon now, and caters to all your self indulgent shopping sprees. The owner of Mr Ben’s is very experienced, and the staff are well versed on their stock without watching over customers like hawks while we power through the packed rails.
They have one of the best 80s jumpers collections in the city and hunners of leather jackets for guys and dolls. They have shoes spilling out of the front door and some of the loudest prom dresses you’ll ever see. If you can get by the puffy 80s rara skirts, there are some gorgeous, subtle cameo necklaces displayed behind the glass underneath the counter.
If you’re looking for choice, Ben’s has got it! But aside from style it also has substance, and all items out of its reasonably priced attire have dates and sometimes origins written on their price tag. Mr Ben’s is as interesting a clothing museum as it is a vintage store and the other vintage stores in the city that have cropped up only continue to make this area more beguiling by the year!

As a follower of Mr Ben when it was on the telly, the idea of using the medium of old garments to travel to far away lands is something I find quite fascinating. Unfortunately, I fear stepping into the fusty old longjohns on show in here would result in little more than a trip to the doctors to be de-​loused.
Given the popularity of Uncle Ben’s though, my fears are probably more down to the preconceptions I have about vintage clothing, rather than actual poor hygiene among the previous owners of the shop’s stock.
It’s not my thing at all, but it has a strong following and the city would be a more boring place without such stores. I just don’t fancy slapping on a second hand jockstrap when I don’t know whose clackers have been there previously, and would feel a bit weird in a jumper previously worn by someone who’s now dead.

Terribly keen on Mr Ben’s vintage clothing emporium am i, yes terribly keen.
This is a great vintage store and one that has been around since I’ve been in Glasgow. With a great stock of both guys and gals gear, Mr Ben’s is a must if your on the hunt for something new which is old.
As a collector of all things cowboy shirty and flowery, i have had many a purchase from this proud little shop and as long as they keep bringing in the same quality of gear I’ll keep on visiting.
Stick it on your list of vintage shops to hit in Glasgow, it’s a must for sure.

I’ve been here a few times to have a look around and make considerations of purchases, only to realise I’m not cool enough to get away with dressing up like Sgt. Pepper or something.
I did however pick up a mac one time to help me realise my dream of dressing up like Columbo for a Halloween party.
I went so far as to start smoking cigars that year. It was a good one.
The mac has served me well since to also dress up as a streaker.
A cracking shop with alot of charm. Full of mystery and wonder.

As so many reviews have pointed out, the shipowners show a real interest in their stock, and the prices may be expensive, but are arranged and cared for in a totally appropriate manner. As one of the larger stores, it does at least have a good stock of male clothes– it is one of the few places that I don’t find myself disappointed when I look across at the female section.

Vintage clothing is the «thing» right now so it is incredible Mr Ben has managed to maintain its discreet charm and avoid the rush of city centre shoppers flocking through its doors. Perhaps this is due to its location in King’s Court, an extremely cool but well hidden mini mall in Glasgow’s Candleriggs.
Mr Ben is one of the oldest vintage stores in the city and stocks a range of coats, dresses, shoes and accessories at pretty reasonable prices considering similar stores tend to add an extra zero to anything that can be considered vintage.
Rather than a young trendy, it was nice to see an older lady behind the counter, one who had worn the clothes hanging on the rails of Mr Ben when they were the height of fashion.

Mr Ben is one of Glasgow’s best kept secrets, hidden away on King’s Court behind The St Enoch Centre. This little cave is filled with vintage treasures from various eras from the glamorous 20s and 30s right up until the outrageous and adventurous 80s.
As you enter, there is a gorgeous selection of vintage bags, scarves, boots and shoes that are the of the very highest quality. There are rails full of fur coats, both real and fake, which are so incredibly fabulous and warm that I treated myself to a faux fur from here for only £25 — much cheaper and more authentic than high street imitations.
This pretty little shop is divided into two sections, one for the gentlemen and one for the dames, with rails full of rare and gorgeous garments with tags attached informing of the item’s era.
The only drawback is that they don’t accept cards, only cash, which perhaps adds to its old fashioned charm and saves me from splurging quite as much as I would be tempted to.

Located behind St Enoch Centre, Mr Ben is one of the best second-​hand and vintage shops in the city. It holds a spectacular number of garments ranging from the 1960s (and earlier!) to the present day. This includes classic, designer, labels and accessories. The store is spacious and littered with rails upon rails of amazing vintage clobber. It’s also a great place to find costumes if you’re looking for something a little bit different.
Shoes, handbags, and scarves are my favourite things to find here, as you can find some gorgeous pieces you wouldn’t find in regular high street stores. Prices range, and can be a little pricey, but you are practically guaranteed not to run into someone in the same outfit! Bargains are there to be found, however; I bought my prom dress here for a mere £15!
The ladies who run the shop are so helpful and have great knowledge that they are always willing to share.
What are you waiting for?

I love Mr Ben — I couldn’t actually ask for more in a vintage shop (except maybe slightly lower prices?).
It’s a cave of wonders — everything is of high quality, and it definately has a novelty feel to it. They sell everything from hats, to jewellery, to shoes, to dresses to shirts… everything you could possibly want, vintage style!
I love shopping here, and no doubt, you guys will too!

Great shop packed full of retro clothing and accessories from all eras. A haven for those looking for something out of the ordinary, unique and individual to suit all styles
It is wise however to allow plenty of time to browse through all the stuff on offer to ensure you find the best stuff!
Prices can be a little on the high side for my liking but bargains can be found and you are paying for exclusivity!

This is a great wee gem of a place! It is a second hand store specialising in 60’s and 70’s clothing, although they carry many other ears too. The prices have gone up in the last year but they are still pretty good value. They have clothes, shoes, handbags and the odd accessory, and cater for men and women. The staff, especially the owner, are very friendly and helpful, and the shop, although being packed, is easy enough to navigate.