Santa Fe, New Mexico is a crossroads of cultures – an amalgamation of Native American, Spanish, Mexican and Old West history that spans thousands of years. It’s a town known for this rich background as well as the art and lifestyle that stem from it, but it’s also a destination for something else – shopping. Everything from tiny pop-up booths to international brands have opened up shop in Santa Fe to capitalize on the demand for products born of this cross-pollination of cultures.
In a place so packed with retail opportunities, it can help to have a bit of guidance on where to go. There is such an incredible demand for vintage and antique goods as well as custom and new wares in Santa Fe that not every store will be carrying “the good stuff” – Santa Fe is not immune to knockoff pieces and imports from various other countries that lack the history that most are looking for when shopping there. My good friend Gus – who is known for having an excellent eye for quality and authenticity – has lived in Santa Fe for a few years now and has been immensely helpful in guiding me towards the best shops and dealers in the area during my visits. With his guidance, these are the spots that I have enjoyed most – and will inevitably visit again on my next trip.
Vintage Apparel and Accessories
- Santa Fe Vintage: This is a tremendous spot for finding vintage clothing and accessories. It’s so good that the shop often rents pieces out for movie productions and photoshoots. The space is large, but also very well curated. You will find stacks of vintage Levi’s 501s and Lee 101Js, along with western wear, motorcycle gear, milsurp, and so much more. Because the store is so well stocked with premium pieces, the items are generally priced to the market. So while you may not come out finding some grail item for five bucks like you (theoretically) could at your local Goodwill, you will get to see a beautiful and broad collection of excellent pieces. Note that Santa Fe Vintage is open by appointment only and about 20 minutes outside of town, so plan accordingly and reach out at least a week in advance.
- Chipeta Trading Company: Don Siegel has been collecting and trading vintage Native American jewelry for over 40 years; not only does he have a knack for finding the best possible pieces out there, but he is also incredibly well-versed in the history and culture that surrounds these pieces of art. In a town where every corner store has a display case of vintage jewelry with varying quality (and authenticity), it can be helpful to lean on someone who can navigate the space and find the best for you. Beyond curating a museum-level collection of jewelry, Don focuses on educating customers and respecting the tradition of these pieces, and in addition his profits go toward scholarships for Native American students. The story of Chipeta Trading is a fascinating one, and you can read more here (you can also see a couple of his many cuffs above). Don is available by appointment only, so please schedule in advance.
- Shiprock Santa Fe: Simply put, Shiprock is one of the most beautiful stores that I have had the pleasure of visiting. The gallery has a large focus on vintage Navajo rugs and jewelry (and carries the best of the best in this regard), and they also carry some contemporary collections as well. The prices tend to be very high, but the quality and rarity of the pieces generally justify it. This is where customers like John Mayer and Ralph Lauren come to buy pieces for their own ranches. It’s also home to the “rug room” (shown at the bottom), which might be the most instagrammed spot in the city.
- Rio Bravo Trading Company: For a more down-to-earth vintage hunting experience, this corner store is packed with clothing and accessories that lean toward the cowboy side of the spectrum. Randy, the proprietor, looks like he walked straight out of a Western movie. Make sure to chat with him and hear some great stories while you browse the racks.
- Double Take: Just two blocks from Rio Bravo, this large vintage/consignment store is not curated to the same level as others on this list but will give you a good opportunity to “hunt” for the choice stuff among the many racks of Western apparel and accessories.
- Santa Fe Flea Market: Saturday & Sunday only in the Railyard district, this pop-up offers local, Southwest, Spanish and Mexican antiques and artwork, Native American rugs, jewelry and collectables at prices less than the typical downtown galleries and antique shops. The good stuff goes quickly, so get there early. Better yet, go on a Saturday so that you can also visit the Farmer’s Market next door.
New and Custom Goods
- Thunderbird Hats: Located at the Flea Market mentioned above (and others throughout the Southwest), this traveling pop-up shop specializes in customizing hat “blanks,” sourced mostly from Stetson. These blanks can be moulded and configured in an endless number of ways, resulting in a “one of one” hat for an affordable price. The hat at the top of this post was tweaked and customized for me during my last trip; after adjusting the fit and adding a leather band, they knew exactly what was missing – a single hawk feather, pulled from a large chest full of unique one-of-a-kind decorations.
- Back At The Ranch: Wendy has been working with cowboy boots for 30 years, and her store has a robust selection of stocked goods as well as a strong custom program. The boots are made at a multi-generational, family-run factory in El Paso, Texas. A small sampling of their assortment can be seen above.
- Standard & Strange: This Bay Area workwear retailer has a Santa Fe outpost as of 2019, which will have some unique brands not found in their main location.
- Santa Fe Hat Company: For a true custom hat experience, J.D. offers a wide array of Western and Panama styles in his shop.
- VISVIM: While it may seem odd for this niche Japanese retailer to have an outpost in a random town in the Southwest, it’s no accident that the cult brand opened its first American store here. Located in a tiny house on a side street, you’ll find nose-bleed high priced interpretations of American workwear meets Southwest through the eyes of a Japanese designer Hiroki. I certainly can’t afford it, but it’s the ideal stop if you’re planning on entering your Paradise Valley era.
- Artisans at the Palace of the Governors: If you’re looking for affordable jewelry that you can be confident is Native-American made, head to the Palace of the Governors (the oldest government building in North America). On the side that faces the Plaza (and kitty-corner to Shiprock), local artisans will arrive daily to sell their wares. This is the place to meet the actual makers of silver bangles, cuffs, necklaces and ceramics from one of the local pueblos. Everyone is friendly and the local tribes regulate vendors to guarantee authenticity, so you can shop with confidence. Note that this only applies to vendors at this location – other vendors around the plaza are not subject to the same protections.
Unlike other shopping-heavy cities like New York or London, Santa Fe isn’t a place that most people will pass through unless they put in an effort to do so. Despite being a magnet for tourism, it’s off the beaten path for most and will likely require some additional planning to visit. But in the same way that many trails led to this junction hundreds of years ago, Santa Fe still pulls in a rich community of artists, artisans, and collectors from around the world. So if your travels take you through “the City Different,” be sure to bring a bit of extra spending money with you so that you can pick up something special.
