Where is it?
12-14 Hilton Street
Manchester
M1 1JF
0161 228 3677
History
This year American Graffitti celebrates its thirtieth anniversary as a stall in the Northern Quarter’s Affleck’s Palace. The flagship store round the corner, along Hilton Street is now in its seventh year.
It’s worth noting the intentional misspelling of the word ‘graffiti’ too. While the name may be based on the 1973 film American Grafitti, due to copyright issues the subtle change was made.
What do they sell?
American Graffitti specialises in quirky and unusual vintage, retro and fancy dress clothing, shoes, accessories, costumes, toys, film and TV merchandise and homeware, all dating from the 1940s to 1980s. They pride themselves on handpicking stock that’s ‘lovingly laundered, dry cleaned and presented to perfection’ and also boast ‘no nasty smells’, which comes as a welcome breath of fresh air in Manchester’s musty vintage scene.
Most items are priced to match their quality, style, brand and size so it really is a case of you get what you pay for. A long Afghan jacket from the '70s for example will set you back £65 and this gorgeous vintage floor-length, black and white Frank Usher 2-in-1 dress and skirt combo (see picture below) is £40. And if that’s not cheap enough for you there’s currently a sale going on with lots of shoes and trousers at discounted prices.
While the majority of items are from little known brands, there are the odd pieces from bigger names such as Dorothy Perkins and otherwise extinct brands such as Dolcis and good old C&A. There are even items by Marks & Spencer but from back when it used to be known as St Michael.
Most of the clothes are for women with the odd find for men. And while there’s no childrenswear as such, both kids and adults will probably be more excited to find retro board games and toys from popular TV shows and films like The Simpsons, Rainbow and The Muppets.
Fancy dress costumes are aplenty with an eclectic mix to suit nearly all occasions and themes. A quick browse offered up police uniforms, cowboys, fairies, pirates, animals, Snow White and even Scooby Doo. They also stock a countless number of wigs, sunglasses, hats, ties, tights, masks and other accessories including scarves, gloves, bags, badges, jewellery and greeting cards. Homeware such as a small gold-plated tea set (£28), chairs, stools and other small table top and mantelpiece items can also be bought here.
Who shops there?
People on the hunt for a decent and relatively cheap fancy dress costume as well as lovers and wearers of retro and vintage clothes, can be found wading through the rails in American Graffitti. Costume designers and stylists plus theatre and TV production company staff are also frequent customers.
Why go there?
They may have a fancy dress section but the great thing about American Graffitti is that pretty much everything they sell can be worn as fancy dress. There's something for every occasion.
Future
Their stall in Affleck’s Palace is, after 30 years, still as successful as ever, while the Hilton Street store is a lot quieter, despite having a larger stock. As a result, they're not looking to expand further, instead preferring to stick rather than twist.
Verdict
Although men’s clothes are limited and children’s wear is neglected altogether, American Graffitti is a delight to visit. Full of old-fashioned but still fashionable gems that aren’t at sky-high prices it's a case of get it before it goes. Most items are one-offs and so if they don’t have your size in something you like, you may be disappointed.
The shop itself is bright and over-the-top, adorned with décor from the different decades. You can also get 10 per cent when you visit either one of their stores, by printing off and showing the voucher available to download from their website.
