Dongdaemun warehouse vintage store: Tommy shirt gift, Viva Trade

Here's my writeup on Viva Trade, a vintage shop near Dongmyo I visited during a Seoul trip. I was in the middle of exploring Dongdaemun Market when I stumbled on the fact that Viva Trade was nearby, and got so excited I turned the car around and went straight there.

Two hours of free parking in car-packed Dongdaemun

Viva Trade Eulji Dundaun Dongdaemun Branch is on the 5th floor of a building at 264 Eulji-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul. In Dongdaemun, which is a parking nightmare, you can park comfortably inside the building, and it's free for 2 hours if you make a purchase~

Is the clothing condition at Viva Trade really like new?

I actually went to a Viva Trade location in Namyangju before! The clothing condition was so good back then that I wore a sweatshirt I bought there all winter. This Dongdaemun branch was just as good, honestly even better ~ the condition was so clean I couldn't tell whether things were vintage or new!!

The moment I walked in, that old memory came flooding back and I was secretly delighted. The store itself is really huge, so it takes a while to look at everything. It's split into domestic and international brand sections on either side, and everything is well organized by brand.

One side has casual brand lines like Polo and Tommy, and further in on the other side there's a more expensive luxury women's clothing line too.

Carts, an LP zone and a Kitty Zone to browse

There are carts too, so you can put your things in one and browse comfortably, and on one side there's an LP zone where you can sit and listen to music — good for resting a bit if you came with someone.

And there's a Kitty zone that both kids and adults would love, plus cute little character items like Doraemon.

There were so many pretty, adorable little items that browsing was genuinely fun — though the price on the Kitty phone made me gasp....

And this Kitty thermos with that old-school vibe was just too pretty, ugh.

They even sell vintage cameras, glasses, and cups, so it felt like a place where time would fly just from window shopping alone, even without buying clothes. The variety of clothes was really wide too. Fall/winter knits and jeans especially, plus dresses, scarves, ties, accessories — there was basically nothing they didn't sell.

What shape are the Polo and Tommy casual lines in?

Among everything, the Polo line and Tommy line were definitely the highlight for me. Vintage means Polo, but whenever I go to vintage shops there are usually stains around the collar or sleeves and so on.

I'd been pretty disappointed before because so many pieces were too iffy to actually pay for and wear, but at this Dongmyo-area Viva Trade, there were plenty of clean, good-condition Polo and Tommy pieces, and my eyes were happy the entire time I was browsing.

Buying a Tommy shirt and a Calvin t-shirt: the shirt became my sister's gift

I picked a few things I liked and tried them on in the fitting room, and the fit came out nicer than expected, so I decided without much hesitation. In the end I bought one shirt from Tommy and one t-shirt from Calvin!

The Tommy shirt was so pretty but too small on me, so I gave it to my sister as a gift, and she loved both the color and the fit completely — even though I couldn't wear it myself, just seeing her in it was so satisfying.

How do Viva Trade's discounts add up?

And there were pretty solid discounts by section too.

Global brands were 30% off, high-end brands were 20% off, and on top of that there was an extra discount — 5% off for ₩100,000+, 10% for ₩300,000+, 15% for ₩500,000+, and up to 20% for ₩1,000,000+ — so the more you bought, the better the deal.

Further inside there were quite a few pricier women's line pieces too, with nice designs and good condition that kept catching my eye, but I figured I'd gained weight and wouldn't fit into them, so I reluctantly turned away.

I guess I need to diet so I can actually wear them next time haha. Still, this trip to the Dongdaemun Viva Trade — the clothing condition was so good, there was so much to look at, and the discounts were solid enough that I lost track of time. If you're coming to Dongdaemun Market, I think it's worth stopping by even just to browse. If you're anywhere near Dongdaemun, I highly recommend it.