Dress Code Verified listing

Nadja Stegmaier is a fashion designer, and Dress Code is what happens when a designer runs a vintage shop instead of a reseller. She is often sewing on site. Her brother and a friend are in on it too, which makes this a genuine family operation rather than a branding exercise, and it has been going on Nostitzstrasse since 2014.

The selection is not tied to one decade. It moves across all of them, and what unites the rails is condition and cut rather than era.

What is worth digging for

Two things stand out. First, an unusually deep run of men's formal shirts, which almost nobody in Berlin stocks properly second hand. Second, vintage eyewear made in Germany, which is the sort of thing you find here and then look for everywhere else in vain.

Around that: 70s polka dot summer dresses, swimwear, leather boots, statement necklaces, handbags. Sporty denim labels come through regularly, Levi's, Wrangler and Lee. There are also upcycled pieces, kimonos and scrunchies by Berlin designers, and garments that came out of theatre productions, which explains the occasional item that is far too dramatic for daily life and entirely worth buying anyway.

Practical

Monday to Saturday, midday to seven, closed Sunday. Five minutes from Mehringdamm, three from Gneisenaustrasse. Their buying in service is currently suspended, so do not turn up with a bag expecting to sell.

Go if

You need a shirt that fits properly. You want glasses frames nobody else has. You like the idea that the person who sold you the jacket could also take it in.

Skip it if you are after pure 90s streetwear. Different shop, different city block.