Beg Steal and Borrow: The new vintage clothing exchange in Withington

The iconic thrift shop on the second floor of Afflecks Palace has just expanded and opened its sister store on 160 – 164 Wellington Road, Withington.
Beg Steal & Borrow in Withington is a thrift shop like no other—a flamboyant haven of camp delight drenched in unapologetic shades of pink. From racks of vintage clothing in every hue to quirky accessories that scream personality, this is more than a store—it’s a theatrical experience. It’s hard to believe that it used to be the old Ice Shack after the unrecognisable renovation the team has been working hard to complete, and the beautiful exterior mural commissioned by @unfortunatelyjack.

The shop’s signature pink theme runs through every corner, creating an atmosphere that’s “groovy, individual and got that va-va-voom”. Their flagship store in Affleck’s Palace opened in 2021, with the aim to circulate clothes within the community, bringing high quality vintage garments to the people of Manchester at an affordable price. Now, last week on the 6th of December, Beg Steal & Borrow has welcomed its “stylish younger sister” to the scene.

The mind behind Beg Steal & Borrow is the delightful Erin Taylor Thomas, a woman as stylish as she is friendly. After studying set design for theatre, Erin explains how post-graduation she was struggling to find regular work aside from freelance jobs. She wanted to be a drama teacher (very fitting as she certainly gives off the vibe of the cool teacher everyone likes), but then unfortunately learnt it wasn’t a viable avenue with the lack of funding given to theatre programmes. Instead, after spotting a gap in the Manchester second-hand fashion scene, she began developing plans to open a new curated clothing exchange.
“If I make something, it has to be different from what everyone else is doing”, Erin explained. “It was about seeing and filling a need, finding something that could grab people’s attention.”
Growing up in America, she recalls how her family would use shops with the trade-in system, and she wanted to bring that to the heart of her store, wondering why “they don’t do that here—but they should.” The trade-in system works by you bringing in clothes you don’t wear anymore, for Erin and the team to go through and decide what they think will sell in store based on their expertise. In return, you get a percentage of that price on store credit to spend whenever suits you. A win-win scenario!
Erin describes how they only pick “stand out, good quality” items from multiple avenues, frequenting vintage whole sales and charity shops, helping with the backlog of mass donations. They take things that “they see a potential in”, selling clothes as low as £1, and having a free items basket in their quest to repurpose stylish garments and reduce waste in today’s fast-fashion focused era. Their curated line can include anything from Miss Sixty, Per Una, Kookai, La Senza, Joseph Ribkoff, Gaultier, Cop Copine and many more, all hand selected by the highly fashionable team.
The hard workers behind Beg, Steal & Borrow include Lucy, who joined Erin in April of last year to help with the social media branding. You can follow their original account @begstealborrowmcr and the latest Withington account @begstealborrow.withy both on Instagram, an online extension of their unique style and brand ethos. We also have Thea, a stylist, bringing a unique, individualist fashion to the place, who enjoys experimentalist aesthetics, evident by her incredible outfits. Finally, we have Peej, a producer for an independent theatre company called So La Flair Theatre (@solaflairtheatre), in charge of the admin side of things—described as “the head to our headless chicken” by Thea! These girls bring such an energy to the place, stopping to greet and chat to everyone, which is just another reminder that this store is far from your basic high-street experience.
Asking the team about their own individual tastes, Erin replied that “It’s hard not to think about Harper from Wizards of Waverley Place!” She also takes inspiration from old Hollywood glamour and looks to the Marilyn Monroe’s and Jane Russell’s for that elegant and elevated look. She explained that “people who just dress exactly how they want to dress always inspires me”. Thea expressed her interest for “genre dressing” and exclaimed how “I like to wake up and think, today I want to dress like a pirate!”
We also discussed the importance of accessorising to complete a look, with Beg Steal & Borrow offering a wide variety from handbags to belts.
We also chatted about seeing beyond trends and towards your own individual taste, opting for handcrafted and repurposed pieces to create a more timeless look – although we all agreed we love the bloomer craze right now.
Erin and the team are still settling into their new space, so events are yet to be officially announced. As Thea puts it, “We haven’t half-arsed anything so far, and we’re not about to start now!” That said, they’ve teased exciting ideas like mending workshops and scrapbook events—keep an eye on their Instagram for updates.
In the meantime, Beg Steal & Borrow has already made its mark on Withington’s high-street after their opening day on the 7th of December. Places like this are really important, embracing the circular economy of second-hand fashion, reducing waste and combatting the environmental impact of fast fashion. Each piece in the store carries a history, giving new life to pre-loved items while keeping them out of landfills, as well as bringing accessible and affordable fashion to everyone. Looking good doesn’t have to break the bank!
Open Wednesday to Sunday from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm (5:00 pm on Sundays), this shop is bringing something truly unique to the area. There’s no one doing it quite like Beg Steal & Borrow—make sure to check it out!
