Episode sells vintage items ranging from Western shirts to gas masks.

ANTWERP has been a byword for avant-garde fashion since a group of up-and-coming designers started working in the Flemish city in the 1980s.

The city’s historic core is now one of Europe’s hottest fashion hubs, and the price tags verify that status. Try walking into Dries Van Noten’s Het Modepaleis (Nationalestraat 16; 32-3-470-2510; www.driesvannoten.be) for some new apparel. A woman’s top can set you back 800 euros ($1,136 at $1.42 to the euro). A dress can easily run over 1,000.

But if you can’t afford those price tags, equally fashionable outfits can be found in the city’s booming second-hand clothing scene.

These outlets are the best way to add big-name designers from Antwerp and beyond to your wardrobe at bargain rates, while ambling through some of the city’s historic neighborhoods.