Vintage

Hello Fashionistas!

I am the other half of that stylish duo, who I hope you are all talking about, Maeve & Molly Style Consultants! I am so excited to start blogging on Irish Boutiques.com giving all you fashionable ladies my tips and tricks when it comes to all things stylish! I wanted to start on a high and chat with you guys about a subject I LOVE……Vintage! I figure the best subjects to blog about are the ones you know the best and after searching through vintage stores in New York, London, Madrid and Ireland I wanted to share with you some of my commandments when shopping vintage. Time, Time & More Time! –

When buying vintage the first thing you must have is time, and plenty of it! You can’t rush things when it comes to vintage as you really need to examine what you are buying and look around for the best pieces at the best price. If you are in a rush you may buy items that you later realise are damaged i.e. the lining of a handbag is torn, or that may need alerting i.e. broken zips. If you had seen these faults before buying you may have been able to get a discount to allow for the cost of alterations or dry cleaning.Smell and Feel! –

My sister thinks I am mad when I am shopping in vintage stores as I stand there smelling handbags and feeling the clothes like they are on the back of Johnny Depp!! There is good reason for this I swear! I smell the bags to see if they are real leather, if leather is what I am looking for. As most vintage bags tend to be very well made they may look like leather and have the price tag of leather but when you smell them they are just not the real deal! In that case if you still like it just try haggling with the shop assistant for a better price. As regards the clothes, I spend some time feeling them looking out for worn material or stains that I know just won’t come off after dry cleaning. Also make sure they don't smell too musty because, if so, the dry cleaning costs should be deducted from the price you pay.Look at the Labels –

Make sure you take a quick peck at the label as I have, unfortunately, seen clothes from high street stores like Penney's or Vero Moda, that may be five or six years old being sold in a vintage store! I don't think that a six year old flannel shirt from Penney's qualifies as vintage!It’s in the Sole – When it comes to vintage shoes there are a few little things to consider. A lot of vintage shoes will have leather soles, especially designer shoes, and these can get damaged by rain and wear and tear more than man-made soles. Take a look at the sole carefully and make sure the leather is not rotting; also, to make sure your vintage shoes last longer, it’s a good idea to visit your cobbler and get him to resole them as it is extremely likely that you will be walking in a few puddles in this country! As regards size, try the shoes on even if they say size 7 and you are a 5. Many of the vintage shoes I have I either bought in the States or they have a US size on them so they would not be the