I had a very busy blogging weekend, which you’ll know if you’ve liked my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/eatsleepchicblog
My friend Susan or SueSue as I like to call her, is a huge fan of vintage pieces. Last week I tagged her in a photograph posted by Vintage Chic. The next day SueSue text me to say she had an appointment with Vintage Chic for the following Saturday and asked would I like to join her? As a fan of their page for quite some time, I was really interested in tagging along and seeing what it was all about. I didn’t know you had to have an appointment? I didn’t even know where Vintage Chic was based, I just knew I loved all the photo’s of their vintage pieces that they post to their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/vintagechicdublin
SueSue and I made our way to 3 Upper Mount Street, Dublin 2 on Saturday morning and we managed to get lost on the way (damn sat nav)! We eventually made it to Vintage Chic where we were greeted by the lovely owner Elaine Howe. Elaine and I got to chatting, while SueSue made her best attempt to try on as much vintage clothing as possible in the amount of time we had allocated to us. We even gate crashed on the next cutomers appointment too, oops, sorry 🙁
I asked Elaine a few question so I could get an idea of how Vintage Chic came to be. Here’s all the info!
How did Elaine get into the buying and selling of vintage pieces?
Elaine has always been a fan of vintage clothes, buying from vintage markets, boutiques & charity shops. She found that shopping around kept the price down somewhat and also added some really unique pieces to her wardrobe. Elaine combines vintage with high street to create an extra special look.
Elaine first starting selling her own pre loved items, from her home to her family and friends. She quickly realised that there was a demand for vintage pieces. In 2011 she decided to start a facebook page where she could sell her items to a wider range of people.
Where does Elaine buy her vintage stock?
Elaine sources most of her vintage stock from New York, Paris and London.She explains its hard work and dedication, but she absolutely loves it! She’s up at the crack of dawn to beat the crowd, trawling through rail upon rail, digging into trunks to find beaded beauties & little sparkly gems. I’d love to join her on one of her vintage shopping trips, it sounds magical!
What size does Elaine cater for?
Elaine caters from size 6 to size 20. As the garments are vintage they may vary in size according to the label, meaning a size small could be a medium or vice versa.
When did Elaine take the next big step and open shop in Dublin 2?
Elaine originally worked with children so this was a huge transition for her. In May 2013 she finally made that decision to put her all into Vintage Chic. She moved from selling online on her facebook page to signing a lease for a premises in Dublin 2. At the same time she also had a website created http://www.vintagechic.ie/
She is now making a name for herself in an industry that she’s very passionate about and she continues to put her all into her company.
Does Elaine stock vintage wedding pieces?
YES!!
Elaine started collecting the vintage bridal collection 3 years ago. She speaks very passionately about the collection, explaining that every single piece from the bridal collection is very unique and each hold their own piece of history & love. Some of the bridal pieces date back as far as the 1930′s and were sourced in Paris and New York.
Elaine also offers a special service, where If a customer is looking for something in particular and she doesn’t have it in stock, she will do her best to try find it!
How do I shop in Vintage Chic?
You can shop online at http://www.vintagechic.ie/
Or
Book an appointment.
Elaine opens by appointment only. Appointments are from Monday to Sunday and times are flexible to suit the customer. Elaine will also make appointments for late nights if needed.
I absolutely love Elaine’s story on how she got to where she is today, hard work and a real passion and love for vintage clothing. Elaine is so down to earth and friendly, I could have stayed and chatted for hours but it wouldn’t have been fair on the other customers. If you have an upcoming event and you really want to stand out from the crowd with a unique vintage piece, book an appointment with Vintage Chic today.
Thank you for reading and make sure to let me know how you get on ladies XX
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Originally published on Eat Sleep Chic
