Vintage Fashion comes to Henley-on-Thames

Tucked away behind Waitrose supermarket in Henley-on-Thames is ‘The Vintage Look’, a twostorey building which accommodates 25 dealers selling a mix of contemporary and vintage, including good quality 20th century furniture, jewellery, period lighting, ceramics and other objets d’art – all at affordable prices. The shop – which is now managed by Scott Parker – was the brainchild of his sister who saw a gap in the market some two years ago and it has been thriving ever since. The purpose of my visit was to track down Marilyn and Debbie, two very knowledgeable ladies who rent a room on the first floor of the shop selling vintage fashion to their ever-growing list of satisfied customers. The room is jam-packed with clothing for the female form, with beautiful furs, dresses, jackets, blouses and other fashionable items ranging in date from the 1930s right through to the 1980s. Looking at their stock, I asked Marilyn and Debbie if they think the current popularity of vintage fashion will continue in the years ahead? “In our opinion the answer is yes,” said Debbie. “My daughter is a fashion student at Bath University, and they are the future. They have really taken to vintage and are mixing it with more contemporary style clothing to create a really individual look.” So what was it about vintage fashion that convinced Marilyn and Debbie to set up shop? “Mainly because it’s fun, it’s affordable, and it’s very, very wearable,” said Marilyn. “Our customers are wideranging. We get regular visits from students at the local college just down the road, and also from women of our own generation who love to come along, try on a few pieces, and go away with a real bargain.” Speaking of bargains, I was interested to learn how they acquired their stock. “House clearances, private sales, fairs, markets, in fact, from all over the place,” said Debbie. “The only down side at the moment is, because vintage is becoming more and more popular, prices are rising, but we do our best to keep prices at an affordable level. So much so in fact, that we have become a good ‘trade’ call for dealers operating from the London area.” These two very likeable ladies have been trading from their Henley outlet for the past 18 months or so, and I asked them to sum up their feelings about what they are doing. “We really love it.” said Marilyn. “I could sit in this room for hours on end and never get bored. Selling some of our designer label clothing gives us a real buzz. And when you see the smile on our customers’ faces, then that’s a real bonus.” From what I could glean, this is only the beginning for Marilyn and Debbie. They are already renting stalls at fairs held here in the South, and they have plans to expand their stock by including a wide range of accessories to complement their much sought-after vintage clothing – hats, gloves, handbags, costume jewellery and so on. Then, one day, who knows, they may even open up their very own Vintage Bazaar! Watch this space. 

The Vintage Look, 7 Market Place Mews, Market Place, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon RG9 2AH. 
Tel: 07814 457500 

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