VINTAGE CHARM

Truly Madly Vintage is a treasure trove of fabulous vintage fashion, jewellery, accessories and house wares in Chelmsford. Whether you’re a vintage aficionado or you just want clothes and home furnishings that are different to the mainstream, you’ll find Truly Madly Vintage a joy to visit with its stripped wood floors, sparkling centrepiece chandelier and fantastic range of stock. A 1950s Ferguson radiogram (for sale, incidentally) provides background music, pretty vintage scarves adorn the walls, leather suitcases and trunks vie for space with period shoes and boots, a tailor’s dummy is dressed in a tulle party frock from a bygone era, a 60s glass fronted cabinet is crammed with gorgeous jewellery, and all of it is unique, affordable and in great condition. Run by husband and wife team, Philippa and Chris Barnes, the newly opened retail outlet complements the company’s online shop and vintage fairs.

Philippa hand picks all of the stock and she arranges the clothing collections by style and colour to make it easy to find what you are looking for, but if the style you want isn’t in stock £5 will buy you a vintage dressmaking pattern. Alternatively, the shop’s dressmaking service allows customers to have a bespoke period style outfit created to their own specifications (from £190) or a less expensive ‘off the peg’ reproduction made to a vintage design. Any vintage style dress can be made to order and Philippa’s team uses authentic garment construction methods, finishes and trims as far as possible to create an accurate period look.

For the ultimate girls’ night in you can even host your very own vintage fashion party at home! Just invite your friends round for the evening and Truly Madly Vintage will provide the clothes and accessories for trying and buying, and will even bring a couple of bottles of bubbly to get everyone in to the party mood. Playing dress-up was never so much fun!

The company also runs the very successful Chelmsford Vintage and Handmade Market in the Shire Hall located at the top of the High Street. The September event will be held on Saturday 18th September and will feature around a dozen stallholders selling everything from authentic and reproduction period clothes, such as circular rock ‘n’ roll skirts, vintage and retro inspired fabrics offered with a making up service for items such as curtains, to jewellery, cards, aprons, home wares, decorations, original artwork and much more.

Truly Madly Vintage is at 173 Moulsham Street, opposite the post office, where there is free on street parking for one hour and a pay and display car park at the rear, making shopping here a relaxed and unhurried affair - customers are welcome to browse the rails, try on clothes and stay for a coffee and a chat about all things vintage.

Open Monday to Friday from 10.30 to 5.30, and Saturday from 10.00 to 5.30, you can contact Truly Madly Vintage on (01245) 287961

20% Discount for all balanceLife readers when they shop online at our website www.trulymadlyvintage.com.
Just type in the code BALJUL10 during the checkout process. This voucher code will expire on 31st August 2010.