Vintage Shopping
By Róisín Kearns
In this article, Róisín provides platforms to small vintage businesses / charity shops around the country – sustainable shopping ideas are often city-focused and not accessible for a lot of people in rural areas but there are many small businesses, in each county, that many of you might not have heard of yet!! Especially as so many of us college students are living at home this year, Róisín gives you all an insight into where you can shop more sustainably even if you are a country pumpkin!
I think it’s safe to say that sustainable shopping has taken Ireland by storm, particularly in the last couple of months. Over lockdown, we’ve seen our fair share of upcycling and tie-dye trends, to name a few, and it’s refreshing to see more and more people becoming conscious of the effects their wardrobe has on the planet. With that being said, it’s often hard to know where to look when you’re beginning to shop sustainably, particularly if you’re from rural Ireland. When I think back to when I first started shopping sustainably, the only places I knew to look were in Dublin. Luckily for us, sustainable fashion has become much more accessible to us country folk. There has been an explosion of small vintage businesses around the country and there are so many more options than there were even from just a year ago.
““Luckily for us, sustainable fashion has become much more accessible to us country folk.””
The first Galway based seller I want to mention is Lemon Queen Vintage (Instagram and Etsy: @lemonqueenvintage ). The Lemon Queen, also known as Chloe Redmond, sells a range of vintage and handmade clothes and accessories through her Instagram account. Chloe hand makes cute two-pieces, resin and y2k earrings, to name a few, my personal favourite being the Lizzie McGuire earrings!
Next up we, have the very talented Ur Cyber Stylist (Instagram: @urcyberstylist). Caitlin Lowry is not your average vintage seller, as she takes on the task of styling her customers in pre-loved pieces. With a range of items from vintage shops, charity shops and Depop, I know from personal experience that Caitlin pulls it out of the bag every time in styling a personalised outfit for each customer, while also being kind to the environment. Caitlin offers postage or meet ups in Galway city, making it accessible to students living at home this year.
Laura’s Vintage (Instagram: @lauras.vintage, Depop: @l_murray) takes pride in their high quality and affordable garments. Not only does Laura stock vintage and pre-loved items but also reworked clothes and accessories too. You have the option to collect your purchases in Galway or they can be posted out to you.
As described by Val, owner of the shop, Ripe Vintage (Instagram: @ripevintage_, Depop: @ripevintageclothing) stocks ‘sexy sustainable fashion’. I don’t know what’s more impressive, the stunning Galway scenery in Ripe’s shoots or the gorgeous vintage garments handpicked by Val. Ripe Vintage is definitely one to watch with stock drops every Friday.
It’s no secret that we are spoiled for choice when it comes to charity shops in Galway. I don’t think there’s anything better than a day out to the chazza with your friends. You can come across some real gems! There’s something so satisfying about stumbling across a piece you love in a charity shop. From Oxfam, Enable , and NCBI in the city, to Never Too Old in Claregalway, you’ll be certain to find a charity shop wherever you go. Understandably, the shopping experience is quite different now from what it is usually. Thankfully, The Irish Charity Shops Association (Instagram: @irishcharityshopsassociation) are doing an excellent job in providing information about the services charity shops around the country are offering, whether it be click and collect, taking donations or even an online shopping service. If you’re unsure of what’s available in your area, this is a great guide to use.
When the time comes that you are able to take a wander around Galway again and browse around the shops, Public Romance and Planet Retro (Instagram: @planetretrovintage) are two essential stop-offs. With a range of vintage and reworked pieces, there’s something for everyone. Until then, Public Romance (Instagram: @publicromance, www.publicromance.com) is still selling through their online shop and through Instagram, creating a quick and accessible shopping experience for you, wherever you may be! This is just a handful of the sustainable shopping choices available in Galway, with most of them catering to those staying at home this year. Not only are you being kinder to the environment by shopping from these businesses, but also supporting a small business owner at a very difficult time! Happy thrifting!
