At Love Is Boutique, the standard of service you get is far superior to that of the high street.  The customer in the shop is No 1.  We found that, with our limited staffing, we could not provide that same service via the internet. Now, if we were turning over half a million squid a year, we would employ two full time people to run an internet shop.  It takes many hours to photograph, measure, list and upload items and we were finding we had normally sold them in the shop before they hit the internet.  It was very frustrating. And with our vintage items, it’s difficult to sell them online as they need to be touched, seen and tried on to appreciate how special they are.

Because all our items are one offs, it’s a constant drain on our staffing to keep up with the speed of the internet. We can never be ASOS or Net a Porter nor would we want to be. We have a very different business.

So when you look online and you are disappointed we no longer have a shop (I know our video mentions you can ‘shop online’ as at the time we aimed to be up and running again), send us an email and tell us what it is you are looking for.  I’m sorry you can’t browse our rails virtually, but if you are looking for something special, we may be able to help.  If you buy over the phone with us, you are protected by the distance selling regulations and will be entitled to a refund should the item not fit or you change your mind……

Not every one wants advice or to talk about clothes, some just want to unload about their week, their divorce, their unruly kids and some are, quite clearly, lonely.  Some days it feels as if Lynne and I do little to dress ladies but instead are advising customers on everything from good lawyers to who does the best Brazilian blow dry in town.  We get to know EVERYTHING and if we can’t help immediately, we normally go and find out.

What I’m trying to say in this rather short blog post is that we both aim to make sure that we tell all our customers about other businesses in Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding areas.  Our little shop has had an ethos since I opened it in December 2009 and that is to help and support other local small business owners in the hope that they support you back.

It’s word of mouth that keeps little places like ours alive. We are doing very well at Love Is Boutique as we already have a loyal customer base, but since 2010, over 300 businesses in our area have closed.  So today’s simple message is to spread the word and keep places you love at the heart of the community. After all, what would you do without us!?

End of sermon……

You never know, you may see this on the window....

So what’s going on in the world of Love Is at the moment? After a quiet-ish January and February, the wardrobes of fashionistas near and far are now being cleansed and cleared. We are receiving new stock at a rate of knots as ladies arrive one after another!

Just this week, one faithful customer dropped 2 McQueen dresses, 2 pairs of Louboutin shoes, 2 NEW Mulberry handbags, 2 Stella McCartney dresses, 3 See by Chloe dresses… the list just goes on!  We’ve so many lush names now in the shop, all in fabulous condition and waiting to be adopted by a new Mummy!

So…. next time you get that dress out to wear that doesn’t quite fit, the top with the too long sleeves, the shoes you can’t actually walk in or the handbag that’s too heavy – don’t put them back into the abyss – think about decluttering! The brilliant fashion maths at Love Is means you can bring in your items for us to sell, building up some store credit to replace/upgrade what you’ve sold without spending ANY MONEY!

So  the fashion equation could read for instance…..

1 x unloved Mulberry handbag = 2 dresses, a vintage necklace and an Armani Jacket……

We also had a lady in this week who needed some help with her wardrobe. She had somewhat lost her way since having children, buying clothes that were too big, too old or just not right for her figure. Two hours at Love Is Boutique and lots of outfits later and she’s amassed a pile of loveliness that not only made her look at million dollars, but also gave her her confidence back. A job well done for us and a very happy customer too. It’s what makes our job so worth while.

If you need help with your wardrobe, are unsure why your clothes don’t look right or just want some friendly advice, come and see us. We are experienced at dressing ladies and see just about every fashion crime committed on a daily basis so we can help. We’re honest without being rude and we are never pushy!

It’s all about making you look and feel great.

It’s just been an exciting time in the fashion calendar with the end of London Fashion Week were designers have been showing the fashions for Autumn/Winter 12. We were invited to (but sadly couldn’t attend) an amazing OK Magazine sponsored party for the boutique clothing brand, Hybrid. They make some amazing dresses at really reasonable prices – check them out online. To make up for the disappointment of missing out on a party, we instead managed to make the London Fashion Weekend event at Somerset House.  Run by Elle Magazine and sponsored by Vodafone, it’s a 3 day event after the official end of fashion week and it’s a great day out for any die hard fashionista!

There are stalls covering every square inch of Somerset House with all sorts of pop-up shops selling items ranging from top designer names,  high street seconds, jewellery stalls, vintage clothes, shoes, perfumes, gadgets, tea shops, fashion shows, fashion talks, hair and make up demos and I could go on…. It’s full on fashion fun.

The hi-lights for me? It has to be the street style. I was in my element just looking at what everyone else was wearing – there were some great outfits and some not so great…..

Caroline Flack hosted a 35 minute fashion show which indulged us with names like Holly Fulton and Jasper Conran and a mix of designers put together by stylist Miss Molly. The slight difference with this show was that it was concentrating on the current trends just hitting our shops rather than the ones we will be converting come September!

I’m sure you’ll already know the current trends for S/S12, with these all coming through on the catwalk loud and clear. Lace and embroidery anglaise was very much the name of the game, soft pastels dominated and the odd bit of colour blocking. From our privileged FROW, we got some great photos!

Peter Pan collars reigned supreme…. in fact I’ve been obsessed with them since that day….

Prints also are hot hot hot this Spring/Summer with mixing and clashing a huge hit.

Orange is hot! So is yellow… so is red!

And lastly…..one for the girls……

On recommendation (always the best way) we met with a new customer to Love Is who had inherited a huge amount of costume jewellery. Let me first tell you a little bit about it’s owner.

Mary was born in Surrey in 1925. A rather glamourous young lady, she was art school trained and then was sent to finishing school.  Mary had some pretty interesting jobs during her life.  She entertained at the American GI’s Club in London, she was a Twirler for the Coldstream Guards, a bit part and extras actress (starring in the very first Titanic film) and was a buyer and valuer for Harrods for many years, in their furs and fine jewellery departments.

But what made our hearts sing was hearing that Mary had been a dancer for Gypsy Rose Lee in the 50′s.

It makes perfect sense that Mary was a valuer at Harrods – this woman had an eye for beautiful things.  We spend over a week researching some of the jewellery, Lynne burning the midnight oil to make sure we understood where everything had come from.

These are Christian Dior pearls designed between ’52 and ’56 by Mitchell Maer. They have two rhinestone clasps that mean you can have one long link or two short links. So stunning, like new and will never date.

This crystal art deco cuff from Boucher was made in 1955. Mary had a safety chain added to make sure she didn’t loose it.  Obviously loved, as in mint condition.

Here is Mary (second from left) in her ‘Winter’ costume when she danced for Gypsy Rose Lee. The outfits were pretty racy for then! A body stocking with some strategically placed sequins!!  This photo was taken in the early ’50′s!

Mary loved her pearls! This double layer set has a sterling silver clasp that is set with rhinestones. A bit of history, a lot of glam and a piece of jewellery you could keep forever.

NOW these kinds of stories are what makes this the BEST JOB IN THE WORLD.

Thank you so much to Mary’s niece for kindly letting us write about her beautiful Aunt Mary and for using her photographs. We have a collection of Mary’s jewellery in the shop from cocktail rings to brooches and necklaces. We won’t have it for long. That’s a fact.

Starting to get the new season stock in is the most exciting time in the boutique. Our rails slowly morph from black, navy and chocolates into a rainbow of pastels and colour blocks, prints and patterns.  So what to buy now from LiB?  We’ve just had some great named jeans in – JBrand, Seven for all Mankind, Paige – and we are laden with designer handbags at some very good prices. We have 6 Gucci bags alone swell as Anya Hindmarch, Chanel, Mulberry, Celine and Tods.

If you’re ever looking for something a little special, why don’t you come and talk to us. We provide a sourcing service, so if we know what you want, we shall be on the look out for you.  You only have to ask!

It does actually look like the article was written by me but I was interviewed by a lovely journalist for what seemed like hours, regarding what my day in the shop looked like!

It’s a good job I didn’t have to write about a day in the shop in January!!! It’s very uneventful at the moment as most of you are getting yourselves sorted from the festive season and decide whether to invest in yet more winter clothes or wait for the spring.

We are now taking Spring stock at Love Is so if you’re in the mood for some sorting, look no further than us if you want to make some ££££’s from your unloved clothes, bags and accessories.  We’ve had a little run on Chanel at the moment and have quite a few Gucci bags that need loving homes….

What a year for LiB! 2011 was full of highs as far as the shop was concerned. Sadly, a couple of lows personally – loosing my girlfriend back in February to breast cancer changed, not only my year but my perspective on life.

We couldn’t have wished for more accolades and have grasped every opportunity that has come our way!  From doing a television documentary, a radio show, a magazine column, tons of magazine interviews (local and national), raising lots of money for charity, being written about in the national press and to top the lot, winning Retailer of the Year! Phew. When you read that back it’s no wonder we needed a week off at Christmas.

Sigh…. I am looking back over 2011 and even with the miserable economic climate, we’ve weathered the storm, have increased our turnover and our regular customer base. Not bad for a little second hand shop eh!

We do it all for you and we can’t do it without your support! Thank you, thank you from the bottom of our handbags…..

How are you all? Free from bugs and germs I hope! Unlike moi who is presently banished from the work place whilst I nurse a rusty throat, snotty nose and a foggy head. NOT very fashionable at all.

The boutique has been crazy the last few weeks hence our silence on the blog front. Our award win in November has had us packed out and our recent mentions in the Mail on Sunday AND The Guardian have also had new customers banging down the doors!

Not complaining mind…. This week we said goodbye to a huge collection of Chanel – mostly vintage jewellery and a handbag.  Lynne and I said goodbye with a tear in our eye as it was lovely to have in stock.  As the weather starts to take a colder turn, the sale of coats has shot up again, with vintage fur being the most popular.  Several vintage minks have left us in just the last 10 days.

The funniest thing about this time of year is the amount of male shoppers we get in the boutique. We love helping them and it’s amazing that our customers are sending them in, knowing we will do a good job at finding the perfect gift. Some chaps just want gift vouchers as they are scared to shop ‘off piste’…. That’s no problem either! Our gift certificates come without an expiry date and can be in any amount!

Better still, we were in the finals for Best Retailer…and WE WON!!!  So not only do you and us think our boutique is amazing – we have got recognition for it after only 2 years open.

A sparkly front at the Love Is head office!

Satin vintage dress with Weiss necklace