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Hero lines
- Fewer things, chosen properly
- Two of each, then it is gone
- A shop that still buys by hand
We buy two or three of each size, twice a year, from makers we have met and rooms we have stood in.
Alterations are done upstairs by somebody who has been pinning hems for thirty years — usually within the week.
Open 10:00–18:30 Tuesday to Saturday, later on Thursdays, and by appointment on Mondays if you would rather have the place to yourself.
Team bios
Estelle Baptiste — Owner & buyer
Estelle has run the shop since 2013 and does the buying trips herself, which is why the rails look like one person's taste rather than a spreadsheet's. She will tell you when something does not suit you. Regulars have come to value that more than they expected to.
Ivo Kowalczyk — Shop manager
Ivo remembers what you bought two winters ago and what you said about the sleeves at the time, which unsettles new customers and delights everybody else. He handles the online orders and maintains the shop's stubbornly handwritten stock book.
Margit Halloran — Alterations
Margit works upstairs at a machine older than the shop and has been altering clothes for thirty-one years. She can look at a shoulder seam from across the room and know what it needs. She does not enjoy being watched while she pins!
Quotes
“I bought a coat here in 2018 and they have had it re-waxed every autumn since. That is four visits, £60 in total, and a coat I would otherwise have replaced twice over by now.”
Gwen Amaechi, Customer since 2016
“Estelle told me the dress I had picked was “fine, but you will never reach for it”, and handed me something I would not have looked at twice. She was right. Annoyingly, entirely right.”
Fabienne Storr, Styling appointment
“It is the only shop where somebody knows my size, my budget, and the fact that I will not wear anything with a stiff collar. That saves me an hour every single time.”
Anselm Reid, Regular
FAQ answers
Do you hold sizes or order things in?
Both. We will hold a piece for 48 hours without a deposit and longer with one, and most of our makers will cut another in your size if the run has not closed — usually three to five weeks. Ask; the answer is normally yes.
What is the returns policy?
Fourteen days for a refund with the tags still on, twenty-eight for an exchange or a credit note. Altered pieces cannot come back, which is why we ask you twice before anything is cut. Online orders get the same terms and the return postage is on us.
Can I bring in something bought elsewhere?
Yes, and people do constantly. Margit charges the same rates whether we sold it or not — £18 for a hem, more for anything involving a lining. She will also tell you honestly when a garment is not worth the work, which saves everybody a fortnight.
Do you do evening or private appointments?
Mondays are by appointment only and the shop is yours for the hour. Thursday evenings run until 20:00. If you would rather not try things on in front of strangers, say so when you book — about a quarter of our fittings are booked for exactly that reason.
Closing lines
Come in and have a look. Nobody will follow you around the rails, and there is a chair, a kettle, and a dog who has been here considerably longer than the current stock has.
We are open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00–18:30, until 20:00 on Thursdays, and on Mondays for anyone who books ahead. The shop is small — say hello when you come in, because we will notice.
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