Vintage vantage point
Fashion columnist Siobhan Maroney kicks off with a visit to Peony Vintage in Margate’s Old Town
Well hello there! So here it is the all new ‘cene magazine and boy oh boy am I excited about it. I’m Siobhan by the way, I am the proud owner of justauniform.com. Over there I talk about all things fashion. So when I was approached to talk about fashion in Kent it is fair to say that a high pitch noise was made. This part of ‘cene is going to take you on a journey around my favourite Kent shopping spots.
With this in mind, I just knew that I had to kick things off with Peony Vintage in Margate. For one (as you will get to know over time) I am a huge fan of Margate. Secondly, as soon as you see the pink exterior of Peony Vintage nestled beautifully in the Old Town, you can’t help but dive into the vintage treasure trove. This is just what I did, one sunny Sunday afternoon and man alive was I excited by what I found.
Let’s start with the face and owner of Peony Vintage, Georgie. She makes you feel instantly at home as soon as you step foot in her shop. Her welcome and her knowledge (I’ll come on to this in a minute) lets you know instantly that she loves that little pink place and all the carefully handpicked pieces that are in it. If you stand and talk to her long enough she’ll even offer you a cup of tea, but don’t tell her I told you that.
Georgie grew up watching her mum step in and out of handmade costumes in the West End. She tells me that she “admires the way an item of clothing can change the character of a person and highlight the wonderful qualities within them.” All of this experience and passion was apparent as Georgie started to take me through the pieces that adorned Peony Vintage’s rails. She has always been around costume, you see, and this love has transferred into vintage.
You are never pushed into certain pieces, Georgie simply takes you on a tour of the vintage heaven that is her shop. I tried on several pieces that we selected together and we decided on this ensemble. These pieces made me feel special and beautifully put together, just like Georgie had planned.
The shop itself is phenomenal, it’s stunning, no seriously, it’s really stunning! The details, such as the vintage curtain to the changing room, the retro magazine covers on the wall and the antique furniture make you want to spend the whole day there. I personally love how organised it was too, not too cluttered, every piece is easy to see.
It’s fair to say that I wanted to walk away with the whole shop, I just love Peony Vintage, I can’t rave about the place enough. So if you are ever in Margate on a weekend and you love Vintage, head on over to the pink shop on the corner, you won’t be disappointed.
I’d love to hear about where you love to shop in Kent, pop me an email at justauniform@gmail.com.
Until next time,
Big Love,
Siobhan - @justauniform
