I was on the hunt-- a vintage silky robe was required-- and I searched Yelp for vintage shops. Among the usual suspects (Savers, Goodwill, Salvation Army, and other smaller mom-and-pop shops) was a new face: Luxe Consignment. I saw it was in Northampton, not far from the central, walkable downtown. FYI: there's a very small parking lot in front of the store for shoppers, don't stress about finding a meter and walking down.
The shop itself is absolutely delightful: whimsical, well-stocked and pleasing to the eye. I only saw women's wear, but what a spread that was! Blouses, dresses, pants, skirts, jewelry, shoes, boots, heels; both vintage and "modern", some still with tags on. I browsed through the "sale" section first, seasonal items like sweaters.
There are three separate rooms: the front/main room which houses most of the clothes, plus some purses/bags, shoes, and jewelry/accessories. The second room is shoes, shoes, shoes! Plus a healthy section of formal gowns. FYI, most of the racks are filled to capacity, making sifting through certain areas a methodical endeavor. Dressing rooms are to the back and are very clean and posh. It also appears that there's some sorting or stocking going on in that area.
I did find one light sweater, which was on the sale rack and which I (perhaps wrongly so) remember having the little green sticker that designated it as 15% off. When I went to pay, I was asked for the full price ($29); I politely mentioned that I thought it was on sale, to which she replied that it was a light sweater, thus not on sale (I didn't have time to re-check the tag for the green sticker, which the store keeps). They do accept credit cards.
All in all, Luxe Consignment is a step above the rest. The merchandise is carefully curated, and displayed in a boutique setting. Those with an eye for fashion-- and a thicker wallet-- would definitely choose Luxe over the pick-through-a-pile thrift stores. Better demarcation of sales prices would certainly help shoppers to make smarter decisions, and end any discrepancy at the register. I'll be back again-- there's a pair of boots calling my name! read more
