Happy at Hepwright's

I found my sanctuary today in Southampton.  I needed it because I was a little out of sorts.

I had the feeling you get when you say yes to a job and plan to move 300 miles to a city you've never paid any attention to.

I'd been up since 5 am and here since 9 am looking for a place to call home and trying to find things to like to ease the transition from North to South.

Hepwright's today was truly my sunshine on a rainy day.

I stepped into familiarity - bright colours, tempting clothes and a fabulous welcome.  The owner Catherine Wright bellows you in.

Standing behind the counter, her red curly locks were tamed by a vintage scarf.  Wearing a beautiful embroidered Kaftan she sashayed towards me.  The lady of vintage quickly got to work on getting to know who I am.  

I think she's genuinely interested and she'll remember you, your story and what you bought when you come back. 

Wright is passionate about what she does and cares how you look in her clothes.  

She's honest.  Her nose has scrunched up a few times, when I've come out of the dressing room and we've both agreed what I'm wearing isn't really right for me.

But I like that.  

Catherine is cleverer than just being honest to the detriment of her business.  She makes sure she flips it upside very quickly - so there's no time to dwell on how you look because she's there in a flash with smiling eyes and a bunch of things in her hands.

If your dress isn't sitting right, she'll whisk around her shop grabbing solutions - fabric, shoulder pads, belts, heels an alternative frock - to make everything good again.

There's plenty of everything here.  Dresses, belts, shoes, scarfs, happiness, personality and warm glows and good tunes.

You can hire clothes, sell them, buy them, go in and try them.

When I think of Hepwright's I think of Catherine - chatting to her customers, making a new cage bird feature decorated with earrings, sitting in the shop window re-stitching a dainty frock or declaring how hungry she is and leaving you there alone whilst she runs across the road to get the best cheese sandwich you've ever tasted - so she says :0).

I think of her whistling while she works.  The quirky fairy godmother of vintage waiting for all the plain Janes in Southampton to walk through the door so she can get them ready for the ball.

I bought this delightful skirt and jacket combo made of silk for £25.  I've worn the skirt with a white vest top and I love it. 

Glamour magazine last year said "Hepwright's is one of those vintage shops in the UK you need to know about."  

I agree.

You need to know about her shop and get a little sprinkle of Catherine Wright's magic vintage fairy dusk too.

Happy shopping.