(Photo from Kimleys)

The Lady is rapidly discovering that behind Stockport’s tawdry exterior, there are in fact rather a lot of hidden gems…  One such secret treasure is the fabulous Kimleys Dress Agency. Due to its proximity to the monthly home of Vintage Village, tucked away down one side of Market Place, it’s beautiful black exterior had caught our eye before and had been mentally noted as a Place to Visit.

So, when a move to substantially smaller quarters and one’s wardrobe space was suddenly been reduced from four comfortable doubles to one (shared), rather than cram it all in, it seemed the sensible thing that an enormous wardrobe purge should be embarked upon. The cull was BRUTAL and followed strict criteria -

1. Has it been worn in the last 6 months? (if not, is it truly special enough for the special occasions its been saved for?)
2. Is it well made and of good quality?
3. Is it in good nick?

It became clear that much of the contents hadn’t actually been worn in years, or even more than once (shame-face). A large proportion of which had been part of my ill-gotten gains from my Student Loan days; when I used to literally run to Topshop Oxford Street, pelt down the escalator to the Boutique section and load up my arms with new designer booty. There was also items (and I’m embarrassed to say this) that I’d actually been storing under the misapprehension that ‘they’d be great when I’m an old lady’. SERIOUSLY. Said items were two very plush velvet jackets (one in luscious purple and the other black with a beautiful waterfall collar and cuffs) that I’d never dare wear now, but had had visions of my seventy year old self rocking out in at the W.I. Safe to say, a lot of the cull were that bit too nice for my beloved Moor Top charity shops.

And that is where Kimleys Dress Agency came in… They act as a third party seller for people like me who are either utterly disenchanted with eBay and its ilk or are merely short of time to faff with listings etc. They re-sell clothes, accessories, shoes and bric-a-brac for a 50% charge of the total sale price, which is agreed upon when the items are brought in. They keep hold of them for six weeks, after which the prices can be reduced, and if still not sold, can either be donated to charity or reclaimed by yourself. I really like the concept and think it’s a fab way to recycle those unworn bits and bobs that you would secretly begrudge giving to your local Chazzer Shop.

So, Tyrant and I stashed my now unwanted treasures in that incredibly handy area under his pram and made the trek to Stockport centre. Now as it was a Market day, I’m a tad embarrassed to say I struggled to locate Kimleys and actually did a couple laps before I collared one of the lovely Market boys and got him to point us in the right direction. Now, for my fellow dippy eggs who also use their phone’s GPS for day-to-day navigation, if you stand with your back to the Food Hall and head down the right hand side of the old Market Hall building, you will soon come across its black and gold fencing and shop-front (be warned, fellow Pram Mafia, there are steps! I did have to man-handle Tyrant and his chariot up them!!)

Inside I was quite frankly stunned to discover that, rather than the usual bog-standard dress agency I was expecting, instead there was a trove of colour-blocked treasures – as well as the standard modern frocks n’ tops I was expecting, there were also sparkly eighties tunics, gaudy seventies florals, a fab shoe selection and a counter coated in both vintage and new bling. In addition, the interior has been really sensitively done and is an aesthetic delight with exposed brick walls and some beautiful pieces of vintage furniture (on sale at most reasonable prices). A lovely oak desk (£75) caught my eye in particular, as well as some great seventies retro faux marble-topped coffee tables and an amusing tea trolley (£10). The walls also held some lovely finds – my favourite being an enormous oil painting of Venice (£45, if I remember correctly. A steal!).

I also was lucky enough to meet the lovely petite proprietor who told me all about the story behind her ace shop. Following a bout of travelling in the Far East, her travels led her to New Zealand where, whilst strapped for cash and needing clothes, she noticed that the majority of shops were dress agencies. It was a real Light Bulb moment and on her return to Blighty, this clever lady opened up the brilliant Kimleys last November. Visit their website or their Facebook page for more info.

Opening times are 10- 4 and they’re closed on Mondays and all Sundays, except Vintage Village Sundays (second Sunday of every month – 8th May being the next).

Heartily recommended!