The Tab Does Vintage

If you haven’t visited this shop yet then it is a must before you graduate. You can find it at the bottom of Fore Street (the main high street) just past Walkabout and The Bike Shed, inside the McCoy arcade. As you walk through the door you enter into an Aladdin’s cave of vintage clothing and accessories. The soft lighting and welcoming staff make it the perfect place to search for that hidden vintage treasure lurking amidst the many boxes, drawers, rails and shelves.

Shop floor

The vintage clothes available on the ground floor cover many decades with some items dating as far back as the 1930s!
One tip when choosing items to try on: beware, the dress sizes on the label will most likely not match our high street equivalents therefore I advise you to go with the “that looks about right” tactic and just slip it on. As I did!

Red hot flapper

Now you may be wondering, what about the guys? Well, I took my friend Christopher Hatton along to explore the male clothes available. Here’s what he slipped into:

Christopher looking suave in a white tux

The items we picked out were personal favourites however there are a variety of clothes in this little treasure trove; ranging from formal suits and cocktail numbers to more casual jackets, dresses and shirts. They also have an impressive collection of accessories; hats, parasols, shoes, bags, leather satchels, bow ties, belts, canes, purses, feather boas and jewelry.

“Is that it?” I hear you shout. Certainly not! The first floor of The Real McCoys is dedicated to a more up-to-date fashion era… RETRO. This floor has an array of denim jackets, shirts and jeans. As well as quirky thick knit jumpers, cowboy boots, khaki coats and token band t-shirts.

Retro upstairs

On top of this fantastic floor of retro is a large fancy dress section. This section is spread between the balcony outside of the first floor and an adjacent  corner inside.

There are a variety of different costumes available from animals to a 70s inspired Austin Powers suit, fairies, burlesque, batman and pirates. Here are our favourites:

Scary. Halloween?

Toni the clown looks sad

If you’re still stuck for a Halloween costume you’ll be happy to know that all costumes are available to rent for  up to three days if you don’t want to buy them. Visit the dressing up section and talk to Jo Greenwood, the owner, who will not only set you up with the perfect costume but is friendly, chatty and even makes some of the clothes for the shop. What a superwoman! She knows everything about the shop so any question you have, send them her way.

In fact, all clothes throughout the stall can be rented. So if you’re thinking about what to wear for a society’s christmas ball and you’re in want of something extra special, for graduation even, you could find it here. I for one have my heart set on this dress for a celebration:

Original 50’s dress

Head on down and find out for yourself what this tucked away shop is all about. I can guarantee you’ll fall in love with its charm and style.

Find The Real McCoy online here.