A Vintage Affair

I Love A Vintage Affair which is based in Cardiff
and whenever I am around I always pop in a see what new and lovely items they
have in store. A Vintage Affair in Morgan Arcade caters to those looking for
their fill of lovely clothes, pretty teacups, gorgeous jewellery and pretty
much everything else in between. There’s only one rule, ‘I usually only accept
items from before the 1980s’, says owner Melanie King. So if you’re looking to
offload any of your own items, bear that in mind.

The shop itself has been there only around a
year or so, and was originally run by 3 different sellers. Now the only Mel
from the original trio is left, she is joined by Edwin Dyson, well-known in the
city as the creator of the Blind Lemon Vintage Fair who supplies the line of
men’s clothing which can be found upstairs.

It’s important to note the presence of
menswear in the shop, undercatered as the sartorially sophisticated males of
the city seem to be, especially in the vintage market. It’s nice to know that
there are certain hotspots which they can find something to pick up.

Setting up the shop, owner Mel wanted it to
be a little different from a traditional shop, with something to look at in
every corner. Resulting in a pleasing ‘wow’ as you enter the door, I wager you
could probably spend days in here and see something new with every glance. In
short, a haven for those who like to rummage to find a hidden treasure or two.

Since its launch, Mel tells me its been
popular. Obviously its wares are a popular subject, but it’s also helpful It’s
situated in a pretty neat spot, next to the famous Plan and within a few metres
of the infamous Spillers Records. It also benefits from being not too
far from the regenerated Hayes/St David’s area, and is surely a welcome
diversion from the more sterile environment of the bigger chain shops that
surround it.

Sourcing her goods from a myriad of places
including vintage fairs and customers bringing stuff in to sell, Mel tells me
of the time she visited an Aladdin’s-cave of an old house packed to the rafters
with old magazines, clothes, accessories and crocker.

A Vintage Affair, although selling a few
clothes, is probably more about the accessories, the jewellery.

So next time you’re picking up a rare vinyl
from Spillers, or treating yourself to a delicious brunch in The Plan, why not
pop across to A Vintage Affair and see what you can find. Warning – I take no
responsibility for any hours lost as you wander the rails/shelves/floor in
amazement.

See below for some more pictures from A
Vintage Affair.

Enjoy.