If you've been on a self-imposed shopping freeze since the Great Crash of 2008, freeze no more. Raspberry Beret is the perfect locale to peruse quality clothing and accessories at thrift store prices. Located at 1704 Mass. Ave in Porter Square, this beacon of clothes-clutching holiness is a consignment shop with a boutique feel and rare, vintage wares.
What I love most about shopping vintage is the unique items you're guaranteed to find. Every piece has a history, and the craftsmanship you can find in a well-kept Chanel wallet from the 60s just doesn't exist anymore. Raspberry Beret has applied highly-specialized vintage shop principles to a consignment store model. Acquisitions are selective (by appointment only) so that you will never find a faded, ripped or hokey piece within its fuscia-colored walls. The result: a host of quality finds that would take hours of scouring to find in a thrift store setting.
I was lured there by a vintage-loving friend and was immediately blown away by the variety of selections that ranged from modern staples to one-of-a-kind prints and accessories. The store track featuring, among others, Bjork, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The New Pornographers bolstered my urge to luxuriate in the shop's endless eye candy. Fab finds included a classic Calvin Klein summer dress for $25 dollars and a hand-beaded clutch for $5.
The staff of young hipsters was equal parts friendly and fashion savvy. Many of them, as I found, are artists and designers in their own rite. The store even features some pieces they've personally re-designed to comply with modern trends. As a result, staffers have a unique familiarity with the shop's wares which lends itself well to informed recommendations on pieces and accessories that will compliment your personal taste.
Unlike similar locales, the layout is kept clean and organized. Curtained dressing rooms in the back and bins housing $2 accessories were an added bonus. Raspberry Beret is a definite must-try alternative for personal shopping, and I would recommend it for gift shopping as well. After all, what friend would scoff at a bohemian beaded necklace or Gucci scarf? The only forseeable obstacle might be your hesitation at handing it over. In that case, keep this little treasure to yourself and refer your friends to Target when they ask about your chic digs.
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