Fashion Blogs

Cape Town Vintage Boutique: Afraid of Mice

By Chevaun Roux

Every so often you come across one of those stories where someone had a dream and made it big… much in line with our ambitions here at Entertainment Diva. Afraid of Mice is not only a seriously great name for a store; it is also home some of the finest and most refined vintage clothes to grace the streets of Cape Town. Situated among the all the spralls and crawls that make up the street of this city, the infamous Long Street; the beggars, the men ‘guarding’ your car, the trend-setters, the working man and the party-goer, the bourgeois and the proletariat, all culminating to create a hum and buzz that keeps the city ticking, keeps the vibrations alive.

And in between it all lies this truly creative, comprehensive and stylized clothing store. The dream began three years prior when the Brandi sisters decided to honor the people of Cape Town with vintage gowns from around the world.

Due to sanctions and apartheid bans on international trade South Africa, sadly, never saw the likes of the beautiful silks and cottons that the rest of the world did, so the search for true vintage extraordinaire went abroad to the United Kingdom and United States. The sisters started small at a local arts market- where a combination of foodies, designers, artists and musicians would come together to display their products. The girls did this for two years before the realizing that the need for genuine and collectable vintage clothing was greater than they thought, they took the leap, found the space (found the stock) and started their very own store. And so begins the tale of Afraid of Mice, a tale that no doubt has much more to tell.

The clothing is this store is constantly repeating itself in todays fashion demands, styles and designs that are resurfacing the meet the seasons trends. Bianca (sister number 1) tells me about the increasing need for 20’s, 50’s and 60’s styles. Longer dresses, of a looser cut, with more flow, intricate details, softer materials and generally a move towards the classical look that gave women their femininity, that put sway into their movements and grace into their stride.

 And this is made clear to us with the increasing push from Ralph Laurent to bring back the era of sway and swing in her latest spring collection- especially with the release of Hollywood’s adaption of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s legendary Great Gatsby. Through pastel colors and flowing materials Ralph Laurent manages to harness the female energy and grace inherent in women.

 And this has not gone unnoticed by the women of AoM, by remaining true to themselves (being a dynamically savvy and stylish team) and their customers they have managed to source clothing of not only a top quality but that which constantly remains in conjunction with what people are looking for in their modern wardrobe. [From a totally personal point of view; there is clothing in this shop that has me reaching for my purse… every. single. time.]

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