Forrest Gump famously said that life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you are going to get. It’s the most perfect metaphor for vintage shops, where items can range from luxurious furs to hardy leather jackets, to bespoke ball gowns and flamboyant Hawaiian shirts.
Almost as diverse and unusual as the stock itself are the people behind Ireland’s second-hand stores. Whether they are multigenerational family endeavours, or first-time businesses, vintage shops are always passion projects, as Caroline Quinn from Dirty Fabulous in Co Monaghan tells us.
Vintage goes against the grain in a world where everything is mass produced, throwaway and samey; by virtue of its…