Shop til you drop… Haven’t heard that one in a while. Probably because everyone is so engrossed in the addictive world of online shopping.
Style is supposed to be about expressing ourselves in unconventional ways, not just following trends. Why should our personalities be subdued by the influence of fast fashion?
By shopping in boutiques we are supporting our local business, whilst allowing ourselves to enter a realm of unique fashion, with each piece specially hand-picked by the boutique owner. It’s an opportunity to discover items of clothing that you most likely won’t find anywhere else! Okay… shopping just became a whole lot more exciting!
Here are our top four hidden gem boutiques in Ireland.
Om Diva – Drury Street Dublin
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Starting off with the quirkiest little boutique on Drury’s Street. The tale of Om Diva goes back as far as 99 when the boutique was born as a Georges Street Market Stall.
Today Om Diva is a five-floor, bohemian-style store filled with vintage and contemporary pieces from all around the world, owned and run by the exquisite, Ruth Ni Loinsigh.
With the many contacts Ruth has built up from her of years travelling, she has managed to acquire the most extraordinary fashion exclusives from places like Asia and India. She also works alongside Irish designers and has an unmatched vintage collection.
Boutiques like Om Diva make fashion into an art form. So if you’re looking to get out of your comfort zone and have fun when styling yourself, then this is the boutique for you!
Ruby Rouge – Co Wexford
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Founded by Niamh Byrne, Ruby Rouge was created with the intent of bringing boutique shopping to all body shapes and sizes.
Located in The Dollhouse in Gorey, the staff have become known to customers as ‘the dolls’, which plays into the boutique’s girly aesthetic.
At Ruby Rouge, they don’t like to follow fashion fads but rather discover exclusive and timeless pieces that can be worn ‘year in and year out’, by anyone, which is why it is so popular amongst the celeb community. With the likes of presenters Laura Whitmore and Brendan Courtney as fans of the store, you have probably already seen some of Ruby’s’ pieces on the red carpet!!
Divine – Maynooth
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Divine Boutique has been serving classy and affordable styles since 2005. Founder and owner, Mary Green has four rules when it comes to clothes; ‘quality, style, longevity and edge’. She is an expert at making elegancy look effortless. On their Instagram, Mary showcases her fashionista skills by creating mini look books and collages to give us all a little bit of style inspiration.
The boutique has a Range of labels and brands including Dr Denim, French, Traffic People, Chloe and Est ‘Seven. They have got it all from formal and evening wear, to casual and chic. With its nail bar and mini makeup studio, this store is ideal for an instant glow-up or a last-minute fashion emergency.
On October 13th Divine will be flaunting their new Fall Collection in an AW’23 Fashion show to celebrate its 18th anniversary. So if you want a sneak peak of what’s in store then head over to their Instagram for more information.
Don Racine
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Taking it across the country to County Mayo, we have the most darling occasion-wear boutique in Castlebar.
Don Racine, is a family-run women’s boutique specialising in occasion, dressy and everyday wear. It has stocked over 40 brands, including international labels from Paris, Spain and Canada. Some of our favourites include Don Racine, Joseph Ribkoff and Rant & Rave
Unlike a lot of other boutiques, Don Racine has no online store, meaning that you are limited to an authentic boutique experience, which I think is very special. The owner, Margret Parsons and her family have a team of fashion experts who are at your service and ready to help you find the perfect outfit, no matter what the occasion.
With personal assistance and a free alteration service, the people at Don Racine go above and beyond to cater to your fashion needs, which is in my opinion what makes this boutique stand out from the rest!
Now it’s time to refresh your wardrobe and find some new inspiration in these one-of-a-kind boutiques.
Words by Shauna Whyte