The Gathering....

 

When I was in my 20's and 30's, before I ever owned a store, I would make a list of the items I wanted for Spring and for Fall. Sometimes it was quite specific...like "Ralph Lauren floral tapestry blazer" and other times, it was a general item, such as "new boots".

I had a palette in mind and then everything I accumulated fit in with that. I would carefully hang my new items at the front of my closet, vowing not to wear any of them until fall. This brought back memories of buying new clothes for the beginning of school in September, when I could hardly wait to wear my new clothes to see my friends again.

I love clothing. It makes a difference in my life and makes me feel comfortable in a world that can be chaotic and challenging at times. Clothing brings consistency and fun to every day activities. It is probably why I became a clothing designer and boutique owner, no? lol

Since I have owned my shop (1995) my bi-yearly wish list of wardrobe additions has focused more on what I want to have in the shop. Of course, I still have wish lists and this fall is no exception. Many of the items I want to gather have already been collected....including several of my exclusive maxi dress design like the plaid one shown above. I really would love to have a plain black maxi dress so that will be made soon. My colours rarely expand beyond blacks and greys so I make things different by changing textures and silhouettes.

As I have filled in the wish list for myself, Tattered Rose has also been gathering desired additions that should be in our customers' wardrobes. Lots of newness and our own exclusive designs most often made in batches of no more than one. 

Hello Again...

 

It has been a while since we posted anything here, on our blog. Most likely it is due to the fact that we are much more active on Instagram these days.

Tattered Rose on Instagram

We have some lovely new items and displays in the shop.....and we are open today from 11 am to 3 pm.

Hope to see you soon.

Happy Long Weekend.

P.S. We do not requite that masks be worn in the store but you are more than welcome to wear one if you choose.

Happy Sunday

 

Wishing everyone a happy Sunday and hoping that we all make it through the scorcher of a week that lies ahead.

With love,

Tattered Rose

New Arrivals!

 

We are never disappointed to receive new Magnolia Pearl in the store...and the latest collection of beautiful pieces is no exception.

Underneath this great duster coat is an embroidered stone linen dress that could go on forever. I, of course, love the look of it layered over the MP jeans but it would smashing with bare legs and a pair of sandals for summer too.

Oh my!

Transitioning & Transparency

 

If you read this blog.....thank you. It means a lot to me that you take the time to see what we are up to at the store.

It also means that you are in the know about what is going on at Tattered Rose, my heart & soul for the last 22 years (26 years if you count the first store I had, Way Out West, a romantic western store)

We moved the store to Alberta from Winnipeg and opened up shop in a tiny location near Jasper Avenue and 122nd Street in 2007. Then, in 2011, because the buildings in that area were being torn down to make way for modern big city buildings, we had to move to a new location.

We found a great store space on 110 Street, just north of 99 Ave., in a condo building. It needed a LOT of renovations such as removing the ugly drop tile ceiling and the nauseating swirly carpeting that were on the floors. It required painting, building of walls, installation of track lighting, chandeliers and A/C unit. That was time consuming and costly, but totally worth it.

I love the store space and you have too over the past 10 years. I am so grateful for the loyal customers who have shopped at Tattered Rose over the years. Many new friendships have also been formed.

As with many good things, however, the world changes so you must change with it whether you are ready or not.

The past year and a half has not been easy to be in business. With the shutdowns and restrictions and the fear surrounding Covid-19, maintaining a clothing store has been truly challenging. But we could never have done it without the continued support of our customers!

On top of all that (as if that weren't enough) in 2020 we had to face some pretty disruptive construction around and in front of the building where Tattered Rose is located. This year, there is ongoing construction in the parkade below the store that has caused us to close during the last few weeks. The noise and vibration from jack hammering from Monday to Friday has been intolerable...so we've been open on both days during the weekend (when they are not working) to make up for being closed during the week.

Without getting too technical, we wanted to give our wonderful customers a heads up as to our plans for the future beyond December 2021, when our lease comes to an end.

Our plan is we have no definite plan yet about how or where we are going to transition to our new business model. But we DO know that we are still going to be around in some form.....in a new store space or maybe a studio. Something will happen to keep us going. The ideas are formulating as I get through each day getting things done amidst the challenges facing us....me.

We have to let go of the old and embrace the new and we are willing to do that because we have to and want to. We are ready for a change. If you get too comfortable in your surroundings, it's time to shake things up. So that is what we are doing.

Please stay tuned.....we are just getting started!

May Long Weekend Store Hours

We are open both days this long May weekend to make up for being closed during the last 2 weeks of construction noise:

Saturday 11 am to 3 pm

Sunday 12 pm to 3 pm

If you have never shopped in our store on a Sunday, perhaps you could stop by this Sunday. It is different for us....quiet and peaceful, with nicely timed visits from some of our customers.

CORSETS are Back!

As if they ever really went away...but corsets do enjoy ebbs and flows when it comes to fashion.

There seems to be a resurgence in the wearing of corsets lately and Tattered Rose has them.