A Heartfelt blog post

Today we are going to share with you a true Bristol hidden gem in the shape of Heartfelt Vintage. This beautiful boutique and cafe very often feels like a local best kept secret due to the fact it is neatly nestled away on Alma Vale road in Clifton, just off the beaten track and the hustle and bustle of Whiteladies Road.  If you haven’t been before, it’s a truly unique and beautiful space at which we have both been guilty of playing dress-up on more than one occasion!

It was recently taken over by a new owner, the lovely Kate, who clearly has a fantastic passion for vintage fashion and also for providing customers with an experience as well as a service. She kindly invited us to attend a Making and Makeover day, which marks a new direction for Heartfelt as she looks to put on more events.

On arrival we were invited to take a look around the store and to start putting together an outfit to be styled later in the day. As we were first to arrive, we got straight to work looking through the many stunning pieces on offer. Kate has curated a wonderful collection of vintage and vintage inspired pieces and we were truly spoiled for choice! Everything is so pretty and we created a bit of a fashion storm in the changing rooms!

After we had chosen our outfits we were introduced to Able Mabel, who gave us a masterclass in how to make the perfect 1950s style fascinator. She had laid out all the pretty bits and bobs we needed and talked us through the process. Neither of us are particularly crafty but actually found this to be really good fun and are both pleasantly surprised with our handiwork (the blue and red efforts above). It was rather lovely all sitting around the table together and sewing, whilst drinking bubbly darling, and proved the perfect task to complete whilst having a good old natter.

After all that hard work it was time to reward ourselves with a spot of yummy lunch from the Heartfelt menu. They make most of their food from scratch which really adds to the homely comforting vibe of the store and, we can now confirm, is delicious. Once we had been suitably fed and watered it was time for Able Mabel (a woman of many talents!) to transform our tresses and for makeup artist Evie Smith to work her magic on our sleepy Sunday faces! We were then given our styled looks to put on and, with that, we were transformed!

And, as you hopefully agree, it was quite the makeover indeed! We LOVED our new vintage looks and giggled a lot at how doll-like we suddenly appeared! We would definitely like a team of people to get us ready every day! After recovering from the shock of seeing ourselves so glam, we went for a fashion shoot with photographer Su Barclay. Su is so lovely and really put us at ease with her directions and enthusiasm. We can be very awkward indeed when we aren’t in control of the camera so it was nice to have someone so supportive behind the lens! She took some fab shots too, so thank you Su!

All in all, it was a brilliant day and hopefully the first of many great events at Heartfelt. Thank you ever so much for inviting us over Kate and to everyone else there that day for making it such a success!

J&V