The other day I went to Almelo and stumbled upon De Roode Molen (aka The Red Mill aka Le Moulin Rouge). When approaching the store my heart skipped a beat. The outlook is very quirky and right up my street. Within the store there are different displays that support this atmosphere (and besides the racks of clothing and price tags, it's just as if you walked into the home of an extraordinaire).


The main thing they sell are 2nd hand clothing with an extended collection of vintage hats. Unfortunately the rule old hats are meant for small heads (no, I didn't just make that up) is still applied. So we big headed girls with an affection for ol' stuff are left unloved. However, the store owner noticed my disdain and asked if I otherwise would like to go through some more winter appropiate hats in her storage in the hope I'll found something that'll fit my ENORMOUS head. Naturally I nodded heavily up and down and indeed I found a hat that fitted my desires (after a lot of rejections by the most amazing pieces. *sad face yet happy face* Although it must be said that some hats didn't even fit my mother's top and she's practically got a pea for a head. So it's not all due to my massive brains that some wouldn't fit...).


Besides your hats, the main thing the store's filled with are clothes. To your left are the more ordinary clothing you'll find in any regular charity shop. But to your right is where the real action is happening. Classified under the label 'retro', here you'll find garments ranging from the 20's to the 80's in excellent shape (considering it's already lived a life). The prices are therefore naturally higher than those you'll find in a charity shop, however you'll get quality over quantity. Which is also important. Sometimes.


After having a (long) snoop around, I'd accumulated quite a pile and tried to find my way to the changing rooms. Now, as I stated earlier, due to the certain atmosphere they've tried (and succeeded) to give the store, these changing rooms aren't your regular get up and going. The rooms are both styled in a very nostalgic and personal way (basically you don't know -besides the sign that says changing room- that you're in a changing room). Also, a big plus for me, they're very spacious. I like spacious. I always need a lot of room when I'm trying to get things on and off. So it's nice for a change that I'm not banging my limbs -aggressively- against the wall over and over again.


Without me noticing it, my final edit of choice happened to be a complete set (without the shoes, though. Because there's also a rule old shoes are meant for small feet, which I naturally don't meet with my big walkers). I actually got a compliment or two when wearing this number to the dentist....



All in all the beauty of these kind of stores is that when you come back, the whole content will be different. So a visit in its time will be, I imagine, very fulfilling. If only it was more closeby...

Love,
Dominique


P.s. Bloody wind...