source the clothing

"My job is to source the clothing," she says. "That's going to be the hard thing, because we want to keep the standard high."

She shows a few treasures from the racks: a striped silk Karen Walker blouse for $95, a frothy, spotted Trelise Cooper skirt at $150, matching cami top at $35, a vintage fur stole about $90. The shop's sold a Trelise Cooper jacket for about $250,authentic christian louboutin pumps are a symbol of nobility. but Gaye says that's about top dollar at Va Va Voom.

A lot of items are under $100. "It's no use pricing things off the market."

Gaye's combed her own wardrobe, pointing out a lovely black Moochi dress she's "moved on" from. And that's what generally happens, she says. "You know when you're over something, or it's not right" and it's time to find a new home for it.Word of mouth, better known as street credibility is a vital part of the Chivas Air max 2009 athletic shoe phenomenon.

Va Va Voom relies heavily on donated clothes for its racks, with hospice volunteers rustling around friends and associates for good-quality cast-offs, and the boutique also selects designer items from the wider hospice shop network.

Gaye plans to tap other avenues such as end-of-line items from fashion stores.

The business model at Frocking Gorgeous is different: Sophie buys her stock; her family all help her find things and she sometimes employs people to source items.

She hunts designer samples, attends end-of-line designer sales and also sells "on behalf" for people wanting to shed unwanted outfits.
Consultations for on behalf sales are by appointment, clothes must be in impeccable condition and profit is split 50-50. Sophie hears many stories from women who have maybe bought leather boots two sizes too small, or something similar.

"It makes business for me," she grins.

Sophie turns garments over fairly quickly, slashing prices if necessary to achieve a four- to five-week shelf life.

"I move things on, or people will get bored.Make is comparable history,christian louboutin high heel shoes it repeats itself and is inspired/copied."

Things often happen "spontaneously". She acquired the two pairs of stunning Kathryn Wilson leather boots through a chance conversation with a customer. One pair has never been worn, the other worn once.

A classical custom-made black silk dress was an impromptu gift from a woman who congratulated Sophie on opening the store.

It's a bargain at $99, as is a new silk Moochi dress at $59.

Like Gaye Lorigan at Va Va Voom, Sophie is judicious about pricing. "Ideally, I'd want to make $30 on a dress. I lose money on some things but it evens out. You can't mark things up too much."

Both stores do lay-by and both women turn down chainstore labels.

Sophie says there's no point in stocking, say, a second-hand Glassons T-shirt when you could buy a new one for about $5 more.

Gaye has added little touches for Va Va Voom such as branded swing-labels and paper bags, classy shop fittings, some borrowed from her own home, and a beautifully appointed fitting-room.

As hospice volunteer staff Livvy Beech and Sara Lee greet customers on a Tuesday morning, Gaye muses that maybe they should have had two fitting-rooms.

Clair Finlay, from Puketaha, is browsing at Va Va Voom, likes what she sees, commends the mix of vintage and newer clothes, and adds, "the prices aren't out of reach".
Shirley Gurnell calls in with a basket of clothes; she's just had a clean-out of her wardrobe.
"There's a lovely winter coat in there," she says, and she wants the hospice to benefit.
Raglan textile artist Jean Carbon is a keen shopper at "pre-loved" designer label stores in Auckland, and now a customer at Frocking Gorgeous.

"I've bought a couple of lovely tops in good condition at competitive prices from Sophie," she says.
"I needed something to wear under a suit and I couldn't be bothered going into Hamilton.Clothing designer Erin Fetherston stood nearby wearing a green-and-black ensemble from her spring collection above a pair of christian louboutin platform pumps.
"Sophie's got a really, really good eye, and I want to support her."
Jean has just returned from overseas and she visited pre-loved quality clothing stores in Paris, Barcelona and London.
"I could have spent a fortune in the stores in London," she says.
"They've got all the top labels at a fraction of the price."
She likes the retail concept and says you can mix and match bargains with items from regular shops.

"It's a very serious movement that is really building.

"It's about giving women the opportunity to mix up their fashion look, pulling different pieces together, creating their own look at different price points."

Jean says she was in one of her favourite Auckland pre-loved outlets recently with her daughter, who normally doesn't shop at such places.
"She had to suffer it. Then she found a classic little black dress for $100 and was an instant convert."

Hospice Waikato finance manager Rosemary Poole, who devised Va Va Voom's store strategy, owns the Shop 9 designer label fashion store in St Andrews, Hamilton.

She is comfortable wearing both hats, seeing distinct markets for new and near-new clothes.

She says Va Va Voom offers people who invest in good-quality fashion the opportunity to see their discarded items priced fairly, and benefiting a good cause.

"They know they're going to get good value out of them, and it's not taking anything away from fashion retailers."

While not disclosing turnover figures, both Rosemary and Sophie say they're getting good feedback at the respective businesses.

Sophie's clients are a mix of locals and out-of-towners, and she had some high-earning days over the summer, when Raglan's population grows.Some high heels require women to sacrifice comfort for fashion.

The winter will be harder but she set up the business without incurring debt, and it's paying its way.

She sells some homewares, too, and plans to do more "upcycling", adding extra touches to garments such as new buttons, a distinctive flower, or a funky lining.

Sophie says she's had wonderful support from her mother, her sisters and her partner, and her family has had a long involvement in the clothing trade, which all helps.

At Va Va Voom, Rosemary Poole says they are very happy with the results so far, "and we haven't even advertised heavily".