Oona’s graciously invited me to preview their spring collection at a small gathering they were having. Gone are the feather boas and polyester shift dresses of Oona’s past. In their place are immaculate 1940’s silk sheaths, full skirted 1950’s day dresses, and a collection of vintage hats that would put even Kate Middleton to shame. Oona’s has been changed from a costume shop masking itself in the moniker “vintage” to one of the few local boutiques worth its weight in tulle. That’s not to say that the Oona’s of the past wasn’t great for what it was. It remained a constant presence in the rapidly changing face of Harvard Square, representing a niche style market in a notoriously jeans and t-shirt centric city.
New owner, Ellie Mueller, brings a different style to the store, incorporating not only new merchandise, but a new aesthetic as well. Mueller seems to take inspiration from the pleasantly cluttered Parisian boudoirs of the Victorian age, filling the small space with knickknacks that are crowded but never overwhelming, and charming but never cloying. The new collection was, predictably, beautiful. Immaculately dressed people roamed the tight corridors, not wanting to push each other out of the way, but secretly TOTALLY wanting to in order to get to the dress-lined walls and beer-lined bar. Wine, cheese, cheap beer and vintage dresses littered the tightly packed space: this is the fashion conscious’ wet dream. If Oona’s keeps this up there’s going to be a lot more stylishly dressed folks walking around this coming spring. Come to think of it, maybe this was best kept to myself….
by Andrea O’Meara
Photos: Jen Grygiel
Oona’s 1210 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-3821
