Seemingly ignorant and Frumpy Saleswoman was too pushy Encore was much more pleasant read more

*Pre-COVID Review* I have scored some great finds here, but other reviewers are correct in stating that the owner (Eleanor) is sketchy. Yes, I suspect that she does cut the tag off of newer items in order to pass them off as vintage or luxury. And yes, I have been followed around the store and been treated with suspicion during some visits to the store. One visit in particular stands out to me. I received an email stating that everything in the store was 20% off. So I arrived to check out the sale and, as someone who manages retail, I recognize the associate's (blonde woman who said she was a costumer designer from southern VA) relentless customer service as a tactic to prevent people from stealing. Like, she wouldn't leave me alone to try on the clothes and make my decisions in peace - this is an anti theft tactic. The idea is that the potential thief will be discouraged from stealing if the associate provides suffocating customer service: following the individual closely and being overly attentive in the hopes that it will make them think twice about skipping out with merch. Literally, she was with me the ENTIRE hour I was in there to try on vintage trousers. She had this uncomfortable, concerned look in between talking to me. I really resent this because I used to work up the street, and would come in pretty regularly to check out new items and make purchases. Eleanor even offered to give me a discount since she said she liked my figure, and since I could fit a lot of the smaller items in her store. So the service is bizarrely hot and cold here. In regards to duping customers with fake vintage items. She tried to tell me that velveteen skater dress was an original Betsy Jonson. HAHA! She had multiples of the dress and the quality of the velveteen sucked, in addition to the fact that there was no tag on it. It didn't have the quality or construction worthy of a handmade original, and Betsey Johnson isn't that hot anymore so it was a pretty dated dupe. I suggest learning of some new, coveted designers if you're going to try to impress or rip off someone I'm their 20s. My mom is a vintage and antique dealer, and we're from San Francisco: I grew up shopping vintage so I know ehat to look for. Instead of this place, I suggest visiting Mercedes Bien Vintage in Adam's Morgan (neighborhood in DC). She is the longest operating vintage dealer in DC, has fab finds, and a younger clientele (so stuff you actually want to wear vs victorian skirts...)! She also doesn't discriminate against her customers, so go check her out! read more

Good selection especially of vintage jewelry, and in particular, clip earrings. Prices fairly steep though fir clothing as a lot of high end designer or expensive labeks. read more

Vintage Mirage - Exteriir view. Front door, lots of steps to get into. - Jewelry Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

The hour drive I made to this shop was so worth it! There's so much to look through! It is incredibly organized and every piece is labeled with details plus the time period when it was made. I spent close to 2 hours here and honestly could have stayed longer! It's a time capsule of beautiful garments! Ranging from $10 - $300. There's something for everyone! Margaux was so patient with me and informative. I left there with a 1920's fascinator (headpiece) of my d r e a m s. Go there with a concept of what you want and you'll be blown awayyyyyy at what they have! read more

Vintage Mirage is small vintage consignment shop located in OT Alexandria. Owned by Elinor Coleman, this shop offers various clothing wear, jewelry, and various accessories from global designers and artists (such as Pannetta, Napier, Carlo Zini, etc.). The staff here are welcoming, but they do trail right behind you. Each of the clothing pieces have the measurements on a tag, so if you're looking for a specific size, you can ask any of the SAs. One thing that I've noticed is that perusing through the pieces was nearly impossible, as they mostly had protective clear garment bags and had literally no wiggle room to go through each one; they were just tightly packed and hung. Overall, it was somewhat of an uncomfortable shopping experience, and for those who are huge vintage buffs may find some items of interest, but I personally didn't find anything and found that most were a bit overpriced. Limited metered parking around the area. +vintage/Victorian consignment shop read more

I asked the associate to hold a dress for an hour that i saw on the mannequin. When I came back to look at the store and get the dress the store was closed because "it smelt like rubber inside"..? She continued to sell me the dress which she didn't have to do but wouldn't let me enter to shop more :/ Not sure why they can be in the store but deny customers entry..probably would have bought a lot as the stored looked super cute.. Oh well, there loss as a business read more

I was in the area shopping around for vintage, and this place does have some gems but the owner and much of the vintage collection is misleading and really kind of scammy. She kept telling us that things were "brand new" that were clearly worn, she said that many items didn't have labels because they "came off in dry cleaning"? A lot of the accessories and jewelry were very cheap and probably bought at wholesale for nothing but she tries to pass them off as "designer". She was completely obsessed with making a sale and kept being deceptive about what the items actually were in order to do it. I just feel like vintage stores do have a responsibility to be honest since the items all have a different history. I know this sounds like a total diss review but the whole experience was really disheartening and I wouldn't want anyone unassuming to come here and pay a ton for something that falls apart or isn't authentic -- the price points are honestly super high for a place that doesn't actually seem to care about quality or honesty. Don't waste your time. read more

Good prices, nice selection of clothing, beautiful bags and purses. I dislike leaving poor reviews or complaints but one thing I will complain about is getting kicked out of the dressing room I was in as I waited for my partner to make his way to the shop (needed a second opinion). Instead of asking if I could move my things, the owner or manager insisted that I leave the room so another customer can try on clothing, despite all my clothing and bags being in that room. I told her my partner was close but she still insisted that I leave the singular dressing room. She then took all my items and put them into the bathroom for me to use. This was done in front of the women she was sending to use the dressing room and my partner since he arrived as she was transferring all my items. I was a paying customer (spent over $100) while the other women just tried on the clothing and left shortly after. I'm not sure if it was my age given that I was much younger than the other women but that experience definitely left a bad taste in my mouth. I plan to come back because they have a nice selection of items but looking into a second dressing room (not a bathroom) for their business couldn't hurt so other customers don't run into the same issue that I did. Overall great shop, the young lady who did my checkout was so kind and helpful. read more

BEWARE. I went in today while shopping on King Street and was disappointed. The staff were unfriendly and treated me like I was an inconvenience or even suspicious. There is no indication anywhere that bags are not allowed, yet I was asked to hand over my very small shopping bag and wristlet. I walked through the shop once and was almost immediately asked if I wanted my bag back before leaving. I wasn't leaving, and had given no indication that I might be. The items for sale varied wildly between actual vintage and simply second hand, but there was no discrimination when it came to price. Mall brands from five years ago were priced outrageously high, and actual vintage was worse. $200 for a dumpy 60s house dress? They are also reselling leg Avenue tights for nearly double msrp. Why would anyone purchase any of these things? There was nothing special and there's no organization. If you know what you are looking for, there are other vintage shops in the area. Beware. read more

BEWARE. So i work in old town Alexandria as a server at a restaurant on king street and i usually have time after work to walk around town and see what our local boutiques have to offer. I once saw their mannequin and fell in love with the outfit that stood outside. I had to go in but it was a short visit because i had to catch the bus. When i came in the next day i was greatly disappointed. This was a very interesting consignment shop to walk into , very different compared to the others in Old town Alexandria. Elinor Colemans Vintage mirage truly does carry vintage pieces but to those who have no knowledge what so ever could be easily scammed by this place! I personally think a lot of the items here are overpriced and not only that but i found Mall brands that usually go for 10-25$ being sold for 50 and up. It was such a disappointment. The organization in this store was horrible and would make it hard for any customer to shop comfortably without trying to ram all the hangers to one side just to see how the front looked. Would i recommend this place to anyone? Nope, I don't even know how this place is still in business when it barely gets any business. read more

This is such a gem. My preferred souvenir from any vacation is an item of clothing from a local thrift or consignment shop - you just find such different stuff in different areas that it truly is a great and unique (not to mention practical) way to take a piece of a city home with you! I had a ton of fun shopping in Alexandria, but this was the only real vintage store I came across (as opposed to the many awesome consignment shops I happened upon, with more modern stuff on the racks). This store is GREAT if you're looking for actual vintage clothing. A ton of dresses to choose from and they are all helpfully tagged with bust and waist measurements. I saw a few adorable Mad Men-esque 50s and 60s dresses in my size and really had a very hard time limiting myself to one item. In the end, I went with a Betsey Johnson skirt from the 80s or maybe early 90s. It hangs so beautifully and is so flattering; you just don't find that kind of quality and attention to detail too easily. Are you going to find a total steal here? Probably not. The stuff you're buying is quality, and you're going to pay a few bucks for it. But it's definitely not over-priced, in my opinion. Dresses seemed to run about $150 or so - quite reasonable for what is being sold. There are a ton of adorable hats as well, but I found myself truly enchanted by the jewelry up near the register. I ended up impulse-buying a costume jewelry ring for a very reasonable $15. (I regret nothing!) I will absolutely stop in here again next time I'm in the area. The woman who owns the place is also incredibly friendly and very helpful - she mentioned having a bunch of off-season stuff in the back and told me to e-mail her anytime for pictures or with questions. Really, it was just an all-around great experience! read more

I was looking for items for a 1920's theme party, and went into the store with that information. I literally had to do nothing else! The staff was incredibly helpful pulling dress options and accessories for me to try. They even showed me a look book for ideas to gauge what my comfort and preferences were in the look. I had a blast shopping, and my outfit was perfect. Highly recommend checking out Vintage Mirage for any costume or theme party, and also just for statement jewelry and scarves and stuff. So much to offer, great prices for the quality, and a very enjoyable shopping experience. read more

I'm always on the lookout for vintage clothes and accessories so I was psyched to stumble across this place. It is a bit tough to find..on the second floor of what looked like a row house between Queen and Cameron streets. But I guess that is part of shopping for vintage, the hunt! Elinors has clothes and jewelry from practically every era- current back through Victorian. And really unique decor pieces like throws and pillows. I had a question about some depression glass that I have (was given to me by my mom) and the salesperson let me know that they do "estate consultations" here. Meaning that they'll pay some good coin for vintage items. read more

I LOVE this store! The staff was sooo friendly and polite; it was such a pleasurable experience to browse the unique finds here! The hat selection alone is great, I wish I had an occasion to wear a pillbox hat with a veil, they have several lovely ones. There is also a large jewelry selection, lots of brooches, clip on earrings, etc. There was a sale going on when I was there, and I think they have them every so often. I really wanted to buy something, but I was mainly just browsing. I will definitely be back to check the jewelry out more thoroughly, and will bring my out of town girlfriends here as well! read more

I have a gala to go to this evening and because of my work schedule, procrastinated on reading about the specifics of the gala. I found out that it roaring 20s themed and begin frantically calling around to different boutiques for a 20s look that was gala appropriate. After multiple calls, I stumbled on Vintage Mirage. Elinor answered my questions and assured me she had multiple 20s looks that were appropriate for my event and had the accessories to match. When I arrived, literally hours before my event, she measured me and started pulling outfits for me to try. There were several looks I loved, and each time I came out of dressing room, she helped me match accessories and treated like a princess getting ready for the ball. I left with everything I needed and I'm so excited for my beautiful new dress and accessories to match! Will definitely come back! read more

I found them, first, on FB. I'm a huge vintage shopper to mix with my contemporary pieces. I found some great stuff. Got a great bag and designer scarf. I called to double check the items. The service was so nice - she was so kind and obliging. I got my items in 2 days. So Happy!! Their website is easy to use and PayPal is so great. It especially helps since I ordered from Indiana. I'll definitely be shopping with them again. read more

Does not know how to deal with people, and she seriously needs to study her history. She tried to tell me that Jackie Kennedy's first lady style is not 1960s. read more

I visited this store today to try on dresses with a friend and instead of getting to enjoy vintage clothes, we were condescended to and body-shamed. The lady (I assume the owner or manager, because she gave instructions to other employees) informed us about the way clothing was measured (bust/hip/waist) which was helpful, if not a bit redundant, but then any measure of politeness stopped when we stepped out in the gowns we'd tried on. She seemed disappointed that my breasts weren't bigger but somehow still insisted that the top was too tight. Secondly, she recommended I consider Spanx or "just a whole tummy tuck" to flatten out my abdomen so the dress would fit correctly. To my friend, she chastised her chest, recommending she drop a few pounds in order to have a better figure. There are several points I could make in response to this: how harmful comments like these can be for women at all ages, how the women who would've fit in these dresses starved themselves, how fundamentally inconsiderate and rude a person would have to be to think they have license to comment on another person's measurements. But most generally: Don't tell people to get plastic surgery or change their bodies at ALL in order to fit into clothes you are selling them. It's not "honoring vintage" it's being a bad salesperson. You can only sell to or compliment one size of women? Congratulations, you're bad at your business. read more

Sign on the door said "be back in 5 minutes." We waited for 20 and no one every came back. We looked around at some of the items that were sitting outside of the front door. Many were over priced. I had read Hasma H's review concerning low end retail store products being falsely represented as "vintage" with inflated prices. Sure enough, my girlfriend found a pair of sunglasses that you can purchase at Target for $10. They were priced at $35.... Steer clear. There's other shops/boutiques in the area. read more

Buyer beware. Know your labels if you are seriously looking for vintage products. I was searching for a unique evening gown and really was struggling to find something that fit and was made to feel like a huge inconvenience to them. I did purchase a unique item, though. I will not shop there again. :( read more

This place has the most helpful employees in the entire world. I came in because I need to dress up as a 1960s housewife for a show. Aisha (not sure on spelling) immediately started finding me tons of dresses to try on. She was friendly and she and Megan quickly helped me come up with the perfect look. I am SO impressed with the customer service here and with what I purchased. Thanks Vintage Mirage! read more

The accessories here are extremely overpriced. There are plenty of vintage curators on Etsy, for example, selling the same jewelry pieces for 50-70% cheaper WITH free shipping--don't be fooled. The owner's pricing is definitely off--for everything in the store. Surprising that this place is in business, apart from being a "museum" of vintage pieces, their isn't much to this place. Save your money and avoid a major rip off. read more

Friendly staff and a nice selection of vintage jewelry! I purchased a pair of screw back clip-on earrings for my wedding day. I didn't have a chance to check out the clothing and other accessories but I will definitely return in the future. read more

My experience at Vintage Mirage has only improved in the number of times I've been there. However, this past visit really highlighted the benefits of shopping in small local boutiques! I was looking at the vintage jewelry (as per usual!) and the owner, Elinor, told me I needed to accessorize differently to look more put together for my presentations at work. She literally pulled jewelry for me, and was telling me the best ways to make accessories work for my body. It was so much fun- and a fashion education as well! And I have to admit that I really did look better. I highly recommend this place for something unique- I saw a perfect condition, beaded, vintage wedding dress and a yellow silk, old hollywood looking wrap dress that someone thinner than me is going to absolutely rock. read more

I have long loved this beautiful and unique shop. The staff is always friendly and kind, and it's filled with treasures to explore. The store is highly curated and always filled. This is not a thrift shop, so you won't find designer pieces for $10, but you can find unique items that have been cleaned and pressed and in some cases repaired. I personally love coming here to find vintage hats and jewelry, and I did once find a fabulous Burberry trench from the early 90's. I would recommend this to those with a discerning eye and someone looking for something special, like a vintage YSL tassel belt or an elegant velvet dress that's right out of an episode of Dynasty. Do not come looking for a bargain haul to resell. I highly recommend checking out their social media/ the Instagram team circulated nicely styled images and is very responsive if you are interested in purchasing directly through there! Highly recommend taking a look if you love unique pieces. read more

As I embarked on my search for the perfect 1980s gown for a costume party, I decided to make a list of various consignment shops and thrift stores in my area. One weekday afternoon, I found ideal parking and entered Elinor Coleman's Vintage Mirage. I was immediately greeted by Ms. Coleman, and began browsing the meticulously organized jewelry and clutches at the front of the store. As I proceeded to the back, I was sidetracked by the beautiful selection of clothing, and even pulled pieces that weren't my size. Yes, everything was THAT visually captivating. Unfortunately, I didn't find my 80s gown, but I did find quite a bit more. So much, in fact, that it took everything within me not to go crazy with my credit card. Instead, I had a lovely chat with the owner about everything from Karl Lagerfield and YSL to the early 80s fashion scene in NY. I felt like I was interviewing a celebrity for "E! True Hollywood Story." Her stories were incredible, to say the least, and I begged her to write a book! I can't wait to return to snag some amazing merch and hopefully have another great conversation. read more

I love this boutique. She has really unique items, and about a thousand pieces of costume jewelry (from cheap to expensive), as well as vintage and Victorian pieces. Very nice and friendly staff. Minus one star because some of the prices are a little high- on the flip side, she always has really good discounts and sales going. read more

Hi folks! It's been nearly a year since my last disastrous visit to Elinor Coleman's. I've been looking for vintage or vintage-styled hair combs for a while, and thought I'd give it another shot...big mistake! Elinor continues her misleading pricing and labeling habits. Her assistant showed me metal alloy and rhinestone hair pins marked 'Made in Korea' and priced at $37 apiece. The exact same combs are for sale in a kiosk at Pentagon City for about $10. She also had rhinestone hair combs marked at $45 apiece - the same kind you can buy at Claire's (where I ended up getting hair combs for about $12 each). While at the store, I also saw a pair of purple and black striped thigh-highs - the kind that come with the "sexy witch" or "sexy fairy" Halloween costumes - labeled as being from an estate sale and priced at $30. Amazon.com has the same pair for $5.99. I am seriously amazed that her store is still in business. The woman working there told me they're moving to another location further up King Street, but I doubt her practices are going to change. It's a shame because her store has a big selection, but she's simply dishonest about her products. read more

This place apparently is so successful that it doesn't need customers. I phoned ahead to find out the store hours. Open till 6, I was told. Got there at 5:49 to find the "closed" sign up and store employees looking at me through the locked door. read more

I went here a few weeks ago look at vintage costume jewelry and accessories. There was actually a nice selection, though the prices, while not outrageous, were a little high. It is probably worth a look if you are looking for something different, but there a lots of other vintage shops, many with owners that are a lot more welcoming. The two young ladies working for her, however, were helpful and friendly. read more

The Vintage Mirage is a treasure trove of vintage wear. Ms. Coleman and her staff are experienced and very knowledgeable in this 'genre' of clothing. They are selective with what they choose to have in their store and they adhere to those standards in all of their dealings - to the benefit of all. I have frequented the store over the past five years and have seen them interact in a professional manner with all customers, If you want quality and professionalism, this is your place to shop. read more

I love this store. The merchandise is kept in pristine condition and there is none of the "old clothes" smell that I sometimes associate with this type of store. You need time to check it all out as they have so much to choose from. Give it a try! read more