Madonna wears it. The Olsen Twins would rather go without food then not have it. And Rachel Zoe… well, she goes bananas for it. With just cause too: vintage is the staple of any fashion aficionado’s wardrobe and, in fact, is incredibly big business.

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In this time of financial crisis, vintage is also a sound investment. After all, it provides a look that is unique yet embellished with a sense of old world charm. Worn correctly it can make the individual look sophisticated, elegant, fun or eccentric. Put simply, vintage can reflect the inner desires of the wearer. Plus it can be mixed and matched with modern pieces or restored and reinvented to give it a breath of new life.

Anne Marie Therese, co-owner of the aptly titled vintage boutique Gorgeous, is perhaps one of our city’s biggest vintage fans. Not only does she stock some of the finest vintage frocks and threads around, but she’s dressed some big names to. Who? Think Kylie Minogue and Devo plus drag living legends like Cindy Pastel and current drag star Val Nourished. So what’s the appeal of vintage?

‘Vintage clothing began to be popularised in the ’70s,’ Therese pointed out. ‘People began to appreciate the clothes from the past. The trendy set – the arts people and the designers – began to collect vintage clothing. But the wider public interest in vintage clothes meant that items gradually became rarer.

‘Now the ’90s were all about deconstruction. The deconstruction of fashion meant the consumer could wear whatever they wanted. The individuation that came with the ’90s meant that people could dress individually and express themselves. Hence a second, much wider revival of all things vintage.

‘What the older clothing gives you is a one off garment that no-one else has got which you can combine with your modern shoes or whatever you like, and it just takes on this eclectic favour. A lot of young people who currently buy clothes… they’re disheartened with the fabric changes and mass production. They’re disheartened that they’ll go to something and there’s someone else in it.’

In the olden days, everyone had a dress maker. Thus, everyone had the opportunity to wear something new, unique and completely bespoke. ‘Nowadays though,’ Therese pointed out, ‘people don’t sit well with the process of something being made. They prefer to try it on before they buy.’

This ‘death of the dressmaker’ has been replaced by more disposable catchphrases like ‘mass production’ and ‘shop off the shelf’. The bespoke has been replaced by the buyable brand. Yes, it is cheaper to buy something from a department store than it is to have a seamstress make it, but then if it’s cheap for you to buy… it’s cheap for everyone else too!

Therese does have some suggestions for shoppers who are considering the sound investment that is vintage. First off – look very closely at what you are buying!

‘I would say the most essential thing when shopping for any garment is the workmanship: have a look at it! See if the buttons are still on and it’s holding together properly. So have a really good hard look at what you buy.’

Therese’s next tip is to buy that which suits you best. Be sure the colour compliments your skin (and hair) and above all else make sure you actually feel comfortable wearing the garment. There’s no point buying something if it makes you feel fat or if it’s unflattering, regardless of how amazing it looks on the hanger.

‘Stuff from the ’50s and ’60s will be more show stopper pieces while stuff from the ’70s and ’80s is far more versatile,’ Therese said of clothes from specific eras. ‘For example, we’ve been shortening a lot of the really bright ’70s dresses, bringing them up above the knee. That wasn’t the style at the time – at the time they were worn just below the knee, or long. That was the ’70s length. So we’ve taken the liberty of shortening them and that creates a whole other look, one that’s vintage yet modern.’

For the guys, Therese stresses that it’s crucial you buy for your body shape. ‘Some guys will look good in ’70s clothes. Some guys suit a stream lined body shirt. But other guys suit a ’50s cut, something slightly boxier, especially since they might not be tall. But if you’re more on the thin side, ’70s is better.

‘The vintage look is about fabrics you can no longer get with patterns and designs you no longer see,’ concluded Therese. ‘The clothes will uniquely represent a period. For example, ’70s clothes use a lot of boarder prints. Vintage clothes also has detailing that modern clothes no longer have, plus they come imbued with a sense of history. But most importantly, vintage also reduces your carbon footprint – it means that you aren’t producing more waste but are, in fact, being resourceful enough to salvage the past to fashion the future.’

Gorgeous Vintage and Collectables are one of several Perth shops specialising in vintage clothing. Gorgeous stock a mixture of vintage and retro fashions along with new designer pieces from Europe. They also restore and modify vintage clothing.

Gorgeous Vintage and Collectables are at 879 Beaufort Street, Inglewood.

Scott-Patrick Mitchell