out due to an increase in rent and big chain stores. Also, people didn’t trust their own personal styles.”
collectables and designer interiors. He heeds people to think carefully about what they buy. “Stop buying these massproduced, throw-away garments that are cheap and crappy, that last one season and that’s it.”
Emily Renna, vintage enthusiast and employee at Brunswick’s Melbourne Vintage, says she was drawn to buying and wearing vintage because she likes being an individual, “I like knowing that no-one else has what I have.”
These big chain stores introduced what is called ‘Fast Fashion’, which is typically associated with some of your mainstream Indeed, vintage could be the ultimate Veur (Yesteryear) also suggests that high street brands. When ‘Fast Fashion’ antidote to ‘Fast Fashion’, for as Fella puts Vintage is either introducing or came into play, even Veur admits to being reawakening people’s love of excited by it as a concept, but the textiles, variety and colour. “[It’s] reality of the trend soon became just a bit of fun, you know? The apparent. “Now it’s polluting the Vintage offers an unlimited world’s a bit dark at the moment!” earth, things are being made by choice, with many fabrics, people with unfair wages so I detailing or colour combinations Jenkins (Circa Vintage) offered think [we’re] waking up to that… a similar perspective. “Vintage You can still buy a 100 dollar that you simply don’t see in offers an unlimited choice, with [vintage] coat and it’s still going contemporary fashion… You’ll many fabrics, detailing or colour to be amazing in thirty years’ combinations that you simply don’t never walk into a party to find time.” see in contemporary fashion… someone else in your dress. You’ll never walk into a party to What is certainly apparent is that find someone else in your dress. vintage is a more sustainable way You can be creative, play with of shopping. You are purchasing it, “all current fashion is derivative of old identity and character.” recycled yet durable garments, whereas fashion… so you can get older pieces that any unsold ‘Fast Fashion’ clothing from big are still going to fit in very well with what’s It will take a bit of effort and a keen eye chain stores goes straight to landfill. going on for the current season.” to source great vintage fashion pieces, but
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Martin Fella, second-hand clothing shop owner of the same name in North Melbourne says, “Choose well, buy less, save the planet.” The quote is inspired by Vivienne Westwood herself. Fella first opened his doors eighteen years ago and he specialises in designer
But vintage is not just an opportunity to shop sustainably, ethically and wisely. As well as boasting high quality fibres that will last you many years, vintage clothing allows the wearer to experiment with their identity away from the constraints of current fashion trends and allows the wearer to completely dictate their style.
know that you are investing into garments that are worthy of your efforts and of your hard earned cash, and in garments that don’t force you to support cheap and quick manufacturing. My suggestion: go vintage and go back to supporting love, care, affordability and creativity for fashion designers, retailers and consumers alike!
Yesteryear – 237A Faraday St, Carlton/200 High St Northcote Martin Fella – 556 Queensberry St, North Melbourne Melbourne Vintage – 351 Sydney Rd, Brunswick Circa Vintage – Exclusively online at circavintageclothing.com.au