Written by Vanessa Burton, Feb 2015
Get out of your grandparents closet! Vintage shopping is back with a fresh lease of life!
Seeking out those stylish statement pieces has been a part of my life since I was a child. Fondly connecting with a past life so vividly as though my arrival in this world was somewhat repeated. I have always thought that when you acquire a piece of vintage clothing you can feel the soul of the life it once had or maybe it’s the residual energy of the person that once owned it. Whether its thrift shops, op shops, boot sales or markets I have always, and still do, relish the excitement of the hunt!
Vintage shopping grew popular in the 90’s but exploded in the 2000’s and has remained strong with the resurgence of the ‘hipster‘ vibe where suddenly there were not enough Penny Farthings left in the world to support the growing number of beards! The same thing can now be said of the clothes from some of the most stylish decades of the past, where an original Sixties dress without the mustard stains can be virtually impossible to find, much like a Seventies shirt without a complete loss of shape. Sadly the fact is that the stock often comes from estate sales and people don’t die twice! Now in 2015 the average shops have been pillaged beyond repair.
HOWEVER (thankfully) changing attitudes have saved our souls. We recently noticed there are a number of people that are starting to take action. We journeyed through Adelaide and found excellent examples of reproduction, re-invention and meticulous acquisition of quality vintage clothing and furniture, celebrating the styles of old.
So heres our findings on three businesses falling into one of the above categories:
Littlest Vintage
The meticulous acquirer……
On our journey our first stop was a shop called Littlest Vintage and being true to name it is small but don’t be discouraged as this little gem with its laid back, rustic vibe has a lot to offer. Inside you’re greeted by a wealth of vintage clothes, furniture, tins, bottles, and other collectables from mainly the depression and industrial eras. Matt Johnson created Littlest Vintage, telling us he has been a collector for years and the store was just a natural progression. He has been in business for about three years first starting out in Prospect. The store has plenty of interesting and eclectic items that keep Adelaide stylists, restaurateurs, photographers and regulars passing through.
91 Glen Osmond Road, Eastwood / +61 415 122 551 / Facebook- /littlestvintageshop
Closet Mod
Tailored Reproduction….
Next up a charming boutique called Closet Mod where the original styles of the Sixties/Seventies are reproduced by Adelaide’s answer to Mary Quant. We discussed everything vintage and sixties inspired with owner, designer and dress-maker Jordan Bishop. The shop is nicely laid out with a clean and fresh feel, completed with a little work station where the magic happens.
Closet Mod currently caters for women with everything in store handmade from locally sourced materials although Jordan hinted that she was looking into designing her own fabric in the near future. The store has been open since June 2014 and is probably one of the finest examples in recreating the vintage style, providing an avenue for new modernist clothes.
Shop 16, Regent Arcade, Rundle Mall / closetmod@live.com / Facebook – /ClosetMod
Hype & Seek
The clever reinvention….
Our final stop was Hype & Seek, born in 2001 it was one of the first shops on Elizabeth Street, Croydon (AKA Queen Street) which is now one of Adelaide’s coolest inner suburb spots. Its a bright and fun shop and with a name like ‘Hype & Seek’ it gives owners Genevieve and Dexter the freedom to stock and sell whatever items they are into at the time. Most of the clothing is sourced from overseas, a great deal from Japan and Korea. It is then given new life through adjustment and re-sizing locally in Adelaide.
The furniture and bric a brac come from many sources topped up by stocking new local artist items such as cushions by Palm Tree Boulevard which are hand painted and designed by Aboriginal Artists from the Northern Territory and the Danish inspired module String Shelving Unit.
THE-VINTAGE 