Retro Resources and Vintage Wear Vendors

Melbourne, Australia

Velour: 184 Barkly St, St Kilda.
Frocks and Slacks: 188e Barkly St, St Kilda.  Call in and visit the lovely and knowledgeable Tracey.
Savers: (particularly Dandenong and Greensborough, as there isn’t as much competition for the vintage stock). www.savers.com
Anonymous Posh: Royal Arcade, Elizabeth St entrance, Melbourne CBD)
Shag: vintage clothing mecca at three fab locations: 130 Chapel St, Prahran, Shop 20, Centreway Arcade, Collins St, Melbourne CBD and 377 Brunswick St, Fitzroy
Fat Helen’s: 78 Chapel St Windsor.  The windows alone will get you revved up for a 60’s and 70’s vintage buying spree.
Circa: Ultra gorgeous vintage and antique clothing, and extremely passionate and knowledgeable staff.   www.circa-vintage.com  And while you’re at the Circa website, check out the link for Malco Modes petticoats.  No true vintage aficionado can afford to be without one.

Helpful Addresses

The House of Franke, Stuart: make 50’s style net petticoats to your specifications, at very reasonable prices.  612 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn
Beads and Buttons Galore: stock some pretty amazing retro-style buttons. Look out for the very large coat buttons (in plain colours and animal prints) suitable for fifties and sixties clothing  www.beadsandbuttonsgalore.com.au
Chapel St Bazaar: is not only an absolutely fascinating time trip, containing every vintage accessory, collectible and home ware you can think of, but also a vintage haberdashery stall.  Beads, ribbons, buttons and trims from yesteryear. 217-223 Chapel St, Prahran
Maria George: supplies beads, sequins, feathers and old-fashioned jeweller’s findings, some of which date back as far as the fifties www.mariageorge.com.au
Darn Cheap Fabrics: stocks an amazing array of buttons and trims, all recently manufactured, but some with a gorgeous vintage look, perfect for replacing tired detailing on your vintage finds www.darncheap.com.au
The Brighton Button Shop: has been in business since the late 1880’s.  Gorgeous crystal, wood, leather, fabric, mother-of-pearl, enamel and everything else you could think of buttons to bring any garment to life.  With over 3 million buttons in stock (as well as brooches and other trims) at any one time, you’re certain to find whatever your outfit needs www.brightonbuttonshop.com

Books

It’s Vintage, Darling (How To Be a Clothes Connoisseur) by Christa Weil. Invaluable tips for those who wish to buy and maintain vintage clothing.
Spotless by Shannon Lush and Jennifer Fleming.  Pocket size encyclopaedia of everything you ever wanted to know about stain removal and fabric maintenance – there’s even a section on how to repair balding velvet.
The Penguin Book of Etiquette by Marion von Alderstein, for those who want to not only look like an old-fashioned girl, but act like one too!

Clothing Websites

www.vintagetrends.com includes a useful timeline of twentieth century fashion history.
www.vintagevixen.com sells clothing for both mean and women, and has an extremely comprehensive inventory.
www.kittygirlvintage.com features amazingly beautiful clothing, and very detailed, useful descriptions. Nothing on this site is cheap, but every item is something you would treasure for years to come. 
www.silvermoonvintage.com sells clothing from as far back as the 1890’s, as well as contemporary replicas of vintage designs.
www.tias.com is an online vintage bazaar that showcases the stock of several separate retailers.  There are vintage clothes aplenty, but the real stars of the show are the antique accessories. 
Check out http://www.tias.com/stores/glitzqueen for rare jewellery that dates back as far as the 1700’s.
http://www.tias.com/stores/glamourandglitz for jewellery, handbags and even (for those who partake), furs .
www.tias.com/stores/dwj for vintage designer costume jewellery.
And of course www.thepursediva.com our favorite online store this week!