ENDURING 

Since moving to Melbourne in early April I have found my self prowling through choking racks of second-hand clothing almost every day.  It is on the days that I find myself shifting through stacks of designer vintage, however, that I feel like I am winning.  I am a die-hard fan, so-to-speak, of the designer vintage.  Although Melbourne (and online) has some awesome hidey-holes of materialistic vintage heaven, it is NYC, Paris and London where I would be seriously walking on a cloud. 

It is these places where, in my opinion, you can grasp your hands on the absolute treasures of Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Gucci, Issey Miyake and Moschino. Yes, I cannot deny that there is a certain beauty in finding an $8 pair of spunky pants from Savers, but second-hand does not get any better than vintage designer clothing.  The clothes always have a raw, eye-catching authenticity and splendor about them. 

Earlier today, for instance, I found the most amazing pair of vintage Versace pants, as I perused along Greville St.   They were bright and outrageous, and that is exactly what I loved about them.  I was jumping back into the 90s, yet they were transparent as wearable pants for today.  It wasn’t just the sight; it was the thick tactile feel of them. It was perhaps the perfect pair of jeans.  They had that ragged, scruffed look that you want your jeans to have, yet they were flawless quality with a lot of energy and liveliness in them.  In this case, it is the quality over quantity that wins, sorry $2 shops.  Case closed.