The Vintage Edit: My Guide To Vintage Shopping
- Innasya Mackenzie
- Dec 19, 2025
- 5 min read
The most beautiful things in life are not just things, they’re people and places. When you walk into a vintage store you walk into a room full of memories.
The Intimacy Between Fabric and Time
Vintage shopping is more than just buying old clothes. It’s the honour of getting to give another life to a piece that’s lived a few glamorous lives before you. By re-wearing, and restyling the outfit, you’re bringing it back to life, and not only wearing the garments but the memories, and stories of the people who owned it before you.
Today's day and age is so consumed in overconsumption, fast fashion, and buying the latest trend that we’ve forgotten the beauty in sentimentality.
I’d much rather have a wardrobe full of memories, meaningful moments, heart aches, and first loves.
Borrowing Beauty From The Past, Dressing It For Now
Drawing inspiration from the past - the sharp elegance of the 60s, the indulgent romance of the Rococo era, the graphic seduction of Cleopatra’s eyeliner - adds a sense of intention and timeless allure to anything you create.
Referencing history in the way you dress, paint your face, or build an aesthetic feels inherently chic, as if beauty is being rediscovered rather than invented. And in re-wearing and reinterpreting vintage pieces, you give them a second life - wearing not just fabric, but the memory and mystique of the women who came before you.
Fashion, then, becomes a conversation across time, where elegance is inherited, not imitated.
Style, Chosen With Intention
Located in Northern Chile, the ‘Great Fashion Garbage Patch’ is proof that we need to be more thoughtful with what we purchase. We only get one planet, there’s no backup.
Between the early 2000s and the mid-2010s, clothing production quietly doubled, while wardrobes grew faster and garment lifespans shorter. We began buying significantly more, yet wearing each piece for far less time. Today, it’s estimated that nearly three-fifths of all garments are discarded - sent to landfill or incineration - within a year of being made.
In a world of fast fashion and fleeting trends, choosing vintage allows you to dress with intention. Every piece carries a story, a history, and a life beyond the landfill.
Be chic, be conscious - let history curate your wardrobe.
A Guide to Finding Fashion with a Past | From the Web to the Capital: Chic Vintage Finds
Vintage shopping is about more than just clothes - it’s about discovering pieces with history, character, and soul. Each garment carries a story, a moment in time, waiting to be worn again and reimagined. Whether you’re exploring curated online archives or hunting for treasures in Canberra, finding fashion with a past is an art - and entirely irresistible.
The Designer Op Shop Emporium
At The Designer Op Shop Emporium, I’ve discovered a curated world where vintage treasures, pre-loved designer fashion, and modern interiors converge. Nestled on the corner of Barrier Street and Lyell Street in Fyshwick, Canberra - just opposite the Metro petrol station - it’s a local haven for those who value style with history.
As a family-owned collective, DOSEmporium is united by a passion for breathing new life into fashion and homewares, championing sustainability while celebrating exquisite design. They carry over 25 years of experience in fashion retail, buying, and visual merchandising, ensuring every visit is not just shopping, but an experience.
Here, every corner holds a story - from unique vintage finds to luxury consignment pieces, carefully curated to delight and inspire. And because beauty lies in the details, they offer complimentary gift-wrapping all year round, so each discovery feels like a moment of indulgence.
Dirty Janes
Stepping into Dirty Janes Canberra feels like entering a treasure trove frozen in time. Nestled in the heart of Fyshwick, the warehouse houses over 90 unique stallholders, each presenting their own carefully curated collection of antiques, collectibles, homewares, and furniture. I love wandering through the aisles, discovering pieces that carry history, character, and timeless charm - each one a story waiting to be brought into a new life.
Vestiaire Collective
When I shop on Vestiaire Collective, I’m stepping into the world’s largest curated collection of pre-loved luxury and designer fashion - over 12,000 brands, five million listings, and more than 35,000 new treasures added every single day. What I love most is knowing that every piece I bring into my wardrobe is not only timeless but also kind to the planet.
Fast fashion has no place with Vestiaire Collective. They're committed to quality, longevity, and sustainability. Every investment in a pre-loved piece feels intentional, elegant, and enduring, while their 100% circular model reduces environmental impact by 90% compared with buying new. Beyond shopping, I admire how they actively challenge the fashion industry, holding fast fashion accountable and championing a future where style and responsibility walk hand in hand.
The RealReal
I love The RealReal for making secondhand luxury effortlessly chic - their consignment process is seamless, and the app turns treasure hunting into a delightful experience. Since its launch in 2001 by Julie Wainwright in San Francisco, The RealReal has become my go-to destination for authenticated pre-loved designer pieces - from It bags to dresses that feel freshly plucked from the runway. Every transaction becomes part of a circular fashion story, where style is timeless and sustainability is in every carefully curated piece.
eBay
eBay, The original online marketplace and a true haven for treasure hunters. Since 1995, it has been the place to uncover anything and everything. What I adore about eBay is its
sheer scale and endless variety - there’s something for every budget, era, and aesthetic. Of course, navigating it takes patience, a practiced eye, and a love for the thrill of the hunt. But when you finally win that vintage gem after a fierce bidding war, it’s a moment of triumph every style lover understands.
Depop
I adore Depop for its effortless mix of style, sustainability, and discovery - it’s a marketplace where fashion truly lives a second life. Since its launch in 2011, the platform has grown into a global community of 43.5 million users, all sharing a love for pre-loved pieces and helping to redefine how we consume fashion. Whether I’m hunting for cult streetwear, unique vintage gems, or emerging designer labels, Depop always delivers - a space where anyone can clear out their wardrobe, explore their style, and find pieces with personality and history. What excites me most is being part of a movement that makes fashion circular, inspiring millions to choose secondhand and extend the life of every garment.
No Standing NYC
I’ve fallen in love with No Standing NYC for the way it blends luxury, history, and sustainability into every piece. What began from curating favourite vintage treasures from family closets, blossomed into a destination for luxury secondhand fashion from around the world. Explore their Soho location in person or scroll their impeccably curated Instagram and app, every find feels authentic, unique, and timeless.
No Standing NYC isn’t just about style - it’s about creating a circular wardrobe where every piece tells a story, endures, and remains beautifully wearable. Their commitment to trust and authenticity, ensuring each luxury item is meticulously vetted, makes the thrill of shopping here feel both indulgent and conscientious.
Vintage and pre-loved fashion isn’t just about clothes - it’s about stories, history, and style that transcends time. From curated designer finds to hidden local treasures, each piece carries a memory and a touch of soul, waiting to be reimagined in your wardrobe. By choosing to shop consciously, embrace circular fashion, and celebrate pieces with a past, we not only elevate our style but honor the beauty and craftsmanship of fashion that truly lasts.
Love, Innasya x
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