Don't Miss:

No one wears vintage clothing quite like burlesque star Dita Von Teese, who has been collecting pieces for more than 25 years. “I started wearing vintage because I couldn’t even afford designer jeans,” Von Teese (in a blue velvet dress from the 1930s) told InStyle.com at Dior Beauty’s dinner celebrating Hollywood glamour. “I couldn’t keep up with my friends in high school so I bought vintage clothes that were cheaper.” So there’s no better person to ask for tips on how to shop for standout items! “Choose things that look modern,” Von Teese told InStyle.com. “Notice, in modern clothes, where the references are in vintage. Look for the parallels between [modern designers] like Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier and vintage clothing.” And that’s not all. “Also, go for things that are fairly simplistic and have a nice shape,” Von Teese said. ”I know I’m successful at shopping for vintage  when people say, ‘Is that Galliano, Dior, Westwood, or Prada?’ And I say, ‘No, I bought it on eBay for $40!’”

Plus, see Dita’s vintage-inspired Decades collection.

MORE:
• Dita’s New Perfume
• How Dita Does Halloween
• Dita von Teese Nails

— Kwala Mandel