Jean Paul Gaultier

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.

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

— Kwala Mandel

Dita Von Teese showed up to the MOCA Annual Gala in Los Angeles on Friday in an haute couture gown by Jean Paul Gaultier—the same look she wore three days earlier for the opening of the designer’s exhibit in Dallas. Why twice in one week? “When a dress costs as much as a Mercedes, you want to wear it more than once,” she told InStyle.com at the L.A. event. “This is my favorite dress in the world. I’ve worn it about four times. This actually belongs to me.” And she’s eager to let you know you can do the same with your formal looks, too. “I don’t agree that you can only wear things once,” she explained. “I think when you have something you really love, there should be nothing that stops you from enjoying it!” Tell us: Do you agree?

Plus, see JPG’s latest collection!

MORE: 
• JPG Exhibit Opens in Dallas
• Dita Von Teese Perfume
• All Jean Paul Gaultier News

— Reporting by Kwala Mandel

Jean Paul Gaultier’s first-ever exhibit, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, has just landed at the Dallas Museum of Art after a four-month stint in Montreal. The show features costumes worn by the French couturier’s most famous celebrity clientele—like Madonna‘s Blond Ambition tour corset and Dita Von Teese‘s bustier dress—along with pieces donned by Naomi Campbell, Rihanna and Sarah Jessica Parker. “Gaultier wanted his exhibition to reflect the energy of a catwalk show,” says Kevin W.Tucker,  the curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the DMA. And it does!

WHERE TO FIND IT: The Dallas Museum of Art is located at 1717 North Harwood in Dallas. Call 214-922-1200 or visit dm-art.org for tickets and info. The exhibit will remain in Dallas through February 12th, and will then travel to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco next, where it is set to open March 24th.