The world is burning, Shein sweatshops are churning, your Glassons mesh top is falling apart at the seams; suddenly two months out of style, and the last thing you want (unlike your first-year self) is to show up to a party and see someone wearing the same fit. A grey Butter hoodie? For Pint Night? Groundbreaking.
That’s why students frequent Static Age, the quirky George Street vintage clothing store, where sustainability, quality and individuality – above all else – is in. As store owner Simon Oswald says: “If you want to dress like a cowboy, then dress like a cowboy, and if you want to dress like a future alien, then dress like a future alien the next day. It's your choice!”
Critic Te Ārohi swung by the second-hand hotspot to chat with owner Simon about men’s fashion, ‘80s movies, and, of course, a love of vintage clothing.
Static Age has a charm that’s unlike other Dunedin thrift shops. Walking in, shoppers are greeted by Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe iconography plastered across the walls. The store’s interior is undeniably Americana-inspired. It’s only fitting, then, that owner Simon Oswald’s first foray into vintage fashion began with a white and blue striped American mechanics uniform. “[When] I wore it, I was Bud from Brian's Mechanics. I loved that it was so cool and out of the ordinary.” From then on, second-hand shopping was a staple of his style, always looking out for a bargain – a pair of Dr Martens or a ‘80s denim jacket.
Hailing from Auckland, Simon spent a few years working retail and bartending jobs. At one of those jobs, his boss owned a vintage clothing store and needed part time help. This quickly became a full time gig and marked Simon's professional foray into vintage fashion.
Static Age is not only a place where students shop for preloved clothes, but a place where they can sell their own. Rather than consignment (earning commission when the item is sold), Static Age buys your clothes or offers store credit. The reason behind this, Simon explains, is vintage clothes can take a long time, even years, to sell: “At a place I worked at in Auckland, there was a dress that took seven years to sell, but the person who bought it loved it. That’s the secret. Things don’t get old, they just get more vintage.”
While Simon had men’s fashion down pat, the range of customers at the store challenged him to expand his knowledge. He would spend hours pouring over old fashion catalogues, analysing the different cuts and techniques unique to each style of clothes. “Lots of customers would come in needing help to be styled for costume parties. I based a lot of the costumes off things I had seen in films, trying to notice details [about the fashion].”
A self-professed film geek, Simon has a collection of over 5000 movie posters. A couple of Simon’s favourites are on the wall at home, and there are a few on display in the store, but most are in the shop’s storage. Perhaps surprisingly, he's happy to part with them and loves chatting and helping customers find the posters of memory’s past. “I really like nerding out about things with people – movies, books, comic book characters…”
Popular culture adorns Static Age; in the form of pins, books, posters, action figures, and various other trinkets from the 1950s through to the early 2000s. Simon wanted the vibe of the store to remind him of the op shops of his youth, an eclectic mix of treasures that attract the eye. He remarks they make an especially good escape for people whose spouses become lost in the shopping experience; taking their sweet time. One item Simon still yearns to have in the shop is a pinball machine: “A few years back I was in a vintage store in Seattle that had a 1970s Dolly Parton pinball machine – how cool would it be to have something like that!”
Pop culture relics aside, fashion remains the focus of Static Age. While Simon studies the past for inspiration, he makes sure to pay attention to what people are wearing today. In the 2020s, however, the fashion of today rarely remains fashionable even a month later. “Fashion is moving a lot faster now. When low waist was a thing, it was in for a long, long time. Our store had the first couple pairs of high waist jeans come in, and girls wanted to try them on. [Then they] kinda freaked out cause their butt looked different. It was a process; they had to get used to the new shape. Then everyone was wearing high waists and said they would never go back,” Simon laughs, referring to the huge amount of low waist jeans amongst the “younger generation” now. “Guys [would] say, ‘Oh, I will never not wear baggy.’ It’s like, ‘No you will, you’re just not ready yet.’ Fashion cycles change all the time.”
Behind the speed of trends is the fast-fashion industry, characterised by rapidly and cheaply mass produced items through ethically and environmentally questionable practises. While Simon admits the expectation for in-style and on-demand clothing is overwhelming, he emphasises Static Age is “not after fast fashion’s customers.” Instead, the store caters to people looking for clothing with a story behind it; something unique and original. “We get people trying to sell us Shein a lot. The craziness of the item is alluring, but once you have it in your hands you just know it’s [poorly made]. When collecting items for the store, I don’t often look for certain brands. The design, the quality and style of the garment are more important.” For example, Simon says he may come across a Pagani blouse, “but it’s the old orange label.” Or a pair of Jay Jays jeans, “but it’s the old kind made in Australia. That’s kinda cool.”
Something that’s gaining popularity lately is pop-up big box vintage stores. Boxes and boxes of American vintage clothes are shipped to NZ, but the reality is a lot of these clothes are stained, poor quality or just bland university jumpers – and at great cost to the planet. While kiwis, especially uni students, love their university wear, there's so much more to vintage than the American clothes. Simon does sell American vintage, but only if it’s sourced down here in New Zealand.
More alluring than New Zealand-sourced American vintage, perhaps, is New Zealand vintage itself. An old kiwi brand Simon would “love to find” is Viper, describing the label as “early 90s K’ Road goth and prints.” “You rarely see these brands anymore and they show a unique slice of New Zealand alternative culture during that time,” says Simon.
Sitting down with Simon among the treasure trove of vintage and collectibles, Critic Te Ārohi asked for his best fashion tips, personal style preferences, and hottest takes.
What’s your current favourite fashion item in store?
Simon pointed to a brown suede jacket, saying, “[It] would look great no matter who you are. It would look great paired with flares. The suede has such a nice earthy tone but the tassels really bring it to the next level.” Commit to the style and wear it with an authentic bolo tie brought straight from Texas by Simon’s brother.
What’s a comeback in women’s fashion?
“I have noticed recently that women are coming back to belts. There was a big thing where women didn’t wear belts for a long, long time, the past couple decades. Now they are like, ‘Actually, I do need a belt. I like belts. Belts are kinda cool.’ They are another accessory to add [...] that accentuates the dress or pulls the outfit together.” Looking at Otago students, Critic suggests the jury is still out on this 2000s staple.
How do you make vintage clothing last?
“Knowing how to take care of your clothes is so important. It’s a fact of life that things will get old and damaged. Because we are a vintage store, we end up doing a lot of repairs. To avoid items going to landfill we also do stain removal, cropping, or even bulk dyeing. Repairing can also be an art, I see people that go crazy with patching their favourite jeans.”
Aside from learning to sew and do simple repairs, Simon imparted wisdom for leather shoe-lovers in particular: “If [leather shoes] get wet it's important to condition them to stop them drying out. Doc Martens often split because they have dried out too much [...] Polishing will keep them going for a lifetime.”
And for all those country-lovers, Simon suggests Dunedinifying your cowboy style. “Leather soles on cowboy boots are fine if you’re out in the desert, but if you’re walking the icy streets of Dunedin [...] you’ll be slipping and sliding. It’s good to have an extra rubber sole added.” He adds a clear polish and conditioner “every now and then” for textured or coloured boots is a good idea to “keep them from getting cracked.”
What’s your advice for men getting into fashion?
Timeless advice, Simon recommends starting with the classics. “Levi’s 501s, Doc Martens, Chuck Taylors [...] will always be cool. Denim jackets and bomber jackets always look good. That’s what makes them classic.” Once you’ve worked out the classics, Simon says to start taking risks. He suggests wearing something a little bit extraordinary or unexpected, balancing the uniqueness of the item with the rest of the outfit so it becomes the focus.
“Another thing is don’t get locked into one style,” Simon warns. “You do notice it, especially with older men where they have a certain style that you can pick exactly what era it’s from. You’re like, ‘I can see when you were last cool’ [...] Don’t feel like you have to wear the same thing forever. Don’t feel like every item you own has to go with every other item in your wardrobe. Working in the store [...] [men] say ‘But what would I wear it with?’ I say, ‘Make the outfit you’d wear it with!’”