Hitting the vintage jackpot

My best secondhand shopping find and how to wear it.

Viewed in an op shop, or photographed on a hanger, this jumpsuit makes a strange shape. The legs look too short and squat, but I tried it on because of the wool fabric and intriguing cut, and to my surprise, it fit me like it was made to measure.

The experience proved to me, once again, that your eyes should never be your only judge.

I found it in New York a few years ago, when staying in Brooklyn with my best friend from university. I looked on Google maps and decided the large warehouse-style store Beacon’s Closet was walking distance. Forty-five minutes later, I was still walking, and, as the third load of leery tradies hollered at me, I wished I’d taken the train.

In a better mood after my find, I decided to wear it to a busy music venue that hot evening. But the jumpsuit is 100 per cent wool and lined as well, and I soon discovered it was best suited to cooler weather.

Each jumpsuit is different. The cut and the fabric dictate the season a jumpsuit will work best in, and you’ll get your best indication after the first wear. But the one thing all black jumpsuits have in common is that they are wonderfully versatile – they can be worn over and under tops, accessories, knits, swimwear (in summer) and more.

While it’s handy in spring and autumn, I don’t often want bare arms in winter. Luckily, my jumpsuit works well over fitted knits, tailored shirts or under pretty much any jacket, cape or coat.

Stylist Kylie Cooke, who cannot stand the sight of empty belt loops, once made me wear an unused shoelace through the tiny loops here. Eventually I found a suede belt in Levin (for $1!) that fits the loops. In a similar situation, you could also just wear a larger belt over the top.