STUDIO VINTAGE | Turegatan 23, Stockholm | http://www.studiovintage.se/

I’m not looking for the perfect vintage YSL dress when I walk into Studio Vintage on Turegatan but as soon as I see it I know I have to have it. Black crepe with gold buttons, it’s one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I image all of the things the dress might have done – lunch with Karl Lagerfeld, beach nights on Ibiza in the 70’s, on the floor of some sweaty nightclub or some famous actor’s lair, then I image it on me, I try it on and then I buy it. No regrets.

Studio Vintage has its roots in fashionable owner, Maria Jonas who, helped by her seamstress aunt, always had a passion for designing clothes for her dolls when she was a girl. In 2009 she left her cushy job in the IT industry and decided to fulfill her dream of working with fashion, design and colour full time.

“I‘ve always been interested in clothes and knew somehow that I would work with this in the future,” Maria says. “I’ve always been a fan of quality clothes, and mixed with the idea of recycling and less consumption it was very clear to me that this was the right direction to go in.”

She has also fulfilled the dreams of other fashion-lovers, bringing the likes of, Azzedine Alaïa, Thierry Mugler, Hemès, Lanvin, Märthaskolan, NK:s Franska, Lars Wallin, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, André Courrèges, Celine, Catier, YSL, Christian Dior, Gucci, Balenciaga, Emilio Pucci, Mulberry, Missoni, Chloé, Versace and Burberry to the closets of Stockholm fashionistas.

Although the prices are not ideal the clothes are more than worth the debt you will incur to own some of the most classical pieces you will ever see. I refuse to put in print how much I paid for my beautiful black YSL dress, but let’s just say you’d be well advised to go into the store with a budget and an idea of what special item you want to splurge on in place – and try to stick to it.

What impresses me the most is the impeccable condition the clothes are in. I’m used to shopping at vintage stores that tell the story of garments through stains and rips, but here everything is in mint condition. The shoes have new soles that make them look like they could have come right out of the box.

“We work with every item we get in the store, everything is cleaned, steamed, ironed, if there is a defect we fix it, everything has to be perfect,” says Maria.

And perfect they are. I drape a silk Hermes scarf around my shoulders and feel the classiest I have ever felt. From the idea of supporting sustainable fashion to the notion of having classic designer pieces in my closet, vintage seems to be the way to go and Studio Vintage seems to be the final destination.

Aside from selling clothes, Studio Vintage offers other fashion services from style consultation to wardrobe renovation. I decide to get a few free tips on my way out. When it comes to items that every man and woman should have in their closet Maria says: “Every woman should have a functional designer bag that they feel comfortable with instead of buying a lot of cheap ones. Also three dresses, a little black dress, a wrap dress and a draped dress. Those are the three dresses I usually have because it fits every woman. It doesn’t matter the shape or the colour, it suits you. For men, a nice blazer that goes with jeans and chinos and a nice jacket that you have over a good suit.“