In style ... The Lindy Charm School for Girls class on Tamborine Mountain.Credit: Kerry Van der Jagt
On the perennially flashy Gold Coast, glamour from another era is enjoying a revival, writes Kerry van der Jagt.
Once upon a time there lived a girl who was obsessed with all things vintage. Her fixation started innocently enough; a brooch here, a kaftan there. Soon her weekends passed in a blur of op-shops, garage sales and Mad Men episodes. Her friends grew worried. She grew more determined. One day she packed her (vintage) port, booked a flight to the Gold Coast and signed up for a class with The Lindy Charm School for Girls.
"I think you've finally gone too far," my girlfriend Michelle says, scowling at me in the mirror as the stylist twists our hair into a rough re-creation of a 1940s victory roll.
The Village Markets.Credit: Kerry Van der Jagt
Under the premise of a girls' weekend, Michelle has agreed to join me - she just doesn't know I'm turning back the clock a bit.
The south coast (later known as the Gold Coast) was an R&R haven for Australian and Allied armed forces during World War II, bringing nylons, milk bars and jazz music to local culture. I'm here to see how much of this kitsch glamour still exists.
With our hair suitably coiffed and pearls and polka-dot dresses in place, we leave Surfers Paradise for the 45-minute drive to Tamborine Mountain to meet head mistress Chrissy from The Lindy Charm School for Girls. As part of the Garterbelts and Gasoline nostalgia festival, Chrissy is running a three-hour "vintage high tea and shopping tour".
The Shop Time Forgot.Credit: Kerry Van der Jagt
Our tour begins at St Bernards Hotel. Built in 1881 as a private residence, it is one of Tamborine Mountain's most beautiful and historic buildings. We descend the stairs and are engulfed by a kaleidoscope of colour; a veritable jewel box of beads and baubles, feathers and furs, lavender and lace - think The Stepford Wives meets The Great Gatsby.
"More like a Mad Hatter's Tea Party," Michelle whispers. The tour has been sold out for months, with just 32 women (and a couple of well-dressed gentlemen) securing tickets and dressing the part. Next year the organisers are planning a morning and an afternoon tour to keep up with demand.
As the music begins and cakes are served we are introduced to head mistress Chrissy, a petite blonde dressed in lemon and peach with a Marilyn-wiggle and a ready smile. Christine Keepence (Chrissy) started The Lindy Charm School for Girls (named after a style of swing dance called the Lindy Hop) seven years ago with the aim of reviving the golden age of glitz and glamour.
Bonnie and head mistress Christine Keepence demonstrate the finer points of styling.Credit: Kerry Van der Jagt
Through her "vintage hair and make-up styling" workshops, held in major cities across Australia, Chrissy helps women develop their own style. "I encourage the women to bring style into their everyday lives," she says, "not just on special occasions." She also runs "tea with a sip of manners", where participants can have their own Eliza Doolittle moment, learning about etiquette in modern society and how to connect with others on a personal level.
But today's lesson is shopping. Chrissy has three golden rules: Less is more, shape is key, quality not quantity. And one commandment: "Thou shalt always endeavour to wear red lipstick." Armed with these basics our first shop is a pop-up stall, Bonnie Rose Vintage Clothing, at St Bernards Hotel. Under Bonnie and Chrissy's guidance we experiment with different eras; those with bums and boobs are drawn to the '50s styling, the skinny minnies prefer the flapper look. "We are all perfectly imperfect," remarks one shopper.
And that's the thing about vintage clothing - by refusing to conform to the latest "look", women are free to dress in whatever style suits them; vintage swimwear, with its halter necks and boy legs is more flattering, sizes are realistic, styling and fabrics forgiving.
"Be yourself and create a style with which you are comfortable," Chrissy says. "No one else is better qualified."
From St Bernards it's a short trolley ride to Kittys Vintage Kitsch and The Shop Time Forgot. The moment I enter the store the scents and colours of this Aladdin's cave bring memories flooding; a child's cherry-print frock takes me back to my 10-year-old self, a hairbrush reminds me of mother's dressing table, a whiff of perfume and I'm in my nan's bedroom. It's this nostalgia card that vintage plays best.
But the trump card is the "recycled" angle. With vintage fashion, style and sustainability go together like Cinderella and shoes. Spurred on by retro-hip magazines such as Frankie and Peppermint, girls are clamouring for new angles on the old concept of hand-me-downs. This tour has attracted a number of young designers, such as Jaye Wolfe, from Brisbane's Fabled and True, who uses pre-loved fabrics (like cotton bed sheets) to create romantic and whimsical dresses. A bit like Maria from The Sound of Music making clothes from curtains - only prettier.
Moving on, we stop at the Rotary lookout for a glass of bubbly and to enjoy the view over the Tamborine Valley before heading back to St Bernards Hotel via one last pop-up vintage store, Atomic. By now shoppers' fatigue has set in and we drive back to the Gold Coast for a little R&R. For servicemen this meant wine, women and song; for us it's champagne, room service and having our nails painted.
We are fortunate in more ways than one to be staying at the Vibe Hotel in the heart of Surfers Paradise. Apart from its handy location, the hotel exudes a retro-inspired flavour that suits our mood; funky lime green and aqua detailing, light-filled spaces and, best of all, good, old-fashioned service.
That evening we pull out the bobby pins and pull on our paisley for a trip back to the '70s. The Swingin' Safari on Surfers Paradise Boulevard started life as a 1950s Queensland beach house, before morphing into Queensland's first wine bar, Bacchus, in the mid-'70s and eventually becoming the legendary Crab Cooker of the '80s.
Today the Swingin' Safari is everything you expect a Gold Coast bar/restaurant not to be. Complete with Tiki hut, racks of costumes for dress-ups, intriguing artworks, shelves of books and board games and lumpy lounges, it looks like the beach house of an eccentric uncle. Each evening there's a different theme - jazz and blues, Tuesday Tango Club, Thursday Salon (where local artists gather to speak about their work or art issues) and Sunday Beach Club (including a bazaar selling jewellery, fashion, records and collectables). The restaurant serves tapas (featuring shared plates), pizzas and a good selection of mains. Tonight, DJs Marty and Copeland are doing their DJ/VJ duet with a range of funk, soul and classics. With seven themed rooms, including the "lounge room", "parlour" and "library", it's still possible to find a private corner to chill out with a beer and a book.
Next morning we drive to Burleigh Heads for The Village Markets (TVM). TVM was the first fashion-focused market on the Gold Coast. Beginning in 2008 with just nine stalls, it now showcases more than 50 stalls, as well as live local music. The stalls include emerging and local designers, vintage clothing sourced from around the world, handcrafted jewellery and collectables.
At Who Killed Bambi I meet Ally Carey, a young designer who takes an innovative approach to vintage fashion, customising pieces to give modern silhouettes - taking up hemlines, creating Peter Pan collars, adding eccentric vintage button detailing. Most of Carey's range is pre-1980s with an average price of just $30. "We try and adapt our vintage to suit our customers' needs," she says. "They love that what they're taking home is something unique."
And take things home we do. By the end of the morning our tote bags are filled to overflowing: a long black and white '70s-style dress for $15, a pink cardigan for $8, a silk blouse for $6, two rose rings for $8 each, a silver pendant, a suede handbag and a stuffed owl. Somewhere between the bags and the blouses we forgot Chrissy's first rule - less is more. But we still have on our red lipstick.
The writer was a guest of Vibe Hotels.
Three other things to do
1 Vintage Espresso I'm not sure if it's the cheery yellow wallpaper, the peanut butter fudge brownies or the mismatched furniture, but this place gets my vote for the best little coffee house on the coast. They also serve up delicious light meals. Open every day, 6am-4pm. 1/43 Alfred Street, Mermaid Beach. (07) 5527 7878.
2 The Art Centre, Gold Coast For jazz and blues, live theatre, art house and foreign films and a good collection of Australian art including Gold Coast beach culture. 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise. theartscentregc.com.au.
3 Strike Bowling Nothing screams '70s more than a night of ten-pin bowling. 35 Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise. strikebowling.com.au.
Trip notes
Getting there
Virgin and Jetstar fly daily from Sydney to the Gold Coast (Coolangatta) with one-way prices starting at $59. virginaustralia.com, jetstar.com.
Getting retro
The Lindy Charm School for Girls — head mistress Chrissy offers workshops around Australia (including Sydney, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne). A three-hour "vintage hair and make-up styling" workshop costs $85. 0409 727 888.
The next Garter Belts and Gasoline festival is from May 3 to May 6 at Tamborine Mountain on the Gold Coast. garterbeltsandgasoline.com.au.
The Village Markets are held on the first and third Sunday of the month at Burleigh Heads State School oval, Lower Gold Coast Highway. Open from 8am to 1pm. thevillagemarketsgc.com.au.
Swingin' Safari, 2945 Surfers Paradise Boulevard, cnr Thornton Street. Open from about 5pm to midnight (on Sunday it opens from midday to midnight). Closed on Mondays. (07) 5538 3762, swinginsafari.com.
Staying there
Vibe Hotel Gold Coast, 42 Ferny Avenue, Surfers Paradise. Vibe Hotels across Australia are offering a Look Polished @ Vibe package that includes overnight accommodation, a set of four mini Vibe nail polishes, buffet breakfast for two and late checkout at noon, from $199. 138 423, vibehotels.com.au.
More information
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