Caelan
Introduce yourself! (name age, where u live, are you studying, any plans for the future, how long have you been at RetroStar?..)
My name is Caelan, and I am currently in Year 12. Next year, I plan on studying in Melbourne, but I’m not sure where or what yet because I have so many interests. It will probably be some sort of art or humanities. I have been at RetroStar for 7 months, coming on 8 soon. I think I want to travel and go to Europe and the US for a bit. It’s soo beautiful in Washington, Oregon, and California and… and Spain, that place is cool. I’m very much drawn to those parts of the world.
How do you think your upbringing in Melbourne has influenced your style?
I don’t know if being in Melbourne really has influenced my style. Maybe the access and availability to clothes has influenced it? I think that no matter where I would have lived, I would still be dressing very similar to how I dress now… Because it’s still me. One of my close friends JJ who lives in the US has influenced me a lot. Every year I would go over to the states and I would just mentally steal little style things from his wardrobe, and he would also give me some of his old clothes. I remember he started wearing JNCOs around 3 years ago and then I got a pair of JNCOs… yeah I was one of them. He introduced me to Yuremane like last year, which are now one of my favourite brands. So I’d say instead of Melbourne, JJ is my inspiration.
What is your process of getting dressed in the morning?
In the morning I don’t really have a plan. Usually I just choose a pair of pants or a shirt that I want to wear as the base of the outfit and then kind of build around the colours. I get lots of influence from Instagram, so I guess I subconsciously have that in the back of my mind.
What is your favourite thing in your wardrobe? And what is one thing on your dream wishlist?
My favourite piece in my wardrobe are my Yuremane Big Boy jeans. They are Japanese selvage denim. I waited 6 months to try and get a pair, and it was so worth it. I love true vintage clothing from the 50s, 60s and 70s. I love old Levis jeans, especially vintage 501s with the engineered back buckle on the back. I'd love to get my hands on a pair.
If you could invade anyone’s closet dead or alive who is it …
Pantlover14 on instagram. https://www.instagram.com/pantlover14/ He posts videos of him dressing for his corporate job but he has a lot of true vintage pants and button shirts to spice things up a little. His proportions and styling is great and he puts his own spin on corporate dressing, which I obviously don’t work in.. but the inspiration is there. I also like an influencer called Eliot Romano. He has amazing proportions too and he has pants and pieces that I have a pair or two of; Pinup Rags and Fwwproject. It’s very similar to what I like to wear.
Do you see vintage fashion as a part of your future? Is it something you want to pursue as a career or is it just a hobby?
Yes, I definitely do see fashion as a pathway. I am considering studying fashion in uni, but I just don’t know how to sew! It would also be cool to have a following online and expand my wardrobe into a side career sort of thing.
Where do you typically buy your clothes? And what do you look for in new pieces you’re introducing to your wardrobe.
I buy quite a bit from RetroStar because I'm here every week. I see so many cool things in the stock room. I go on depop a lot but I don’t buy much from there because everything is so up priced. Vinted came out recently which is great! I’ve bought like 7 things because the shipping is free. When I buy new stuff, I always consider the shape and how it fits first and then I'll really look at it; the colour, the texture. The shape is really important to me, it has to look good on the body.
What is your favourite piece you’ve bought from RS? Is there anything you missed out on and you wish you bought?
My favourite piece would be this 1997 Levis denim jacket which fits me perfectly. I actually haven’t been able to wear it because I tore a few holes in it by accident. I gotta get that fixed before I wear it out again.
Who has the best style at retrostar?
I would say Lulu or Ofri. You guys always have that sh*t on.
What music are you queueing at the desk?
When I do get a chance to control the music I like to queue Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, Velvet Underground and Sufjan Stevens. It really fits the vibe of the store and they’re also my favourite artists. I don’t want to play anything that’s TOO sad.
What are your dreams for the future?
There is so much I want to do and study. I love photography but I don't want to be told what to shoot. But I guess it’s my passion and I can just do it in my own time. I want to get into politics or fashion. I want to travel Europe with my closest friends and just being somewhere different for a bit, like I said earlier in Washington or Oregon, but literally anywhere. I’m letting the wind take me where it blows.
Credits
Project Director
Luella Fitz
Interview and Transcription
Luella Fitz
Photographer
Charlotte Jaffrey
Photography Assistant
Luella Fitz
Photo Editor
Charlotte Jaffrey
Illustrator
Luella Fitz
Model / Interviewee
Caelan Alley