Collecting and wearing vintage items means you will never go out of fashion and you can be sure that you won't have to suffer the embarrassment of turning up to your office party in the same dress as your manager.

Here are a number of tips to follow to help you in finding fabulous vintage fashion pieces

Where to find?

Charity shops are a cheap and easy place to dig out a vintage bargain. Try and visit the shops that aren't in a large city or town as you are more likely to be rewarded with genuine vintage pieces, and remember rummaging through items of clothing and such like is all part of the fun.

Online second hand stores such as eBay are a good place to look but often items go for a large amount of money if they are true vintage but often you can find an item like a brooch that hasn't created that much interest and buy for quite cheap.

Beware when shopping online for items that are listed as vintage when they are simply just items that are new that have been made to try and look old and vintage.

Markets such as Portobello and Camden in London are where you will find many others like yourself also seeking vintage inspiration and items.

In most towns there are often shops dedicated to vintage fashion often tucked down side streets. Be prepared to pay a higher price for items found in actual vintage shops as they have done all the hard work for you and found the items, all that's left for you to do is choose which items have tempted you.

Condition and size?

It is often easy to spot genuine vintage clothing from the labels and the fabric used. Older clothes also tend to have a lot of attention to detail within the tailoring.

It's a must to try on vintage clothes before purchasing as women and men were a lot smaller fifty years ago but due to improved nutrition we are now a lot bigger and therefore its imperative to try on before buying. The same applies to shoes as a vintage size 5 is not the same as today's size 5. A comfortable fit is what you are after as with all clothes if it feels and looks good then size doesn't matter.

It is a lot easier to find women's vintage clothing than it is men's, this could be due to women taking greater care of their clothes and therefore them lasting longer.

Vintage clothing has obviously been worn before and so some wear and tear is inevitable but always check stress points on items such as elbows, under the arms, zips etc as some wear is often repairable but if the damage is too worn eventually the item will disintegrate.

Finally when buying vintage fashion items remember:

-Search markets, jumble sales and charity shops for bargain finds.

-Internet auctions are also a good source of vintage clothes and accessories.

-Visit related museums and read fashion books to give you inspiration and designers to look out for.

-Price depends on age, beauty, condition and maker.

-Designer dresses fetch the highest prices.

-Consider the condition, size and age of the dress, if you're going to wear it.

The best thing about collecting vintage items is the pleasure you get when wearing it.