A quick search on YouTube will reveal that there are people around the world living in a different time period. By this I mean they live their lives as if they’re in the 70s, 80s, or 90s. This includes following practices like writing letters and not using any electronic gadgets. However, the biggest component that really ties everything together is the clothing and its accuracy. While many of us can appreciate how these clothes look, do we think about who’s restoring them? Heritasia Crafts is a home business that specialises in restoring vintage clothing.
The Value of Vintage Clothing
Heritasia Crafts is run by mother and daughter duo Jackie Heng and Wendy Neoh based in Kuala Lumpur. The business focuses on restoring actual vintage clothing. Not just inspired clothing meant to imitate pieces of the time.
As a result, the clothing piece needs to be at least 20 years old. In fact, some dresses they work with are from the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Therefore, these dresses could be well over 50 years old!
In order to determine the authenticity of the piece, there are a few signs to look out for. For example, the way the labels are printed, the superior quality of material, brand names, design features, accessories, and also the overall aesthetic.
They obtain these pieces both locally and overseas by going thrift shopping, browsing through vintage shops, bazaars, and even from a person’s closet.
How Heritasia Crafts is Restoring a Piece of History
While vintage clothing is made with superior quality material, it can still fall victim to other factors. There are times when the duo need to be creative by turning dresses into skirts or shorting long sleeves. However, Heritasia Crafts is committed to transforming pieces as little as possible.
Moving on, restoring these pieces first begin with a nice good wash. Then comes a thorough check to look for stains, missing buttons, and other issues. Most work include replacing elastic waist bands, buttons, zippers, and studs.
Heritasia Crafts sees this work not just to keep the love of vintage clothing going but also to keep textile waste out of landfills.
