If you want to crack a classic retro look, consider going to a vintage auction, where you'll often find one-of-a-kind pieces from designers like Pucci, Celine and Hermès. Buying into the trend, auction house Stephan Welz & Co launches a vintage fashion department this week with a sale of covetable pieces.''Vintage fashion auctions are amazing places to source rare or unusual items - labels like Fendi, Thierry Mugler, Chanel and Guy Laroche," says Tanya Demby, fashion and design consultant for Stephan Welz & Co.She thinks that vintage clothes set individuals apart from the masses. ''There is far less chance of being spotted in the same clothes out at a function and the quality and longevity of vintage often surpasses that of factory cheapies."She has hunted for the vintage clothes in deceased estates, second-hand shops and vintage markets around the world.Demby says there's a big difference between authentic vintage garments and used clothing. ''Real vintage is at least 20 years old and should still have a label inside. If it doesn't have a label but is an exquisite piece that has history to it - I would still consider it. The quality and condition should be superior, with minimal staining and damage."To wear vintage well Demby advises: ''There's a lot of crazy vintage which almost could be considered costume, but if you can imagine yourself wearing it in a contemporary way, with a pair of jeans or sexy heels with a confident attitude, most pieces can look classic. You can always cut out the shoulder pads and shorten the hems to make it more youthful and chic."When it comes to taking care of your vintage pieces, she says: ''Hand wash beaded pieces in cool water. I made the mistake of melting sequins off a 1940s shift dress by putting it in hot water. Nurture a relationship with a great dry-cleaner. There's no better feeling than receiving a freshly laundered piece of vintage that smells clean and lovely."One of the auction highlights is an evening gown by Belville Sassoon, the most prolific of Princess Diana's early designers.Also up for grabs is a Celine tweed suit valued at between R4000 and R6000. Founded in 1945, Celine is a French luxury house known for beautiful clean lines. If that's not your bag, maybe two psychedelic Pucci dresses from the 1960s are. Valued at between R5000 and R7000 each, they come from the designer who Demby says "provided the antidote to 1940s monochromes and a preview of 1960s Technicolor pop." Three Escada couture ball gowns each valued at between R8000 and R15000 will be on sale, with a range of Chanel and Hermès silk scarves, valued at between R2000 and R6000.The sale takes place at The Studio, Nelson Mandela Square, tonight. Further vintage pieces can be bid for at the Fine Arts and Collectables auction on August 4 and 5, stephanwelzandco.co.za..