When it comes to op-shopping, Michelle Trebilco sees as much potential in her vintage Versace as she does a cheese grater (which makes a fab purse, by the way). “Secondhand is my couture,” says the former university administrator, aka Veteran Vamp, who started documenting her incredible thrifted style and fashion art projects after putting together an outfit for a Lady Gaga concert. For Michelle, thrift stores are a no-brainer. “You can buy things from all over the world and from any period, some of it handmade,” she says. “The handcrafted stuff is so special; it makes you cry sometimes.”Michelle doesn’t don her wild and wonderful ‘fits for any particular event; she gussies up because she likes to. “My motto is: dress up for the hell of it,” she says. “The footpath is my runway.” But she does have a pretty great cause on her radar: Frocktober, a month-long fundraiser for vital ovarian cancer research run every year by the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. Every October, people around Australia wear fabulous frocks to raise funds and awareness for the development of an early-detection test, which could save the lives of 14,000 Australian women over the next 10 years.

Michelle is the perfect ambassador for this year’s 'life's too short for boring' theme, and proof that you don’t need to buy a brand spankin’ new frock to feel special. We asked Michelle how she turns thrift-shopping into an adventure, and everyday items into fashion gold. You don’t have to make a beeline for your comfort zone
Expand those sartorial horizons, and wander through every section of a thrift store. You won’t be ticketed by the fashion police if you dare to venture away from the racks you’re “supposed” to shop in. For Michelle, that means looking in the “men’s” section, digging through old Halloween costumes or repurposing children’s accessories (like the kooky kid’s watermelon suitcase she’s worn as a purse). Going beyond societal boundaries can help spur creativity. Michelle doesn’t stick to any particular style, either; she’ll wear anything she enjoys. “I will not be limited. I want to have fun,” she says. Rules? What rules!
Sometimes, it’s good to follow the rules, like when you’re flying a plane or performing brain surgery. In fashion, though, you can discard the “rules”. Why does a skirt have to be a skirt? It can be a dress or a hat! Wear two skirts at once! Who cares?! A button-down pajama top could be a great jacket. Turn a dress backwards or upside down. “You don’t have to wear clothes as they’re meant to be worn,” says Michelle. “Look at things differently.” Op-shops are usually more comfortable spaces to be wacky and experiment (you might feel a bit awkward faffing around with your style in a Chanel change room, for example).Up the ante with accessories
To Michelle, accessories complete an outfit, and elevate it. Switching up your shoes, headwear or sunglasses can change your whole look, and they’re so easy to find (and usually cheap!) at thrift stores. “You can wear almost anything as an accessory,” says Michelle, who’s turned a bendy reading book lamp into a neck pendant, a snake stuffed toy into a scarf and a grater into a purse. “If you can put something in it, and it’s got a handle, it’s a bag.”

Experiment with alterations
You don’t have to be a sewing whiz to alter your clothes (though you may need to learn to work a needle and thread). And with cheap thrifted garments, the pressure is off. “No one looks at things that closely,” says Michelle. She doesn’t ditch clothes with holes, tears or stains, either. “The garment might have a fabulous print or texture, and that one tear? You can cover it up with a button or fake flower.”When in doubt, try again
Make like a rom-com heroine who’s just been given a hideous dress to wear to a life-changing event. Cut it up, throw on a belt and voila, you’re winning the heart of your love interest with panache and a killer outfit. If the style or colour of a garment is putting you off, small changes can make all the difference. “Young people love air-conditioned clothes; there’s bloody cutouts and holes everywhere,” says Michelle. “But then, I just wear things under them.” To cover the waist cut-outs of a green sequined dress, she used two halves of a mask. Now, they look like cute little wings! Think something looks bad on you? Maybe you’ll like them styled a different way, or with a fun accessory. “Swap things around. Try again,” she says. “That’s what makes it fun.”

This utterly fabulous guide to buying secondhand was created in partnership with the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. Encourage your friends and fam to frock up this October to raise funds for the development of an early detection test. Without a test, ovarian cancer is very lethal and difficult to diagnose. But you can help change that! Swing by frocktober.org.au to learn more.