A beautiful dress is a wonderful thing; and Julia Hobbs loves seeing them given a second chance.

“It’s a way of giving your clothing a new life,” the owner of the recently-relocated “Frockwork Orange” explained.

Moving from 138 Lords Place to new and larger premises at 145 Kite Street, she sees her unique service as the perfect way to recycle marvellous clothes while providing an outlet for near-as-new apparel.

“They call it ‘upcycling,’ look at this one I just got in; it’s a ‘Kitten D’Amour’ who are sold out of the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney; one of the best dressmakers in Australia,” she enthused, showing other samples on display.

“So many of the dresses are so pretty and elegant, this lady brought in this one because she had changed sizes, we have beautiful French-made shoes… it’s for women who have changed sizes or changed styles,” she said.

Many of the items she sells are literally brand-new. “We call it ‘BNWT,’ Brand New With Tags’, it’s clothes that they’ve bought and then found they didn’t want to wear or it’s end-of-season items,” Julia explained.

Her business model also ensures that the clothes’ owners profit from the transaction, a win-all-round. “I sell everything on consignment, the owner gets 50 per cent of the sale price, so it’s good for everyone,” she explained.

She also retails jewellery and other accessories and usually requests clothing and other items at the start of each season for those interested in seeing their clothes go to a new home.

“I usually do a seasonal call-out for new stock, I love beautiful handbags and I’m always open to vintage clothes,” she said. “I love it, I’m so thrilled what women bring into me.”

The specialist nature of her niche business brings customers from not just throughout NSW, but all of Australia, she said.

“People come from everywhere, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.”

Her lighter, airier, new premises on Kite Street is now the ideal location for her specialist line, she added.

“I opened on the 30th of December from Lords Place, this new place is double the size and double the display space… it also puts me on the ‘second-hand clothing trail’ which is ideal,” she added.

Frockwork Orange features everything from formal wear, evening wear, vintage items, handbags, shoes, jewellery, furs, and more.

“It’s a really great shop and it’s lots of fun, it is somewhere that you can take your clothes that you paid  a lot of money for; and they get a second life; they go to someone who really wants it,” Julie said.

“All those treasures you don’t know what to do with, they can now go to a good home,” she said.

●     “Frockwork Orange,” 145 Kite Street, Ph. 6360 0706. Mob. 0401 401 073. web. www.frockworkorange.business.site