Now, she dresses in vintage everyday, and has competed in several competitions, including winning the vintage section of the fashion show at the Hawke's Bay Races last year.
She said this year decided to bite the bullet and enter Miss Pinup New Zealand, the largest vintage pageant in New Zealand.
Living in Napier, she said she is often asked if she is dressing up for Art Deco, but that is not her style.
She joked she avoids the city on Deco weekend.
Her fashion style focuses mainly on the 1950s, saying she loves the wide skirts and petticoats, however she is starting to stray into 40s style as well.
She said while it was definitely a tough time in history, she loves how people in the mid 1900s always dressed up and looked glamorous.
She also loved how anyone can "rock it" when it comes to vintage style, saying regardless of age or size, vintage has something to offer for everyone.
She said she often gets stares and sometimes it is difficult to make it around the supermarket without being stopped, and while she occasionally gets the odd negative comment, people's response to her style is overwhelmingly positive.
She said Napier's vintage clothing store Two Lippy Ladies has given her a huge amount of support leading up to the competition, and encourage any Hawke's Bay locals heading along to the Very Vintage Day Out to check out Miss Pinup New Zealand, and vote for her in the People's Choice section.
