SHOPPING for the latest trends has always been one of my favourite hobbies — often in gay abandon of the state of my bank balance.

I’m always looking out for bargains in high street shops, but the world of vintage fashion has been a mystery.

Now, as a participant in the Strictly Learn to Dance comp for Bolton Hospice, it is time to dive into the world of fifties fashion.

My partner Rick Brierley and I have chosen the rock’n’roll as our specialist dance – a decision not least inspired by watching Grease on repeat as a teenager and admiring the Pink Ladies.

I paid a visit to Vibrant Vintage, an Aladdin’s cave of retro treasures in Westhoughton which sells a mixture of clothing from the eras they embody and modern-day copies that invoke the same memories and associations.

Runs by the Paytons — Victoria and her parents Wayne and Kath — the shop prides itself on offering a personal shopping experience, and deliberately does not sell items on the website to encourage people to come in and try the clothes themselves.

As Kath shows me fashion magazines, patterns emerge from what the stylish ladies of the day chose to wear to impress.

Fitted jackets with rounded shoulders, full skirts — often with layered petticoats to add volume — and heels were in.

The shop has a range of vintage-inspired dresses and also the real thing. One of the oldest items in Vibrant Vintage is a glamorous light blue ballgown, with stiff material and netting underneath to hold in place.

I eventually settle on a full bodied white halterneck dress with a cherry print, coupled with a red belt to draw in my waist. Underneath is a four-tier underskirt, which lifts the dress out to create a more accentuated hour glass figure.

The design is more modern than a true fifties woman might have worn — soft, pastel floral colours were all the rage, but sadly don’t fit with my pale skin tone.

To add to the fifties style, Kath and I discuss, I’ll need to get my make-up and hair right. Short, curly and soft around the face is what is recommended, Kath says, topped off by a slick of bright red lipstick.

Shopping vintage takes patience, dedication, a willingness to try something new and occasionally the need to sharpen your elbows to get the best deal — but the results are well worth the hassle if you find one-off pieces that make you stand out from the crowd.

I can only hope that as I dance in the Bolton Whites in March, people will be too busy admiring my dress to look closely at my feet.

If you’re able to sponsor my efforts, please visit justgiving.com/strictlyelaineoflynn

For more information about Vintage Village go to vibrantvintage.co.uk.