Fashion is old next year, but style is forever.

That is a key point of Rose Ellen Moore’s book “I Wanna Live Forever,” (88 pp.; paperback; $20; Kindle, $9.99; Blue Heron Book Works).

For Moore, every piece of clothing should have lasting value. In her book, she writes about her life and the adventures she has had with her husband, Clayton, gathering apparel for RC Moore Vintage and Millinery, the store they own and operate in Hellertown.

Moore, a vintage clothier, costume-maker, milliner and fashion stylist writes of, according to a capsule summary, “hair-raising estate sales, stories behind the unique clothes in her shop and heart-warming stories of the bonds she forms with people who bring bags of clothing and accessories - and their lives - into her shop.”

Moore’s goal is to make everyone look fabulous. She has designed costumes for drag queens and “America’s Got Talent” contestants and hats for Kentucky Derby attendees.

“When you look good, you feel good. Your spirits are uplifted, and you feel physically better,” Moore says in a phone interview from her home in Bethlehem.

“You want to wear what makes you happy, what your outfit says about you personally. More than ever, people want to be individual,” she says.

The title of “I Wanna Live Forever” refers to Moore’s telling the story of each garment she acquires, and that the stories of our lives do live on.

Among the mostly glowing reviews, one purchaser of the book states: “This book is a gem. Rose (along with her partner in fashion Clayton) has managed to put her most colorful personality into this book to create a wonderful book that is more than just vintage fashion (fabulous it is). Every garment has a story and a person behind them and Rose has a funny and poignant way of bringing the garment to life by embracing the story behind the person who owned the item.”

“I Wanna Live Forever” recounts many of Moore’s visits to people’s homes. She recalls one occasion:

“A man took out every single thing in his closet and talked about every single piece. He cried and laughed. It took four hours. Afterwards, he thanked us, saying he needed to do that.”

Preserving clothing is good for the environment, says Moore.

“Our shop has clothing from the 1800s to 1985. After that, because of NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement], the factories went overseas. Very little was made in the U.S. They were not made with organic properties and do not decompose.”

Moore says the “fast fashion” trend involves “turning it out fast and buying it real fast.”

“We have dresses in the shop that are over a hundred years old and still look beautiful. Traditional cotton, wool, linen and cashmere can take a beating.

“Clothes can last your whole life. It’s good to give things new life. We throw away things now. I like to throw away as little as possible.”

Moore was raised in an immigrant family, where she learned skills like crochet, tatting lace, needlepoint and cross-stitching.

Fortunately, younger people are becoming concerned with the environmental effects of clothing production, says Moore.

“Young people want to treat animals kindly, be kind to the earth and create a minimal carbon footprint. The only thing they lack is history. Fashion has reflected what was going on in the world.

“Clothes tell a story, a story that reflects people’s personalities.”

“I Wanna Live Forever” concludes with a story about Ginger, “a girl who was done wrong, not to mention a girl who done plenty wrong herself, and always managed to look fabulous doing it.” Moore has become a mentor of sorts.

Says Gabi Demartino, who has 4.1 million followers on Instagram: “I first met Rose when I was 19 and eager to start a vintage collection of my own. Little did I know she’d become a life coach and mentor for the past six years.

Moore provided fashion tips for Ginger Brew,?lead singer for Ginger and the Schnapps, a Lehigh Valley-based jazz cabaret band that specializes in songs and music from the 1930s and 1940s.

Brew’s look has a lot to do with bringing back the elegance and sophistication of that era.

“The music and style are completely in lockstep. Even with modern clothing, I like to have a little of the retro look. I couldn’t imagine standing in front of the band without a retro dress, hairstyle and microphone,” says Brew.

She gives credit to Moore for her ability to dress up anyone.

Says Moore, “Not all women are shaped like an hourglass. I can look at someone and be sure what they need and if something does not really work.”

She adds what might be the most important fashion tip of all: “Wear what makes you happy.”

While RC Moore Vintage closed because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdown, Moore and Clayton have taken to social media to keep the conversation going.

Moore posts daily short live pieces and weekly longer shows. She and her husband-sidekick Clayton provide a lesson on how small retailers can reach an audience during the “new normal.”