Now’s the Time to Get Your Shop On

Whether you’re searching for designer garb or vintage furniture to finish off a room, you’ll find it all in Melbourne’s inner-city villages.

Hunter-gatherers, fashionistas and collectors all make a bee line for High Street Armadale (the route 6 tram runs along the street), a long-time favourite of in-the-know shoppers. High-end boutiques, including Carla Zampatti [1106 High Street], Ginger & Smart [1014 High Street], Josh Goot [1050 High Street] and Lee Mathews [1046 High Street], can all be found alongside antique stores and art galleries. Those with a forthcoming family wedding might also like to pay the street a visit. There are a number of bridal stores, as well as boutiques like Ever Elegant [1130 High Street], which specialises in outfits for the mother of the bride.

Once known for its bargain-basement seconds stores, Smith Street, one of Fitzroy and Collingwood’s major thoroughfares, has had a hip revival and is now the place to head for vintage finds. Browse outlets like Smith Street Bazaar [305–307 Smith Street], Angelucci 20th Century [113 Smith Street] and Modern Times [311 Smith Street] for original midcentury pieces. More focussed on kitting yourself out in clothing from another era? Vintage Garage [318 Smith Street] is a huge showroom with men’s and women’s styles dating back to the 20s. It’s possible to bag an absolute bargain at the Red Cross Shop [328 Smith Street], where the staff members do an excellent job of sorting preloved designer clothes into easy-to-find categories.

Chapel Street has always been the destination for shoppers south of the Yarra. Along its length, you can find just about anything you could possibly desire, from hip local fashion to items for the home. Some people miss its cute offshoot, Greville Street (catch the train to Prahran and you’re right there). Along here you’ll find boutiques and stores that are just a little more independent. Greville Records [152 Greville Street] has been in the same spot for three decades, but you’ll also find Signed & Numbered [153 Greville Street], which sells limited-edition prints by local and international artists, and Third Drawer Down Southside [155 Greville Street], a space populated by designer products, handmade goods and the store’s famous small-run artist-designed tea towels. Elsewhere you can browse gifts, accessories and homewares at Lunar Store [136 Greville Street], have a t-shirt you’ve designed printed at Das T-Shirt Automat [127 Greville Street] or try on arty, rainbow-hued pieces at Fool Clothing [118 Greville Street].