Everyone knows that Melbournians love their fashion but it's also no secret, that we don't always want to pay top dollar for it. Using the weekend to hunt down the best clothing at the cheapest prices (no matter what part of town you have to go to) is as much a sport in this city as cricket, tennis or the AFL.
For sports
wear of course, Smith Street in Collingwood is the ultimate outlet destination. Nike,
Converse,
Adidas,
Champion,
Brooks,
New Balance, and
Russell Athletics all have outlet stores there. It's also a good place to find adventure and outdoor clothing with
Kathmandu,
MacPac,
Mountain Design and
Timberland, each taking a space in the precinct.
The Adidas outlet on Smith Street, Collingwood
Bridge Road in Richmond can be good if you're searching for designer bargains.
Anthea Crawford,
Zu,
Witchery,
Table Eight,
Sportsgirl,
Review and
Portmans are among the favourites and in Bridge Road, there are plenty of great places to grab a meal so you can stop, refuel and keep shopping there, the whole day.
The Nike Factory Store, Smith Street, Collingwood
But, are those the locations of the best factory outlets in Melbourne? Do they give genuine discounts or do you find that inside, you're still being charged mostly retail prices? Do you like wandering up and down these type of themed shopping strips or do you prefer the single stores, hiding away in side streets, far from the crowds?
High Street in Preston, for example, has a number of still-operational shoe factories and there, some places like
Tony Bianco and
Windsor Smith/Lipstick, sell heavily discounted party heels. The
Bardot Factory Outlet, is tucked away in Victoria Crescent, Abbotsford and for
Supre's Clearance Centre, you'll need to travel out to Broadmeadows or Springvale.
Shoes and more at Diana Ferrari, Swan Street, Richmond
'
What about D.F.O?' I hear you ask and it's true, I couldn't write about factory outlets and ignore the massive Direct Factory Outlet centres in Moorabbin, Essendon and at South Wharf.
D.F.O. has managed to steal shopping dollars away from many other retail locations because they put cheap fashion, footwear, travel accessories, and homemaker items all in one place.
Are there any others that you can think of? Any that should be awarded the title of best factory outlet? Are you willing to give away any of your shopping secrets? If so, please let us know with your answer below.
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