Aside from its giant football ground, big November horse race and inclination for bars in secret alleyways, Melbourne is seriously famous for its Op Shop scene.
If you've ever walked into a suburbian Salvos you could be forgiven for thinking this is impossible. Op Shops, you think, are filled with with dowdy cardigans, 80's wardrobe malfunctions and dodgey-looking vases.
Not so. By definition, Melburninan hipsters are immacuately turned out in exquisite second-hand (read 'vintage') get-up - that is when they're not being chic in head-to-toe black.
So where are all these good-looking people finding these second-hand goods? And how do we get in on the act?
Tireless research from some of the city's most hard-nosed used clothing fanatics have culminated in the following list: Melbourne's Best Op Shops.* Of course Melbourne's obsession with the pre-loved isn't something that can be refined just to the wardrobe: second-hand shops can also be treasure troves of designer furniture and other objets d'art. The key, of course, is knowing where to look.
1. Savers
330 Sydney Road, Brunswick
Ph (03) 9381 2393
Savers is a recycling superstore which means it's kind of like an Op Shop on steroids. With 5000 'new' items arriving daily, this is second-hand frippery at its most serious. There are six Savers around the state but the Brunswick store is the real hot-spot. Racks are sorted by size - a rarity in the op-shop biz - and there are plenty of diamonds to be found in the rough: think Dior, Pierre Cardin, Chanel...
2. The Lost and Found Market
12 Smith Street, Collingwood
Ph (03) 9419 4477
Just up the road from pizza and cocktail heaven Bimbo's is the
Lost and Found Market. Lost and Found is filled to the brim with art, fashion, furniture and an array of vintage lighting. The clothes, though lovely, aren't so much the focus here. Check out the 50's glassware and other bits of bric-a-bric for the real bargains.
3. Puf'n'Stuff
116 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Having earnt their stripes in Sydney's stylish second-hand shopping strip Crown Street, Puf'n'Stuff are a fairly new arrival in Melbourne. Colour-coded racks of coats, man shirts and flirty summer dresses set the tone - and tidy rows of button up leather ankle boots are the like the cherry on the icing on the cake.
4. The Chapel Street Bazaar
217 Chapel Street, Prahran
Ph (03) 9529 1727
For something maybe a touch less pretensh, pick your way amongst the treasure at the mammoth indoor Chapel Street Bazaar. Hanging croquet sets, huge 50's world maps, faded James Bond posters, and racks of feather boas fluttering in the breeze happily obscure any hint of wallspace here. At the clothes stalls its leathers and denim galore. Around the corner typewriters perch atop retro orange coffee tables - the best kind of sensory overload.
5. Shag
130 Chapel Street, Windsor
Ph (03) 9510 8817
Puns aside, you can't do much better than Shag on a Saturday morning. Walking into this little number on Chapel Street is like opening the wardrobe door and finding Narnia. With an apparent fetish for jewels, Shag is the all vintage shop with offerings dating from the 80's back.
Naturally, there are many more second-hand treasure troves hidden (and not-so-hidden) throughout the city. For real insiders info, ask the professionals at
Melbourne Op Shop Tours. With tours in Carlton and Frankston, as well as customised tours available for groups, these are Opaholics worth getting to know.
Save yourself some cash this weekend: be second-best.
*Highly subjective and in no particular order.
