Affordable designer wear that does good. What may sound like an oxymoron is reality at this…read morecharity-run vintage store with a focus on designer wear. A must!

The Beatniks & Bohemians Op Shop provides all important funding for the Wayside Chapel charity…read moregroup. This charity offers support for the homeless, victims of abuse, those who suffer from mental health issues and those with substance addictions. But it ain't no average charity shop. Gone are the stuffy window displays and lingering smells of cat, instead this shop has been designed as a bohemian treasure trove. The bright red walls are plastered in posters and art, while the shop assistants look unashamedly dedicated to a slightly 70s look! Everyone that wandered in and out were welcomed as though they were old acquaintances stopping by for a wee chat and some goofing around with fancy dress. Sadly the majority of the clothes in here are fairly worn and unattractive, you'd be much better coming here on the hunt for fancy dress items that kooky bits of fashion. Having said that I came across a pretty little pink blazer for a mere $3. $3! I can't get a coffee for that! Looking round, it appeared nothing was over $10...Wow! When I went to pay for it there appeared to be no cash register in sight. It seemed almost incidental that I wanted to do anything than hang around for a chat. This casualness characterizes the shop though and it'd be wrong to see it as an impersonal cash churning machine.

I hate the term 'recycled fashion'. It immediately conjures up images of sifting through smelly…read moreclothes for the odd something that just might be salvageable. Blue Spinach is the antidote to this preconception of mine. The best of the best in 'recycled fashion', Blue Spinach is a designer consignment store located in the depths of Darlinghurst (well not really, it is just off the main drag of Victoria Street). These guys have a beautiful range of rescued clothes and accessories for both men and women, with a real focus on quality. I bought a beautiful Juliette Hogan silk blouse ($135). It is so unique and the quality is so fantastic I have never once thought of it as 'recycled fashion'.

This store is as weird as spinach would be if it were blue. The store lady was nice enough but not…read morewarm and the men and women's clothes there, along with the shoes, kind of imitate their owner's style. They're nice enough but not warm - a description which is enough to scare off most of Sydney's trendy, pretty young things who like to feel comforted (definitely not comfy) in their clothes. In Grease analogy that would mean that Sandy would never go here (not even in her sexy end-of-movie phase). But Rizzo? Most definitely. And if you like paying less for big-brand name items you're in good territory. But keep mind that the stuff (most stuff? Perhaps some stuff?) here is recycled. I didn't walk out of here with anything but like I had mentioned (warned?) this is not my kind of store. I'm not Rizzo, folks.

There are many vintage clothing stores around Sydney, however many of them would be more…read moreappropriately categorised as overpriced junk shops. I am blown away sometimes by how some of these shops stay in business as they are not selling good clothes and what they are selling could be picked up at any St Vin's or Salvo's shop for a fraction of the price. Reuze Vintage in Paddington does not fit into this category but is rather offering quality vintage stock. A relatively new shop, Reuze is more geared towards women and with much lacy garments and formal clothing for both men and women, it is not a shop, which particularly appeals to my sense of style, but none the less their clothes are high in quality and providing a fashion style many people will love.

I stumbled upon this place last week and fell in love. With everything. The owner has done a…read morewonderful job of collating a killer wardrobe full of clothes, jewellery, shoes, hats, bags and collectables. Girls who like vintage clothes will be in heaven - there's actually so much to go through that I had to take a time out and go back another day. While some dresses are around the $100 mark (some worth it, others only racking up the dollars because they're old), there's also a great range for $25, which is a steal considering all the love and effort that went into making clothes back in the day. Yes, you could probably spend your weekends trawling op shops to find similar items at a fraction of the price, but here all the hard work has been done for you and it's definitely worth supporting a local shop owner taking a brave leap.

The first thing that hits you when you walk into this classic Op Shop (that's Opportunity Shop -…read moreThrift Store for those of you who speak Australian as a second language) is the pleasantly musty, mothball-y, old lady smell. The next thing is that these ladies couldn't be more adorably cliched if they tried- they will be complaining about their sore backs, clucking over some booties that have just come in, and generally being lovely elderly women who dedicate a day or two a week to volunteering in the Op Shop. This used to be the sort of pokey Op Shop you'd have to dig through piles of clothes and move things around to see what treasures might be hiding. They were recently closed for a few weeks while they underwent renovations and now it's the sort of pokey Op Shop you have to dig through piles of clothes and move things around to see what treasures might be hiding, but with a different table in the middle.

Secret underground pop-up designer fashion laboratory alert!…read more (That would make a great Japanese cartoon title.) So you know Westfield Pitt St Mall ain't your average Westfield, right? That's it's designed and planned and decorated to within an inch of its life and is chock full of hella cool shops and eateries and all the things that get your little urban commando hearts beating faster then your average hipster. Well head down the escalators, ya big ol' fashionista, because there's another surprise for ya: on the below-ground level and there you'll find a concept store called 100 Squared that gets a whole bunch of amazing, emerging local fashion designers and collects them all in one place for your shopping pleasure. It's like the king of all pop-ups, curated for style and quality. And the best bit? It's a place for the new generation of fashion talent, all these great up-and-comers, to show off their mad sick skillz. Love it.

I had the opportunity to get invited to a Yelp hosted party here, and came out of interested…read more 100 Squared is definitely a breath of fresh air for Westfield, which is a shopping mecca for all the common brands (Zara, Gucci, Gap, etc). Instead of focusing on brand names, this is basically a marketplace/bazaar for independent designers who want another channel to showcase their products. I'm not a fashion designer myself, but I'm also a designer - just from a more digital perspective. I can relate to the "not work for the man" part so I like this place a lot because it gives another outlet for independents or small businesses to hustle their wares. So 5 stars for this place because it supports small business / independents. Anyway, there are clothes (women's fashion), and jewelry. But beware that the clothing sizes are more designed for "hipster" sizes. (i.e. if you're beyond say a size 10 or Medium - result of having a vegan or soy milk diet, then theres probably nothing for you here other than jewelry). But then again, theres even less for guys unless you're into cross-dressing at hipster sizes. PS - 300th Review!!!