Vinnies, Coburg

The store is a large complex, with dark blue walls and large square windows facing out into Sydney Rd. Everything is nicely separated, long racks of women's clothing in the front, men's clothing on the right and furniture and home-wears in the back and along the left wall.

Initially I was a little underwhelmed at this Vinnies on the edge of Brunswick. In the murky glow, there was nothing that really captured my attention, though the range of average pieces did make the few unique finds stand out.

The racks of women's clothing are nicely spaced out and there is a good variety of textures, especially if you are looking for shirts and tops. Racks are brimming with sparkly appliques and sequin clusters, "brand" name t-shirts, neat tailored and casual shirts and short sleeved tops with crazy patterns.

In a true dynasty moment, I pulled out a slightly crumpled cobalt blue power suit. It was nicely tailored from the bust to the hips and came with Joan Collins-tastic shoulder pads. Sandwiched between some tweed coats was a woolly (and peeling) Chanel imitation suit in black and white. There wasn't an extensive shoe collection, though I did momentarily consider cutting off my little toes for a pair of 80s pumps made from this cool mixture of Lycra and leather.

There were a few nice pant-suit combinations in the men's' section despite the faded appearance of some of the items. What really stood out for me was this leather bomber jacket with a fantastic tan and dark brown acid wash.

The furniture is the highlight of the store. There obviously has been some thought behind it's presentation, as set-out second-hand dining room tables wait to be sat at and heavy oak wardrobes yearn to be opened as you wander around the store. There were some genuinely unique pieces; large oak dressers made from draws with gold handles stacked around gilded mirrors and polished Queen Anne's with those lovely old fashioned keyholes.

FINAL WORD: Vinnie's continue to impress me with their well-selected range of furniture. There is this grand and old fashioned appeal for vintage furniture nuts like me. Clothes wise, this store is not so exciting, though you may find something brilliant on second look.


where is it? 260 Sydney Rd, Coburg
how do i get there? no 19. Tram to Coburg
what is on the stereo? Magic 1278
will i have to wait for a change room? three decent sized change rooms, it shouldn't take too long!
i'm hungry? try the Kaleidoscope Cafe at 161 Sydney Rd, Brunswick