Yooralla Carlton Bargain Shop

It's big wide windows, facing out into Elgin St, Carlton, are crowded with old electrical appliances, dvds, vhs tapes, vases and grand fur coats. The jumble is a fitting precursor to the grungy op-shop inside.

It's a big, mostly flat shop with old wooden ceilings. There is a bit to sort through and the collection of secondhand items is pretty diverse. While there was a lack of incredible vintage finds, there were some really cheap, functional pieces. Men's and Women's pants, jeans, slacks and trousers were $5. I liked a pair of seem-less navy slacks with no buttons or hooks but wide flares at the heel.

T-shirts were $3, and they could be ripped, cut or modified with embellishments or into mid-rift tops (think American Apparel.) There was an eclectic jumble of dresses, I'm all for wearing nightwear as evening or day wear, especially if its a beautifully well made as this cream nightdresses cut from a ruched stretchy material, with fringing around the curve of the hip and sheer, long white sleeves.

The other dresses were plainer and had simple cuts. But some chunky 80s jackets in neon pink and blue and impressive shoulder-pads rounded off the collection. Despite the low-key display, the shoe collection was inspiring. Highlights we flats with round metallic toes, little burgundy heels with laces and a bright green instep and navy, slip-on ankle boots.

Scattered through-out the shop is a big collection of miscellaneous items. Cutlery, glass-wear, vhs video tapes (including the entire die-hard movie collection), boxes of records and cds, cricket jumpers, thermos flasks, handbags and an old clock radio - Like an elephant graveyard, its where electrical equipment from the 80s and 90s goes to die (and possibly be reborn?)

Oddball highlight were two George Foreman grills, from $30, they looked about 10 years old (judging by the picture on the box) and seemed to be in good condition.

FINAL WORD - Lots of secondhand clothes and items, its a little overwhelming. A couple of top of the notch finds (shoes and jackets the best) and scores of random electronic artifacts from the 80s and 90s. Also the place to go for second-hand Christmas decorations.

where is it? 134-136 Elgin St, Carlton
how do i get there? Catch the no.1 and no.8 tram to the intersection of Elgin and Lygon St
will i have to wait for a change room? there are 2
whats on the stereo? No music on the stereo :(
i'm hungry? there is a fantastic sushi shop I'd almost recommend to anyone a couple of stores up on Elgin street towards Lygon.

Emils Shoe Repairs, Windsor

Yes, I know it's an unlikely title for a vintage shop, but Emils shoes at the Windsor end of Chapel St has an impressive display of second hand boots and shoes.

Doc Martens are being embraced again as fashion from the nineties is coming back. An older, worn pair of docs has more appeal than a shiny new pair. In it's sidewalk collection, Emils' have docs with covered in craft glitter, coloured laces, scuff and texta marks and blue and snakeskin material.

There are chunky ankle boots and blundstones (for men and women) with and without laces, and cowboy boots with reinforced toes and elaborate carved patterns from the foot to calf.

Emils does have a substantial collection of new shoes, which are displayed inside the store. The rows are vintage shoes are on tiered racks on the sidewalk and are a worthy, but expensive (a pair of second-hand docs will set you back $95 minimum.

In the window were a pair of Bally pumps with a white leather around the side and heel of the foot, bleeding into a beige material around the toe. There were also a pair of little leather ankle boots, the leather was so soft it looked like felt.

FINAL WORD: excellent range of vintage footwear, but it will hurt price wise!

where is it? 153 Chapel St, Windsor
how do I get there? catch the Sandringham train to Windsor station, walk on the same side as the station, down chapel street towards High St rd.

197 Greville St, Prahran

This is the vintage store with no name (well ... apparently no name). There are beautiful things in the cluttered oval windows and the store has some handsome, handmade pieces inspired by the 1950s.

The store is marked only by 197 on the glass pane above the doorway, its small and crowded, and was once most likely a living room. But all the furniture has been cleared away and the store is now populated by glorious jackets, dresses, shoes and embroidered creations.

There are heavy real fur jackets and mink round hats, but also a big selection of soft faux fur jackets. 197 actually has one of the most extensive and varied (in colour and style) collections of real and faux fur coats I've seen in a vintage store. The selection of vintage items overall has been well-crafted. With dapper lace-up shoes, small brown ankle boots, 50s dresses with layers of embroidered and sheer material, the store has this "old world European" feel.

I loved these soft round caps that could be clipped onto the hair and this little white hat with lace trimmings and pearl finishing. There was a beautiful white shift dress with pearls embroidered into the collar. The dresses were a mixture of fitted embroidered dresses, floaty crepe dresses with floor-length hems and colourful and pastel shift dresses.

A highlight was this deep plum, form-fitted dress (that gathered at the waist and puffed out at the hips) with a patterned layer over the bust and hips. It made me a little giddy. I also loved a black felt jacket with a heavy crushed velvet collar that "popped out"like a heavy scarf.

There were a couple of tartan pants and pointed cowboy boots and some obscure gold chains and big rings with opaque green centers. There were some lovely tuxedo and casual jackets for men and some of those pointed leather "tap shoe" style shoes, that were flat and lace-up. 197 has a fantastic selection of handmade leather jackets in black (with faded silver studs and ties), blue and "snakeskin" pattern.

It's vintage, and the items are expensive. Expect to pay between $100-$200 for leather, fur and faux fur jackets. $50 for dresses (up to $80 for the more delicate and embroidered styles.) The handmade leather shoes are around $145, but are beautifully crafted.

The store was museum-like when I walked in, it felt as if I came too close to the clothes, I'd be ordered to step back or struck with a taser. I felt awkward walking around under the watchful eyes of the store owner, who was pleasant, but a little edgy around customers. I was relieved she turned on a CD of 90s love and power ballads.

FINAL WORD. Amazing, expensive, crowded and a beautiful concept realised.

where is it? 197 Greville St, Prahran
how do i get there? Sandringham train to Prahran Station walk towards Chapel St, shop is on left-hand side.
will i have to wait for a change room? there are 2 change rooms
whats on the stereo? Awkward silence, then "Fields of Gold."
i'm hungry? There is great little cafe/cheap eateries and pizzeria on the otherside of the street, just on the corner (I forget the name.) It has this awesome 1980s hip-hop vibe and on weekends pizzas are $4.

Grey St Op Shop, St Kilda

The Grey St Op Shop is an off-shoot of the sacred heart mission, located in a cavernous old church hall on the crest of the hill in Grey St, St Kilda. It's warm, closed off space, drenched in these lovely rose colours, which radiate from the glass on the high, stained windows.

The store has this quirky decor. Oriental paper umbrellas line the back wall, while lanterns and floral arrangements in plastic cones dangle from the ceiling. Circling above them all are two paper-mache whales that "swim" suspended by wires above the shop. It's lovely, every time I scanned the shop, I found something obscure suspended somewhere above.

The collection itself looks bigger than it actually is. The organisation of clothes is a little dysfunctional, with racks of men's and women's apparel scattered through-out the shop. The lack of order actually works quite well, giving the store this Sunday market feel. I have to admit I wasn't all that impressed by the clothes when I first browsed through. There was nothing all that unique, but you could tell by the functional and well-kept and stocked variety of clothes that this op-shop had a real community focus.

The best pieces seemed to be buried at the back of racks crammed with sensible black pencil skirts, t-shirts and casual jackets and jumpers. Nestled between a beige jersey trench and a rain slicker I pulled out a faux fur jacket that was speckled in this orange and black colour. The faux fur looked more like ostrich feathers, and the coat had these wonderful brass buttons with huge opaque centers. On the other side of the store I found a red leopard print top with long sleeves and a gathered collar. It was made of this wonderful light material and was $5.

The shoe collection is worth a look. Located on the far left side of the hall, there were several shelves of neatly arranged and quietly impressive shoes. There were black, gold and beige pumps and flats for women, and a couple of ornate sandals with rope ties and buckles. The men's shoe range included some lovely black and brown formal pieces, I loved a pair of black ankle lace-up boots from country road.

Aside from the clothes, the op-shop had a fantastic smattering of obscure trinkets, old-style furniture, records and glass-wear through-out the shop. I loved this white chest of draws with gold handles down the front and admired some cute sherry glasses. As a bit of a side-note the shop had a great range of cheap glass-wear and cutlery (all items around the 50c mark.) Not only were there individual items, but you could purchase sets of glasses and mugs.

As mentioned a little earlier the shop has this great community feel, I went on a Saturday afternoon and the shop was busy with locals browsing and dropping off donations. They even allow dogs inside, I almost stepped on a pug dog panting ferociously underneath a clothes rack. The staff were friendly and a security guard kept a watchful eye over the shop (though I did catch him trying on a suit jacket just before I left.)

After my initial disappointment with the clothes in the op-shop I really wanted to give it a second chance before I left. I browsed through a rack near the front of the store and found a Lisa Ho long-sleeved lace top made from a browny-gold viney material for $15.

The shop itself is this adorned sanctuary with a lovely atmosphere, while there were not any outstanding pieces, it's worth a second look to find some smaller items that may boost your own collection.


where is it? 87a Grey St, St Kilda
how do I get there? the no.16 tram to St Kilda or the no.96 light rail tram to the intersection of grey st and fitzroy st in St Kilda.
what was playing on the radio? Macey Grey
will I have to wait for a changeroom? unfortunately yes, there are only two.
i'm hungry? try something on fitzroy st st kilda, I had a plastic cup of chocolate mousse from a little bakery after shopping.