Well I think I’ve found a solution. A cute, quirky solution that is a cross between boots and wellies and bubblegum. Enter Melissa VW ankle boots.

Delicious, aren’t they? They come in a range of colours and two styles – either the button design shown above, or with a cute bow on the front as shown in the pictures below. Check out www.melissaaustralia.com.au for more info and for more delicious bubblegum scented shoes. All vegan, all awesome.

PS. these do fit a tad snug, might be worthwhile going a size larger as with wellies, space doesn’t hurt. Either way, the girls at Melissa are happy to do exchanges.

Australia
Shopping online from stores based in Aust. means you get your stuff quicker for cheaper. On the downside, overseas fashion is a bit outdated and the range isn’t nearly as extensive as it is from overseas retailers.

About a Girl

So I’ve talked about this online store when I introduced minkpink – and here we are again. It’s made my top for Australian stores because it’s affordable, stocks a variety of labels (yeah they’ve expanded their range) and you get discount codes every now and then in addition to the great sales they have.
About a Girl stock Minkpink, sunnygirl, kid and kaboodle, and gingham and heels among others.

Freez

Don’t be put off by the boring brown theme of this online store – Freez is brilliant. Stocking minkpink, french kitty, sunnygirl, ladakh, pinkstitch, and junk among others, they have a massive sale section with awesome pieces falling to prices of $30 and under. Everything is reasonably priced. (watch out, their bandwidth got exceeded recently!)

Mint

Mint is a bit more expensive than the other two (and their site’s a bit dodge) which is why it’s at the bottom of my australian places to shop online. However they do have a much more extensive range featuring premium brands such as Something Else, MyPetsQuare, cheap monday, sass & bide, and Ksubi (among others that I won’t even pretend to know).

International
Buying from international stores may be a little more expensive (we’re talking america here so there’s the exchange rate to factor in + shipping) and might take a little more time, but these two online stores have a massive range.

80′s Purple

So much stuff!! 80′s Purple caters to a range of shoppers, so there are a variety of styles and prices. A lot of the stuff is really cool and also affordable. Brands stocked include insight, ed hardy, melissa shoes, salvage, cheap monday, disney couture, industry among many, many more. Seriously, that’s like 1/50th of the brands they stock. And the sale section is 20 pages long. Go have a look

Revolve Clothing

Again, here is a store that stocks a massive amount of brands and so has a lot of choice. The sale section is huge and the rest of the store is even bigger. Brands include Zimmerman, Vivien Westwood, Something, Something Else, Nixon, Minkpink, Ksubi, Insight, Juicy Couture and so on.

Also it’s not ‘top 10′ cause I thought the length of the entry was getting out of hand! 7 will suffice

!One – Cite

I picked Cite as the top place to shop because it’s affordable, accessible (being open in 3 locations) and has a variety of items to suit different people and different styles. Everything in the store hits you with a bang. I don’t think I’ve come across a store that was so ready to be so unique and out-there. A lot of the items are really pushing cutting edge fashion boundaries.

The chain has moved in fast and set up fronts in Whitford city, Carousel and now there’s one in Karrinyup shopping centre. Carrying a mix of skate and surf as well as fashion labels, Cite picks the best and edgiest each brand has to offer. They carry minkpink, something, little lady from (a venture by oneteaspoon), insight (including their latest, dopamine), oneteaspoon, Zoo York, Stussy, Local Celebrity as well as jewellery by Disney Couture, shoes by nike and adidas, watches by nikon and police and a bunch of other trendy accessories. A definite must visit!

!Two – Pigeonhole

Next on the list is my fave barrack st store. Johann, the store manager has got to be one of the most friendly and easy to talk to store managers ever. Never failing to make friends with a customer, he never lets the small store become cramped or awkward. Hand-picking everything in the store from Australian and international designers, everything is new and different and unique. A lot of things you’ll find have a way of getting to Pigeonhole first and then filtering out to other stockists – because Johann is actually the distributor for a lot of those items.

If you need that finishing touch on an outfit – say a brooch or a necklace or earrings, I’d definitely recommend this store. It’s also a go-to for unique gifts. While the clothing is a little on the pricey side, pigeonhole does tend to have sales that literally blow you away and you can find things reduced by up to 60%. Located in the Bon Marche Arcade on Barrack st, and also on Shafto lane.

!Three – Harry Highpants

Highpants I think was the store that got me into it all – hunting down small boutiques and checking out local culture. I chanced upon it when I was walking up william st just browsing.

Harry is just great. They stock not just cool brands, but cool clothes. Take insight for example. I think we’ll all admit that some insight stuff is pretty run of the mill. Harry picks out the best in each collection and stocks that. It’s great! They also have a bunch of clothes toward the back of the store that are second-hand, but totally retro/vintage and more importantly affordable. It’s like a version of retro vinnies that’s actually cool.

The store is mostly about clothes – stocking insight, my pet square, Swedish jeans, other random brands  – but they also stock books, cameras, and jewelery. The jewelery is notable – small wooden brooches, necklaces sporting teapots or miniature muffins, delicious stuff.

!Four – Atlas Divine

The ultimate in shopping experience – decadent and suave, lush and dramatic. Atlas Divine certainly makes a statement with its amazing decor, vintage wallpaper and furniture all decked out. What about the contents though? Atlas stocks a variety of designer clothes for both men and women and while I can’t say I was too impressed, what got me were the jeans, shoes and jewellery. An amazing array of women’s and men’s shoes – heels like you wouldn’t believe. They also stock Disney Couture – and did so long before Cite was ever on the scene – and Cheap monday jeans. Cheap mondays are just THE brand jeans to have. In my opinion they trump all other brands ( it must be the tag !)

Anyway it’s somewhere you have to go once, just to get the experience. It’s on the leederville strip anyway so on the way to a bunch of other fabulous boutiques.

!Five – The Basement

What’s that? If you haven’t been to the basement in Myers in the city, you must have been living under a rock. It’s a massive section occupying half of the bottom floor of Myers and catering to both men and women. The decor is uncharacteristic of Myers, dark and dimly lit and the clothes catering to younger age groups (14-30?) with smaller wallets. Not to say that things are cheap!

Stocking for women Pilgrim, Kenji, Riders, Bauhaus, French Kitty, Tokito, Miss Shop, Purr, Bluejuice, Golf Punk, Bardot, Ed Hardy as well as a bunch of other designers ( hard to keep track) there’s definitely a wide variety to choose from and it’s all deliciously subject to Myers’ wonderful sales.

!Six – Fi and Co.

Fi and Co. is a cute little store on William st that stocks all sorts – mainly in shoes and clothes. This was one of the first places that I saw Minkpink sold in Perth. Everything is definitely affordable (no ridiculous price tags a la subway DC or wheels and doll baby) and very individual. It’s a small independent boutique and worth the visit. One of the most notable products are definitely the shoes – an array of shoes, all different, all super duper cute! A definite visit, it’s part of the william st collective along with Keith and lottie, Harry highpants and Lalaorange. That leads me on to the next store!

!Seven – lalaorange

Lalaorange is faar away – it’s not a store you’d happen to chance upon, walking around Perth. It’s on william st on the same side as harry but further up, much further up. It’s also very small.

But it’s worth finding! As you’ll see by reading their blog, lala orange is filled with dreamy shopkeepers who are up to date with things fashion-wise, but also have a sense of humor. The store is small and narrow but it’s got the stuff. A collection of vintage designer clothing for men and women, as well as delightful jewelery and accessories. One of the blog posts mentions their new collection of Tilly Bloom jewelery – which you can see on their online store – and it’s absolutely delightful (though reminiscent of things I’ve seen on etsy – for less).

However as artists often do, she found that she wanted to go down paths of expression that weren’t necessarily in-sync with what Insight was about. And so came about something.. and something else.

Something and Something else (two separate brands, I might just inform you) are newly launched fashion labels by natalie wood. Quirky and stylish and individual might be some of the words used to describe the clothing – Natalie herself says of her designs; “…definitely more fashion-forward and high-end with more luxurious fabrics and polished designs. It is where I get to truly express myself so much more.” (Nylon – The insider: Natalie Wood)

Some notable places to find the labels in Perth include David Jones, Billie and Rose, Cite (new store open in Karrinyup!), Oneteaspoon and friends, and Varga girl.

The clothing is a little on the pricey side but there are definitely some winners in the collections, definitely recommended, have a look.

something.net.au

I’m talking cotton-on, rubi shoes, supre etc. I can’t dispute that from time to time you can find really nice things, and that sometimes a girl just needs a simple singlet or skirt. However when places like these become the go-to places for fashion, then I start to lose hair. It’s just depressing seeing the same outfits wandering through Perth. The clothing isn’t thought out, it’s probably made in a sweatshop, it’s poor quality and what’s worse – it was probably fairly expensive! Supre, cotton on, rubi shoes are all marketed to be fairly cheap fashion outlets but when you examine the quality of what you’re buying and compare it to the price, you’re being ripped off.

Look at rubi’s stock item: ballet flats. At $15 for one pair that fit well, initially I was stoked. But these shoes were made in a cardboard factory! Or at least that’s what one would assume, judging by how long they last. You can always tell when a girl is wearing rubi flats, because you look down to her feet and are disappointed.

Who is to blame? Stores are just trying to make a profit and will respond to demand like any other business. It’s your fault. You the reader, the consumer, who spends their money at supre or dotti, instead of trying to find an independent business to support. Without support, small independent boutiques will die, leaving Perth a cultural wasteland and me bald. If you buy rubi shoes, don’t. Look online, shop around, spend a little more because when you work it out a pair of shoes that lasts you a year will cost you the same amount of money as buying one pair of rubi’s every 2 months. And they will look better and speak volumes and do wonders.

Someone please go harass the morons at frankie mag forums.

Look At this Fucking Hipster

“Taste this. It’s wine I made out of bugs.”

“Hmm…well, the orange matches my helmet strap and the avocado goes perfect with my Yasir Arafat scarf. All I need now is something to go with my fucking disgusting sneakers, and I should be all set with groceries.”

It’s a ‘concept’ store, similar to Colette in Paris, featuring sculpture work by George Kustorkov originally made in the 1970′s for ‘Cardin Salon International’, a full length mural wall by Sydney artist Ben Frost, mannequins designed by anna sui and a black mickey mouse gesturing rudely, the store is an experience in itself. Can’t begin to guess at the startup costs of this.

For those of you interested in fashion, Wasteland houses a selection of premium brands such as Marc by Marc Jacobs, Martin Margeila, See by Chloé, M by Missoni, Ksubi, Commes Des Garcons, Junya Watanabe, American Apparel, Sass & Bide, Tina Kalivas, Mala Brajkovic, April 77, American Apparel, Les Bijoux de Sophie, Mawi, and Junk Deluxe.

They’ve also got a space for artists and a gallery showcasing them on their website also.

Sounds like an expensive joint to me.. however on their website they say: “Wasteland is more a destination than just a store because of the variety of stock we sell. There’s something in the store for everyone, and there’s no attitude at Wasteland, you can spend $15 or $15,000; everyone leaves with the same carry bags… and that’s the rule!”

Support Perth culture, check it out and spend some money. They have to make a return somehow.

website

Pedestrian had its humble beginnings with the distribution of a bi-monthly DVD called ‘Plastizine’. Within the DVD were featured stories about and interviews with the likes of Uffie, Agent Provocateur, Ksubi, Mischa Barton, Chloe Sevigny, The Cobra Snake, The Arcade Fire, Miranda Kerr, Franz Ferdinand, Karen Walker, Lily Cole, Bloc Party, Justice, and the Presets. The DVD is still available for collection from most hip stores (see subi, northbridge). Or you can check out their website – pedestrian.tv

What with things moving so fast, subscribing to their e-newsletter is a good way to stay in touch.

First post for the new year – and what a find! I was looking for presents for a loved one and as I was walking down Hay street away from King street and toward the malls, I chanced upon this lovely store.

It’s definitely tucked away and a little hard to find, but packed full of lovely clothes, accessories, undies (the cutest!) and bags oh bags. So many lovely clutches, purses, shoulder bags. A variety of labels fill the shelves – and a lot of thought is put into the stock. One bag I looked at was designed by an Australian designer using Japanese textiles.

So have a meander and check it out. Of course there’s a sale going on now, prime time to go have a look.

http://pulseclothing.net

Minkpink is a fresh clothing label right here from Aust, and they’ve seen an unprecedented amount of growth since the brand started out in 2005. It’s no wonder, their pieces are just fabulous. As stated on their website, they take influence and ideas from ‘high-end designers, current trends, street styling and vintage pieces’, making for a varied, individual and inspirational line of clothing.

You can find the clothes at places like cite (in whitfords and carusel shopping centres) and also at fi & co., a store that’s part of the william street collective.

However for those who like to be thrifty and don’t mind waiting, you can also purchase minkpink clothing from a victorian stockist - aboutagirl.com.au. Because you’re purchasing online, the cost of the garments is significantly lower – one skirt I bought online for $15 retailed at about $70 at cite.

There you go. Both cite and fi & co. are relatively new, independent fashion retailers so I’d still advocate going down there and helping them out by purchasing their wares, but all the same, poor students like yours truly have to be careful.