I love stripes, ergo, I love Marcs, a thoroughly accessible and wearable Australian label in every…read moreregard except one: price. With its classic shift dresses and plethora of striped tops, Marcs is more understated than many of its Australian contemporaries and offers pieces so timeless you probably shouldn't baulk at the prices. But with dresses retailing between $200 - 300 it's great to know about the Marcs store within the - discount - Spencer Street Fashion Station which offers Marcs much celebrated pieces for a fraction of the price. If you love classic clothes you'll love Marcs and if you love classic clothes and can't resist a bargain you'll adore this store.

Though not a huge fan of Bardot stores in general, given their over-priciness and very disposable…read morefashion, I do enjoy going into the outlet in Abbotsford when I'm in the area, which is in a lovely location just off Nicholson, only about a kilometre or so from the Abbotsford Convent. At the front of the store they have a few new season looks, at full price, which you'd find in any outlet. In the middle there are always some good finds, mostly last season items. Tops range from about $10-50, pants seem to be consistently $50, and there are always some good priced dresses. Just this past week there were racks of black ful sequined mini dresses for $50 and neoprene peplum dresses for $15! And I must admit, I am pretty impressed with Bardot for having the foresight to create a neoprene dress a year ago. Then, ohh, the back of the store is just lovely and laughable. The samples rack sometimes has some good finds (mostly priced at about $20-50) but mainly the "samples" are just irregularly cut current season items. Then, at the back back back of the store is my personal favourite, the $5 faulty items rack. Some of the pieces here are beyond salvagable, even for scrap material (giant ink stains on white silk?!). But but but there are always a few gems, such as current season dresses with a button missing or a few loose threads that can be fixed with a quick darn.

Any clothing boutique with the word 'Project' in it just screams 'pretentious' to me. Any clothing…read moreboutique with a misspelled Scandinavian city in its name? Ditto. So far it's not looking good for Brunswick Street's Halsinky Project. But to the clothes... Halsinky Project's range isn't bad, mostly comprising little party dresses adorned with bows, and made out of fabrics in the kind of kaleidoscopically bright colours that New South Wales' residents just adore. Halsinky Project also stocks non-sartorial stuff such as a range of MOR skincare and accessories by awesome London headwear label Chapeau Claudette. So it's not all bad. If your style is short, bright and playful, you're likely to love Halsinky Project. If your taste is more avant garde, minimalist or at the more 'Melbourne' end of the spectrum? I'd hazard a guess that Halsinky Project won't be for you.

When ever I am shopping in Brunswick Street, there are a handful of stores that I absolutely must…read morego into. Halsinky Project is one of them. Since 2008, this beloved store (which is the brainchild of two sisters) has been a popular destination for fashion forward lovers. The store also stocks a wide variety of hats and head gear and are exclusive stockists for London based head label Tour De Force and Chapeau Claudette. Other great labels to look out for include Lowie Knitwear, Stella and Minx basics, Pipduck gumboots, Only Midge leather bags, Oktoberdee handmade accessories and Powershovel cameras. I love the wide variety of dresses - from cheeky sun dresses to streamlined but trendy work wear and sexy cocktail dresses. When ever I need a new dress, this is my number one place to go to. It's also great that they incorporate lots of colour into the spectrum of fashion and of recent, have stocked a good range of colourful shoes as well.

I went in here to buy a pair of jeans. It is not fancy or trendy but it is not down market either…read more It is the kind of no fuss menswear shop where you can find what you are looking for. They have everything from business to casual clothes. The sales staff are not pushy but helpful, they are used to dealing with men like me for whom shopping for clothes is a necessity and not a hobby.

You might've noticed many a Melburnian girl clomping around in strappy clogs like they're Dutch…read morefarmhands, and if you haven't yet you certainly will as the weather warms up. Gorman has a big part to play in this footwear phenomenon in this town. Other than the fact that these Gorman clogs are making girls look a bit samey, at least from the ankle down, I think Gorman gives us girls the potential to look modern, feminine, smart, fashionable, cool and comfortable with their consistently tasteful style. And Gorman is an eco-warrior too with its range of organic and sustainable garments (made from fabrics that come from sustainable farming practices using non-chemical processing), so you can look great in what you're wearing and feel good about it too. That's a winning combination.

It always surprises me that chain stores can have a completely different vibe when placed in…read moredifferent suburbs. I love Gorman clothing and can always find something new to consider on each visit (though I curse the person responsible for this season's skirts as they make my hips look ginormous). This particular outlet in Brunswick Street is one of the best I've come across. The layout of the store is good - with lots of light and big change rooms. The staff are super sweet (any sweeter and I'd have to poke them in the eye for making the rest of us look bad) and they're really helpful bringing in size changes and suggesting combinations and matching pieces. When it comes to buying Gorman in the future, this will be one of my go-to stores.

Ally Fashion has to be THE place to go this summer for teens and twenty-somethings looking at…read moresexying it up for the fun and festive season. It's high end high street fashion with feminine edgy styles. Feminine, free flowing minis, stunning maxi's, singlets, shorts, and my favourite new season style, the crochet style over top. The fashion's are fresh, chic and sexy elegant. Stocking some really cool and well known designers, including some of the Kardashian range at great prices - even the good stuff comes in at under $50. Perfect for festivals, the races or that night out when you wanna look your hottest. Trust me...you'll love this place if you're into the bohemian, feminine, free flowing look.

My husband proposed to me on top of the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge) in Venice on our first…read moreanniversary. In his hand he held the most perfect diamond ring, containing a flawless brilliant-cut diamond that he'd chosen himself, had made in Australia and had travelled across the world with him back to our home in the UK and then to Italy. The ring in question is from Canturi now has two Canturi siblings - a wedding ring with sixteen black diamonds and a pair of white diamond earrings, the latter a gift on our wedding day. With this in mind, I asked my husband to write the below review as he has far more experience with them than I do! Although I will say this: they're incredibly generous on the cleaning front and care for your jewellery free, forever. ___ Step into Canturi at your own risk, and at your own reward. This slick Australian boutique on Little Collins Street is everything a bespoke jeweller should be, even if it is becoming less bespoke as they take over New York City and Las Vegas! There is a door bell. Don't try opening the door without buzzing first, or you will hit your head on the door as it stays shut and you keep walking. The door bell is not there to vet entry; it is to ensure that there is someone there smiling to greet you. Whilst it may seem a daunting prospect, this boutique will give you some space to wander around to admire Stefano Canturi's creations. If you're there to buy (and don't have a limit on your platinum or black credit card) then let an associate sit you down with a tea or coffee (or champagne) and go through the plethora of options. They are only too happy to educate you diamonds and won't look down their noses at you. They are happy to talk price first so that they present you with things in their range. No one needs to be shown $25,000 diamonds when you have under $10k to spend, especially if your partner is with you! They will show you different shapes and sizes and different bands to accompany your gem. If carbon isn't you thing, Canturi do other gemstones as well. Canturi's mainstay is their cubism design. Be sure to check it out before you leave, and expect a lifetime of service if you do buy.

To the Max, while a ridiculous name, is a fantastic destination for ladies looking for a dress to…read morethe races, something to wear to the formal or just a trendy dress for Saturday night dancing. However, they also stock leather jacket, blouses and casual skirts. Yes, it is quite expensive, but you're getting really good quality labels like Sass & Bide. However the service is fairly shocking. Expect to wait around quite a while until someone offers you help. I've never been lucky enough to find anything here, but perhaps it just isn't my style. It is very trendy-wear but a touch too expensive for my liking.

Once you get past the lame name (sorry guys) this shop is pretty good. It's the only non-chain…read morewomen's fashion store on Lygon that is pitched at the younger market, and has a well-chosen selection of casual and dressy clothes and accessories. I go in the store regularly to check out the new stock - they carry a lot of the same brands you'll find in the young fashion department at David Jones, but it's a calmer environment, with helpful staff and a lot closer to home. They carry a good range of jeans - Nobody, True Religion and Mavi, and all of the dresses, tops and trousers are arranged by colour rather than brand. I find this a really easy way of picking out pieces to try on together - it's obviously a clever attempt to get you to buy more and I admit it sometimes works on me! Don't miss the jewellery in the glass counter as it's super-cute, and they've got some brands I haven't seen elsewhere.