I was lucky to just be passing this store as it opened. Initially thinking this was just another…read moreshoe and clothing street wear store, I was happy to find after talking to the sales-assistant that Gideon shoes are an ethically made, not for profit shoe, clothing and music store that sells its gear in order to help its 'street uni' drop-in centre for kids. The Street Uni can help kids with their homework, offer counselling services and also dance and music facilities to help kids channel their creativity into something positive. Now the store sells shoes that are all made in Australia, most of which are sneakers in both hi and low cut options. Prices are generally between $140 - $250 for them too, which is pretty damn good considering they're made in Australia. Gideon shoes also have a small clothing section, that includes ethical knit wear from label 'first born' and a small but intersting musical collection. Go on and check 'em out.

Cane Toad high-tops! Yeah that's right, someone is finally making good use of this blight on our…read moreenvironment beyond the cheesy cane toad skin purses you get in Chinatown. This shoe-shop is more ethical than Giselle Bundchen could ever dream to be, with all profits going to the Noffs Foundation's Street University for marginalised kids in Western Sydney. Shoes are handmade in almost all Australian materials- including the afore-mentioned cane toad and kangaroo- under sweatshop free conditions. I would kill for the pink "Cane Toad Cull" high-tops and sadly, at around $500 a pair I would probably have to. Obviously sweat-shops are what keeps prices down so please note, I am not complaining about the prices I'm just sad that I can't afford them! If you can, go to Gideon Shoes and buy some super-sexy ethical footwear or buy me a pair. I need a hipster shoe-gar Daddy with a trainer fetish.

Vinnies houses both trash and treasure, depending on personal taste and preference. Great bargains…read moreand finds can be found here. Second hand books and clothing are the most popular items which have been donated to Vinnies as a result of closet and garage clearouts. If you're looking for vintage finds and one-of-a-kind pieces, Vinnies provides the perfect opportunity to buy goods at affordable prices. Everything goes to a good cause, with the proceeds forward on to those in need. Do you have an upcoming dress up party or are you in need of a complete wardrobe overhaul? Head to Vinnies for some inspiration!

We've found some great finds here (Books, ceramics and other hidden treasures). We've ran, drove…read moreand walked by this store many, many times before. One day running, in the window I saw two great hardcover books that I've wanted for only $10 each!!! They were closed so I forgot about it for a day or so, then driving by I decided to stop off and pick them up. Unfortunately one of the books was sold already (you snooze you lose). The staff was ultra friendly, trying to see if it was just placed somewhere else or if they could source another one. They said if we see something we want and they aren't open, just drop a letter in the door and they will hold on to the item for us (so nice). It's also great to know that The St Vincent de Paul Society is doing such a great job providing the local community with affordable clothing and goods while supplying resources to people in need.

"Op Shop" is Aussie for Thrift Store (it's short for opportunity shop if you were wondering). And…read morealthough the St Vincent De Paul Op Shop- henceforth to be known as Vinnies- on Hall St Bondi is not as thrifty as some it has plenty of opportunity to pick up some designer threads and wicked CDs. (I know, I'm sorry, that was a total Dad joke). You never know what you'll find at Op Shops of course and that's a big part of the fun, but there are certain locations that the elves that do the sorting send all the good stuff to (well that's my theory and I'm sticking to it!) and Hall St Vinnies is definitely one of them. They know their labels so you won't find a Dior scarf in the $2 bin. But you will have found a Dior scarf at an Op Shop for 20 bucks and all proceeds go to charity, so you still win! Having said that, I once found a pair of genuine Gucci shades there for $10 so you never know your luck. It's not all designer stuff though, they have the usual array of retro, average, hideous or trendy clothes mostly around the $7 - $12 mark and a decent collection of cool men's t-shirts. Hall St Vinnies also seems to have an unending supply of fantastic CDs and decent books, maybe due to the amount of backpackers that spend enough time in the area to build up a collection and then have to offload it all when they're heading home? I don't question, I just appreciate.

Great finds for a good cause. Reduce, reuse, recycle & look fabulous doing it!…read more Clothes assorted by color and type of garment. Very nice shoe selection and lots of baubles to tempt your inner magpie. Also a high end section if you're a label whore. Good stuff! Relatively high quality items and when I was there a dreamy French chanteuse on the speakers, and lively friendly ambiance made for a great overall experience.

This place is a total gem. Lots of quality vintage/ designer items at a reasonable price point.read more

From the owner: The Sleeveless Society specialises in designer and on trend vintage clothing, accessories,…read morejewellery and homewares sourced around the world and locally in Australia.

You beauty. If you love fashion full stop, and/or you're wanting to give your stunning wardrobe a…read morebeautiful facelift; then I highly recommend this shop. Ussed & Abbussed The Department Store is one of Sydney's best kept secrets when it comes to new and vintage clothes, shoes, jewellery, and accessories. Ussed & Abbussed is located at Cremorne (just off Neutral Bay), only minutes from the city behind McDonald's, and past one of Sydney's most popular private schools. A previous writing assignment (while I was a freelance writer before becoming a doctor) brought this place to my attention, and the awesomeness of Ussed & Abbussed has got me hooked on quality new and vintage clothes for both men and women at affordable prices. This is true. In fact, this fantastic business has been around for eight years now, as at the time of writing this. The owner, Dianna (otherwise known as Di) founded this business from her passion for designer goods. Furthermore, Di found a way to source cheap, quality clothes from overseas, and henceforth found a cost effective way to bring them to Australia. Di is involved in buying trips in the USA, France, Spain, and the UK to name. Even more impressive, Di has a generous and loving heart. This amazing individual loves to give in many ways. For starters, the clothing items available here are available at around 80% off the standard retail prices. Di also gives about $8000 worth of stock away to organisations such as The Salvation Army, as well as to St Vincent's Hospital to name on an annual basis. The customer service and friendly acknowledgements are awesome. Walking into a store with over 2000 designer labels under one roof is definitely a department store in itself. It may be a tad overwhelming, yet it is an absolute pleasure to spend at least a couple of hours here...totally up to you. Assistance is at hand to help you find out what you need. You will walk away feeling really prosperous with your purchases. Ussed & Abbussed The Department Store also have available a personal fashion stylist, who is also an elegant woman in herself, who exudes charm and walks the talk...a woman by the name of Hana. Hana has helped me find the right dress for the right occasion, as well as a pair of Dick Boons boots that feel so awesome to wear. Both Di and Hana (while serving you here) emphasise the need to feel good in what you're wearing. The ambience is laid back, inviting, and well displayed. There is plenty to view and admire, and there is even a visitors book to sign if you wish. A quote from Hana that has been drilled into my skull...please let me share it with you: "It is not about the dress, it is about the woman behind the dress." Charm is alive and well, and both genders will love shopping here. Ussed & Abbussed The Department Store have also held special parties upon request such as hens nights, and yes (you are reading this right) divorce parties to name as well. Di closes the shop for a couple of hours to accommodate such requests. They may occasionally hold special shopping nights too. Bookings must be made in advance for such. The first time I came to Ussed & Abbussed, I brought a pair of vintage Dick Boons boots for only $75. Normally the same boots retail for $600. See, generosity reigns at this place. Definitely money well spent. Hence the reason for my rave review. On my second most recent visit I brought a lovely Ralph Lauren floral top for around $35. This top would easily retail for $200. I love it. Easy to iron and ever so colourful. I also purchased a Bettina Liano long sleeve top for around the same price. Perfect with jeans too...or any skirt. Really happy with these purchases to - if not over the moon with them. It is true. Ussed & Abbussed sell clothing and accessories from the following brands to name: Burberry, Chanel, Chloe, Michael Kors, Versace, Alannah Hill and Wayne Cooper. These brand names spell luxe and quality in the fashion world. Hair extensions and bric-a-brac is also available. Di might offer you a lovely cup of coffee too. The Great Gatsby film producers have also approached Di to assist in the clothing selection for their cast. The clothes on sale at Ussed & Abbussed The Department Store have also appeared on TV show Puberty Blues as well. A great store. No, a really great store. You will never know what treasures you might find for your wardrobe here, and you will walk away with immense value. Hands down the best vintage clothing store in Sydney. One of the (if not the) best designer clothing stores full stop. Thank you so much...with immense gratitude. xxx

Amazing range of designer brands at super reasonable prices - and the smell wasn't that bad!!!read more

As we walk into Reverse Garbage in Marrickville we are met with gigantic paint brushes and pencils…read more The exterior of this recycling warehouse is almost an art installation more so than a shop. "You can't look for something here. You just have to look and hope you find something." I am told when I ask what we are looking for. The answer to my innocent question both profound and vague. We scour the aisles looking for props and set pieces for the music video we've been hired to make. The gigantic dinosaur head is no good, nor are the various blow up hippopotami with back packs on. There are buckets full of circuit boards and shelves full of old digitised and erased film and audio reels. It would seem that everything you could ever imagine would be, at one point or another, housed within these walls. There's a book section out back and I sneak in to have a look, I should be looking for music video props but can't help myself and scour the children's section looking for Seuss. No such luck, there never is. I find 'The Little Match Girl' by Hans Christian Anderson and being that it is in great condition and only $1 I decide to buy it, even though I know that it will make me depressed. A warehouse full of everything you need as long as you don't know what you need.

This place is simultaneously the biggest hoarder of crap and a gold-mine. Depending on what you're…read moreafter. If you're after 20 of the same birthday card, 100m long reams of paper, a never ending supply of pipe cleaners, rolls of carpet and maroon velvet or manikin feet and arms, then you may just be in luck. Or, rather, if you're not exactly sure what you're after then you may be in luck here too. I'm a bigger fan of The Bower, a similar joint next door with a tad more class, but a trip to Reverse Garbage can be rewarding - we bought 50 cardboard drums from Reverse Garbage which we used as seating for a performance and then recycled into punch bowls, a fortress and super-sized bowling pins in the future. Perfect for a themed party, you can pretty much base your theme on whatever you find the most of at Reverse Garbage. NB: Specified items may or may not actually be stocked by Reverse Garbage. But rest assured that similar such crap will be.

Me and Moo is the kind of place where you want everything. It does simple, earthy, relaxed style so…read morewell that it inspires you to invest in your casual wear. This is the place to find that 'perfect' white t-shirt or pair of jeans. Labels like Jac + Jack, Jbrand, Velvet and American Vintage line the walls or live on the old wooden table in the middle of the store. This sort of effortless chic does not come without a price tag. You could be looking at upwards of $100 for a basic singlet. That said the fit will be amazing, the cotton may be blended with cashmere and the quality impeccable. It is possible to grab a piece of Me and Moo for a little less - I find their scarves are reasonable starting at approx $40.

Fantastic finds that fall on the "bold and brash" side of the spectrum - this is not the place for…read moreunderstated pieces...but why would you want those anyway, when you could have an orange faux fur crop coat and a black leather blazer that's been structured to within an inch of its life (in all the best ways? Also a white lace minidress with lovely bell sleeves that was by a local fashion designer...and yes, these all came home with me. Shout-out to Natalie and Hazel who were both extremely friendly, welcoming, and helpful. One big gripe that may sound silly but it's a legit issue: they pack WAY too many items onto each rack. They are so tightly packed together that you honestly can't slide them apart to see a garment. I mean there is truly not even a tiny gap between the hangers; the hooks are hard-pressed together on the clothing rack bar. I've never seen this many garments shoved so tightly, even at a down-market thrift store. It made it so difficult to browse that I ended up skipping past big swaths of racks that I really wanted to look at but simply could not access. It was bizarre and extremely off-putting, which is a shame.. If I could have actually SEEN the clothes properly this place would get a full 5 stars. Dear shop owner: if you absolutely must put out this many items, just buy longer racks. There's space in your store to put in more racks, especially upstairs. You will sell MORE clothes when people can actually browse through them. Stop buying hangers and start buying racks!

In what can only be described as a mini recycled clothing hot spot, lies, amidst two charity shops,…read moreU-Turn Recycled Clothing. A slightly upmarket opportunity shop. Where as shops like St Vincent De Pauls, or Vinnies, as it is known, stock large amounts of everything, clothes thrown onto racks and boxes and boxes yet to be unpacked waiting patiently out the back. U-Turns is more sparing with the clothes that it sells. It's as though the clothes must first pass a series of tests before they are displayed in the shop and sold to the masses. Are they stylish? All the clothes available on the U-Turn Recycled Clothing racks are very hip and very apt, some faux fur formal wear for your first foray into furry fashion. Bold and brash cowboy boots with buckles and buffed leather finishes. A hat made of a mink that makes you think about the stink it would have caused to hunt said mink and taylor him into a hat. The prices reflect the classier appeal and display of the clothing and, while cheaper than most first hand clothing, is a little pricier than the shops next door. You could find, mixed amongst the trash and bland clothing in most thrift shops, a piece of treasure that would look so bold in your wardrobe, but to find that you would have to be lucky. Likewise it would be quite unlucky to find some trash in all the treasure at U-Turn.

I always expect Vinnies in Newtown to be already pillaged by the hordes of op-shoppers that come…read moreespecially to Newtown for the shabby chic. But I am always surprised, because there is always loads of cool stuff in there, if you have the capacity and heart to sift through. It's open relatively late so if you have nothing to do after a dinner out and need some amusement, then go and find something shiny and spandex from another decade in Vinnies and get a giggle from your mates. I found an awesome beaded necklace here that people comment on... I don't tell them it was from Vinnies! Okay, actually I do after a while because I think it's pretty cool. When I'm in there I often think, okay, when I need a particular item of clothing for a particular one use occasion I am going to come here and find it for next to nix. Somehow I always forget though. Anyway, if you are on a budget, then get to vinnies to get some rad clothes and support a charity.

I normally don't leave reviews like this, but this really needed to be said. Monday afternoon, I…read morewas shopping with a friend since I was in serious need of some retail therapy. I love to thrift shop since I'm only a casual on a budget and there's some really good finds in the Vinnies that I've visited before. While that still stands true, the customer service was a mess. To put it bluntly, my friend and I were racially profiled. I was in line with my purchases when a girl at the counter looked at me up and down and rudely told me to go to the girl next to her instead. I didn't want to cause a scene, so I said nothing and moved along even though I was already insulted. And the thing is, it didn't end there. My friend is a little darker than me, and she was purchasing something to. We were both in the line at the other girl's aisle, and my friend was only looking at something on the display when the first girl had the audacity to accuse her of stealing something. When we were in line. With our money at hand. Really? The lady serving us apologised for her coworker and my friend overheard a conversation between her and the manager about how it was that girl's second day. Still, that was utterly unacceptable. Good products. But maybe Vinnies should screen their volunteers better.

This particular U-TURN is ridiculously overpriced. Whoever marks things here is missing a few…read morescrews. Store is otherwise fine.. but I may as well go to the Anglicare next door where clothes are 1/3rd of the price and my money goes to charity!

It seems that each U-Turn Recycled Fashion store sells a completely different range of clothes…read more Stupidest statement in the world? Perhaps. I mean, of course they sell a different range of clothes - it's people's second hand clothing, the chances that the people of Bondi have the exact same past wardrobe as the people of Surry Hills, in a similar range of sizes and colours, are extremely slim. Yet, I still think it's a valid point to make, as in comparing the U-Turn Bondi stock to the U-Turn Surry Hills stock, there is a distinctly different theme to the clothing. Whereas the Surry Hills U-Turn Recycled Fashion stocks a range of what's-old-is-new-again vintage dresses and accessories, U-Turn Bondi isn't a vintage shopping experience, but rather is an experience in rifling through your rich friend's clothes that they are getting rid of. The shop is replete with designer dresses discarded after last season, many with original tags still in place. I even came across a dress from this season's range, tag still in place, $100 off what the dress would have sold for only a month or so earlier. Whilst tags are more expensive than at your local Vinnies or Salvos, and whilst I don't feel like the rummaging has already been done for me here, it is worth a look - if just to find an extremely good bargain on this or last seasons dresses that someone has tired of prematurely. Just don't expect to find any sweet vintage purchases here.