You know that moment when you're just tiring of shopping for cool clothes and realise that what you…read moreactually REALLY need is a bucket and then you find yourself enjoying bucket shopping more than you ever enjoyed shopping for said cool clothes? It is at this very moment that I head to Best Mart, a store selling a bit of everything - buckets, bins, kitchen accessories, mirrors, art supplies - at great prices from a decidedly unglamorous shop on the Collingwood side of Smith Street. Kind of like Ikea in miniature - but without the Scandinavian design sensibility and on sale - Best Mart is definitely the place to go for all things practical and prosaic. And the buckets? Brilliant. Lots of colours, lots of sizes and providing one of the most satisfying buying experiences I've had in ages. I love Best Mart.

Located in the middle of nowhere you'll need some wheels to get your namaste get up on. Huge…read morewarehouse location with all your Lululemon basics on sale organised in your size which definitely is a plus when it comes to factory outlet shopping - no sorting & sifting through mess. Compared to RRP it is pretty cheap so shop till you drop into your downward dog. Namaste... "Ommmmm"

Five out of five brightly coloured tops!…read more I love, love, love Lulu Lemon. The reasons why I Iove this Canadian brand are many but here's a few: - The make their clothes out of fabrics they expect you to sweat in and chuck straight in the wash - The fabrics all feel really nice on the skin and don't chafe - They have some great colours, as well as the neutral blacks, whites etc - They have everything from tights to cool pants. My favourite item from Lulu Lemon is a pair of black pants that go to just below the knee. I can wear them to run in, or they are nice enough that I have worn them out so they are really versatile. They were perfect to wear to a work cricket match - I could run around in them but I could also go out to a cafe afterwards. Perfect! The outlet store is great as well! They stock full priced gear but they also do indeed have some bargains. I bought a jacket I had my eye on at the full priced store for nearly half the price. Sweet! My only concern is that my sister bought something from here and they forgot to take the security tag off, so she had to return it. So maybe check that before you leave. There is a bit of parking in the surrounding streets.

Woah. I don't think I have ever seen so many clothes in the one place before. Dresses, cardi's,…read moresinglets and jackets - Clear It has it all. But to be honest, I have been inside a million and one times and never walked out with anything. You know how when you drop in to your favourite shop and they have a sale rack and although everything looked pretty a week ago, when it's on that rack it looks a little sad? That's what this whole store is... Everything looks just a little bit sad. I get that it is a clearance centre, but high-price label designers in a bargain store? It just doesn't sit well... Plus, nothing is really that cheap? Unless you consider $85 for a satin singlet cheap. My favourite section of the entire store is the 'damaged' section, where you can usually find the really good, new stuff, but perhaps a button is missing. If you are in this store, head to that rack, everything else might make you cry.

This shop was great, but it is now gone, from Brunswick Street that is. It is just a Dangerfield…read moreoutlet now. You're welcome. (Would love to have known before I drove there today, ahhh...)

With hats, bags, and wallets up for grabs at $1 and cool t-shirts available for around the $10…read moremark, Clear It! is an absolute goldmine if you are prepared to sort through the ~90% of the crap they have here. Coming from the UK, shopping here is akin to shopping at TK Maxx. There are lines and lines of racks and there is treasure to be found in amongst the rest of the very run of the mill stuff. You could easily spend a good half an hour looking for bargains here. There are huge discounts and if you endure it will be well worth your search.

Ever have that argument with your wardrobe? I have nothing to wear!…read more Well luckily Clear It! is near! This massive fashion outlet is just what you've been looking for! Stocking brands such as Dangerfield, Friends of Couture, Jack London, Revival and more you will not be short of options for something new to add to your wardrobe. I actually come here once a week, its that cheap. Singlets - 2 for $10, Shirts from $10, pricing is ridiculous here! My favourite purchases include a 3 / 4 long Dangerfield coat, originally $250, i scored it for $75. Even picked up a Jack London business shirt for $10!!! So fellas if you want some new kicks or clothes pay Clear It a visit and while you shop, the Clear It women's store is just a few shops up.

There is nothing I like better than knowing what product you are looking for and getting it for a…read morebargain. If you are looking for Converse products such as sneakers, clothing, tracksuits and windcheaters, then this is the place to go. Authentic Factory Outlets is located furthest from the city end of Smith Street amongst all the factory outlets offering products with labels at cheaper prices than you find in regular stores. I managed to get a pair of Converse One Stars and even got some free Converse socks to sweeten the deal. It's not only Converse in this Authentic Factory Outlet, you can also get a number of other cheap shoes and other street wear at discounted products such as Tommy Hilfiger. This part of Smith Street is great for the bargain hunter and this Authentic Factory Outlets is a must.

Located right in the middle of one of Melbourne's key shopping districts is the trendy little gift…read morestore Universal. I stumbled across the Universal Outlet one day when I was looking for a birthday gift for a friend. Luckily Universal came to my rescue. The stock is a mixture of chic decoration type items like photo frames, flower vases. wall fixtures etc. coming in a range of modern patterns and colours there is lots to choose from. I wandered around the store trying to refrain for purchasing items from myself! Finally I choose a large white sculpture that spelled the word "peace," the letter a had been coloured in a soft blue, it looked elegant and modern and had a nice price attached too. The store itself isn't overly large, but I would definitely recommend a look through Universal if your stuck for gift ideas or even wanting something special for yourself.

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.

A decidedly standard outlet store. The staff were nice and helpful, but the store itself was rather…read morelackluster in the most important way (what is actually for sale). Discounts were quite hefty, ranging from 30-70% of the standard Icebreaker tag. I'm quite a fan of the clothing. Icebreaker is an easy option to throw on another layer if it's chilly out. The store is worth checking out if you have some spare time, but I wouldn't go expecting to find anything. Most of the stock was women's clothing (just as a heads up)--also don't expect to find anything in a small or medium. If you have something specific you are looking for it's probably best just to wait for an online discount. TLDR: Nice Store, Good Discounts, Bad Selection (what drags down the rating for me--kind of important for a store).

I've long been a fan of Icebreaker clothing as it's terrific for travelling and also everyday wear…read more Despite being made from Merino wool, the items are cool to wear and breathe, meaning that even when you get hot and sweaty on a hike or long travel journey, you won't end up stinking out the place! With different weights of fabric, you can make sure you stay cool in summer and warm in winter. The clothing is robust and will survive a washing machine visit if you don't treat them too roughly. Lighter fabrics are easy to handwash in a hotel sink and dry quickly enough for next day wear. The downside to Icebreaker? Being technical wear made from high quality New Zealand wool, it's bloody expensive! A pair of undies will set you back around $35 and a coat upwards of $500! That's where the outlet comes in... everything here is substantially reduced and if you come during a sale time you can walk away with a number of pieces at heavily discounted prices. A few months ago I got a new travel and exercise hoodie and rather than paying over $300 just for the one piece, I got it along with a tshirt and singlet dress for around the same amount of coin! I've been wearing it at least a few days a week since then and it's still looking good with no pilling.

Factory Outlets don't sound very sexy and admittedly my snobby attitude has often kept me away from…read morethem. But on an afternoon stroll up Smith Street, the words "Nothing over $20" caught my eye and I had to have a gander. As a woman I have often gazed lovingly at gorgeous underwear from brands such as Elle McPherson, Fayreform and the ever impressive Pleasure State. I have then looked at the price tags and almost cried. But not at the Bendon Factory Shop. The prices here are so low that you almost want to give them more money. Pleasure State in particular can be up to $150 for a bra - for ONE BRA. At the Bendon Factory Shop? 20 bucks. Now we can all afford to feel (and look) smokin' hot in our knickers. Ladies, buy up!

I like beautiful underwear but I don't like the prices. Enter: the Bendon Factory Shop. Down the…read morediscount end of Fitzroy's Smith Street, the Bendon Factory Shop stocks a range of underwear by labels such as Bendon and Elle Macpherson at quite frankly flabbergastingly low prices. As such, queues for changing rooms and suchlike can be formidable but if you're wise and avoid this place like the proverbial plague at weekends you can come away with more than a few bargains without too much hoopla. $10 bra sales and the like are commonplace and you can easily save up to 70% on some very saucy smalls. A quick caveat emptor: there's a reason that a lot of this stock is discounted with some odd - and overly kinky - designs and not the best range of sizes on offer. As such, do make sure you choose wisely to avoid mistakenly returning home with too small smalls or crotchless panties. That said, for eagle eyed lingerie lovers the Bendon Factory Shop is an absolute must visit.