Phoebe Angel is a glorious, affordable women's fashion store, following all the latest fashion…read moretrends coming in from Asia. Long socks, mini skirts, long fur coats and feminine trenches and military style coats in blacks, whites and pinks. Lace dresses, crochet tops, mini dresses and maxis. It truly is a haven for any girl (or twenty something woman) who loves the latest, pretty lacey trends at prices you can afford.

Want authentically designer vintage sunglasses by brands such as Ted Lapidus Paris and hip hop…read morefavourite Cazal? Or cute party dresses by Marc Jacobs or Givenchy? Head to Curve Vintage. Domiciled on Gertrude Street, my favourite little strip for vintage clothing in Melbourne bar none, Curve Vintage sells an incredible range of vintage clothing and accessories with a good smattering of vintage designer and contemporary second hand pieces thrown in for good measure. My one Curve Vintage qualm? It feels as if the place is never open. But InStyle - which ranks it amongst Victoria's best vintage boutiques - assures me that this is because Curve is open for the abbreviated hours of midday until 6pm from Tuesday to Saturday much like many of the exclusive little boutiques dotted along Gertrude. If you're serious about your vintage you will seriously love Curve. Prices are attendantly pretty steep but as most vintage afficionados know, a great vintage find is priceless.

Curve is in my top five places to buy vintage in Melbourne - it has everything: women's clothing,…read moremen's clothing, sunglasses, shoes, belts, bags, a kickass store, great staff and a great range of stock. I come here with my partner because he likes to check out the men's racks and try on vintage jackets and shirts. I have to say that Curve's collection of men's wear is phenomenal and they cater for a lot of different styles: there are wacky and lurid shirts, and reserved and classic dinner jackets. I spend most of my time on the other side of the store buried amongst the women's wear. During the winter months I would stock up on boots and the warmer dresses that I could easily wear with tights. When I visited last time there were some gorgeous summer dresses and shorts perfect for the hot weather. The prices are quite high but I honestly don't mind paying. The clothes and accessories are fantastic and the service is always great.

This shop is cuuuute. What with its sweet wallpaper, art deco ceiling lights, counter top vintage…read morebirdcage, and all the other gorgeous little things dotted about the store, you know the owners have a good eye for design. And most importantly, their eye for design shows in the labels they stock and the garments hanging on their racks. The other day there was the most adorable white peter pan collared navy blue dress in the window beckoning me into the store. I resisted knowing that my dollar count was low, but the dress has emblazoned itself on my mind and I reckon I'll be back on pay day. You'll find mostly independent antipodean designer goods on the racks with a smattering of international stuff.

I think I'm a bit weird, or perhaps I'm just a lot more 'clucky' then I originally thought but when…read moreI first dropped in to Somebuddy Loves You I passed the stylish Karen Walker sunglasses and the uber trendy dresses and made a beeline straight for the kids clothes. I am a newly-made Auntie and I love spoiling the little brat, particularly with funky kids clothes and Somebuddy Loves You stocks the absolute best. I bought my nephew a very funky onesie with a picture of Jack Nicholson on the back and 'Easy Rider' written on the front, and a very spunky tee with some rock stars on the front. Since that first purchase I am now a regular. I look just as cool as the kid now!

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...)

Gorgeous little women's boutique clothing store, Laine is a lovely temptation to any girl passing…read moreby. Lots of high quality items that change regularly, it's a good place to pop in and check out some AU/NZ designer clothes (like Kate Sylvester) that you would get a lot of wear out of. Loads from the US and Paris too. It's priced accordingly, but not terrifyingly high end. I lucked out by looking at winter wear when one half of the store was all 50% off and scored myself a nice jacket at half price. The girls in the store are lovely and really helpful without being pushy. Bonus if Winnie the Whippet is in store to have a sneaky cuddle with. Look for her camouflaged in her bed up the back by the heater!

I love this store. I would pop in every day if I could, but alas a girl has to work…read more A very recent , welcome addition to the Bay St strip, Laine is set to become a much loved fashion store for local gals. Stocking everything from Ancient Greek Goddess sandals to keypad covers for your mac, gorgeous clothes from around the world to jewellery conversation starters made by some sisters in Queensland - you will be impressed by Laine. But quality stock is not the only thing Laine has going for it, the other key attraction to this store is the friendly assistance and guidance provided by it's lovely owner, Alyce. Oh and her sweet pooch Winnie is there to help too! There is no website or mailing list yet but you can get your fix of new arrivals from the Laine facebook page, even make an order from the photos for some items. There are items to suit all budgets and styles. Must go now, I have shopping to do.

I Understand now why this store has so many bad reviews ZERO CUSTOMER SERVICE. I had a very…read moreUNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE from the MALE MANAGER in Bourke Street i hope that THE SITE MANAGER ACTUALLY SEES THIS Came to the store because of an ERROR i made. A purchase online for 239 aud for the wrong shoes. Straight After purchasing the item i drove 30 mins to the store to tell them about the issue in the hopes that they can rectify it. Manager said nothing they can do. I should cancel order online i said i tried to cancel several times even showing him my phone and he wasnt even looking and so i politely said to him the option that you kept giving me isnt working. he kept shaking his head saying repeating "i understand but its not our fault its your fault" i said okay. I know its my fault i actually told you its my fault can you please stop saying its not your fault My point here is im trying to find some actual working solutions. He said " i know but im the manager here" Me: wtf where the fck did that come from i dont think we are understanding in the same level. I didnt once raise my voice or even put the blame on the staff or store. I actually even said onset. Its my fault. Really how can you become a manager with ZERO EMPATHY all hearing but NO listening skills. At least one of their staff Mel, who was actually just a regular staff bothered to empathize but to the manager if your reading this. DISGUSTING SERVICE.

Sadly, Melbourne doesn't do High Street fashion very well. The rather simple concept of quality on…read moretrend pieces at low prices just doesn't seem to translate. If the US and the UK can do it than why on earth can't we? Troves of Aussies return from overseas adventures raving about the shopping and, especially, raving about Zara. The extremely popular Spanish style emporium that offers cheap classic clothing. I think that Zara made the mistake of assuming that it's Melbourne customers hadn't checked out their awesome international stores. Because a lot us have and a lot of us are disappointed. Not only is the stock seasons old in some cases, but the prices are also really marked up. Despite the beautiful building that Zara is housed in, the interior still has a crappy department store vibe and the staff always seem stressed and harried. Word on the street is that English retail giant Topshop are coming to Melbourne. I only hope that they do a better job than Zara.