One would think that you were walking in to a clothing store titled 'Mr Simple' as you walk past…read morethis Brunswick Street boutique however The Lab is just doing some advertising (albeit, over-the-top advertising) for one of their main labels. So don't be turned off by the name! This is a great place to shop for a man of any style - you can get some great basics like jeans and plain tees, but then also head down the relaxed-surfer-skater path if you choose. I love all the sunnies that they stock in the window and while this is specifically a store for men, I have purchased a few pairs in my time. Perfect for that sunny day at a festival. The staff are lovely and are happy to let you browse around and the prices are very reasonable.

The Lab Store is a men's clothing shop that sells dapper basics for the slightly more sophisticated…read moreex-skater type. Their clothes are free from bells and whistles and are generally quite plain. However, their stuff is still fashion-forward and not dull. They have a decent selection of jackets, crewnecks and hoodies, shirts, t's and jeans. They also have a good selection of shoes (mostly Vans, but a wide variety) and sunglasses.

I'm like Arabella. I love sunglasses. I actually rely on them for sight when I'm outdoors,…read moreregardless of the sun shining or not. And I love how they can change the shape of your face, each pair making you look subtly, and sometimes ridiculously, different. Sunglasses are my fave accessory, steadily followed by bags and then shoes. And although I love the range of designer labels and the look of the fabulous range of glasses, I've always been too intimidated to ask to try them on. I mean, I'm the sort of person who can stand trying on glasses for over an hour. Easily. And I just don't think it would be appropriate to annoy a salesperson for that long, trying on everything she has in her beautiful display cabinet. It's that, and the fact that these beautiful sunnies would cost my kids their uni fund. And because I'm the sort of person who sits on my glasses, drops them, leaves them in harms way (i.e kids), I probably average a new pair a month, its just not possible for me to shop here. They are beautiful though.

I don't have many addictions, but sunglasses certainly number among the few. At once glamorous,…read moremysterious and just ruddy good sense eye-health wise, there is nothing more fun than shopping for sunglasses. And sometimes a trip to prosaic ole Sunglass Hut just won't do. My other favourite option? Moot Designer Sunglasses. Located within Melbourne Central station, Moot Designer Sunglasses stocks an incredible range of sunglass brands, from the expected - Tom Ford, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent - to the local - Ksubi, Le Specs - to the very expensively nichely hard to find. Balenciaga, Linda Farrow Luxe, Cazal, I'm talking to you. Prices are predictably frightening, staff predictably pretty and stock predictably locked away under lock and key. If I could change one thing about Moot it would be this. Sunglass shopping is so much more fun when you don't have to ask to try embarrassingly inappropriate things on.

Great service and decent prices for glasses and sunglasses. If you buy two pairs you will get a…read morediscount as well. Only thing is they don't have an optimist rust so you need to bring your prescription in.

Hooray, a place where I can buy glasses that don't make me look like an I.T consultant, or dowdy…read morelibrarian. Funnily enough I was brought to Funky Spex by my mother - a woman whose tastes are dubious at the best of times. At least she got this right. Funky Spex has great glasses. They've got super-modern-intellectual-architect style frames, and secretary in Mad Men vintage frames. They also have some plain and simple frames too if that's what your into. They also have optometrists who can give you an eye examination, and a fleet of helpful sales assistants who will happily spend hours with you browsing the collection and giving advise about which frames suit you best. They aren't cheap, but the quality is there and the frames really are unique. I always receive compliments about my frames (check out my profile picture if you want to see them). They also have a section attached to the main store that sells discounted stock, where you can try and pick up some bargain frames. Friendly service and unique frames make Funky Spex a winner.

The photograph on my library card has been decreed the 'geekiest photo ever' by my kindly friends…read more The reason? I was wearing my spectacles. They may be Marc Jacobs but they were chosen in haste. A spectacle faux pas that could easily have been avoided had I known about Funky Spex on Johnston Street. A boutique specialising in unusual spectacles and sunglasses by cult brands such as Oliver Goldsmith and Thierry Lasry, Funky Spex has its very own idiosyncratic optical style along with sales assistants that look like they'd be equally at home as stylists on some esoteric lifestyle magazine. The selection really is extraordinary with an emphasis on brightly coloured, retro spectacles and the kind of sunglasses that are almost too beautiful to wear. If you have a thing for high-end eyewear and don't mind spending a few bob procuring probably the most beautiful pair of specs you'll ever set eyes on, you should visit Funky Spex.

As far as gift/homewares shops go, I think Urban Attitude is the most fun. Filled with so much…read morestuff that absolutely no one will ever 'need', but is fun to have. Makes it a great place to go gift hunting if you're unsure what to get someone. I love their collection of designer cards. They're a bit out there and random, which is how I like my gift cards. No soppy Hallmark greetings for me, thanks. The stuff you can find here is genuinely fun/random/hipster, not like the cheap knock off/trying-too-hard stuff you find at other larger stores *cough* Typo *cough* The staff are lovely to boot and will help you track down something quirky be it poster art, wallets, toys, kitchen ware or maybe a T-Rex lamp.

I love love love this store! Full of super cute, fun and quirky things, Urban Attitude is great for…read morebuying gifts, finding unique things to fill your home with, and taking everyday things and turning them into something special. Take for example the best knife block holder I' ve ever seen...Its a silhouette of a person ( I like the one in fire engine red) with six or seven slits throughout the body, so when you put your knives in they look like they are going through the body..... okay, I just re-read that, and now I sound like a crazy person who thinks stabbing people is awesome. AWKWARD......But seriously its really cool. When you walk into the St Kilda store, you feel off balance, until you realise that it is the shelves and design of the store that is off balance, not yourself. I think it really suits the concept they are going for. Definitely go check it out.

When I'm a wee bit older I don't want to be revered for my intelligence a la Germaine Greer or…read morecelebrated for being enduringly aesthetically pleasing like Sophia Loren. No, no. I want to be able to rock a pair of spectacles like the lovely lady at Fokus. A tiny little boutique located on Centre Place with its sights set firmly on the eyewear market, Fokus sells an incredible range of its own brand sunglasses and spectacles alongside pricier frames by brands including Sydney favourites Isson and ultra high-end label l.a.Eyeworks. Fokus' own brand sunglasses are fashion forward and beautiful looking - if a little flimsy feeling - with prices at around the $90 mark. And with more than a little of a Karen Walker eyewear feel about them, Fokus' sunglasses are as stylish as the pricier brands on offer but much more accessible. Whoever does the buying for this boutique obviously knows their stuff, as alongside an incredible eyewear collection, Fokus sells a few choice accessories - numbering hats, wallets, jewellery and more - which adhere firmly to the label's cool, functional aesthetic. If you're sick of the Guccis, Versaces and Ray Bans of the sunglass market, get yourself along to Fokus. Your peepers will thank you.

I was first attracted to Rogues because of a stripey dress in the window but knowing I had just…read morebought three dresses next door, I decided to restrain myself. I was however feeling generous and decided to look at the men's section for a gift for my partner. A man can never have enough t-shirts, in my opinion so I began browsing. Rogues has a good range of t-shirts with some wacky designs but the winning designs were from Monster threads. I love graphic design so these t-shirts won me over. Rogues also carries a staple range of Havaiana slippers, ultra hip sunglasses and casual clothes that would make you fit into the St Kilda beach culture instantly.

Rogues are an urban clothing store on Acland St in St Kilda. They have all of the brands with a mix…read moreof street, surf and fashion. I wanted to look for jeans where they have the big brands like Lee, Levi's and Cheap Mondays where they have a large range of styles and sizes. You're bound to find something you like in the jeans section. Most of the other clothes didn't really tickle me. The street styles and alternative fashion clothes weren't really appealing as sometimes these big brands try to replicate what is seen as "cool". The band and arty prints were a little too "try hard" for my liking. Perfect for jeans but I wouldn't go crazy over the rest of their clothes.