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.

With so many second hand markets around these days, it's really a hit and miss as to whether you…read morewill luck upon scoring a good find for a decent price. Fitzroy market is a small market at the Fitzroy Primary School that has a well edited selection of clothes, books, shoes, bits and bobs. There is definitely an element of 'Fitzroy cool' at the market, with a younger range of sellers. Note, when I say younger, I'm talking 20-30s (which is the age bracket I fall in). This is one of my favorite markets around at the moment.

Great little local market held in the grounds of Fitzroy Primary School on the third Saturday of…read moreevery month in 2012 (it's previously been the first Saturday of the month). Mostly secondhand clothes, records, toys and bric-a-brac - almost always at very reasonable prices. Not many food and drink options: a sausage sizzle and a very good coffee stall, but there's plenty of other cafes and bakeries nearby on Smith or Brunswick Streets if that doesn't take your fancy. Entry by gold coin donation.

The thing I like most about Out of the Closet? Their t-shirts mean what they mean. Most t-shirts…read moredon't. You buy a t-shirt with an astronaut holding a boom box, you're probably not that keen on either astornauts OR boom boxes. But if you buy a t-shirt with a New Order album cover on, it's probably because you like New Order (okay, or because you want to be seen as the type of person who likes New Order). That kind of principle applies to most of what OTC sells. Whether it's good or not, whether it's cheap or not, none of it seems to be trading on aspirational branding. These are clothes to wear or to look good in, not to show how hooked into the cultural superstructure you are. They offer a mix of vintage and new clothes, and some of it can be a little pricey, but I'd still rather this than the manufactured white noise most places seem to sell these days.

It's been a while since I've popped into a vintage clothing store, so when I passed Out Of The…read moreCloset I thought I'd drop in. Their range is quite large, especially for guys. Their range of leather and denim jackets is pretty decent, plus some men's tweed suits which I tried to see if I could pull off, but the fit wasn't right. I did end up with a very cute navy and white pleated skirt that is reminiscent of the skirt Ann Reinking wears in the 'let's go to the movies' song scene of the 1982 film Annie. Let's just say the way that pleated skirt moved while she danced has stuck with me, so I'm beyond stoked to have my own similar number to wear now.

Good selection of coats, boots, jackets, jewelry. Fashionable designs of clothes and shoes too…read more Could be quite pricey though. The shop had good interiors. The staff was very warm.

I love vintage clothing but I am really bad at finding the good stuff. Any idiot can walk into an…read moreop shop and find a mohair jumper, but can they find the write size/colour/fit/style to bring it into 2016? Thankfully there are stores like Yesteryear that do the hard work for you. EVERYTHING in here is vintage but still able to be worn in a non-ironic, slightly laughable way. Of particular note, Yesteryear has some truly tremendous winter coats currently in store - faux fur but in that marvellous-ly "Fitzroy" manner. Think over the top leopard print that will make you look effortlessly cool with some skinny black jeans and some red lippy. There's also some bright yet chic silk scarfs and high-waisted leather skirts that I have my eye on... Watch out Yesteryear, I'm coming for you.

As admirable as its twin aims - fundraising for the Brotherhood of St Laurence charity and selling…read morea mixture of handpicked vintage and local designer stuff - no doubt are, I just can't get on board with Hunter Gatherer. It took a moment for the penny to drop that this was another - smaller - outpost of the Hunter Gatherer brand; and more than a little research to find out that Hunter Gatherer is actually the Brotherhood of St Laurence's boutique charity shop, where handpicked vintage items donated to the charity are sold through both the Fitzroy and CBD stores. A tiny little shop within the Royal Arcade, Hunter Gatherer's central Melbourne shop sells a similar - if smaller - range of stock to the Brunswick Street store with vintage being mostly of the eighties and onwards variety and also offering jewellery by local Melbourne designers. Being a bit of a stickler for quality vintage, Hunter Gatherer isn't quite up my street but if you like seventies and eighties garb Hunter Gatherer is the place to go. And the fact that this charity shop is run by the Brotherhood of St Laurence, whose ambitious goal is to alleviate poverty in Australia, means you can't get shopping more guilt free than Hunter Gatherer.

Qyite hard to find if you're unfamiliar with the place but otherwise, we found some really good…read morequality clothes (some were From ASOS and Tommy Hilfiger) for really cheap. The staff were really friendly and made us tourists feel so welcome. Will definitely come here again next time we go to Melbourne.

Hands-down the best Salvos store in Melbourne! And that isn't a pronouncement that comes lightly…read morefrom me. About 60% of the store is dedicated to furniture, and though I don't buy or know much about furniture, it all looks to be in good quality and beautifully attractive. Lots of wood and vintage glasswork and tapestry. Also lots of art deco era beauties, and ornately carved wood pieces. The book, record and magazine section is large, with lots of antique books and a large array of magazines, especially national geographies, which is great for teachers and other art-scounger enthusiasts. Though the clothing section is on the small side, there are always decent finds and most of the items are in pristine condition. My absolute favourite favourite bit, though, is the jewelry selection. Never before in an op-shop have I seen such good quality vintage pieces. Beautiful ornate necklaces, screw-on earrings (amazing!), delicate rings. The works. If you need a bonus, the staff are also gems. Last time I was there one of the women helped hold my hair back while I tried on necklaces. Talk about service!

The Abbotsford Salvation Army shop should be your first point of call when ever you're looking for…read morefurniture, because they've got a really big selection of decently priced stuff to choose from. They are also quite happy to negotiate costs, so make sure you try to bargain with them. They also sterilise mattresses, so you can be some very good quality beds there quite cheap. They have a decent selection of crockery and kitchenware, books, and a particularly good selection of records on offer. They're also selling a grand piano at the moment, so it's really got something for everybody. The clothing selection is nothing to write home about, so I definitely wouldn't make a trip there if you're only after clothes, but if you're interested in household stuff, check it out for sure!

It's nice to see something more local and personable during our recent flight from the States. As…read morecasual patrons and supporters of local goods and creative makers, it was actually a nice touch to complete our trip, as it reminded us of vibes previously accessible from past areas of residence. The entrance is by a very narrow street. It's not hard to find, but it may be tough to park. They didn't necessarily have anything I would have wanted, with the exception of graphic display blocks of various sizes, which I thought were very well-made. Prices were decent. Not irrationally cheap, but enough to support the vendors significantly. You likely can only walk here from the main street, as the road/path by this place is very narrow. The tram will definitely take you here.

A really cool little market full of local artists and designers. it is nice to buy products from…read morethe person who designed and made it, you get so much more information and it is nice to support local people not big business. Most stores accept cards so you don't have to carry cash. My girlfriend purchased some Kinetic Jewellery that looked great and was fun aswell, someone really put some thought into it. We then purchased a cool soy candle in a scientific looking jar. there was so many items we both liked, we will be back here for sure!!

The Brunswick Street precinct is one of those places where hip, vintage lovers go for all their…read moreshopping needs. And hot on my list of vintage stores to visit when I'm shopping here is the iconic Hunter Gatherer. But unlike regular vintage stores, the stock for this magnificent little shop is specially handpicked from the huge assortment of fashion pieces donated to the Brotherhood of St Laurence community stores. (Read: genuine second-hand garb that has been pre-loved and is now looking for a new home) Hunter Gatherer also sells a good range of jewellery sourced from local artisans and creative types. Check out Greg Mann's clever pieces that feature antique cutlery and Gabriella Hirst's coral inspired necklaces and bangles. And while you're there, you must check out the kooky range of hats, shoes and bags. Hat lowers will especially adore the funky collection of hats and cute clutch bags made from pre-loved vintage fabrics.

I support op shops as regularly as I can by shopping for clothes. I love a bargain and I love…read morefinding a vintage gem, and if by doing so I'm also donating money to a charity then that's a huge bonus. And so it goes for Hunter Gatherer, the Brotherhood of St Laurence's retail store of handpicked vintage garments, sorted for us and neatly hung, taking the sometimes whiffy pain out of buying from op shops. The garments here are apparently the cream of the crop, and as much as I like the idea of this store, i've never found anything in it that I've liked very much. It could be that the clothes seem to only go as far back as the 70s, and that's probably my least favourite decade to wear (the 80s comes a close second, and well, I still have stuff from the 90s in my wardrobe from when I lived it). Where are all the gorgeous 40s, 50s and 60s dresses? That's what I would, and do, happily pay more for. Still, it's the BSL and we should show our support. For me though, I will do so by buying at their op shops and be my own hunter gatherer.