Browse some of Sydney’s best vintage at the Collective Ensemble
Vintage shops worth checking out
01 Blue Works Men’s clothing of all shapes and sizes has been flown into this Surry Hills store from Britain, Japan and United States. It’s a stylish shop where you’ll find flat caps and tweed jackets. 2/322 Bourke St, Surry Hills 2010.
02 C’s Flashback Like its Paddington sibling, this store is a go-to for men’s and women’s denim and leather jackets. You’ll discover fur coats and frilly frocks, plus shoes in all levels of distress. 314 Crown St, Surry Hills 2010.
03 Cream On Crown & Cream on King Pick up a recycled Tommy Hilfiger shirt to match your cut-off denim shorts at the Surry Hills store, or head to Newtown for vintage cotton dresses and retro band tees. 32/277-285 Crown St, Surry Hills 2010 & 317 King St, Newtown 2042.
04 Dolly Up Dolly Up has dresses for special occasions from labels like Valentino and Neiman Marcus. Expect to find tea dresses from the 1930s and silky jumpsuits from the ’70s. 382 Cleveland St, Surry Hills 2010.
05 Forever Vintage This boutique specialises in vintage bridal gowns: you’ll find their dresses on the pages of Hello May and White wedding magazines. They’ve got full skirts and fur coats for cocktail parties, too, from sizes 4 to 20. 412 Lyons Rd, Five Dock 2046.
06 Potts Point Vintage Furs, bridal dresses and menswear are specialities here, and owner Arnold Kieldgaard also has a soft spot for vintage glassware and English fine china and anything from the 1930s. 2/8a Hughes St, Potts Point 2011.
07 Queen Justine Vintage The reigning empress of ’90s crop tops and bralets is Queen Justine Vintage. Step into the Redfern studio to get nostalgic T-shirts or leotards before your next Retrosweat party. 122 Regent St, Redfern 2016.
08 Retrospec’d Clothing Not strictly vintage, but inspired by looks from the ’50s, Retrospec’d recreates wiggle dresses and prom frocks using new fabrics, made here in Australia. 451 King St, Newtown 2042.
09 Sammy & Sid This Northern Beaches boutique is where the smart shoppers of Manly pick up second-hand brands without the price tag. We find a near-new jumpsuit from Zara for under $200 and a ’90s romper for $100. 149 Pittwater Rd, Manly 2095.
10 Zoo Emporium No one does vintage quite like Zoo. With two floors devoted to their craft, Zoo’s entire ground floor is for sale items only. The store specialises in ’70s and ’80s funk and retro tees. 180 Campbell St, Darlinghurst 2010.