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Shopping trails of Sydney

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Discover the best bargains for clothing and accessories to be found in and around the city

Are you a keen shopper and wondered about having a handy shopping guide that would reveal secrets about ‘shopping like an expert’?

When it comes to advising people on advising people about how to get more bang for their buck at selective shopping locations, I believe I can do a decent job. So were are some of Sydney’s best shopping precincts and how can you make the most of your shopping experience.

I tend to look at shopping categorically and would broadly split it into: luxury, high street, outlets, markets and online.

However, I must confess that I’m not much of an online shopping expert. I love the total experience of getting out there; walking in and out of stores, trying on outfits and refreshing myself with a coffee and snack stopover after a perfectly satisfying conclusion.

Luxury shopping

These words are enough for any girl to feel weak in her knees! After all, it’s not often that most of us get to purchase a coveted investment piece!

Whether it is the Louis Vuitton, Burberry or Paspaley stores on George Street or the Prada, Gucci and Miu Miu in Sydney’s City Westfield, these shop windows are sure to take your breath away. The grandiose interiors will leave you spellbound and desiring to be rich and beautiful like a movie star!

Besides these, you can head to Pitt, Castlereagh and King’s streets in the city centre for plenty of luxury stores and almost all of the world’s top brands for clothing, shoes, bags, scarves and watches. Also, selected David Jones and Myers stock up on many international brands from Diane Von Furstenberg to Marc by Marc Jacobs and more.

High street shopping

Now we’re talking more real stuff! For those of you unfamiliar with this term, ‘high street’ brands actually mean brands that are inspired by runway fashion, yet are casual enough to wear on the street and affordable for most people. Some of the top ‘high street’ brands as quoted in this month’s Instyle magazine are – Zara, Topshop, Country Road, Witchery and Cue. While Zara has its origin in Spain and Topshop is a UK based brand, Cue, Country Road and Witchery are very much Australian, much loved and extremely wearable, with superior quality and design!

Most Westfield shopping centres house these stores and you can find the latest season’s collections. I also like to sift through the ‘sale’ or reduced items rack and am often pleasantly surprised to find serious bargains without compromising on quality.

In particular, a well-cut dress, stylish knit or trendy print is what you can expect to find at Cue, Witchery and Country Road, respectively.

Factory Outlets

Now this category probably interests all types of people, from the shopaholic to the frugal shopper; from the spender to the budget conscious buyer. No wonder people throng to these outlets like ants to a sugar cube!

Haven’t we all been to DFO Homebush and Birkenhead Point at some point, in search of great pieces for a great price?

Visit outlets at off peak times if possible, to have a much more relaxed experience and avoid long queues to get into the store! Next, what should you look for? Wardrobe staples, of course. Your best bet for these would be brands like Veronika Maine, Marcs, Cue or Jag. A black dress, pencil skirt, striped tee or grey knitted pullover could easily be picked from a last season collection and still be on trend.

Must visit stores also on my list are Coach, Oroton, Burberry and Michael Kors for some much loved luxury accessories that will not necessarily burn a hole in your pocket!

Cosmetic Direct stores can be a winner too, you can expect to find your favourite Burberry, Versace or Chloe for a fraction of the cost. Don’t forget to look in the little boxes placed all around for an assortment of Essie nail colours, Maybelline eye pencils and tiny treasures you can literally buy with gold coins!

Markets

Markets may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you need to go there only a few times to learn what to look for and how. Paddy’s markets are inarguably one of the largest and best places to visit, and I’m not just talking souvenir shopping. It is one of the best places to find reasonably priced yet authentic pearls, quirky accessories and trendy clothes at crazy prices. If you are looking for more classy options, the Glebe, Rozelle or North Sydney markets will meet your needs. I love to look for pre-loved luxury pieces here as you are assured of authenticity and sometimes they are in pristine condition too. You can come across a vintage treasure or a unique collection from a local designer that will have you rapt!

Wherever you opt to shop and no matter what you are looking for, I hope this little shopping guide will give you some good insights and tips to make your next trip a success! Happy shopping…

Kalyani Wakhare
Kalyani Wakhare
An architect by training and a fashion blog writer by passion, I equally love my day job of being a mum. I am a shopaholic, bargain hunter and trend spotter. The next best thing to shopping for me is styling or writing and reading all about fashion!

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