OXFORD ST OP-SHOP HOP
BY Tulliz Moriah
I’ve spent a lot of time between classes (and during, let’s be real) hunting these stores down for their best preloved goodies. Consider this your unofficial guide to op-shopping down Oxford Street.
Price range: $10 - $90
Quality: 5/5
Vibe: Season 2 of Gossip Girl
Where your money goes: The Australian Red Cross Foundation: humanitarian aid during times of crisis
The colour-coded visual merchandising of the Red Cross’ Paddington store is just *chef’s kiss*. From what I remember of my last visit, this store is predominately women's’ clothing with a very modern feminine-chic aesthetic. Hot tip: keep an eye on their jewellery and accessories.
This 100% silk shirt I bought from them was originally from Country Road. I took it home, gave it a chop, and it now serves as one of my favourite cropped tops.
Price range: $15 - $150
Quality: 5/5
Vibe: Vintage rocker-chic
The C’s on Oxford is my all-time fave so I may be a smidge biased, but if you’ve been looking for the perfect retro leather jacket I guarantee you’ll find it here. Items here are genuinely vintage so they may have a little age on them, but are high quality nonetheless. Other gems you may find include fur coats, Hawaiian shirts, small lens sunglasses, and maybe a pair of leather cowboy boots (if you’re lucky).
Here’s a glorious suede jumper I nabbed from them earlier this year for $50.
Price range: $5 - $50
Quality: 3/5
Vibe: Intern at a start-up
Where your money goes: The St Vincent de Paul’s Society: assisting those who experience poverty and homelessness
As with most Vinnies’, this one is a clothing mart with a little bit of everything. This particular store is quite large, so you may have to dig to find what you’re looking for, but chances are you’ll find it eventually.
Originally, this Zara skirt (which I nabbed for $10) was midi-length, asymmetrical, and outdated. I gave it a big chop as soon as I got home, and now it makes for the perfect party outfit.
Price range: $5 - $50
Quality: 3.5/5
Vibe: Someone who just KonMarie’d their closet from the 70s
Where your money goes: The St Vincent de Paul’s Society: assisting those who experience poverty and homelessness
Yup, that’s right! There’s another Vinnies just down the road. Compared to the Paddington one, this Darlinghurst store is smaller in size but more generous in hidden gems. Again, you may need to dig a little to find something golden, but less stock means less to sort through.
This oversized houndstooth coat with glorious shoulder pads is my pride and joy, and one of my first ever op-shop finds. I picked it up from this location over a year ago for $30.
Price range: $15 - $150
Quality: 4/5
Vibe: “My fine arts majors are painting and drawing.”
And another one. The Surry Hills C’s Flashback is just as glorious as its Paddington counterpart, but here you’ll find just a little more dungaree variety, retro brand logos, and whole lot of meme-worthy graphics tees. Be sure to check out their Insta for a peek.
Have yet to make a purchase from this specific store, but here’s a snap of this glorious 90s style leather jacket for $60 that I was a little too skint to buy at the time.
Other stores on this route worth checking out:
· Fabrique Vintage (127 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst)
· Cream on Crown (316-318 Crown Street, Surry Hills)
· U-Turn (33/277 Crown Street, Surry Hills)
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