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Genki
Stocking funky Japanesey clothing for men, women and little rascals, Genki is a haven for all things cute, pink and quirky. Check out Genki's signature range of T-shirts with slogans such as 'I Love Kissing' and 'I Love Frisbee', as well as accessories and next-big-thing labels from London and New York.
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Greville Records
This den of music has been proffering advice, specialised titles and tickets for over 25 years. It's seen the street move through stages of grit to glitz and survived the download phenomenon. There's always a plum corner position in Melbourne for independent music and advice, and Greville Records is the pin-up example.
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Gwendolynne
A favourite for special-occasion dressing with a particular kind of Melburnian (soap stars and footballers' wives need not apply), Gwendolynne Burkin's historically referenced, precision-cut clothes are darkly feminine and seriously elegant. This back-street Fitzroy salon does nothing to distract from the general air of affected mystery.
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Hoss
Hoss carries a great range of designer clothes, boots 'n' all. Men's and women's jeans, shirts, dresses, knitwear and boots walk out of here on the bodies of many St Kilda-ites. Hoss' sister store, Milla ( M0358; 9537 1750; 210 Barkly St) specialises in stock for ladies, including bags.
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Hudson
Stocking a range of local designs and handpicked items from Japan and the US, Hudson can be relied on to source modern, lo-fi clothes with a twist (think baby trucker caps or killer knee-high socks). Local artists are regularly showcased in the front window (a Gorillaz-style cartoon of 'The Hudsonettes' appears from time to time) and choose the decorative novelty sticky tape when gift wrapping. Go for the one with baby elephants - it's '70s cute.
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Hunter Gatherer
Hunter Gatherer takes the work out of trawling through numerous racks of mothball-scented clothes. Run by the welfare organisation Brotherhood of St Laurence, Hunter Gatherer filters through its 26-odd op shops to bring you the hippest secondhand gear. It also stocks its own vintage-inspired label. All profits go to programmes to assist low-income families, the elderly and unemployed.
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Husk
This jewel-box version of the mini-empire's larger concerns in Albert Park and Toorak highlights the building's original Victorian ecclesia but evokes Persia and Paris. The curatorial range here is also eclectic - the unifying factor is luscious fabrics and a loving attention to detail. An early champion of the boho-luxe look, beloved of Melbourne's intelligentsia, it's the place to find Vixen, Easton Pearson and Gorman. There's also a small selection of own-brand teas and home wares.
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Jasper
In a city where coffee rivals football as 'the religion', many pray at the temple of Jasper. The smell of roasting beans lures you along Brunswick St and into these mouthwatering environs. Jasper selects the best coffee beans from around the world, with a heavy leaning towards organic and Fair Trade coffee, then roasts and blends them with heavenly results. You can pick up a take-home stash for the week, have a cup and a handmade chocolate in-house or fixate on the coffee machines and accoutrements.
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Kleins
Every inch of Kleins is packed with oils and unguents, charming scents and irresistible potions. In this tiny paradise you can feed an Occitane addiction or smother yourself in divine local Aesop products (you must have the Resurrection hand balm). Friendly staff will help you to navigate the cornucopia and will even wrap your precious finds. If you're stuck southside, don't despair - a second store awaits in St Kilda.
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Le Louvre
This is a Melbourne institution, and as with most institutions, many of us are too scared to step inside. Behind the classic and enigmatic façade, moneyed women are measured up for the likes of Westwood, Givenchy, Stella McCartney and Galliano. Society lady Lillian Wightman founded this treasure in 1935; it's now run by her daughter, Georgina Weir.
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Little Salon
Part art gallery, part retail outlet, this little store is an aesthete's heaven. Wearable art, such as bags woven from seat belts, knitted corsages and button bracelets, shares space here with pieces for your wall or shelf. Everything is locally made and extremely well priced.
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Marais
Calling something after a Parisian neighbourhood may smack of parochial insecurity, but happily this venture delivers as much subtle sophistication as its inspiration. Stealthily signposted on the secluded upper floor of the otherwise workaday Royal Arcade, the airy space is a delight, with raven-stained parquetry, glossy white panelled walls and witty fittings. The stock is challenging but elegant. International labels include Preen, Blaak and Balenciaga; fashion editor darlings Josh Goot and Toni Maticevski represent the locals.
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Melbourne Central
This shopping centre complex (with 300 stores, a cinema complex, bars and eateries) subsumed a number of Melbourne's arcades and alleyways when it was built, as well as a lead shot tower dating from 1889. The old brick chimney props incongruously beneath a great glass pyramid, a staid structure in a fast-moving retail environment.
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Mimco
Melbourne-based accessories label Mimco has made adjuncts like jewellery, hats and bags a main event. Oversized, soft, feminine and functional, Mimco's seasonal bag designs make a sassy statement. Hair clips and jewellery acknowledge that it's often the little things that count.
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Northside
Northside stocks everything from straight-up funk to Bollywood soundtracks, much of it on vinyl. When you've finished choosing your music, be sure to check out the store: it's like being inside a wave. Northside will also track down rare albums on request.
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Polyester
If Charles Manson had a personal library, Polyester Books would be it. Specialising in literature, magazines and audiovisual materials on topics from satanic cult sex to underground comics and everything in between, Polyester Books detests censorship. Its pride in its product and outspoken stance have attracted the attention of police, with Polyester facing legal battles.
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Queen
One of a number of independent clothing stores in the immediate area, Queen offers a range of bags, jewellery and clothes that you won't see on the backs of every second person you pass. The store has its own label but also stocks other Melbourne designers.
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Qv
Taking up a whole city block, this development is on the site of the old Queen Victoria Women's Hospital. It's a medley of apartments, commercial and retail space designed by three different architects to give the impression that the block was built up over time. It's like a parody of the city, with artificial laneways and arcades. The complex's retail residents comprise supermarkets and food stores (including Max Brenner, for those with a serious chocolate addiction), hairdressers and some of the city's finest boutique stores.
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Readings
Readings invites…well, reading, with beanbags in the kids area and bench seating in the literature section. Service goes beyond posting recent reviews and imparting well-founded opinion. Readings' side-window is a community service, displaying handwritten calls for housemates. Readings has a unique supply of Australian poetry and fiction, CDs and DVDs, and hosts regular in-store events with local and international literary speakers and musicians.
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RG Madden
Affordable style is RG's ethos. Eschewing already-established names, RG sources new design products from around the world. Whatever your designer want, it's likely you'll find a solution here. Kids' designer furniture, beautiful bins and cotton clothes - RG Madden's sharp range of home wares, furniture, jewellery, bags, stationery and electronic gadgetry will bamboozle even the most seasoned browser.
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Route 66
Nestled in Cathedral Arcade, Route 66 has been a vintage clothing stalwart for years. Menswear leans towards bowling shirts and sharp pants; womenswear is decidedly '50s va-va-voom: pencil skirts, cardigans with embroidered skulls and seamed stockings. Jewellery is heavy on the dice motif. Route 66 can also sort you out for a tiki mug, a book on hot rods or an eight ball for your gearstick.
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Scanlan & Theodore
Admired far and wide for consistently wearable, sexy clothes made with fine, unusual fabrics, this veteran label helped define the ultra-girlie (but not quite demure) Melbourne-girl look of the '80s. Idiosyncratic casual wear and far from sombre suiting are strong, but the label truly delivers when it comes to delightful dress-you-up dresses. Scanlan also has a store in South Yarra.
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Tl Wood
Teresa Liano and Christopher Wood have been outfitting Melbourne's style conscious from behind the scenes for many years. Their long-awaited love-child label gives us what we want (and really, really need): classic, stylish ladylike clothes, using the loveliest silks and wools, and cuts that flatter the female form, which are surreptitiously attention grabbing.
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Vegan Wares
Vegan Wares makes shoes from microfibre rather than leather so they're perfect for people who eschew animal products but still want something durable, comfortable and fashionable on their feet. The funky footwear comes in a broad range of styles for men, women and unisex, and can be made to order. Belts and wallets are also available.
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Zetta Florence
Zetta Florence specialises in long-term preservation for photographers and artists, as well as Australia's national archives. Its impressive showroom has been artistically arranged to display practical products, such as binders, folios and designer archive boxes, alongside exquisitely bound notebooks, quality papers and cards.
