Australian Members - Page 1206

Originally Posted by Pink Socks 

My 2 pence (5 cents) worth on Melbourne menswear - http://linenforsummertweedforwinter.tumblr.com/post/16382719413/hey-man-i-saw-a-couple-of-places-that-youre-from
Still seeking more advice on Sydney if anyone has any other recommendations. Thanks to those who have chipped in so far.
PS Thanks for the link to that ebay trader GN, lots of tempting stuff there. TehFunnyBunny, look at the seller's other item - pretty sure you can find an example of what you are looking for there.

Originally Posted by lachyzee 

Oh and if you go to Lygon St, definitely stop into this place!: https://plus.google.com/105237337308062406919/about?gl=au&hl=en
 

Originally Posted by Selvaggio 

There's also "Voi" in the city..http://voi.com.au/ It is a bit like a more conventional retail version of Azzaro
I know some here don't rate it - and it certainly is a bit hit and miss. Don't be put off by the Versace satin disco pants. It is certainly worth a look. They stock some Brunello Cucinelli (including shoes), Luciano Barbera. I haven't been in for a while, but I have bought Ballantyne cashmere there in the past. If you are looking for efficienct time use - the city MJBale Store and Harrolds are across the road from Voi in the Centrepoint/Westfield (which is basically an almost sick-inducing temple to materialism, but also quite fun for a bit of a look, if you know what I mean) - the food court and some of the restaurants in there are pretty good and they have GAP, Zara, RM Williams, Bottega Venta, Rhodes and Beckett.
The bottom floor of Westfield is more yoof-oriented - my daughters like it. As well as the mass-trash brands, they also have your quirky japanese T-shirts, trainers, juice bars etc. They have a kind transient 'market place' zome for upcoming local designers - so lots of small-run ladies gear. If you are travelling with a Ms Pink-Socks she might like it.
The Queen Victoria Building has a lot of big name brands - probably not much of interest to the likes of is - but it does have the Ralph Lauren store and a small Herringbone store. But the building itself is magnificent. There are some nice coffe shop/casual eating places to hang out in on the upper floors. Bacco is probably the best of them. CVB also has a fantastic (if somewhat expensive) pen shop. I like to browse in the Antique Print Room. If you are looking for gifts there is also an outpost of the NY Met Museum of Art store on the top floor.
Opposite the QVB in George St is Galleries Victoria - which is basically a smaller version of Westfied in which the leasing department is run by hipsters. So you will find Incu, Carhartt, SUperdry...more Japanese T shirts etc. The food courts is excelent for a quick lunch stop. It has what I think is Sydney's best bookstore - kinokuniya - and the Japanese noodle place just near it is very good.
Do you like coffee? Go to Mecca near the corner of King and York Streets or Klink (281 Clarence - inside the Gaffa Gallery, which is worth a look as well).
Do you like random urban wandering? Walk through the Rocks (which is beautiful but pretty much prostituted to the tourist dollar) through to the Western side of the Harbour bridge (Millers Point) for streets lind with Georgian and Victorian architecture with glimpses of the Harbour and, along the shore, early 20th century wharf buildings. There is Fratelli down there and a number of places to eat. Or you could catch a ferry from Circular Quay or Darling Harbour across to Balmain. As a resident I'm a little biased, but I think it is one of the most intersting built landscapes in Australia, with its mix of sandstone buildings, workers cottages and the odd mansion here and there.
I hope you have a good time.

Originally Posted by Selvaggio 

Love Circa! It is like a stream of bat's piss - a shaft of gold when all around is darkness.
 

Originally Posted by PapaRubbery 

I've walked past there a few times. Looks good, but it's usually at night after dinner, so I've never been in.
What are they like in terms of brands stocked and price? 
You've spoken highly of them, and from the outside the store looks pretty good - but I've just never heard anyone else mention them, that's all. 

The University of Sydney's Prudence Black will address a Melbourne conference today on the history of the garment, as worn by government workers. She traced the cardigan's 19th-century origins, as clothing worn by manual workers – "tradespeople, fishermen, in fact anything but a desk job" – to its ubiquity among bureaucrats in the 1960s.

Today, the word cardigan remains a pejorative term used to describe an ineffectual public servant. And wearing one can connote a laidback work ethic, stemming from the outdated notion that a public servant has a job for life. "There's this idea that having the security of a government job allows a relaxed manner in regard to dress codes, and this in turn allows an informality of dress," Dr Black said.

"If you're characterised through the stereotype of cardigan- wearing, it can mean you're out of date or stuck in your ways."

However, some attitudes are shifting, thanks in part to Ms Obama, who regularly wears the maligned garment at high-profile events. She even wore a black cardigan on the night her husband won the 2008 presidential election. Dr Black said: "I love the way she wears them: she pulls the sleeves up, as though she's saying: 'I'm ready to work.' "There's a physicality about the way she wears it; it's no-nonsense and practical. You can't imagine Julia Gillard or Margaret Thatcher in a cardigan."

Dr Black said the cardigan was the worker's friend: practical, as it could be thrown in a bag or over the back of a chair, or worn after work to "dress up" an outfit.

But she noted a recent trend in some workplaces, such as law firms in Sydney and Melbourne, towards more conservative dress and grooming codes. Even Canberrans know not to wear a cardigan in Parliament.

However, Dr Black hoped public servants' love of the garment will not succumb to the weight of an old, negative stereotype. "That would be such a shame, because cardigans are so comfortable and so useful."

Dr Black will speak today at the Institute of Public Administration Australia's conference, which, among weightier issues, is exploring workplace fashion.

Originally Posted by Pink Socks 

Thank you for the Sydney knowledge chaps. I will probably only have a day (Sunday) so will see what I can fit in. Already done the tourist visit a couple of times so will be looking for more a relaxing day wandering around the city or a few suburbs after doing Tough Mudder on Saturday. Will bear in mind some of the other suggestions for next time I am up that way for a few days. Hoping the weather will be good this weekend. Thanks again, appreciate the advice.

Originally Posted by fxh 


Bonapartes is a little secret to some of us. Traditional menswear shop. Owner operator. Nice bloke, good selection, sort of own brands, eu sourced, reasonable, not cheap /not expensive prices - possibly melbourne best range of sport coat colours and materials. Good selection of slacks. And suits. Not the sort of place we want random arrogant ignorant iGentts walking into and throwing their weight around. Everyone else who will pay respect to owner is welcome to know about it.

....cardigans came out of a working tradition. Named after the 7th Earl of Cardigan, they were first worn by soldiers during the Crimean War in 1854, and then they became associated with manual work - tradespeople, fisherman – in fact anything but a desk job