Souvenirs & Mementos
Go on a ‘shopabout’ around Sydney for an ideal window into the city’s vibrant, neighborhood-oriented culture.
Strand Arcade to Elizabeth Bay
Aesop
Strand Arcade, 412-414 George Street, CBD | +61 2 9235 2353
Our love for this Australia-made brand runs deep due in no small part to its heavenly line of botanically based products. The Aesop tradition of having individual stores take on the persona of their cultural environs is worth seeing for yourself. Case in point, the futuristic gallery feel of the Strand Arcade location.
David Jones
65 – 77 Market Street, CBD | +61 2 9266 5544
In the grand tradition of Selfridges or Le Bon Marché, there is David Jones, a high-end department store with a long local history. While visiting, don’t miss WILLOW, an in-store boutique offering the wares of one of Sydney’s most sough-after lines. And if you’re feeling particularly swanky, the David Jones VIP Personal Shopping services are rumored to be legendary.
Arida
61 Macleay Street, Potts Point | +61 2 9357 4788
This Potts Point area lifestyle boutique packs a punch, carrying the likes of Superfine, Costume National and Rick Owens alongside a worldly collection of housewares.
bloodorange
35 Elizabeth Bay Road, Elizabeth Bay | +61 2 9357 2424
This small but impeccably curated boutique has become the go-to for polished, cool girl staples from an impressive stable of contemporary brands.
Double Bay to Paddington
Belinda
8 Transvaal Avenue, Double Bay | +61 2 9357 2424
You can’t get far in a conversation about Sydney shopping without mention of former top model Belinda Seper’s eponymous retail empire. Her unassailable eye is trusted by Sydney’s most fashionable denizens and with good reason – a can’t-go-wrong collection of both international and local labels ensure you’ll go home well-heeled.
My Island Home
5 Transvaal Avenue, Double Bay | +61 2 9362 8760
It just feels so “Sydney” to stumble upon this ode to the tropics in the midst of plenty more haute fare. Rattan furnishings, colorful hammocks and plenty of coral abound in this refreshingly unhurried shop.
Zimmermann
2/2-16 Glenmore Road, Paddington | +61 2 9357 4700
It’s perfectly apropos to kick off a Paddington district shopping spree with a stop at Zimmermann, the feminine resort and ready-to-wear brand from Sydney’s most stylish sisters. Flirty silhouettes and pin-up swimwear are always favorites (along with their always well-placed ruffle).
Sass & Bide
4/132 Oxford Street, Paddington | +61 2 9360 3900
A little bit boho, a little bit refined, Sass & Bide is many things (but never ever boring). Get a feel for the brand that arguably put Aussie style on the map at their sleek Paddington boutique.
Capital L
100 Oxford Street, Paddington | +61 2 9361 0111
Get to know Australia’s fashion up-and-comers at Capital L, a funky-cool boutique that houses picks for both men and women. Shop feminine dresses from Nicholas and Bec & Bridge alongside Karen Walker sunnies and printed We Are Handsome swimwear.
SCANLAN THEODORE
122 Oxford Street, Paddington | +61 2 9380 9388
Scanlan Theodore’s sophisticated cuts and clean lines deliver high fashion quality at a more affordable price point. Sample their full line of separates (we’re obsessed with the fit on their crepe knit pieces), shoes and sunnies at their light-filled Oxford Street boutique.
Bondi to St. Peters
Camilla
132A Warners Ave., Bondi Beach | +61 2 9130 1430
Easily one of our favorite Sydney shops, Camilla is the embodiment of beachy Bondi whimsy. Don’t leave the lucky country without one of her brightly patterned swimsuits or killer kaftans.
Leslie McKay’s Bookshop
Spicer Street, Woollahra | +61 2 9328 2733
This is a book lover’s bookstore, a lovingly curated trove of tomes guaranteed to pique your interest. It’s pretty well impossible to leave this cozy, café-adjacent shop empty-handed.
Imagine This
40 Ocean Street, Woollahra | +61 2 9327 6713
If you’re in the mood to collect a little dream home decor inspiration, Imagine This should work its way onto your shopping list. Custom furnishings and vintage vignettes are camera-ready eye candy.
The Bay Tree
40 Queen Street, Woollahra | +61 2 9328 1101
This shop is enough to inspire even the greenest kitchen novice – it has been Sydney’s signature cookware and tabletop resource for years.
The Design Hunter
316 Bronte Road, Waverley | +61 2 9369 3322
The Design Hunter derives its sensibility from a simple but profound idea: people are deeply influenced by their living spaces and should decorate accordingly. Thoughtful decor finds abound in this charming and well-edited shop.
Reclaim by Monica Trapaga
356 King Street, Newtown | +61 2 9565 4702
Newtown’s status as an up-and-coming shopping enclave seemed solidified once we browsed jazz chanteuse Monica Trapaga’s Victorian-inspired outpost. Vintage tea sets and fine china share shelf space with pretty linens and scented objects, and the overall effect is very bygone grandmother’s formal parlor – delicate displays included.
The Society Inc.
Suite 3.02 – 75 Mary Street, St. Peters | +61 2 9516 5643
We cap off our shopping sojourn with interiors whiz Sibella Court and her warehouse wonderland, The Society Inc. A swashbuckling spirit is alive and well at this decor playground-cum-gallery, so treasure seekers should plan to devote at least an hour to a St. Peters detour (and earmark suitcase space for the curios you’re bound to collect)!
