4 fashion creatives on their favourite secondhand markets in Melbourne and Sydney
IMAGE VIA @michellebanares/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY DAISY HENRY
Real-life Depop.
During the lockdowns, I became fairly familiar with my local postie. Given we couldn’t see our friends or family and had a narrow half-hour window to go outside for a walk, I naturally took to online shopping as a coping mechanism. And for a while after, I remained steadfast in my commitment to online shopping superiority.
But when I recently ventured out to The Fitzroy Market, my appreciation for the IRL experience was reignited. I’d forgotten how good it felt to mindlessly browse through racks of vintage clothes among crowds of other market-goers, while the smell of food and coffee wafted through the air.
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Markets are a great way to find some bargains (I scored two tops for $15), support circular fashion and spend a weekend morning. The ritual of getting up early, wandering around with friends and chatting with stallholders offers something scrolling online doesn’t.
Yet despite the positives, markets can be intimidating. It can be tricky to know where the best deals are, what counts as a ‘good’ price point and how to strategically sort through endless racks to find the unicorn, vintage designer piece you’re really after. To get some advice on the most worthwhile markets to visit, I enlisted the help of four Australian fashion creatives.
Cat Forsyth, writer
Southside Flea Market, Factory 1/40 Green St, Windsor
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I used to be really into Depop, especially in high school. I found it a really affordable way to buy clothes. But the thrifting market has had a massive boom in the last few years, making everything so much more expensive. I love markets because there’s that opportunity to chat with the owner of the pieces and get a feel for the clothes in person.
You can vibe whether the piece is right for you and maybe try to negotiate the price a little. I also really enjoy the in-person and community aspect of a market. You can grab a (preferably iced) latte and walk around – much more of an experience than scrolling through an app.
The Southside Flea Market is a warehouse sale that Stupid Vintage holds about once a month. The flea market consists of around 15 stallholders, which tend to vary each time. The style is fairly Y2K-centric, mixed with lots of retro sports-inspired jumpers and cool sneakers. Last time I went, you could also get tooth gems.
My favourite steals from the Southside Flea Market were part of a ‘three items for $10’ deal. I copped a cute knitted grey jumper, a bootleg Jimmy Choo stiletto bag and a pink rose-printed skirt. I love all of these pieces so much and still can’t believe they cost less than $4 each!
Karvesh Pillai (Kavi), pop artist and model
Second Life Markets and The Fitzroy Markets, Melbourne
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The Second Life Markets (SLM) offer the best curation of items. Many creatives whose tastes I admire have had stalls at SLM, and I know the effort they go to in curating [their] stalls. My pal and style icon, Nadia Razlan, is part of the team that runs Second Life Markets, so I know I’m always in good hands. Yuzhen Wang always pulls through with the archival, Vendetta with recycled stainless steel jewellery and Mothstock with casual streetwear.
Fitzroy Markets is also one of my favourite places to spend a weekend morning – it’s buzzing, yet still very chilled out and wholesome, with an ever-changing range of stalls. While Second Life Markets features higher-end vintage and designer garments, Fitzroy Markets are great for street style and one-of-a-kind finds.
Fitzroy Markets sits in the $10 to $100 bracket, while Second Life Markets span a much wider range, given the nature of the higher-end pieces being sold. Earlier this year, I picked up a pair of wide-leg, black cargo pants at Fitzroy Markets and they’ve been my go-to for raves over this last winter. Also, these vintage Ray-Bans!
Grace Corby, vintage collector and the founder of Art Garments
Surry Hills and Glebe markets, Sydney
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My favourite markets in Sydney to hunt for vintage are Surry Hills and Glebe. Surry Hills is on the first Saturday of every month at Elizabeth Reserve on Crown Street. It’s rare to find an amazing bargain here anymore, but the quality is always top-notch and there are lots of interesting pieces. You just have to be prepared to pay what it’s worth.
It has a great mix of bric-a-brac and clothing and it’s 90 per cent vintage, with a couple of secondhand contemporary designer stalls. Surry Hills isn’t a market for fast fashion resale or imported/local wholesale – which I love. It’s the good stuff. It has a relaxed vibe and lots of great eateries around.
The second is Glebe. Glebe is on every Saturday, rain, hail or shine, at Glebe Point Public School on Glebe Point Road. There are a lot of Gen Zs trying their hand at merchandising their fast fashion, learning in real time it has very little resale value. But as a buyer, it’s a great place to pick up bargain fast fashion bits (without the guilt of buying it new). There are also a lot of young ones with a great eye for Y2K pieces and stalls dedicated to that era… it’s like Depop IRL.
Then there are the regulars that have been there forever – shoutout to the C’s Flash Back guys in the top corner of the bitumen car park. They have a storage warehouse full of ’60s to ’90s-era vintage they empty slowly every week (which always means new stock). Also, Jacky Lestrange, who trades under the big tree. I love Jacky, she always has an amazing selection of quality fabrics and a mix of wearable and more extravagant things [that] she prices fairly. Glebe is 100 per cent worth a visit, but it’s best to arrive early before the crowds.
Michelle Bañares, content creator
Camberwell Sunday Markets, Market Place, Camberwell
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Nothing excites me more than talking about shopping secondhand. I’m pretty sure my love for it was passed down from my mum. Growing up, there was this children’s vintage store down the street from where we lived in Sydney. She’d shop [there] for both me and my sister – it was a place to find all things Oshkosh, Tommy Hilfiger, vintage baby doll dresses and miniature-sized band tees.
Whenever I need to replace an older piece or update my wardrobe, you’ll find me at the Camberwell Sunday Market, which is held in a massive parking lot with rows and rows of stalls. Whether you’re looking for clothing, shoes, homewares or books, it’s the best place to find pieces you’ll treasure forever. I love it because it’s not as overpriced as other markets I’ve been to, and the stall owners are willing to negotiate.
The one piece of advice I would give for a first-time marketgoer is to have a list (it can be physical or mental) of pieces you’re looking for. The markets can be freakishly overwhelming… so to save you from buying a bunch of things you don’t need, going in with a list makes thrifting way more efficient.
For more of the best secondhand haunts around Australia, head here.
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