Australia - Part 2 of 3

In this part of my AUSTRALIA series, Im talking to you about the FANTASTIC shopping that Perth has to offer. I must admit that I wasnt expecting much from the most secluded city in the world (no joke - it's officially the most isolated city on the globe), but I gotta admit - people here are trendy, even the corporate ones!

Shoes in Perth are very expensive (well, they're expensive wherever you go in Australia, but I found that they are particularly expensive in this town) - so only buy on sale or dont buy at all. Rather save your money for the other fantastic deals that are to be had.

Perth has great chain stores: from Big W (= to our Game stores), to Woolworths (not the same as our woolies - but still sells groceries), Strandbags (handbag stores), Sportsgirl (one of my favourite stores in Australia - I have never seen another retailer do 70's vintage so well. They have taken vintage styles and used modern fabrics. An absolute MUST), Target, Just Jeans, Jay Jays (Same as ours back home), Salvos (Salvation Army - GREAT 2nd hand shopping), and so much more. You will see from my Sydney insert - Sydney doesnt have many chain stores, it has more of a boutique culture to it.

Current trendy items / looks at the moment:

• Leather / Biker jackets - worn with anything really
• TIghts - girls here love their tights and will wear them with boots, ankle boots, ballet flats, with dresses or even skirts
• Black and Tan: Another big look that I saw was a black outfit with either tan boots or a tan bag. Very sophisticated and understated - I really embraced this look because it's a great one for those days when you cant find anything to wear!
• Shorts, tights and boots: another fav with the Aussies: and a great way to keep your summer wardrobe relevant in the colder months
• All black is also quite acceptable. I have found that in SA, there is a slight stigma attached to wearing all black, but the Aussies have completely embraced it which is great.
• Jeans are a religion on their own here - and they love denim in all it's forms: boots, skirts, jeans, bags, etc....

From a guy's perspective - here are some of the bigger trends that I saw:

• Satchels - in high quality leather
• Skinny Jeans
• Leather jackets
• Hats

And while there was plenty of time for shopping, we did set aside some time for sight-seeing. Here are somethings that you can do in Perth:

• Go on the Perth "Eye" - gives you a bird's eye view of the city and surrounds
• Visit the Perth Zoo - South Perth
• Go to Ye London Court - a great little side alley stocked with british boutiques and pubs
• Visit the shopping district in Perth's CBD - between Barrack and William Streets
• Feed the swans on the Swan River

Although a sleepy little town - Perth has got a lot going for it. If you have the time, swing by.