I did think that I was going to get new stationery for my birthday from London, not the grey boots which were a complete indulgence.

• You have been to an event or party at someone else's expense
• You've received a gift
• Someone has done you a favour
• Weddings (always, always thank your guests by snail mail!)

Some new stationery for my collection....

I get asked on a regular basis from overseas visitors where are the best and most affordable places in Melbourne to shop as a tourist.

Here is something that dropped in my inbox yesterday:

Hi, Lady Melbourne,
I'm from Malaysia, I'm going to Australia next week and I'll be in Melbourne for two weeks. I would like to know where are good places to shop. Could you help? I would like to know some places with clothes, shoes, bags, accessories (basically everything!) that are, well, relatively cheap because I'm on a budget. It would be great if you could help out!

I’ve put together 5 places I think you could shop and get some great pieces that are really affordable, but as usual I’ll put a call out to my readers that if you have anything to contribute please feel free to leave a comment!

Happy shopping!

1. Mouche 259 Lt Collins St Melbourne VIC 3000 T +61 3 9654 7670

Photo: thatwassubtle.blogspot.com
It's on from about 6am until 1pm sharp and you will find plenty of affordable vintage treasures, plus great hot dogs and doughnuts!

3. MYL Designer Clearance The Walk Arcade, 309-325 Bourke St Mall Melbourne 3000

Amazing designer clothing, silk dresses, great belts and jewellery, tops, jackets at heavily reduced prices. Normally most things start at around $50.

Think of it like a second hand department store. I would say that Brunswick and Footscray are the closest to the city, you can easily get a cab or a tram to either.

5. Clara Fox- 479 Brunswick St Fitzroy North VIC 3068 T +61 3 9481 1990

This shop has the most amazing vintage clothes at affordable prices. You will find true vintage at this shop, not just second hand clothes. Plus it's at the beginning of Brunswick St, which is really cool as well for bars, restaurants, cafes and shops.

Melbourne’s Most Affordable Shopping, Lady Melbourne style

It's been a while since I've done one of these posts, and not because your questions don't flow through my in box, but I just don't seem to get around to posting them. Remiss of me I'm sure because I know you are all bursting with plenty of wisdom so I'm throwing this one over to you dear readers!


Dear Lady Melbourne,
I've been reading your blog for a year or so now and it's one of my favourites - especially being a Melbourne girl myself! And I now have a favour to ask you. I'm getting married in July and my mother is having trouble finding a mother of the bride outfit. We are after something simple but stylish, and a little more up-to-date than the typical matching skirt and jacket ensemble. Ideally we would like to find a nice dress, for around $300, but with hemlines very short this season it is hard to find anything that sits below the knee! I was wondering if you could recommend any local places to look? So far we have tried all the usual chain stores with little success, so any advice would be appreciated!
Many thanks,
K

LADY MELBOURNE'S RULES OF CIVILITY

Hello, Lady Melbourne
If it's not too much trouble do you think you could answer a few questions for me, pretty please?I'm going to be popping down to Melbourne at the end of this year and I was just wondering - where are the best places to shop for pretty clothes? What are the best markets to go to?And also this is sort of a stupid question, but do you think it would be possible for me to find a typewriter while I'm in Melbourne? I think people here must be throwing their old ones out, because I have been searching around, but to no avail.
Thank you muchly~~

Dear Reader,
How wonderful you are making the trip to Melbourne!
As I have no idea how long you intend to be here or what your shopping slant might be, I will suggest a few streets you should visit where you are sure not to be disappointed.
I would firstly head to Little Collins St in the city where you will find shoe boutiques, clothing boutiques and my all time favourite jewellery shop, Mouche.
Next stop should be Flinders Lane- make sure you pop into Retro Star for racks and racks of pretty vintage dresses.
Off Flinders Lane you will come across Degraves Lane way, and Centre Way, which are again full of vintage clothes, up market boutiques, cafes, jewellery, lingerie and quirky little shops.

Out of the city you should head to Brunswick St where you could spend an afternoon alone trawling the shops, cafes and galleries. If you are after pretty clothes the Alannah Hill factory outlet is located right on Brunswick St and you cannot surpass it for gorgeous dresses at a fraction of the retail price.
Chapel St isn't really my scene, but you will find every imaginable shop that is sure to cater to every ones shopping taste and budget. If you head that way make sure you pop into Chapel St Bazaar for vintage and retro ornaments, furniture and clothing.

Market wise I would suggest Camberwell Market from 6am-1pm every Sunday- just Google it for more details.
I personally prefer Coburg Trash and Treasure(held at a drive in, doesn't get much better than that!) but it's much more hit and miss than Camberwell.
Try this website for help with whats on market wise when you are down.

I do hope this helps somewhat, I'm sure my readers will have plenty of ideas to add!

LADY MELBOURNE'S RULES OF CIVILITY

Hi Lady Melbourne,

I have some scarves from my late Great-Aunty, I know they are vintage, but how do I work out if they are also designer, I have not been able to find a website that will help! Can you?

Many thanks
Leah

Hi Leah,
There are a number of ways to tell and the easiest would be in person but for lack of viewing pleasure I will offer you these tips!:

Designer scarfs almost always have a signature or logo worked into the print, and invariably it tends to be found on the outer corners. All big houses- Dior, Chanel, Gucci, Cacharel, Lanvin, Pucci- assuming these are of your Great Aunt's time- print their logos onto their scarfs. I have not yet come across one that hasn't- and I own a few.

Sometimes you may also find a label, often small attached to one of the corners. If the scarf is authentic designer you will be able to tell. The label will generally say which house it is from and where it is made. Vintage designer scarves tend to come with hand rolled and stitched edging as well. This website might be of help.

Failing that I would look for iconic prints relating the the various houses- Gucci has the horse bit and a lot of floral. Chanel tends towards images of Paris, Coco Chanel herself and the interlocking CC's.
If you are unsure of what to look for I would do two things-
Go to Borders and have a look through the various fashion books on the big fashion houses mentioned above. They will almost always refer to the iconography of the label, which is generally reflected in their accessories.

Or, get onto eBay and type in various designer names with 'scarf' after it. Make sure you search internationally for better coverage.
There are loads of authentic vintage scarfs for sale on eBay, you will quickly be able to sort through what is real and fake.

Best of luck, you sound like a lucky girl with such an inheritance- what a treasure you can wear and keep!

LM

LADY MELBOURNE'S RULES OF CIVILITY

Dear Lady Melbourne,
What do you think is appropriate dress for a funeral? Do you have to wear black?
Annie, Melbourne

Dear Annie,
This may seem like a fairly straight forward kind of deal, but it’s not the first time someone has asked me so perhaps this is one of those things that can stump even those of us who think we know it all when it comes to dressing for occasions.
When you present yourself at somber occasions, make sure that what you wear is suitably deferential and sober. Although black is not longer obligatory, it is always suitable as is any dark colour and preferably presented in a formal tone, such as a suit. Steer absolutely clear of bright colours, flamboyant jewellery, coloured hosiery and over the top make up- unless of course it is the will of the deceased.
LM

LADY MELBOURNE'S RULES OF CIVILITY

Dear Lady Melbourne,
I sent a good friend of mine a birthday gift in the mail, and until today hadn’t heard a peep out of them.
I gingerly rang to see if it had even arrived, and was told, ‘Thank you, it has, love it!’
I was glad that my friend liked the gift, but was confused that they didn’t think to thank me, or even acknowledge the gift in the first place.
Was a text to much to ask?
Disappointed, Melbourne

Dear Disappointed,
Well let me start off by saying that I’m disappointed too and I don’t even know your friend. I suppose we can all get over the fact that no one RSVP’s anymore, but thanking someone is really in a different sphere of the etiquette realm.
While I would love to tell you a text would suffice(it won’t), I don’t believe picking up the phone to tell you how much they enjoyed your thoughtful gift would have been too much of a strain. A note in the mail would be even more thoughtful(note dear readers that personalized stationary is a must), but I suspect that as your friend is telephonically challenged, you would be better off spending your money and postage on martinis in the future. For you that is.

LADY MELBOURNE'S RULES OF CIVILITY

Dear Lady Melbourne,
My boyfriend is critical of my taste in shoes. What should I do?
Jane, N.Y, New York

Dear Jane,
This is not so hard. The man is a monster! Even though he should perhaps get credit for noticing, (He's not gay is he? If he is, that is even more serious - for you, that is) - dump him! Lady M will put up with a lot but this is intolerable! Though, on second thought, this may be a little harsh for you dear Jane, so given that I'm assuming you have good taste, ignore him.

LADY MELBOURNE'S RULES OF CIVILITY

Dear Lady Melbourne,
This morning on the train to work a lady poked me in the back by way of flexing her fingers that were hanging onto the pole that I was leaning against.
In a crowded morning train there isn’t a lot of room to move, and she clearly had enough room to hang onto the pole but mustn’t have liked how close I stood to her. She had just entered the train to only travel 2 stops as it turned out, I had been on the train for 20 minutes and not managed to disturb anyone.
After the second ‘poke’ and some rude muttering under her breath I realised the point she was trying to make and shifted uncomfortably.
Was I obliged to move just because she didn’t like where she was standing?
I didn’t say anything but felt embarrassed and am left wondering who the rude one is in this situation.
From, Confused, Nth Melbourne.

Dear Confused,
People act in funny ways when they are in enclosed spaces, don’t they? From what I can tell this woman was agitated because she felt that you were perhaps encroaching on her right to hold onto something, but poking you was definitely not the right way of going about letting you know.
She was definitely the rude one in the situation, a simple tap on the shoulder and a polite, ‘Would you mind moving so I can hold on?’ would have sufficed. But, it’s a jungle out there on public transport!
Poor you for having to stand uncomfortably! I suppose you can just relish in the thought that she walks around all day poking people, and that clearly spells mental issues if you ask me.

LADY MELBOURNE'S RULES OF CIVILITY

Dear Lady Melbourne,
It was my friend's birthday on Monday just passed and I have her present for
her, but I didn't bring it last night when we met up because I was
expecting to meet with a different friend. So I didn't mention it, but I
do have a present. Also, I can only make it to the end of her birthday party on Saturday and don’t think that bringing the present then would really be appropriate.
What should I do? Should I spring it on her randomly at some other stage? Are late presents really, really bad (well, it's already late, but later than the party even)? Should I make a coffee date with her to give her her present?
Help!
From, Late Gift Giver


Dear Late Gift Giver,
I wouldn’t get too worked up over this, although being late whether it’s for a lunch, a date or the movies is never polite, in this situation I suppose it all depends on how late.
I would propose that you make a coffee date with her and make sure she gets the gift inside a week of her birthday. Anything over that and its obvious that you are just well, late!
You could also try mentioning it in your birthday card to her, put in a little note to let her know that something is on the way. Just make sure that you come through with the present because otherwise it just reflects poorly on you, and that would require another column.

LADY MELBOURNE'S RULES OF CIVILITY