We aim to give you links to all of the clothing and accessory shops that we like, but some people simply rise above all the rest and deserve a special category all to themselves.
Here you will find those purveyors of fashion who go that extra mile and really, really do deserve your business.
The Darling Sisters try out every shop and service that we link to, so you know what you are getting. The people listed here are those who stand out in our minds as the best of all. What have they achieved to get onto this page?
So, Charming Friends, if you are looking for something really special, do consider these marvellous emporia won't you?
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Bear Flag Republic gets a lot of repeat visitation from the Darling Sisters. Owners Scott and Gina hail from sunny California but have a fantastic online shop that is easy to order from - and they have an eBay shop too if you prefer that format!
BFR has a really extensive range of fashion and accessories for ladies and for gentlemen. They also make an effort to provide the widest range of sizing they can. Ladies can find Bettie Page and Stop Staring! among other labels. Men can find ReVamp, hats and fab fab shoes.
Service is prompt, friendly and trustworthy. Scott and Gina are more than happy to answer questions, and they have a very good returns policy, which online shoppers know is important!
There are plenty of other fun things available including turntables!
We are keen to support online suppliers who make such an effort with sizing, range and customer-friendly policies. Please check out the Bear Flag Republic at www.bearflagrepublicusa.com.
Darla and Blossom really adore this gorgeous shop. It is a one stop shop for all things vintage, girly and eco friendly – best of all they are an Australian owned and operated family business. Owners Leah and Roy are friendly, cheerful and professional, and put enormous personal care into everything they make and sell.
Custom Vintage products include delicious natural home-made bath and body care, handmade jewelry, vintage, rockabilly and tattoo parlour styled clothing, lingerie, gift baskets, candles, incense and more! They supply Stop Staring! Bettie Page Clothing, Steady Clothing, Shirley of Hollywood, Leg Avenue, Ellie & Penthouse shoes, Forplay, Rago shapewear, and Skinny Dip swimwear.
All Custom Vintage hand-made products are palm-free. Leah and Roy care about our lovely planet and all the creatures that live upson it, and they eschew habitat-destroying products and donate a portion of their proceeds to the Australian Orangutan Project.
We love Custom Vintage so much that we have gotten together with them to provide a special Custom Vintage and Darling Sisters range! We are absolutely addicted to the delicious body butters and soy candles (which also work nicely as massage oil and perfume!) so Leah and Roy created a delicious girlie old-fashioned line especially for us.
All products are beautifully packaged, and come promptly and well-wrapped for postage. You will see that pricing is very reasonable!
In terms of sizing, do please note that plus-size garments and lingerie are right there on the Custom Vintage website - which is still under development, and well worth a look from time to time.
Shop online at www.customvintage.com.au
The Darling Sisters recently had a stall at Canberra's first (definitely not last) 'Fash'n'Treasure market, where wonderful fashion suppliers plied their wares at the Kingston Bus Depot Markets.
This was a wonderful day and we intend to return again and again and again - we met so many nice people.
One of the people we met was the most beautiful lady with glorious fifties-style clothes, who was wearing the most fascinating laser-cut acrylic jewellery.
Imagine our delight when we found that she was the designer and maker of said jewellery, and she had a stall right there. We made time to go for a visit, and oh my ...
Well, Blossom actually squealed a bit when she saw Danielle Kathleen's exquisite and perfectly-made delights. Perhaps a little embarrassing for Blossom, but we defy you not to do the same when you see the beauty and creativity and just plain ... yumminess.
Danielle's jewellery is sharp-cut, creamy confection of fantasy, classic, gothy and steampunk inspiration. Pendants and brooches of the variety for which you create an outfit, not the other way around. Darla immediately purchased one of Danielle's magnificent shiny black signature filligree moth brooches, and Blossom is richer to the tune of a creamy white pendant, steampunk-inspired with gorgeously dark memento mori overtones, featuring a winged clock-face.
Both pieces are startlingly beautiful set against a black turtleneck and just so wearable.
Enough typing! You need to go and see for yourself. We hope Danielle will be back at the next Fash'n'Treasure, and in the meantime you can find her on Etsy, or visit her Blogspot, or become a Facebook fan.
We have done all of the above!
We adore Eline Martinsen. She is a Canberra girl: graduate of CIT Fashion (and now a teacher of corsetry at same) and maker of the most delicious corsets, costumes, occasionwear and lingerie for ladies and gentlemen. And on top of that, she is one of Nature's Good Guys: she is professional, smart and so, so nice!
Eline's work is all personally designed and handmade to very, very exacting standards. Eline believes that each garment should be extra special: she believes in good fitting and high production standards. It shows. Her corsets and other garments are strong enough to wear every day and special enough to wear for that one super-important occasion when it is crucial to look spectacular. She uses traditional and modern techniques to manufacture every piece: her corsets are sturdy enough for tight-lacing.
All of Eline's work is lush, romantic and visually dramatic. She has a lovely feel for shape, colour and texture: have a look at her website gallery and enjoy the marvellous fabrics. Eline custom-makes pieces for ladies and gentlemen of all sizes and shapes, and has somewhat of a cult following in Canberra.
We think that Eline's work will become increasingly sought-after all across Australia - and internationally!
Visit Eline's website at
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Gallery Serpentine
Gallery Serpentine has something of a cult following, as well it might. From its two locations one can find the most astonishing garments for ladies and gentlemen, including accessories, at every size possible, including half-sizes. Yes, that is correct: if you are a size 11, 17, or 29, you will find it at Gallery Serpentine.
Gallery Serpentine specialises in corsetry, period clothing, Victoriana, Gothic wear, and wedding and special occasion wear, which can be found at its Robertson branch.
This is seriously beautiful stuff, made seriously well. The Darlings believe that there is a reason for every person to own at least one piece by Gallery Serpentine. You do not have to be of the Gothic or subcultural persuasion to enjoy Gallery Serpentine; you simply need to appreciate unique, beautiful, well-fitting quality clothing.
This is not Target: it is not a place where you pop in looking for a few tshirts at less than $20 each. It is a beautifully appointed boutique where you come to be treated as a valuable customer, try on amazing clothing in cosy fitting rooms, make good use of the expertise of the friendly staff, and select a special outfit to last you years and years and years. The clothing is not cheap but it is very good value for money.
We applaud the staff at Gallery Serpentine for their excellent personal service and inclusivity. Every time we have ventured there (and we do so at every opportunity) we have observed the staff treating ALL comers with respect, courtesy and professionalism.
Their online shopping is straightforward and easy. You can order custom sizing online or in the shop. You can also order custom garments in your preferred fabric, or if you have special needs (e.g. to work with an artificial limb) the staff are happy to help.
The Darling Sisters have a number of Gallery Serpentine key pieces in their wardrobes that just never stop being favourites. These are garments around which one builds the rest of the wardrobe! They are well-enough made to last and last and they never fail to attract compliments.
Find Gallery Serpentine at:
Shop 2, 112-116 Enmore Road, Enmore NSW - 02 9557 5821 or email gssydney@nightmachines.net
Shop 7, Old Cheese Factory, Robertson NSW - 02 4885 2873 or email gsrobertson@nightmachines.net
Or shop online at:
Hot Couture is a new Australian label of divine frocks and undergarments for kittens that like to make men, and other girls, drool! Made by Joy Taylor the range includes vintage style fabulous frocks, sexy suspender belts, and net petticoats.
Vintage shapes, fabrics and colours for the modern girl and best of all Joy caters for the curvy sexy goddesses out there!
You know I never recommend a shop without thorough testing - I can guarantee that the clothes are lovely, the service impeccable and Joy is incredibly helpful. Please support this lovely Australian business - why buy from oversees when we have a such a fab label here?
XXXOOO
Darla
Darla often goes about sporting the sweetest little skirt imaginable. It is a navy-blue nautical-style number, a lovely shape, is absolutely beautifully made, has gorgeous buttons, and hails from the clever needle of our new heroine Peta Pledger.
Peta makes fabulous one-off or short-run garments based on classic fifties styles. We can let you know from experience that her service is lovely, her garments are fantastic and good value for money, and you will be delighted by the neat little details.
Peta does made-to-measure garments which means that you are guaranteed a range of sizing and a good fit. Because this is not mass-produced clothing you won't experience the unfortunate 'size-creep' that afflicts larger concerns, where the sizes gradually become smaller and smaller as materials are economised upon. Peta's garments will always be well-made, because her quality control is very good.
These are garments that will grace your wardrobe for many years, and that you will find yourself wearing again and again as they are classic enough to transcend the vagiaries of fashion. This is what we mean by good value for money: you will pay more than you might at Target, but frankly, less that you would for many ill-made and quickly-out-of-style fashion label garments. With Peta's clothing you will certainly get more than your money's worth.
If you want something well-made and nicely fitted that is a bit different, we recommend contacting Peta at her website: www.petapledger.bigcartel.com.
The Darling Sisters love our yearly pilgrimage to Parkes, NSW, for the Elvis Festival. We are fans of the King, but part of the great pleasure in going to Parkes is to meet the wonderful residents of this pretty town, and to shop the fab boutiques.
One of our all-time favourites is Prestige Boutique. Prestige actually houses two boutique suppliers: Lisa McHatten's 'Little Black Dress' garments and accessories for well-dressed ladies, and Maria Rushby's fabulous hats.
Prestige Boutique stocks everything a lady could possibly need for a special occasion, and Lisa provides sizing from 6 to 26+ - each and every garment is special, beautiful and flattering and wonderfully priced. For every beautiful frock you will find the perfect hat, with Maria's gorgeous creations suiting absolutely any person and occasion.
The Darlings never wanted to leave this shop. Lisa and Maria made us feel so welcome, and provided such expertise and sweet, professional service. Everywhere we looked there were perfect hats, garments and accessories to catch the eye. It was basically our idea of heaven.
We really do recommend that if you are in Parkes enjoying the pretty town and friendly people, pop into Prestige and treat yourself to something special. You will be very happy when you do!
2/25 Church Street, Parkes, NSW
Little Black Dress (Lisa McHatten)
02 6862 6311
Marie Rushby (milliner)
02 6862 2691
Everybody deserves gorgeous, luxurious, magical lingerie that makes them feel like a million dollars. Everybody. If you are in the market, go and browse Secrets in Lace, where you will certaiinly find something to suit.
We are especially delighted with Secrets in Lace for two reasons: the first is that the sizing is excellent. Not only do the 'standard sizes' cover an excellent range (much more than most shops would), but they also do an extra range of sizing that is very generous. And no lousy second-best business for those people who require generous sizing either: this is beautiful lingerie for people. There is a fab range of bra and hosiery sizes in such beautiful shapes, fabrics and colours. Yummy!
The second reason is that their delivery costs are very reasonable and our ordering experience was very good. Given that high-quality lingerie can be tricky to find, it is especially good to know that it can be ordered online and delivered at a reasonable cost.
Check out their range of clothing as well - deliciously elegant!
Find Secrets in Lace at www.secretsinlace.com/.
When we go to buy new clothes for ourselves, what do we want out of the experience?
It's fairly straightforward, isn't it? We want something lovely that suits us, fits us and is well-made. We want to love what we buy and wear it with confidence and comfort. We want great service and we want to get our money's worth. Simple!
Sadly, that is so rarely the case. More often, it seems to be a lengthy trawl around shop after shop, wondering what the heck is wrong with all the sizing these days, and why nothing ever seems to sit quite right. The clothes are often shoddily finished and too expensive for what we get, and the assistants frequently imply that it's our fault if our bodies don't confirm to the designer's idea of who ought to be wearing their clothes. When we do find the right size the fit is weird or the colour we want isn't available ... it can get very stressful.
But honestly, how difficult can it be to get it right?
Not at ALL according to our latest great fashion find! Nada is the lovely face behind Australian clothing label Something Else Clothing, and we are her biggest fans. Give her a try and we predict you will feel the same.
To start with, just look at her catalogue. Aren't those clothes gorgeous? Such adorable, wearable vintage/retro style! So many cute little details. Great shapes, fabulous colours.
Check out the shop - yes there is a nice easy online ordering facility. Now, independent Australian designers honestly can't keep every single size in stock for absolutely practical reasons, so you may or may not see your size available via the online shop. Never fear, just contact Nada and ask. She cheerfully does custom sizing - and she does not charge that much extra for it, it is definitely worth going for a custom order.
The Darlings both have custom garments by Something Else Clothing, and let us tell you about our experience (this was before Nada had seen our website or knew who we were, we were just another customer). We contacted her and asked for what we wanted. She contacted us back very quickly, was really lovely and approachable, got our measurements, and asked us if we wanted any modifications e.g. special fabrics, different types of buttons etc. We gave her our measurements and, with great excitement, our desired modifications. Nada made the garments very, very quickly and posted them off to us. They arrived wonderfully packed - honestly, it was like opening a lovely birthday present.
And the garments? Exactly what we wanted. Beautifully made - perfectly finished. Not a hint of a loose thread, not a single unfinished seam. Thoughtful little extras: for example there is a velvet bow on Blossom's skirt (a teeny perfect red velvet bow, couldn't you just die?) and it is actually fastened on with a nice sturdy brooch clasp, so that it can be removed for washing. We both have a real issue with nice clothes that come with cheap nasty zippers. No such problems here! It's all quality - the fabric, the fastenings, the trims. Fitted? Oh, but of course. Lovely fitting - it is abundantly clear that Nada is a lady who cares deeply about excellent fit. She is one of those wonderful people who believes that everybody deserves to look and feel wonderful, that clothing should fit bodies and not the other way around.
They are very wearable, really divine (we attract compliments like billy-o when we wear these garments), comfortable, sturdy ... have we raved enough yet? Probably not. Just to show how happy we are, we have promptly ordered more!
Now, the pricing. A custom-made garment of this quality is not going to cost what Target would charge. On the other hand Target won't make you clothes you will want to wear every day until they eventually fall off your body after years and years of faithful service (remember, these are classics that won't go out of fashion). If you go to a Big Name Designer you will pay much more, and once again you won't be getting the same quality or care in your garments. Something Else Clothing is somewhere in the middle range of pricing, and in terms of value for money it is really excellent - you get what you pay for plus a bit extra!
We all agree that it is important to build a capsule wardrobe of really, really good pieces that you adore and fit and you can always just fling on and know you are dressed right for the occasion. This is one place to go to get those crucial pieces. We are so lucky to have designers like Nada in Australia, and we need to support brave people like her who can turn the silly world of fashion on its head by providing what customers actually want, and need. Bravo Something Else Clothing!
Time Machine Vintage is our fab fab new Etsy discovery.
This is glorious vintage repro fashion, custom made for any body.
We both raced to make an order, and found Kim's service to be friendly, competent, prompt and so so professional! She consulted with us both in a cheery and friendly and wonderful way about exactly what we'd like and was super-accommodating.
She is one of those people who cares, first and foremost, that her customers will be thrilled with their perfectly tailored, custom-made outfit.
The finished product is EXCELLENT. This is seriously well-made stuff. It fits perfectly - not a single adjustment required. Kim found lots of gorgeous little custom extras (vintage-style Bakelite-y buckle! Matching buttons! Scalloped sleeves! Contrast stitching!) that really stand out. Everything is profesionally finished with a million little touches - such as contrast binding on the INSIDE skirt hem - little flashes of cute!
We are big fans of custom-made. None of this rubbish about standarised sizing, when it's abundantly clear that we are all unique. The fabrics look very good, the clothes are SO wearable. Why not give Time Machine Vintage a go - and say hi to the wonderful Kim. You will be very happy you did.