Retro Metro

This is one seriously surprising store. A friend who just HAD to check to see what new stock they had in this month dragged me along the street. «GREAT.» I thought to myself. I get to walk aimlessly around a store with clothes that my dad used to wear.
The advantage of walking in with incredibly low expectations meant that once I actually did enter I was completely taken aback by the range of clothes that were incredible. I found myself rummaging through the pieces with the rest of the customers to try and find myself a bargain and was pleasantly surprised that not every jacket had shoulder pads or that every pair of jeans had some kind of flaring.
If you after some one off pieces of clothing or accessories, (some pretty eccentric sunglasses maybe.) then give Retro Metro and thorough going over.

I. Love. This. Place. There, I said it. The clothes they stock in this store are absolutely beautiful, charming, adorable, sexy and every other adjective you can possibly think of. With rise of the Hipster clothes from Retro Metro will truly be in demand… but as always, beautiful things come with a price.
Retro Metro is, of course, located in Paddington. They actually have two stores however only one is open regularly, the other just occasionally opens up on weekends. To be frank I don’t fully understand why they do this, but I can infer this has something to do with extra stock and staffing/​budgetary concerns. These hours are so unusual you’d think you were in Europe or something. Anyway, I digress. The store has been setup in a delightful old Queenslanders, however the interior looks like the cavern inhabited by wandering, stylish gypsies. In case you haven’t inferred by now Retro Metro specializes in sourcing and selling vintage items of clothing predominantly from the 60s-​70s, however I am sure you’d get a few random things thrown in the mix. As mentioned previously the clothes are just sensational! I coo with excitement regularly when running my fingers through the racks filled to the brim with bizarrely patterned short-​sleeved shirts and vintage cut pants of all different colors! I’ll spare you a lengthy rant and just stop there.
With all this in mind the clothes are quite simply expensive. Some items are in fact very expensive. Having no real expertise in this area, aside from identifying that I like there product, I don’t feel qualified to say if it is overpriced or not. This being said, I rarely purchase anything from Retro Metro simply because I need money to eat. However, those of you with latent eating disorders may prefer to use your food money on «sweet threads» instead.
From what I gather Retro Metro has a bit of a cult following and I imagine/​expect they will be staying in business for quite some time, which I rare for businesses as unique and edgy as this. If you are feeling the need for some serious retail therapy and a new look, definitely head into Retro Metro today!

I will never understand how some vintage clothing stores have the guts to charge hundreds of dollars for dresses that look like they were taken directly from a Molly Ringwald movie costume department. There’s no doubt that this is a lovely little shop, housed in a cute building, well set out with separate men’s and women’s sections and clothing in remarkable condition for preloved stuff. But still, over $ 300 for a puffy 80s style dress with big sleeves that somebody wore before cars had seatbelts? Maybe I’m missing something but I just don’t get it.
Nevertheless as I said it’s a beautiful store, and they had some gorgeous brand new jewellery made by local designers at less frightening prices. There’s a lot more than just clothes here; I found a few pairs of shoes that were very reasonably priced albeit a bit scuffed. I certainly encourage you to give it a go; they do sell top quality stuff after all. Just have your poker face prepared for your maiden glance at a price tag.

This store is ridiculously overpriced. It’s one of those stores that has signs on every shelf tell you not to touch and that breakages must be paid for. I find it really unwelcoming and snooty, which is a shame because it does have some beautiful things. I really do want to like it, but every time I walk past I find myself not wanting to go in because I know I’ll be watched like a hawk and won’t be able to afford anything anyway.
Certainly some of their clothing does deserve a high price tag because it’s designer vintage from the 30s and 40s, but they seem to apply these price tags to clothes that you could get from other vintage shops for half the price as well.
If you’re looking for a serious collectors item, you might be able to find it here because they have lots of very old jewellery from famous brands and manufacturers, but if you’re just after a pleasant op-​shopping experience this isn’t the place to find it.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love all things vintage. So why am I not giving this place a ⁵⁄₅ star rating? To be honest I don’t think it has the best selection and most things are way too overpriced.
Most of the things they sell, are of very good vintage quality so that does justify the price a bit. But you must remember, good condition or not, most of these clothes have been worn before. They do find some unique pieces that other vintage stores will not and you can tell a lot of work thought has gone into the décor of this place.
One of my huge pet peeves is being blatantly ignored when I walk into a store which has happened more than once at this place. There is nothing worst than feeling like the staff are judging you and assuming you can not afford their overpriced clothes therefore the simplest acknowledgment is refrained.
If you are after cheaper vintage, there is another ‘Retro Metro’ down the road from this one (I believe it is the ‘outlet’ one). The clothes are a lot cheaper there and the service is friendlier.

When I saw this store, I knew I’d hit the jackpot. I walked in and the first thing I saw was vintage jewellery and a crazy amount of clothes I couldn’t wait to dive into.
The more you ruffle through the racks of clothing at Retro Metro, the more you realise that you’re touching totally original pieces; they’re so authentic and the next time I attend a 50s party, I know where I’ll be going for my dress.
I’m told they even have their own seamstress who goes to exhausting lengths to make sure the garments are not only intact, but up to the highest possible standard, and you can really tell.
If you flick your gaze for only a second you’ll alight upon 50s dresses, prom dresses, floral shorts, vinyl-​inspired bowls, and everything vintage. This place is a vintage-lover’s dream, and I couldn’t get enough of it.
I scooped up floral and modern pieces at great prices. Heavier dresses with more detailing are more expensive and sit at about the $ 200 mark but the quality is exceptional. In saying that, I also got a pair of shorts for $ 15, so they have a bit of everything to cater for all budgets.
There’s also a section for men and some furniture dotted around the place that’s available for purchase.
I was in awe at the uniqueness of the dresses I saw. The designs are beautifully vintage without being pretentious. Retro Metro has definitely become one of my regular shopping places now with new pieces rotating and making it a fun experience every time you walk in the door.