I am going to let you all in on a little secret of mine…

I have a slight shopping addiction. Don’t worry though, its nothing major. It just means that you’ll see me wandering around the Canberra Centre at any spare chance I have. Lunch breaks, Friday nights, weekends; you’ll see me there. Why? Because I love good fashion and lately, Canberra has been blessed with some seriously good retail stores.

The fashion scene in Canberra has grown rapidly, and with the sudden emergence of Zara and the recent (and impressive!) update of the Canberra Centre the choices are definitely not limited!

So where do the fashion bloggers shop in Canberra?

We truly do have everything we need here in Canberra within our shopping malls and department stores (Canberra Centre and Westfield) but let’s not forget that our capital city is also home to some really cool, super-chic and exceptionally fashionable clothing boutiques.

Take Lonsdale Street – for example – in the constantly-evolving Braddon precinct. If you haven’t ventured down there just yet, then I truly recommend that you head down and take a look. There are some fabulous ‘finds’ to be had.

Hop into iTrip iSkip for a quirky steal you most-likely won’t find anywhere else, or over to The Lonsdale Street Traders (and next door at Assemblage Project) for local designer flair. Pink Ink is the go-to for high-end designer pieces; if you love vintage the Designer Op Shop is full of one-of-a-kind surprises.

Over in The Mews of Civic we have Alice Be Curious – a quirky and always on-trend boutique which always provides fashion lovers with something unique and an array of Australian fashion labels to choose from. mussen is also another favourite, stocking well-known labels and incorporating a brow bar into the girly store – very handy for busy women on the go!

Then we have Soho in Civic and Momento Dezigns in Manuka which are two stores that stock some of the more high-end Australian and international designer labels such as, Valentino and Roberto Cavalli. These boutiques have been gracing us for many years now and have become a staple stop for many a stylish woman here in the capital.

So, from a fashion bloggers perspective I love to shop at boutiques for their ability to provide me with something original, timeless and which tells a story. I also spend a lot of time building my wardrobe (a favourite pastime!) by shopping in the malls at department stores for their ability to provide me with well-known and always on-trend brands.

It’s time for a new outlook on both Canberra, and the Canberra fashion scene. We have become a hub full of style and creativity. A place that oozes individuality….and that’s exciting!

www.bellamentestyle.com