Where can I find cheap hats in Melbourne Australia?

April 10, 2007 5:21 AM

Where can I find cheap hats to buy or hire in Melbourne, Australia?

I have a party to attend on Friday and need half a dozen cheap hats to either buy or hire. Emphasis on cheap.. less than $30....

I was thinking a nice cheap felt fedora hat, but even fancy dress type of stuff will do.. I just have no idea where to look! Clothing stores, milliners, haberdashery, costume shops.. all recommendations welcome!

posted by snarkle to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (4 answers total)

If you walk out of the main entrance to Flinders Street Station (the biggest station in Melbourne), you'll notice at the bottom of the steps (on the right, if you face the steps) a store called City Hatter. If you can't find what you want there, you're out of luck, my friend.
posted by PuGZ at 5:34 AM on April 10, 2007

City Hatters is wonderful, but not cheap. You would have better luck at the Victoria Market. The market is open on Thursday and Friday in the morning. The hat stalls are in the western section (the bit that borders Peel Street) and are kinda in the middle.
posted by tim_in_oz at 3:02 PM on April 10, 2007

With the emphasis on cheap, go to Sydney Road, and try Savers, which is a huge huge op-shop. Then, if still in need, cross the road, head citywards a bit and try Episode. There's also a Savers in Footscray, which is right near a Forges (which might also be worth a try).
posted by pompomtom at 3:27 PM on April 10, 2007

Best answer: Seconding the Victoria Market recommendation. Or you could try your friendly local opportunity shop, if you dare wear a second hand hat? The Windsor/Prahran part of Chapel St, ie between Commercial and Dandenong Roads, has quite a few op shops quite close together. (A fact not widely advertised in the shopping guides I suspect!) For weird and wonderful second hand hats you could do worse than go to the Chapel St Market in Prahran which has many stalls in the one venue- Can't vouch for their cheapness though. There are similar places in other suburbs- used to be one in Camberwell next to the train station. Many Two Dollar Shops also sell hats- mostly silly hats but you could get lucky.
posted by Coaticass at 4:09 PM on April 10, 2007