Shop small, shop local and shop with curiosity. Here are some of our fave northside, southside and in-between bijoux Brisbane boutiques for hand-selected vintage, gifts and trinkets.

Victor Scot
129 Lancaster Road, Ascot

This corner boutique in a cluster of small shops at Ascot, an upmarket Brisbane suburb, is a delight. The shop is focussed on homewares and is a great spot for Christmas shopping or for special presents for friends and family. There’s also a small range of clothing from Pink City Prints. The staff are wonderfully chatty and it feels like a real neighbourhood hub.

Museum of Small Things (M.O.S.T.)
48 James Street, Fortitude Valley

This is not like a regular hotel gift shop. It’s a cool hotel gift shop. Found in the driveway of James Street’s Calile Hotel, Museum of Small Things has elevated the notion of the hotel gift shop. The items are indeed small: designer Rocc natural toothpaste, Lack of Colour bucket hats and Fairley jewellery organic shaped rings. All items are perfect to sneak into a carryon.

Coming Up Roses
118 Bilyana Street, Balmoral

The location is unusual: a suburban Brisbane street. There’s a primary school across the road and the nearest cafe is 170 metres away. Owned by Olympic swimming medallist Hayley Lewis, the gift shop appears small at the front but goes and goes. There is a wide selection of cook books and style tomes. But Coming Up Roses really comes into its own when shopping for newborn baby and toddler gifts. The store is packed in the best possible way with colourful, interesting, curious items.

Christie Nicolaides
41 Edward Street, Brisbane

There’s something really exciting about finding a shopping nook in an unexpected part of the city. On a side-street in the CBD a glass and brass archway door leads to Christie Nicolaides’ atelier – a standing-room only boutique with the River City-based designer’s distinctive, show-stopping jewels in cabinets. Spy jewel encrusted cuffs, shoulder-grazing earrings and knuckle-duster rings with pearls and turquoise.

Loopistyle Circular Fashion
New Farm Antique Centre
85 Commerical Road, Teneriffe

Kati Clarke’s recycled fashion spot began as a single rack in the New Farm Antique Centre and as a way to extend the life of her own wardrobe. Her retail space has doubled in three years and she’s still collecting items: “I wouldn’t feel comfortable buying things I wouldn’t wear.” The items lean into Kati’s kaleidoscopic style and she just wants to see the clothes worn for another twenty, thirty or forty years. Here’s hoping.

Neo Generalist
209 Boundary Street, West End

This curated vintage clothing store has strong Michele Lamy vibes (Paris-based Rick Owen’s partner and muse). The racks are clustered in tones: white, black, earthy hues and metallics. There are rows of cowboy boots, Loeffler Randal heels and Mexican crosses on the wall along with kitsch paintings. The shop’s instagram (@neogeneralist) offers a va-va-voom Goth girl grid.