Oxford Street, Sydney

A world apart from its London namesake's nastier-by-the-year hodgepodge of tacky clothing and souvenir shops, the Paddington stretch of Oxford Street, Sydney, offers wall-to-wall clothing boutiques, both tasteful and trendy.

markets.com.au) are in full swing, with stalls selling everything from fashion to jewellery, toys and retro collectables. Wholesome food and drink stands, dispensing non-genetically modified fruit and vegetable smoothies, homemade organic biscuits and fair-trade coffee, make a welcome pit stop.

With a handful of shops across Australia, Aquila, at No 460 (tel: 61 2 9360 4591), stocks dapper gents' leather footwear. Much of its home-designed stock carries its own label and is made in Europe, selling at an average price of A$200 ($1,165) a pair. The few European labels, such as Ted Baker and Hugo Boss, are more expensive.

Targeting a similar wearer is Declic (No 450, tel: 61 2 9361 6662), with its colourful palette of top-quality, limited-edition shirts (about A$200), ties (A$140) and socks (A$30), all made in Melbourne from Italian cloth. It also carries snazzy cufflinks and a handful of designer-label ties (A$169).

Smart Aussie girls love Scanlon & Theadore (No 443, tel: 61 2 9361 6722), whose collections recall feminine classics. Tweed and crumpled velvet is its direction this autumn/winter, with skirts at about A$400 and paisley dresses at A$800.