I have to admit: I was a bit underwhelmed by my first op shop.

Op shopping was one of the things I most looked forward to about Australia. After seeing my family and escaping the British winter, that is.

I had heard tell of Aussie charity shops’ wonders from afar; read endless blog posts singing their praises: the treasures within! The unfeasible cheapness! The vast supply of untapped vintage loveliness, just waiting to be scooped up!

“At last!” I thought, “I, too, will partake of the pleasures of op-shoppery!”

Well, I did manage to make the above small fabric purchase, and it did only cost a dollar, but I had to undertake an almost indecent amount of rummaging to unearth it from under the mountains of broken trash that charitable Aussies had thought worth donating to this particular establishment.

But that was before we went to Kenilworth op shop and struck gold.

I bought a frock.

It’s genuine 1960s/70s. It’s a perfect fit. It is maxi-length (so I could cut the bottom off and have a shorter frock, plus fabric!).

And what fab fabric it is!

Others fared well at the op shop too. Sun hats for lad – 25c each! A vintage wooden napkin holder and crockery for my sis! Fabric for my eldest, crafty niece!

And this 1960s vintage frock for my fashionable younger niece:

I don’t mind telling you, if it had fitted me, I’d have had that one too!

It required a few minor alterations, for which I was happy to lend my services.

And my gold Miu Miu shoes to go with it (an old eBay bargain). She’s keeping those. Well, they do look better on her than on me.

We all agreed: op shop frocks rock.