My, this brand has had a chic-over. Back in the day, it was mainly known for doing a nice line in…read moreglomesh bags that your granny loved for a night out. But now it's got every style of delicious-looking arm candy a stylish lady could possibly desire. And yes, I felt lust. From the leopard print laptop bag I decided I must have (until I saw the $295 price tag) to the tassled, black leather tote with chain strap ($595) and even a modern update on that iconic glomesh purse in muted silver ($295). But then I saw the jewels. Some of which were slightly more affordable, like the chunky crystal ring for $95. Although I have to be honest and say I really preferred the necklace that was all twisted silver chains for $295. But then I had a spritz of the Oroton perfume (which comes in an expensive looking silver box) - I'm now hooked on the Rosado scent, which is a very do-able $75. And despite the fact that I paraded around and posed in the mirror with virtually every bag in the shop, tried on every piece of jewellery and spritzed so much perfume people started gasping for breath, the sales assistants were charming, polite and never once made me feel like I was being annoying. Which I was. This is definitely a five-star store - shame I've got a one star budget.

I found this shop last week and I am in love! I felt like a kid in a candy shop. There are so many…read morecolours, textures and sparkles. I have a fairly small build and it is surprisingly hard to find small sizes sometimes. The dresses here are in a range of sizes, down to size 6. They have dresses for formals, bridesmaids and brides plus a range of cocktail and more casual dresses. The style is fun evening wear and simple but classy formal wear. The quality of the clothes at first glance is really good. Upon closer inspection, the materials of some of them maybe isn't the highest but then again the prices are fantastic so why not get a couple? In summary, affordable, fashionable and gorgeous dresses.

I adore this lovely shop and the guy (?owner) who has served me when I have shopped here. Don't go…read morethinking this is a shop just for hippy skirts, sandals and incense. I was drawn to this shop by a cute dress in the window and wasn't disappointed by the range of tops and dresses inside. I have bought three items of clothing from here and all are wearing well and not falling apart, I just needed to adjust the straps of one dress and cut a few loose threads of a shirt. I would say the quality of the garments are reasonable and the prices are OK. If you like shopping in "Tree of Life", you'll love this place. Just a tip, the address says "Greenslopes" but it is in the main Stones Corner shopping strip.

Channelling the foothills of Mount Everest, this Kathmandu-inspired shop has everything bright,…read morecolourful and flowing that you'll ever need. Be greeted by the prayer flags hanging overhead and the overwhelming waft of incense as you cast your eyes around the handcrafted treasures, accessories and clothing throughout the shop. From patchwork fisherman's pants to multicoloured sarongs, large vases to colourful satchels; there's a smattering of culture mingled with chilled out hippy in everything in here. And if you're running low on incense - there's a bountiful supply here.

Moo and Bear is a gorgeous store at Morningside. They have clothing for kids and mums but in actual…read morefact, they have something for everyone and a lot of unique pieces you might not find anywhere else. They have clothing, ladies shoes, decorations, jewelry, ornaments and children's clothing and babies accessories. On any given day, you will likely find a bunch of women admiring the various knick knacks throughout the store. They had the most beautiful patched handbag that I was highly tempted to buy.

If the UK's Topshop had an Australian cousin, it'd Sportsgirl. Stylish, a little bit cool, and…read morevery on trend (if not occasionally a wee bit overpriced). Even though I'm a bit too old (sob!) to be their target customer now, I'll always have a soft spot for it - because in the dark ages when I was a Brisbane teenager, it was one of about three decent fashion stores in what was then a very style-starved city. It saved me from fashion Siberia on many an occasion. Even though the brand is almost pension age now (the first store opened in Melbourne in 1948) Sportsgirl is still shit-hot at adapting a catwalk trend. In a (mostly) affordable way. Want an example? The red, lace 50s style dress they did recently (which I saw on the sale rack today for a mere $89.99) could almost be the iconic Erdem Margot dress (as seen on everyone from Alexa Chung to Michelle Williams). My eye was also caught by a delicious emerald green silk maxi dress recently. And, as this happens to be one of the colours for next season, buy it now, and wear it with a jacket and opaques then. I do love a piece that's trans-seasonal. If you're wondering why I chose Sportsgirl's Carindale store over the big, flagship one in the Queen Street Mall, that's simple. It's a lot quieter. You don't have to fight your way through a three-deep "wall" of 15 year olds to get to the feathered necklace you want. And frankly, it'll be a cold day in hell before I'll allow myself to be beaten to a statement accessory by a schoolie.

Veronika Maine is Cue's older but more fun cousin. Slipping…read moreon a dress from either of these shops will make you look like a million dollars but the main difference is that in a Veronika Maine number, you're going to a cool party whereas in a Cue outfit, you can only be going to work or a work related networking event. Dresses from Veronika Maine come at a hefty premium but you'll be pleased to know that you're supporting an ethically produced Australian company. If you've ever been frustrated by the limited sizing options at Cue, take heart. Veronika Maine caters for normal women by going up to a size 16. Veronika Maine aficionados may be disappointed as this store doesn't carry the same range as the larger ones in town. On the upside, I've always found that the staff in this smaller shop are extremely helpful and never pressure me into buying something that doesn't fit correctly. Once, they even went to the trouble of transferring my correct dress size from the city store to Carindale. Then when the dress arrived, they insisted I try it on again in case it was still wrong. I was most impressed by this individual attention. So the next time you want to avoid the crowds or you want free parking, this little gem in Carindale Westfield is worth checking out.