Parnell is the oldest and one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Auckland - dating back to the…read more1840s - and it ended up being one of our fave spots we visited! We wandered around the tree lined streets and enjoyed views of the harbor in search of some lunch after exploring one of its magnificent historic cathedrals. Quaint cobblestone paths lead into hidden courtyards with cute bridges and statues. There are boutique shops and eateries around every corner and even in the basements and up beautiful winding staircases. The buildings all appear to be glorious Queen Anne style with their cute gingerbread wood trim accents - one of my fave aesthetics! Our lunch here at the Java room was one of the best meals of our trip - highly recommend!! And the pavlova with the passionfruit sauce at the Chocolate Boutique is a must. We were staying in the CBD which is a couple of miles away so we arrived via Uber which was very affordable. This is a great place for shopping and just meandering and I truly wish we had more time to explore on our trip.

Parnell Village is so charming. Filled with restaurants, boutiques and history, it was the first…read moresuburb in Auckland established in 1841. Although most of the galleries were closed due to Auckland Day, we were able to buy a couple of delicious lamb pies from a bakery and munch happily as we walked down the road enjoying the sunny summer afternoon. Tip: Take the Explorer Bus to the Cathedral at stop #6 and then walk to stop #7 to pick up another bus.

Little Stitch opened recently in Newmarket. It's a multi-brand womenswear store that caters to 30+…read morefemales. The best thing about the place, is that it stocks a lot of brands you don't see around the place. Mostly American labels, but others thrown in too. They're going to be getting in Rachel Zoe's range. Other highlights? Their cashmere and bags. My mother bought a dress from there recently, a navy shift. The pricing is on the higher end - this is nice stuff. I can imagine Remuera moms coming here and blowing a tonne of cash. Little Stitch is situated right next to Dry & Tea in that pocket of Newmarket behind Rialto that seems to be upwardly mobile of late. The store is pretty small but very clean and light and they've used their space really well. There are ample mirrors for those who are vain. Kidding. Kind of.

This little 'boutiquery', yes I may have just made up a word, specializes in high fashion dresses/…read morewedding dresses and millinery, I.e the most amazing headpieces. If you are after that special item of clothing for a special occasion then I would recommend looking in here before you try anywhere else, if you have the cash at your disposal of course because like most beautifully made things, they don't come cheap! When you shop here you are guaranteed to purchase things that are one of a kind, to really put you ahead of the fashion 'glitterati'. One of my friends used to save up all her loose coins every year pedantically so she could buy one of these finely constructed headpieces for the races, in which she entered fashion on the field. And she would forever be being complimented on whatever style she had chosen that year, having been Coiffed to within an inch of her life. Yes Natalie Chan designs for a certain kind of woman, one that was born to stand out!

I think I've got a new favourite shop. I'm such a sucker for anything cute, kitsch and quirky and…read morethat's exactly what this shop is. Brand new to K Road, this store embodies everything I love about the area. I think their selection of necklaces is actually even nicer than the similar ones in Monster Threads just down the road, and I looove those! It's clear the owners of this store really think about what they're selling and who they're trying to sell it to. This is only a tiny little store but everything in here is covetable, from the tea sets to books to the array of vintage-inspired sunnies and dresses. It's out of the ordinary, beautiful clothing, jewellery and homewares. I've got my eye on a necklace and the super-cute stick-on animal wall decorations.

This store has a cute, vintage image to it with a tumblr/pinterest style- they sell witty cards…read more(like a card with a penguin drawing on it saying "i'm a little blue without you"), very cute sunglasses, nifty books and journals (my favorites are the bucket list, do sh*t, and the notebook range from FRANK.) some room decorations (similar to typo) such as golden print posters, childrens clothing, a small skincare selection, gem jewelry and other accessories, and a small range of well picked vintage clothing and some other very cute "bits and bobs"/items The only downsides to this store is: - the prices are slightly high ($30 for sunglasses, etc.) - there are so many cute/nifty items it makes it hard to pick the ones you really want to buy!

I'm from Christchurch we wear a lot of wool down there. Mainly because theres also a lot of sheep…read moredown there. So that being said I am always rather partial to having nice Woolley garments on my body. 'Woolly for you' caters to all your woolen desires. It sells real NZ Merino products (the best wool in the world in my humble opinion); products ranging from sweaters to scarves and hats. I bought my favourite ever pair of sheepskin slippers from the store and do they ever keep your footsies deliciously warm! Come at me winter! One of the great things about the store in particular is that they provide duty free and post orders anywhere in the world. So you can buy your special NZ gifts and then send them on to the bound to be stoked receivers, while your still in the store and forget all about it and continue on your travels without having to lug extras around with you.

the girls here are so nice and helpful, and the clothes are super cute! its a little expensive, but…read moretotally worth it.

I don't shop at Glassons, so you might be wondering why I am reviewing it, well I went here with a…read morefriend the other day and I was so impressed by the interiors. They recently had a new fit out, I guess with the new branding and upping the ante on the fashion front by being a bit more cool and relevant their flagship Queen Street store had a haul over and it looks quite cool. The front of the store is nothing spectacular but the further you go down the back you enter a wonderland, you will feel either like Alice or some Disney Princess as you pass the giant white horse and little bunnies on your way to the fitting rooms. The plastic chandeliers that look like something out of a cartoon are less than ordinary and all the pink carpet and soft yellow upholstery, waiting for my friend in the fitting rooms wasn't bad at all. I thought to myself at the time that even though this space reminded me of a 10 year old girls bedroom it was really cool, I thought it was anyway. Check it out for yourself and see. (not sure if you're allowed to sit on the life sized horse, didn't say 'keep off horse'. Note on the service, it was good. Even when I was standing next to my friend the retail assistant called out to another one merchandising to come over to me. Attentive they are.

Kiwa Art has so many beautiful pieces. Jewelry, sculptures and masks…read more The Māori carvings are so interesting. Some of the art are vintage pieces made from native Kauri wood. Today, the Kauri trees are protected in New Zealand. Kauri are one of the largest and longest living trees in the world. Located near Parnell Village, Kiwa Art is next to the Auckland Explorer Bus stop #7. Open on Auckland Day.

A must visit if in Auckland. Situated at 285 Parnell Rd beside the explorer bus stop…read more Kiwa(meaning the great ocean of the pacific,)Art stocks Maori and Pacific art including pounamu, maori carving, tribal art, jewellery, masks and tapa cloths, some of which are of museum quality. The owners are very knowledgeable and helpful, which makes your visit even more worth the time.

Every time I walk past Mischief shoes on Broadway in Newmarket it kills me. The shoes in the window…read moreare literally so beautiful it hurts. Though I've never actually bought anything from the store, I've tried on numerous pairs of shoes there over the years, and have always been really impressed by the quality of the shoes as well as the wide selection. The staff at Mischief are really helpful, and don't mind you trying on half the store (something I've done quite a few times!), as they too are shoe lovers and understand how important it is to find not only the perfect fit but also the perfect style for you. Stocking popular, fashionable and quality brands like Nude, Soles, Clarks, Chaos and Harmony and Paolo Vandini, Mischief caters to both men and women aged about 16 years onward. A little pricey is ol Mischief, but this an example of the whole 'what you get is what you pay for' scenario. Every pair of shoes in this store is made from excellent quality materials and is on trend with the latest European fashions. If you're in Newmarket and feel the need to treat yourself, take a peek in Mischief - it's well named - you never know what you'll be leaving the store with!

Really beautiful quality shoes! Every pair seems to be made of supreme quality and is just dazzling…read moreto look at. If I had a never ending budget I would be able to buy almost every pair. When i last wondered in here, my nephew (4) was really taken with some of the shoes! He would pick out the fanciest, shiniest, most sparkly high heel and bring it over to me and ask if I'd like to try it on. I was starting to worry about his love of shoes but thought he could obviously just appreciate quality as much as I can. I noticed down the back there are a few shoes on sale. This is a pretty important thing for me because most of the prices are well above my price range and so sale items are unfortunately my only option.

Vintage doesn't get any better than Tango…read more The best thing about Tango is that there quite literally isn't a single thing in the shop that hasn't been hand picked because it's beautiful and high quality. There's a definite aesthetic to the stock - a sort of campy, tongue-in-cheek take on glamour - that you'll most likely love if you're into vintage. Tango is hands down the best place in town to get your hands on designer and name-brand vintage that's in top condition, but there are also less expensive items, like costume jewellery and handbags. Not to be overlooked, the service at Tango is perfect - it's always a comfortable browsing experience, but the guy who works there is really knowledgeable about clothes and is very helpful if you're looking for something in particular. In short: Tango should be your first destination for impressive vintage dresses and accessories.

This is the sort of place where I can imagine Greta Garbo just chilling out on a chaise lounge,…read moreclassily smoking a ciggarette and blowing smoke rings into unsuspecting customers eyes. You can see why this store is known as one of Aucklands best vintage stores, because the stuff sold here is actually vintage. Not just ugly stuff people dont want anymore. It is a veritable treasure trove of antique things I instantly craved. Court shoes, fur stoles, dresses so authentic they look like they could even have mothholes (they dont, dont worry) Though the guy working there could probably take a lesson in customer service, I was just taking a photo and he near about booted me out. How rude.

I have now on three separate occasions tried to contact this company in the last two weeks with…read morezero response. I received a faulty item and I am trying to rectify this but this company has not bothered returning my messages whatsoever. Terrible customer service. Really awful. Don't waste your money! I now have to contact my bank to reverse charges.

Here's why I love Augustine : this is the place to come when you need a fancy dress for fancy…read moreoccasions i.e weddings , cocktail parties and so on and so forth . Their other brand Charlo is for ladies with a more ample figure ,read -voluptuous . They have bags and shoes and other small accessories . Staff are helpful and they sell online too .