I hate shoes. Blessed with feet designed for sitting and not actually anything ambulatory, finding…read moreshoes that fit is a nightmare. I wandered up the stairs with a friend here to lend shoe shopping moral support. The ceiling slopes in, and you do feel like you're in an attic. Displays of (mostly expensive) shoes, handbags, scarves, hosiery etc. I barely even looked as a sale table boasting $350 'sale' shoes was a little out of my budget. My friend, bless her, picked up a shoe, found it a bargain, and asked to try it on. Nice staffer found the other for her, and she put it on, it fit, purchase finalised. No-one noticed me going blue in the face having a jealous fit in the corner, gobsmacked that anyone can just buy shoes like that. I'm off to try on 65 pairs, none of which fit. Again.

I LOVE shoes in the attic. True - they aren't cheap - but YEARS later, anything I buy there still…read morelooks terrific. And they DON'T stock shoes made in China - shoes that would not past tests for either longevity or stylishness. I love the bargain shelf - you wind up buying shoes that you don't need, but how can you resist - and years later, you are glad you didn't.

Foot of the Mountains is a women's shoe shop of the higher end variety, stocking a small but well…read morechosen range, including a bunch of European brands hard to find elsewhere. They also have a selection of handbags, hats, jewellery and hosiery. The staff are helpful but not pushy (a rare and wonderful combination) and they always have a sale table out the front where you can pick up some real bargains. Got my eye on some fab purple strappy ankle boot things at the moment that actually fit and are comfortable! But alas, a little out of my price range for now. But they're purple... sigh...

There's not nearly enough gorgeous boutiques named after Ancient Roman Orators…read more Sigh. My favorite boutique ever. I have expensive taste, and not the budget to match it. But with frequent sales and very often a sale rack, I've bought the odd drop dead stunning designer concoction here. There's a red dressing-table like long couch for your shopping companions to sit upon while giving the requisite thumbs-up or -down response as you parade something you never want to take off. Staff are fantastic, one went to a great deal of trouble once to try and source me a replacement for a red winter coat after an accident with City Rail, rain, no signage and floor paint. Don't ask. They stock Lazybones (great cotton vintage inspired Australian designs) although the staffer the other day tells me they're getting harder to source, Katherine and Odd Molly. Amongst others. A few groovy shoes and handbags too. Desperately want an Odd Molly piece with not-really-making-sense writing all over it and Scandinavian embroidery. Sigh, one day.