15/1/2012 Yep - You've charmed me, alright…read more Let me give you a bloke's perspective on this place: This store just gets better and better the longer you look around - if you ever take a trip down to City Cross, you must drop by here. There are several pieces that will make anyone, regardless of their gender, make you say WOW! A word of warning, the bigger, shinier and better it looks, obviously the higher the price. The ones I was impressed with were simply out of my league. I'm talking about the 'Thomas Sabo' brand of jewellery on display in their front window! But here's the thing...you need to give The Charm Shop some time to soak in. They strategically place the best jewels in the front window, and I couldn't help myself but ask the shop assistant to take it out for a closer look - it's up to you, and how much you can afford. You can either just look around, or buy some of the more affordable pieces. How low can you go? How low....can you go? Your eyes will really enjoy looking through each window! If you're good, you'll find a certain window with the lowest prices, and I heard the shop assistant tell me what sounded like music to my ears: 10 DOLLARS. What? Say that again? 10 dollars for that?! Can that piece of jewellery really be priced that low?! So there you have it, The Charm Shop has some of the cutest and tiniest jewelry for under $11! This is a very interesting store that will suit all customers, no matter how much they got to spend! Another thing I really liked about this store was that they had jewellery made in Australia, but also tiny bits of jewellery imported from other countries i.e., USA, Canada, UK etc. It's also a very excellent place to go to if you're stuck for gift ideas for your female companion. The shop assistant educated me and said I have to start off choosing a bracelet first, and then adding the jewels to that. Listen, everyone, if you need affordable jewellery, this shop will charm the pants (including your wallet) off of you.

Another specialty shop, and these people specialise well!…read more I went to every single gift and jewellery store in a major shpping centre looking for something specific. You see I gave a BFF of mine a charm bracelet as a gift not long after we met. It was to make my life in gift deciding much easier and for her to have something that got bigger and better with time, as our friendship would. Ahhhh, how sentimental! So each birthday, Xmas, special event I buy her another charm for the bracelet. At Xmas I got a cute present charm, her cat died so I got a cat charm, etc. It was her 40th birthday so I wanted a 40th type charm, not just any one, to represent the milestones we have been through together. Not one anywhere. In the end a lovely helpful sales assistant made some suggestions, and one was this shop. I found exactly what I wanted. Funny I couldn't get one from anywhere and I found about 5 online. I rarely ever go into the city anymore so the fact you can also order online and get your item/s delivered is even better. You even get to choose what type of hook / clasp you want for your purchase. I always buy the same type so it means I can get any charm they sell and pick my own attachment, whereas most shops you can only pick from the ones with that attachment already on them.

22/12/2011 Lamp shades and all those itsy bitsy pieces that…read moremake you say, wow! This nicely hidden, tiny, crammed and crowded shop packs in quite a lot of different things to add to your home. It's all cute, I especially liked the white desk lamps. My eyes were so busy looking around this store. I really liked how the staff asked me if I needed any help, and if I couldn't find it in here, they directed me to three other stores that I could look in. So helpful. The only reason I didn't rate this higher was because it was so packed, and hard to move and look around, that I just needed to find my item elsewhere.

I can't really fault this shop. It's one of my favourites! Full of bags, jewellery, candles by…read moreGlasshouse (which smell amazing by the way), home wares, well-being and inspirational books, journals and unique finds. Each time I have come into Fireflies I've had a warm welcome. The staff are very friendly and helpful. I have bought two Christmas gifts from here and they kindly gift wrapped for no extra charge. I also bought my travel journal from here (after looking everywhere else in the city); the lady got together all the travel journals they had which gave me a range to choose from. In the end I left happy with my purchase. If you are looking for a special gift or a treat for yourself, you'll have no trouble choosing something. Go in, have a browse, and I'm sure you'll come back for more!

This boutique is one of my all time favorite shops in Adelaide. Yes it is pricey, but there are…read moresome brands in here that I love, Custo Barcelona being one of them. The name of this multi-level shop originates from its history being a Chinese import shop in its heyday. It now stocks trendy clothing for men & women as well as accessories. Club goers rejoice! Be sure to bring your credit card! Style does not come cheap.

23/12/2011 If there's one thing that turns on a…read moresophisticated Aussie gentleman like me is a hot girl, with a hot body, in a sexy hot dress. Miss Gladys Sym Choon provided that for me. A sexy girl in a sexy dress is a certainty to be spotted at least once in a visit to Rundle Mall, Adelaide. Come here on any given weekday and you'll believe me. It's only a matter of time before you suddenly turn your head towards that girl's direction...I remember an American businessman friend of mine that told me, "When I visited Australia for the first time, and I saw how beautiful Aussie women were, I knew it was highly likely that I could get into trouble. And I'm married." This isn't an understatement. I've fallen victim to the lure of Aussie women several times before. I especially loved the music that was playing. It's hard not to like a store when they have a playlist of a Sade song, followed by 'World Tour' by 'A Tribe Called Quest'. Frilly at the top, and skimpy and tight around the waist and legs. The prices are higher than usual, and you can get far classier dresses for a lower price. Miss Gladys Sym Choon still deserves a lot of credit for its designs from the Malaysian designer. Although designs can be simple and of one bright colour (my top two colours from this store are bright red or metallic black), there are other items on offer, and you've gotta appreciate that they've allocated a generous section for menswear too. Though not the best on prices, Miss Gladys Sym Choon do dresses very, very well. It was funny, because once I asked the shop assistant for a sexy dress, he was on fire and picked out five different colours without any hesitation! The other girls downstairs saw what was happening and they laughed when I said, "She's tryin', I'm buyin!'" LOL For those of us blokes who randomly suddenly get a testosterone hit while shopping, Miss Gladys Sym Choon will cause your jaws to drop. Thank you so much. The best way to end my day. I left there thinking, "Damn girl, you looked sexy in those tight dresses. Sexy, sexy, sexy." This store, like the Sade song, "gave me a kiss of life."

Well, I can tell you this much, this store sure is adorable! Channelling a hipster/Frankie Magazine…read morevibe, this store is all about the whimsical. Walking into the store and hitting the floorboards you're greeted by a great array of Polaroid cameras and film displayed oh-so prettily and are then led down the store into a varied display of home wares and gifts. The prices are reasonable, most items being around $40, with more to pay for the glassware and cameras, putting it into a good position when buying gifts and the like. I loved the range of books on offer, topics on knitting, decorating, up-cycling and vintage are all covered. I've given Presence three stars even though I loved the store, because all though it was all very nice to look at, I couldn't find a present for a dear friend who loves this style in the store. I also couldn't find anything for myself, because although it all very pretty, I'm just not too sure if I would buy it and keep it for myself. Well worth a peruse next time you're heading down King William.

Fans of Peppermint magazine, Frankie and other sustainable related blogs would resonate with…read morePresence. It represents all things whimsical, vintage, quirky and unique. I cannot describe how charming this store is. There is a beautiful blend of Fair Trade products, handmade products that you will learn to love and vintage board games that will take you into Mad Men era. My kind of shop really! I noticed rows of lomography cameras, and the friendly shop assistant tells me that they are the only store in Adelaide that sells them. They alse sell Polaroid's here, so some of us can still have our fun sans Instagram. Check Presence instore, their inspirational blog, Facebook and Twitter for a taste of all things beautiful.

Attitudes boutique has been in Glenelg for sometime now and has a very loyal following. The staff…read moreare professional and friendly. It stocks a lot of brands such as Mink Pink and Ladakh. The clothing is fairly diverse and caters for a range of budgets. You can buy a casual outfit right through to a dress for formal. They often have a sales rack out the front to attract customers inside but don't forget to look down the back near the change rooms as there is usually another sales rack hidden there. They also have a good selection of accessories to complete your outfit.

Attitudes has broken my friend's heart several times. She keeps finding dresses in here that she…read moreLOVES but then can't justify the cost of them. I desperately wish she'd just find something on the sales rack, or stop dragging us in here! The shop has a large selection of styles, from very casual beach wear up to formal dresses. Their range is quite eclectic, and changes often. When this place is busy, it's a little overwhelming. There are women speaking loudly from all angles, and the shop assistants are very flamboyant, which can be quite fun. I often try to sneak in here for a quiet browse, but if it's busy I don't bother. Though, the sales racks are always worth a look, even if you have to elbow your way in to see them.

What an amazing jewellers!. When you enter this store you have to look carefully to actually work…read moreout if you are in the right place, with it's Zebra inspired carpet and wooden framed,(but still modern) display cabinets. This, apparently, is the effect that the designer wanted to create and it has worked. The only drawback with the stock being a little too well hidden is that if you don't know what you are looking for, you may just well walk out. However, it is worth persevering, when I went there with my daughter to look for earrings, the staff couldn't be more helpful and attentive. Nothing was too much trouble, and, being the only ones in the shop we had three lovely ladies attending to us. The other thing I loved about this shop is that the staff were very down to earth for such an upmarket jewellers. The jewellery itself is lovely and mainly of the more modern variety. You can buy some pieces for as little as $40 and, of course if you have a special occasion or a larger budget, there is a good range of tasteful, modern jewellery.

Melbourne label Gorman have recently set up shop in Adelaide, and it's a perfect down to earth…read morealternative to complement the flashier side of label-loving Rundle Street. Artisan, colourful and more exotic than my own wardrobe, while Gorman isn't my exact cup of tea and I haven't bought a lot in the store - it does have the occasional piece I adore (those leopard pony skin boots from last season!) and is definitely worth a visit. The vibe is homespun eclectica: wood, earthy trinkets with pops of bright colours. Lots of African prints and quality fabrics, sweeping rather than body conscious cuts. It's grown up, intelligent quirk: the Frankie girls eat this stuff up. As well as the main line they offer and organics range and a friggen sweet selection of shoes. It's a lovely, spacious store that invites you in - an atmosphere strengthened by the friendly and helpful (though not intrusive) sales staff. Gorman is also committed to sustainable fashion and production processes, which makes them a winner in my book.

I come to Gorman to look, not touch, and certainly not to buy. Unless I win the lottery, now…read morewouldn't that be nice. I genuinely like their clothing, but I wouldn't necessarily wear all of it, it's a little too haute-couture meets Ken Done for me. I still admire all the fabulously made and organic clothing available to people. Exclusivity sucks, unless you're the one who can afford to be exclusive. I seriously would save up for half a year in order to buy a pair of shoes here, buy 10 pairs and then be known as the girl who lives in a dumpster with amazing shoes. Their shoes are simply beautiful, and I recommend checking them out for hot dates, parties, comfy leather work platforms or wedges. Beware: once in, you may find yourself with a serious case of new lottery dream items.

Nina Stephanie is my most favourite North Adelaide clothing store and my wardrobe is littered with…read moreitems I've bought from there. Despite being located across the road from their fashion competitors TuYu, Nina Stephanie does a good trade and there is always customers in the store having a browse. They stock labels such as Bluejuice, Paradisco, Angel Biba and Sweetacacia and have a great range of casual and formal wear. The store is spacious and clean and everything is laid out well so it can be easily perused. There are a couple of large change rooms (I hate pokey ones) and the staff are helpful if you need any assistance. They also have a permanent sale rack where items are alternated and they are actually not all junk like most sale racks are; it is a good first port of call to look for a bargain. Most dresses are around $60-90 mark.

A delightful boutique offering the best seasonal clothing at affordable prices. Good selection,…read morecuts and styles and there is always something to pick out for that special occasion, cocktail evenings or just for a girls night out. I love coming here as it's worth checking out their sale racks and happy to report I picked up a summer dress which will go perfectly for my next beach outing. Makes for a fun shopping outing with the girls.