Manly is a great place to wander. There are so many great little shops and cafes right on the water…read morefront. Butterfly on the Bay caught my eye last weekend. I found it to be a stylish little boutique with a great range of chic women's clothing in lots of sizes. Bright, colourful fabrics jump out at you when you walk in. The clothing style is largely feminine and floaty. Lots of delicate, colourful dresses with belts at the waist and gorgeous chunky necklaces to accessorise. I could have easily bought a whole outfit just off the window dummies.

I really like this little shop. It's been there for absolutely years, so it must be doing something…read moreright. There's not a lot of boutique-y opposition in Manly but what there is have their own niches. Butterfly on the Bay has its points of difference too - it doesn't concentrate so much on the shimmery evening dresses or over the top designer brands, like a couple of other stores in the are do,. Although there are some nice labels here the clothes are a nice mix of pretty day wear, some evening frocks and even some gear I'd wear to work.

I think adding the word 'boutique' to any shop name is a stroke of genius. People tend to like…read moreboutiques. Whenever I see that word I immediately assume the shop has one of a kind items and is beautifully designed. My dreamy definition didn't really apply to this store; even though it isn't a chain store, when I was browsing I felt as though I was inside one. Despite that, they had a huge range of women's clothing and it was certainly a pleasant atmosphere. I felt like I may have been a little younger than the target of the store, judging by the style of most of the clothing, but I still enjoyed having a look. Sometimes I get the feeling that the shop assistants are unhappy when I pay just a quick visit to their store, but that definitely didn't happen this time. The sales staff were lovely and seemed perfectly happy for me to have a quick browse.

Blue Velvet is one of my favourite dress shops. They have the most beautiful range of cocktail…read moredresses for all occasions, from a casual weekend barbeque to a night out in clubbing on a day on the race track. Think sparkles, frills and lots of colours. Everything you need to make you feel like a princess for a special occasion. There is certainly plenty of sparkle, the store even has a chandelier! There are a few full length gowns that are quite pretty but my favourites are the cocktail dresses. They have plenty of small sizes too which can be surprisingly hard to find at small boutique shops. Great to browse through even if you don't have an event coming up. The service is also fantastic. Last time I was there, there was a 'Back in 5 mins' sign on the door however a very nice gentleman advised me that the owner would be back shortly and proceeded to explain the current specials.

Whilst visiting Sandgate today, I dropped into this lovely Women's Boutique - Sweet Georgia…read moreBoutique. Greeted by Annalisse (the owner), I was blown away by the array of clothing available - very different to anywhere else I had been. I was very excited to learn that Annalisse has her own range (in addition to current stock) of clothing and can't wait to see the new collection. It's lovely to see someone get out there and live their dream. A lovely atmosphere surrounds you as you enter this store and you could while away your time just looking through the racks (rare to find this in most commercial stores these days). Annalisse and her partner Chris, certainly make everyone feel welcome. Well done!

Discovered this beautiful boutique and the wonderfully warm couple who own it. The quality and…read morestyle of the clothing was a real joy to see. It was like visiting sn Art Gallery of colours,styles and beauty. I felt welcome and not pushed to purchase.

There are a few places like this I've come across in Sunnybank. Little boutiques I discovered…read moreaccidentally, hidden among a crowd of less inviting shops, full of less interesting merchandise. Julia has done a great job with her collection; the store is a decent size and it's packed with loads of adorable dresses. Looking at the labels most of them are imported. The prices are average and while the quality of some of the garments strikes me as a little questionable (it's the vibe of the thing), it's a great store and one that I will certainly be returning to.

Avoid online shopping! I use online shopping for almost everything and very very rarely need to…read morereturn anything, but this was a disaster in every aspect. The delivery was delayed, information was not accurate and no visibility to taxes and fares exceeded the original reported by over 50%! And the shop doesn't even allow international returns. Never ever again! And the dress unfortunately wasn't as good quality as described, which was the reason I wanted to return the item. Avoid this brand, not worth it!

Capsule wardrobe warriors lend me your ear. Samantha Ogilvie should be one of your handful of…read moreplaces to bring your wardrobe to life. Yes, price tags are more than your average Portmans top, but they're also pieces unlikely to be found on the masses and will last you a lot longer. Think: cost per wear. Cost per wear. Until recently, I'd been stupid and too intimidated to go into this stunning boutique. Stupid because the staff in here are friendly as pie and on the occasions I've now been in, I've felt welcome and never helicopter'd by a sales member. If you're looking for something that makes you feel a million dollars, without the price tag, and without the chances of seeing it on ever Thumbalina, Deidre and Harriet, then this is where I'd send you to shop.

Louky is a tiny little boutique full of women's clothing, mostly for special occasions. Along with…read moredresses and such, they sell jewellery, fascinators and bags. It is small so the range of clothing is not enormous, but there are some lovely items here, and the accessories are plentiful. It's a popular place, busy with young girls and their mums browsing. I saw a number of things I really liked, but without having an event in mind for their debut, decided it was best to hold back this time. The prices are moderate and everything appears to be great quality. I was surprised to stumble across it, situated in a tiny shopping mall opposite a Coles supermarket - not where you'd usually expect to find a trendy boutique.

From the owner: Louky Boutique is your go to fashion store for gorgeous Special Event Dressing, Racewear, Mother of…read morethe Bride/Groom, Beautiful italian linens & silks, Fascinators, Hats, Handbags & Fashion jewellery. We also have an instore stylist

For an awful minute, I thought I wasn't going to be allowed inside this shop. I tried the door but…read moreit wouldn't open, then realised that I had to actually ring a bell to gain entry. I am not sure if this is so they can scrutinise your attire before they deem you acceptable to enter ((thank God I was wearing a lovely vintage leather midi-skirt), but I did find it very off-putting. And, to be honest, totally unnecessary. C'mon folks, it's a suburban Brisbane boutique, not Karl Lagerfeld's headquarters! Once inside the luxe environs (and yes, it is beautiful - and you can tell that they did base the opulent decore on the old-style French couture salons) I was told by the slightly superior shop assistant that you can find everything to dress you from the inside out. There's lingerie, high end hosiery, jewellery (I spied pieces by Ericson Beamon - I'm not sure anywhere else in Brisbane stocks that), bags, and of course an achingly expensive range of Little Black Dresses. When I was there they'd just received some newbies by Valentino). They only stock European designers - although one Aussie label did make the cut (Aurelio Costarella). Needless to say, the prices are not for the faint hearted. Nor for the really young and funky. Whilst the collections are carefully chosen and there are some beautiful pieces, I can imagine it would mainly appeal to the ladies-who-lunch set and the older members of Paddington's "society" crowd. I've given it 3 stars purely because of the quality of the clothes - if you're after a little slice of European chic, you'll get it here. But if I were you, I wouldn't turn up in flip flops and denim shorts...

For a taste of imported designer fashion in Brisbane this is the place to go. I visited to purchase…read moresome lingerie as they are one of the few retailers in Brisbane stocking french brands. If I had endless time and funds I would have found many special pieces to buy that I would not get anywhere else in Brisbane. The staff we're knowledgeable and I felt like they really wanted to help me find the perfect fit for me. A wonderful shopping experience.

Temt at Capalaba Central seems to have a sale on every time I go there, so I naturally love it. I…read morethink the clothes are really good prices even when they're not reduced. I don't love it all, but they've got quite a good budget fashion thing going on, so I always have a browse.