always very helpful and friendly faces service, easy to find. Highly recommend to all ages and…read moresizes.

Heidelberg Fancy Dress is one the BIGGEST costume stores I have seen. The location is one street…read moreaway from the ass end of the earth but if you need fake blood/boobs/bats in a hurry this is one place that stocks almost every thing! There are some bizarre head to toe costumes ranging between $55-$70 for a weekend hire or cheaper DIY costume options. There are plastic masks that start at $4 or childrens packet costumes around $40. Its a good costume store in the way it encompasses different sides of the budget and levels of creative commitment, DIY or choose a costume package. The costumes are up to date as well, I saw a hilarious Pirates of the Caribbean costume (that pirate octopus head guy) as well as the classic costumes. Think The Beatles, hippy, vampire, muppet, Gumbi, Spongebob Squarepants. The list goes on.........and on..........and on.

Allow me to be very specific here. Unless you have some cash to spend, leave all credit cards,…read morewallets and anything you can hock at home. If you venture into Christine (which in itself may be a little difficult, it is quite literally underground and notoriously hard to find) you will struggle to leave empty handed. Christine is the boutique embodiment of the idea that is Aladdin's Cave, for once you have decended those stairs and witness the delights within, you'll have a hard time leaving. Christine stocks all manner of shoes, jewels, handbags, scarves, scents, hats and anything else in the accessory category. Most of all, the owner (I'll let you guess what her name may be) really knows her stuff. She can recognise the label and season of almost any bag with just a glance and has an impressively detailed inventory of the store swimming around in her head. Bottom line: visit at your own peril. You may never leave and if you do, it certainly won't be empty handed.

We had so much fun at Christine's shop! We met Christine herself, and what a treasure! We tried on…read morehats and jewelry and clothes and shoes and handbags and... and... From the moment you walk in the red door onto the red plaid carpet until the moment you leave with a red bag in tow, the staff treats you like gold. Very enjoyable, decadent shopping experience.

I am sponsored by Elk Accessories....well I'm not actually, but I have and wear enough of their…read moreproducts that I look like I am! I got quite a reputation at my work as my answer to most (if not all) compliments was...."it's from Elk". "Oh I love that necklace" - "It's from Elk" "Gorgeous bag" - "It's from Elk" "How cool are those earrings?" - "They're from Elk" "Nice top" - "It's from Elk" Elk Accessories are easy and practical to wear and ethically made with the designers and owners having worked with some of the same suppliers since they started operating back in 2004. I find the items reasonably priced considering they are Australian owned and operated. Elk Accessories are sure to have an items that is perfect for any gift, whether it's for girlfriends, mums, sisters, boyfriends, brothers or for yourself. Service is fantastic and staff are very friendly and happy to help. I have found staff to be quite supportive if there have been any fault issues or the like.

I was introduced to Elk by a colleague, none other than Jenelle M who is almost (yes I can confirm…read more) like a walking talking Elk shop. She always looks fab and she would regularly respond to compliments with "it's from Elk". Anywho, fast forward years later I slowly became an Elk obsess myself. I find their shoes comfortable, unique and well made. Clothes are easy to wear and looks effortless. My qualm with Elk would be that I can't afford most of the stuff here so most times I walk out either sad and angry at the same time or happy and poor. Yes there are sacrifices to be made but if you like their design, I dare you not to be hooked. The Elk store has off street parking and is a beauty in itself to be in and wander around. Their products are also available online and other stockist.

Woop. If you wanna find awesome bargains and miscellaneous crap that you probably don't need, look…read moreno further. Hot Bargains is the best spot for all those little accessory items that you need for throwaway events (fancy dress, kids birthdays, Christmas presents, girlfriend's birthday etc). They more than deliver on their hot bargain promise and you won't believe how much crap they've got piled up in there. This is the reason we need a free trade agreement with China. Sure, they'll benefit by getting access to the very fuckin' elements and minerals the miners pull out of the fuckin' ground here, but you, as a proud Australian, will have access to all of the mass produced plastic shit you can ever imagine. Wow. Our politicians are really on to a winner there. Seriously, do not bother with another shop if you wanna go fancy dress. I got a full Mexican gangster outfit (complete with cap gun) for about $8. You can't fuck with those prices... Honcho.

I buy so many things here. Great bargains. Just watch if you get a few items that it is entered…read morecorrectly. I was overcharged from a $2 item put through as a $1 item 22 times. Very hard to reason with staff & the items aren't on the receipt, only amounts. Otherwise awesome.

The worst service I've ever experienced I came here to have…read moremy suit pants waist taken in and the cuffs shortened. I returned a week later at the specified day and time and they had only completed the waist. They had my mobile number and didn't bother to let me know that it wasn't on time. I then returned a few days later and tried my pants at home and the cuffs were way too short, you could see my socks. I then returned and they said it would be another week to just release the hem and extend the cuffs. I return a week later and she hands me my pants and I try them on in the store. They're at the exact same length, they haven't touched them in a full week and she was about to send me off with them. She then says it'll take an hour to make the adjustments so I sit and wait in the shopping centre for an hour. I then head home and before I even get home, half the stitching on one pant leg has come completely undone so I have to return for a fifth time. She fixes it again and it looks like it's going to come undone AGAIN. She then takes us to their competitor at Looksmart Alterations to fix it properly. Also every time I returned to the store there was a 'back in 15 mins' sign where I would wait for at least 30 mins.

Ok, so here is the thing. I can't sew...at all. Believe me I have tried…read more My hem lines end up wonky no matter what I do, and then they fall down when I am out and about. Not cool. So imagine my jubilation when I discovered Alter It in Northland. They do all kinds of sewing type things *shrugs* Taper, button, patch, lengthen, shorten, mend, dress make whatever you need to make clothes work for you. I love them for what they do with hems. I am short, so most of my clothes need a raised hem. So here is how it works. You measure your jeans, pants etc and then pin them, take them to the wonderful people at Alter It and then off shopping you go. 60 minutes or so later (depending on time and number of items) you return and pick up your newly hemmed apparel. Thanks Alter It!