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.

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

I found this store to sell a rather random mix of clothes. There were dresses perfect for a Year 12…read moreFormal, outfits suited to a day at the races, along with more casual wear aimed at a slightly older crowd. It's a large store, and the amount on offer certainly reflects that. Items in every colour of the rainbow, suspended on the numerous racks, line the walls and a maze of pretty dresses fills the floor space. I saw some things that piqued my interest, but most of the items in here were a little out of my price range. I picked out a beautiful blouse that turned out to cost somewhere around $100, before quickly placing it back amongst it's friends and retreating from the store before the staff noticed me. Despite it not being perfect for me, I noticed many happy customers browsing and some interacting with the friendly sales staff, so I think for the target customer this is a great place to shop.

It was the silky, seafoam green floor length dress in the window that caught me eye. In fact, all…read moreof the dresses in the window spoke to me of beach photo shoots. These are dresses designed to get swept up with the ocean breeze. While I posed in front of a mirror in the seafoam green, I realised that satin and silk aren't good materials for those who aren't in supreme shape. My beer gut was getting a bit too much attention. Back to the rack. You'll find all sorts of clothes in here. Dresses fit to wear to formals, casual daywear for older women, and I want to say 'beachside couture' (even though it's not couture) for the young and fit. I want to make note of the accessories. They are well worth the look. The pieces for the most part are quite contemporary with a beachside twist. You might find some sea worn glass pieces here for example. Expect to pay a little more. It will surprise you as nothing in the store says 'boutique' except the price tags. I was a little put off, but still, it was fun to swan around in beautiful, breezy dresses while I was there.

Mila sell a unique range at great prices. Shopping these days can often be a bit monotonous with…read moremany stores selling such similar items, but this was not the case here. It's a very small store, but nicely set out, so the experience of shopping here is a pleasant one. Most of their clothes were very pretty, lots of dresses and crochet tops. They also had one of my favourite features of any shop; sale racks. And not one, but four sitting innocently out the front of the store, ready to grab hold of any meandering pedestrians. I spent a while happily browsing. Some of the pieces were not really my style, but I certainly came across some things that required the reasoning part of my brain to kick in. They are a new business so I found it impossible to track down a phone number to confirm opening hours, so please keep in mind that I have taken an educated guess based on the opening hours of the surrounding businesses.

The Krishna Boutique came as somewhat of a surprise in the middle of Cleveland. The area is not…read moreexactly what I would describe as exotic, but here I found a store that stocks clothing inspired by traditional Indian designs. Not that all the items on offer are Sari ripoffs, but the beautiful materials used are similar. The best way to describe the Krishna Boutique is as a less mainstream version of Tree of Life. Mostly they stock dresses in many different styles, but they also have jewellery. It's a lovely little store, well worth a look if you enjoy wearing clothes made of gorgeous fabric, which I definitely do. The man working at the time of my visit, who I assume is the owner, was also very friendly, helpful and enthusiastic. A very pleasant little shopping experience. The store has recently relocated so it has proven difficult to get a phone number and therefore accurate opening hours. The opening hours listed are an estimate based on the hours of surrounding businesses.

I can't tell you how many times I've looked at a pretty dress or piece of jewellery in this store…read moreand then walked away because the stuff is so expensive. Some of it is twice the price it is in the Valley markets. Maybe the rent is really high, but other businesses along Bloomfield Street seem to be able to keep a cap on their prices. I'm a shopper and it's not a good sign that to date I've never bought one thing from this store, when I have from practically every other shop in the street.

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.

Outwardly this store appears to be some sort of bizarro version of General Pants Co. Skinny jeans,…read moresheer dresses bearing expensive brand names and t-shirts made of the thinnest material imaginable hang from coat hangers, screaming out for the youth strolling by to come and have a look. I found the shop to contain an odd assortment of clothing. The men's stuff was mainly casual; lots of t-shirts and jeans, while most of the women's clothes were more formal, a lot of dresses and tops ideal for nights out at a cocktail bar. The store claims to specialise in street wear which I'm not sure I agree with. Despite the confusion and the mish mosh of dress standards, they had great stuff.

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.

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.