I had passed this store in the car and on the bus a million times. It's eclectic window display of…read morevintage fashion was tantalising. I was very keen to know more. Sadly, where I hoped for that whiff of possibility, all I found was the scent of secondhand. I have a cupboard full of dresses I could potentially pass on to a new wearer - surely there must be people out there that have the same to come my way? But this doesn't seem to be my sought-after thoroughfare - the prices were higher than I expected, and there wasn't a single thing that tempted me to defrock and try. I will give it a second chance (no pun intended) - by definition, the collection will be variable and unpredictable, and they must be sourcing their window display material from somewhere.

Wild Orchid is a family owned and run luxury lingerie and sleepwear shop in Mosman. The beautiful…read moreand helpful dark haired girl at the counter is very friendly and makes you feel at ease if your somewhat nervous at seeing yourself in the mirror with lingerie on in the middle of white-leg, comfort food indulgent winter. Wild Orchid do bra fittings of course but know that most of the bras are upward of $100 (one stunning push up I noted was $500). You get what you pay for as they say and the fabulous lacy numbers will certainly add a little perk to your day (and your cleavage). They also have a good range of seamless knickers including organic cotton ones for $14 (so soft - I love them). The boutique stocks a huge range of brands including La Perla, Aubade, Chantelle, Le Mystere, Lise Charmel, Simone Perele, Deshabille, Mimi Holiday, Elle Mcpherson, Nearly Nude, Berlei and Calvin Klein - and that's only some of them. They also have Hollywood Fashion Tape, Perfectform silicone inserts and stick on bras, silk pillow cases and eye masks.

This place always has such a great window display I finally found the time to drop inside for a…read morelook. Wild Orchid sells beautiful lingerie and sleepwear - the sort of pieces that you fancy yourself in everyday but know that would be a luxury. The store itself is quite small and the grandeur of the window display makes it a bit of a let down. The best pieces are displayed in the window and inside is more basic that you may have been led to believe. The obligatory CK is stocked here but so are boutique labels I haven't' heard of like Spencer & Lacy and Love & Lustre. The store assistants are a bit funny too - not one of them said hello or welcome even as I made eye contact!

All hail Zulu Lulu!…read more Seriously. I'm not a good shopper by ANY means, and Zulu Lulu turned me around.This is exactly what a good boutique should be: simply designed, well stocked and with an owner who is bright, breezy and effortlessly helpful. Yes, Louise and her gorgeous store is all those thing and more. I remember my first trip to Zulu Lulu - I was totally and completely over sodding dress shopping for my sodding brother's sodding wedding (what a helpful attitude!), and within moments Louise had me trying on dress after dress that looked wonderful. Each one I'd initially regarded with intense incredulity (that? No way!), but with her gentle encouragement I decided to give them a go - and surprise surprise it turned out Louise knew my proportions and what styles suited me far better than I! Zulu Lulu offers more than fabulous dresses and customer service with a smile...Louise has got style!

Fantastic selection of clothes and great service. A real fun experience - loads of colour - the…read morestore makes you feel good. Rosey

Imagine yourself in the summer sun, on a cruise - then imagine what you are wearing. This is a…read moreclothes store that has a image of artisitc beauty. It is about expressing your tastes and being flamboyant about fashion. All the clothes are based on a European prints that are quite bold and bright. You'll see crimson contrasted with a white background. You could see yourself walking down a promenade in Europe or Neutral Bay dressed in these garments, they would make great gift ideas. As they may not be usually what you would go for, but on the odd occasion that you want to try something different - they would have just the essence of glamour. Feel the joie de vivre in the range. There were also some slim cut jeans available, the range was mainly knee length dresses and skirts.

Whenever I step off the 2nd floor escalators at Chatswood Chase I see the Ralph Lauren store. It's…read morewindows reek upper class comfort and style. I decided to go in to get a taste of what it might be like to shop without a budget. There were a couple of items I might wear but mostly it was boring design and dull fabrics... in my humble and untrained opinion. The staff were friendly which I liked. The prices were upward of $500 for any one piece. It was all a bit too perfect to be true.

Shoe lovers, shoe lovers everywhere. Come join me for this…read morespecial fair It's a shoe addicts dream It's a boyfriend's bore As once you enter You'll just want more More, more! So many of us love shoes. Carrie Bradshaw opened up the 'permits for all' on the right to have endless numbers of shoes in a girl's wardrobe. Zomp is the kind of shoe shop where I want to try on at LEAST ten shoes minimum. There's cutesy baby doll, there's cowboy boots, there's wedge, stiletto, strappy and sneaker, there's funky street, star prints and leopard prints, floral and kitsch. You name it, there's a style in there for you. But it's not just the variety I love it's that most of the shoes feel like they've got character... just that little bit of edge that other shoe shops might only have with only one or two shoes. I bought a $200+ pair of Hudson boots from here recently. They are gorgeous and they were on sale which of course was a bonus. Within 1 month unfortunately the sole started to unpeel. I was wearing them incessantly but it was a bit of drag to have to go back to the shop for a fix. The Zomp girls were more than happy to organize a shoe repair on them however I did have to pay extra if I wanted a thicker sole put on them - which I did of course. It was a shame to loose the cute penny farthing imprint on the sole. But now I can stomp these Zomp boots for a very merry long time. The Zomp Footwear for kids next door is a shoe shop filled with gorgeous teeny tot shoes. It's worth a mention for parents as it's a great excuse when the kids need new shoes to pop next door for your own sweet toe treat. One Saturday I was walking past and there were kids selling cup cakes outside. Nice touch.

I think I have a chromosome missing. I just don't seem to get that excited about shoes. I'm not so…read morefunctional as to wear only Hush Puppies but I do prefer my shoes to not leave my feet in bleeding tatters. Having said this I did purchase a pair of 4 inch stilettos from Zomp recently - mostly to see if I could actually walk and not look like a man in drag but also because I'm having an early midlife crisis. Zomp has shoes for all. If you get around on Zebra print brogues, pink ballet pumps, nude wedges or Gladiator sandals - all are found here and more. Staff are available without being intrusive and there are good discounts thanks to the GFC. A one-stop clodhopper shop.

I held my breath as I crept through the door, looking around for a Style Authority to chase me out…read morewith a look of icy disdain. Nobody. Hmm. I crept in a little closer, taking in the distressed wood surfaces, the minimalist racks. Aah, staffer is on the phone in the next room. I might have a moment then. Oh my. Akira Isogawa designs and superlatives are hardly strangers, but to see them up close is quite the experience. Don't misunderstand me, I consider Fashion TV a form of penetential torture to be endured while getting my hair cut, I don't think I've ever bought a Vogue, and couldn't care diddly about what the latest skirt length is this season. But beauty earns its own respect. The lady even flashed me a smile as I inched my way into the far room, growing bolder by the moment, but she didn't get off the phone, which was a blessing. I got to run my (very clean, honestly) fingers over the silk, and imagine what these cloudlike suggestions of clothing must feel like to wear. Some were on sale, but no, there's no way I can afford them. But thanks for not running me out, scissors slashing and hurling pins at vital acupuncture points. I feel like this should be categorised as 'Art Gallery', for which I should have left a gold coin donation in gratitude as I slunk away, silkily serene.