Like many clothing stores in Manly, Attik is not a chain, but a little one-off. Unlike many of…read morethese boutique-y type places, shopping at Attik will not cost you a month's rent. The shop is filled with funky and reasonably priced threads - I'm personally a big fan of most of their dresses. Beware though - a lot that I've tried on haven't fitted as well as a size 8 normally does on me, or look a bit different to what I'd expect. Definitely try before you buy! I'm not the only fan on the Northern Beaches, that's for sure - Attik is always heaving with women looking for a cute dress for lunch on Saturday, a funky tee for a festival or that perfect pair of denim shorts. The service is smiley and friendly, but not overly attentive. The store itself is packed with clothes from an impressive range of brands, with a range often coming in a heap of different colours - I love that! Don't fancy it in pink? Go yellow! The quality isn't fantastic, but for less than $60 for a dress and less than $40 for a top, it's not exactly shocking. If you're after an outfit for a particular event - I'm talking one-off occasions here - then Attik is a great choice for you.

If you're looking for a swimming costume for the upcoming summer, then look no further than The Big…read moreSwim. Unlike so many surf shops, I really like that The Big Swim stocks classy swimwear that can be worn for more than one season. In fact, if I hadn't eaten my way around Europe for seven months, I'd still be rockin' the bikini that my eighteen year old self proudly purchased there as a post-HSC present to myself. The Big Swim does offer trendy swimmers - last season's crochet look was readily available there this time last year, but it doesn't let itself fall into the trap that so many swimwear stockists do - offering kitschy patterned numbers and nothing else. Your sixteen year old cousin probably wouldn't shop at The Big Swim; but that's a good thing. It offers slightly more expensive - and much more beautiful - items from the giants in Australian swimwear. Seafolly, Jets and an assortment of other classy brands can be found here. There's no two ways about it - The Big Swim is expensive, particularly when examined on the amount of fabric to cost ratio. However, it's also of a good quality. I rarely find that my swimwear from here has gone pilly, stretched before its time or faded. As we previously discussed, it's also not trendy enough for teeny boppers, so the garments on offer tend to remain stylish after one season of wear and tear

Karabu is an amazing little store with fashion that is high end but affordable. Im continually…read moreamazed with the boutique dresses, shoes and accessories that this store offers without the extradordinary expensive or the ridiculously cheap 'Sunny Girl' label type clothes. As its tucked away in Central Avenue opposite the more well known The Mint boutque store it could easily get missed but I assure you that there will be something you would like to buy if not covet. Anticipating Summer despite the recent cold weather is Mollini summer platforms and beautiful maxi summer dresses. There are also an amazing range of small handbags and belts to complete outfits. Karabu has quality products and clothing and will be well worth your visit.

"No WAY", I think to myself as I wander around from the Corso. "I ALSO love Paris - Lulu and I…read moreshould be friends!" And Parisien Lulu seems on approach; the wrought-iron table and chairs outside the shop are reminiscent of long afternoons with an apertif on the Left Bank, the pink potted geraniums matching those everyone in Paris grows. The clothes in the store are also very Parisian - very chic, and only to be worn by attractive and thin women. There's no doubt that the store has a buyer with very good, very consistent taste - but is it Australia? Is it Manly? I think not... The prices are certainly like those in the Galaries Lafayette in Paris, or in the designer stores along Rue de Georges VII - at $500 plus, a dress from Lulu Loves Paris is certainly an investment. The sales staff are equally Parisien - chic, with perfect tans and long thin legs. However, unlike their notoriously snooty French counterparts, the girls in here are happy to help. For me, Lulu Loves Paris is a bit too Parisien - too much of a dream, not enough of somewhere my real self can shop.

Lulu loves Paris - I love you!!!…read more OMG how gorgeous is this store - based right in Manly - close to one of the best beaches in the world!!! Gorgeous range of items - and sensational service! Who could ask for more! Lulu you have restored my faith in shopping in my local neighbourhood - Every time i have lunch with friends we pop in always manage ti find something to tempt & delight! And your service is sublime! Can't wait to see you again!

Sammy & Sid is a vintage collection boutique store based on busy Pittwater Street in Manly. It…read moreholds a mixture of vintage and new clothing and accessories. The labels on this visit includes a choice of Marni, Camilla and Seven for All Mankind shoes. Items do not last very long in this store and you are invited to leave your details for new release notifications and they have a fantastic subscription blog for eager followers to watch out for any new items. Upon inspection each piece is in mint condition and worthy of the pricetags. Having vintage stores such as Frock Exchange in Clovelly, Eva's in Annandale and Mint Condition in Rozelle, Sammy & Sid's is proving to be a major contender.

I am a Manly local and have shopped at Sammy and Sid once - and their customer service was…read moreexcellent - they held on to my purchase til the next day as I didn't want to take it into the city with me (on the way to the big smoke) - very kind. I love my skirt I bought- it makes me feel great, esp with the kind backstory. Need to use this shop more....

Billabong is arguable the ultimate surfing brand, and Manly is definitely the ultimate location for…read moresuch a shop. Located on the sunny and surfy Corso, Billabong is a rad shop. The staff are way cute and friendly, offering suggestions and alternatives. Their cute accents don't hurt, either! The shop itself is nice - spacious, a baby ramp and blonde wood that suits the location to a tee. The best thing about it - about any store, really - is the clothes. Of course there are surfboards and wetsuits and all those things, but i REALLY like the clothes. The stock has an undeniable surfy bent to it - brightly coloured dresses feature heavily in the women's section, as does crochet. The stock here manages to toe the fine line between being surfy "themed" and being overly, annoyingly kitsch - certainly no Hawaiian prints here. If you're into trendy but not try hard, casual but not crap clothes, then Billabong is great spot.

If there was a dream location for surfing giant Roxy's womens wear store, Manly Corso would just…read moreabout fit the bill. Found in the heart of the surfing mecca Manly, the Roxy Store is populated with young blonde girls who've just come in from a surf, and other barefoot beach goers. In Manly, it's perfectly acceptable to go into a clothing shop covered in sand and not wearing shoes. The décor of the store is cheesy, but appropriate - Roxy wants you to feel like you're in Hawaii. Hence the overdose of frangipani images and polished wood. The Roxy store spans two levels, and is FILLED with brightly-coloured things; given its location and target market, bikinis are its main feature. It features these little two pieces in every combination, colour and design imaginable - every surfer girl's dream! The store, in a nod to practicality and the reality that Sydney isn't always summery, offers these same girls wetsuits for the cold days in the surf. For those of us who merely want to look the part, Roxy has you covered - the impressive store stocks boardshorts, singlets, t-shirts, dresses, skirts, shoes, bags and accessories for the girls who want to spend summer looking like surfie chicks. The winter range is also quite impressive - every year, Roxy bring out a range of jeans, hoodies, long-sleeved tops and knitwear that make our mums nod with approval. What might not cause your mum to nod with approval is the price of the stock in the Roxy store - as with all surf brands, you do pay a little bit more than that itsy, bitsy bikini might be worth. But then, the clothes from these stores will last; do me a favour and buy something that you'll wear next season too - hot tip? It probably won't be maroon.

'Savoir Faire' is an accessories for ladies who have come into their own. The bold, self-confident…read moretype who is not against adding a jaunty feather to liven up a Fedora. The sort of lady who has hats that are not just for occasions but for occasions like the day has a Y in it. Don't get me wrong, this is not just an accessories shop for the hardcore hat wearer, it's for fairweather types too though the target audience would still be stylish, mature and bold rather than Philip Treacy style quirks. This is the place to head for your Cup Day fascinator or when looking for something fun and flirty for a wedding. They once had a splendid light grey felt fedora with 'diamante' jewels along the back seam and a feather. If only words could do justice to the picture because it was so very awesome. It might look like a middle aged ladies shop from the outside but put your judgements aside and let it all go to your head.

Transform your ugly duckling outfit into a true peacock: add feathers, sparkly costume jewellery, a…read moreflamboyant hat or a gravity-defying fascinator, an exotic belt and a glossy bag with diamente clip. No doubt sales peak for the racing season, when headwear becomes de rigeur once again, or when the weather changes and suddenly a scarf is the prefect not-too-hot but not-too-cold solution. This is the shop for preening. It's great fun - but be prepared for the price tag.

Feel a bit silly reviewing a clothing shop for its handbags, but that is what I give Design Mosman…read morecredit for. I am loathe to spend hundreds of dollars on a handbag - and I don't claim either the taste or the distinction to know the difference between a really good one and a stock-standard one (or a really good one versus a fake!). I don't have preconceived ideas about what I do and don't want in a bag - I either like what I see or I don't. Stocked amidst its clothing, Design Mosman carries Australian brand LouenHide. Prices range from about $50-$250, the higher end being genuine leather and the lower end not. There's block colour as well as basic blacks and browns, nice linings and trims, and plenty of variation (though the shop is small and the range limited but regularly updated). Clothing? Yep, it's not bad. Probably best described as 'resortwear'; David Jones ladies department on a small scale. A worthy stop on a boutique browse.