I really am a fan of Portside at Hamilton. You can get a nice meal with fantastic water views,…read morecatch a movie and do some shopping, all in the one spot. One of my favourite shops is ily. Ily is the sister store of Leaf, next door. They have a similar vibe. Leaf specializes in smart casual wear (picture the people getting off the cruise ship), ily have clothing more targeted for younger women. They style is fun, a little quirky and colourful. Think patterns, colours and fabrics. I really like their range of accessories too. You can pick up a whole outfit, complete with bag, jewellery and heels. They stock some fantastic brands like Blessed are the Meek, Living Doll and August st. I really like the layout of the shop itself too and the staff are really nice.

I swear this boutique was transplanted directly from Noosa; it reminds me so strongly of many of…read morethe shops up there, and, less flatteringly, many women's clothing stores you find in shopping centres. It's definitely better quality than the shopping centre chain stores, but the styles are quite similar. A lot of horrendously bright colours and not especially nice patterns, with many of the items made of that semi-satin like material that so many resort holidaying mothers seem to wear. The shop itself is nice, unfortunately it's just not for me.

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.

When you visit Petrol Paddington you are instantly reminded of what a boutique is not. A boutique…read moreis not just any dress shop, it is not any small store, it is not automatically expensive and it is not part of a chain. A true boutique is exactly what Petrol Paddington is - a collection of incredible clothes, sourced from a number of suppliers based on the owners design vision, not on a stockist contract. The clothes are arranged in colours and are supplemented by an extensive range of shoes and accessories. The most amazing thing about Petrol would have to be its price range. You can find a $50 dress hanging next to a $500 dress, and walking out with either of them will be a win for ladies who like to be ahead of the fashion pack. TLDR: don't wish you had a stylist, go to Petrol Paddington and take advantage of their style vision instead. You will end up with an amazing outfit for an amazing price and never have the fear that somebody else will be dressed the same as you.

I've heard a lot of people say how much they love Petrol but to be honest, I can't really see all…read morethe fuss. I feel like what people were telling me and what I saw in the flesh was quite different. I was picturing more of a boutique with trendy clothing and seasonal pieces but walked in and found I probably would only wear a few (if any) of the clothes they had on show. I'm not giving their shoes justice in saying this because there was a pretty good selection at reduced prices. The clothes I would say however are more suited to formals and possibly for slightly older ladies (what was in store when I went in, at least). There was a lot going on in the designs with bedazzling bejewelled dresses in particular. I'm sad to say I walked away a bit disappointed. I'd been saving my money and being sensible about other shops along Latrobe, thinking that I'd want to buy far too many and dent my bank account once I'd gotten to Petrol but I actually walked away with nothing. I'm sure there are some gems within the range but I was a little disheartened and didn't make the effort to find them. Like I said, this is probably an excellent place to look for formal dresses but didn't quite appeal to my particular taste.

My favourite thing about this store is the sign. It's a great design featuring a woman whose hair…read moremorphs into abstract ocean waves with flowers floating atop them and a little fox looking fearfully over his shoulder. There's also a giant orange circle which I take to be the sun and the font used is just perfect. Moving on from my inappropriate attachment to the sign, the shop itself is nice enough. There are some lovely things in here but when I visited I didn't find anything that had me reshuffling my weekly budget. It may have just been unlucky timing for my visit though; it's clear to see this is a great place for ladies' clothing.

This place is totally charming! Frankie & the Fox is a ladies fashion boutique along Oxford Street…read morethat sells some really gorgeous clothes. You'll find something for every occasion with cute shorts, flowy tops, and classy frocks for a night out. They stock some well-known brands like Ladakh, and have styles for whatever mood you're in. if you're feeling girly, have a look at the cute maxi skirts or frilled dresses. Go for something flowy if you're feeling whimsical, or step out in something strong for a day at the races. Frankie & the Fox has pretty much everything a girl wants in a little boutique clothing store. Prices are pretty good and the shop sing is enough to invite anyone in because it's so quirky and fun. You can find them on Facebook to see more pictures and hear about special offers. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Frankie-the-Fox/135415263183748?sk=info

Side Street is a cute and trendy boutique in Paddington which won't break your bank. They stock…read moreaffordable brands with the occasional specialty and always have great sale items. My absolute FAVOURITE item I bought here was a little black bolero jacket with gold epoillets, and was devastated when it was stolen on a night out (never ever leave your jacket unattended in the VIP section of Cloudland - even it only cost $20, people will assume its expensive and swipe it anyway). After crying myself to sleep for weeks, I phoned the store to see if they had any more. They didn't - but lovely owner man ordered more in and called me to let me know he'd put one aside for me. I was over the moon and couldn't believe he'd gone out of his way just for a $20 jacket. Side Street also have gorgeous clothes for guys - Man Friend was the joyful recipient of a stunning white v neck tee with neon Vegas skyline print, which I'd spied on Side Street's Facebook page and popped in to purchase. Great formal dresses and accessories too and you won't find the brands stocked at many other places so there's a level of individuality too. Friendly staff and great location. I usually pop over after brunch at Anouk...

Side Street stocks all the types of brands and clothes I yearn for. Yes, it's another one of those…read morelovely Paddington shops that tends to sell the same brands over and over, but don't hold that against it, please. This place sells London Rebel shoes - quite nice styles and surprisingly affordable - as well as relevant fashion styles and some really standout jewellery pieces and accessories. They also occasionally sell some Sass & Bide. I was drawn in by the really distinctive skirts and dresses. You pretty much have your pick of styles here; if you need festival fashions, just ask to see their playsuits and shorts; if you want a cute weekend outfit, take your pick of the patterned dresses. Or go more casual and choose a cami with one of their remarkable jewellery pieces. Side Street is another great stop on a Paddington shopping day.

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.

Zooey Deschanel's quirky style, Camille Belle's girly look, Victoria Beckham's structured dresses,…read moreRachel Bilson's effortless style... If if you admire these celebs for their fashion choices, then you'll love this store! When I need the perfect pretty cocktail dress and not wanting to spend more than $150, I'll most likely find the perfect something here. The clothes are so cute. Most in store are dresses and skirts, a mix of girly, chic and modern styles. The colours are pretty and soft- plenty of white, black, cream, pinks, lilacs, salmon and tangerine. Polka dots or plain or even with pearls, there's plenty of gorgeous pieces to be found. The materials on the dresses and skirts are soft and has a mix of satins, tulle, organza. Some fan out like puffy ballerina skirts. and some just bring out the playfulness in its wearer. This girly boutique also has a variety of coloured ribbons and sashes which you can mix and match with the dresses. So, if you pick out a flowy dress which could use a belt, you can alternatively use a ribbon to give your outfit definition. It's absolutely pretty on and the first time I've seen a shop use it to style outfits. Adorable dresses at affordable prices! Every girly girl needs to know about it!

Along with absolutely loving this beautiful store and all of their gorgeous clothing, their staff…read moreare fantasic! The first time I went into Lulu 62 I was so amazed with their service! I left the store feeling great. And every other time I go into their shop they continue to exeed my expectations. It definately tops any of the others stores I have visited. Great service is hard to come by these days. So it is very much appreciated. How often are you left in the change rooms not being attended to, sadly, very often. There are many other things that these ladies do that makes your shopping experience feel special. These ladies have really got it going on. If you need some assistance looking for a special outfit or just every day outfits that are beautiful, girly, chic, cute, Lulu 62 is the place to come to! Keep up the great work ladies!