I'm not a massive fan of the adult Cotton On stores, so it was an immense surprise to stumble upon…read morethis little gem of a kid's store owned by the same brand. It's upstairs at Westfield Carindale, hidden around a corner, right beside Pumpkin Patch. (Now that's a store I think is a twee and overpriced). I'm a devoted aunty and I stumbled upon the cutest ickle dress for my soon-to-be four year old niece at Cotton On Kids - it's navy blue, and has a soft, tulle skirt (so it won't scratch her delicate little skin), with chic little flowers in tulle on the bodice. It's girly yet cool, pretty, yet totally functional (she can jump around on her trampoline and go down her slippery slide to her heart's content while wearing it). And it was only $19. There were other totally adorable dresses, t-shirts, playsuits...I literally didn't know where to look as there were so many fashionable (and affordable) options for little 'uns. There were also some other adorable little gift ideas here too like a little alphabetical "stamp" set that I fell for and may well go back and get. And I also purchased a canvas bag - with two painted ballerina girls on the front - for under $3 to put my niece's purchase in. The money from that goes to help a children's charity. As the stuff here is nicer than what you can find in Cotton On for adults, I kinda wish they made some of it for we big kids, too...

I think its great that there is a fashion outlet with nice clothes for the curvier woman, however,…read moreits pretty criminal what they are charging. If you are of the more petite variety there are so many options where you can get cheaper fashion knock offs, larger girls don't have this luxury and I can see that City Chic is making a killing out of it. One of my best girlfriends shops here and when I saw the pricing I had a fit, it was like $120 for this dress that you would normally be able to get for $50. The staff are really friendly, sometimes I think that they're not being sincere but if you need sizing and all that they're very helpful. It's a nice, clean store with a range of really nice clothing items, just be prepared to pay extra.

City Chic is a fashionable clothing store which sells clothes from sizes 14 to 24. They have a wide…read morevariety of clothing ranging from casual wear, fancy dresses, jeans, night wear, you name it they got it. The prices are also very reasonable. This store is fairly and has probably only been at West Lakes for a few years. The store is really clean and has super friendly staff members who are always happy to help you with whatever you need. When you walk into the store the colour scheme makes you feel like you're in a night club, without the terribly loud music.

What an experience I had shopping for jeans the other day! I've never been to Jeanswest that I can…read morerecall which made this a pleasant surprise. The staff members are all young at heart, fun and they make it their mission to solve your problem of not getting something that fits. In other shops I would walk out if they don't have my size, but here there was enough knowledgeable staff on the floor to attend to all the customers. I was helped by a lady recommending which cut would work well for me and another bringing more to try on, but only one pair didn't fit well. This turned out to be the shortest shopping expedition in history and in a few minutes, I got what I was hoping for: very comfy jeans that fits well too! On top of this, they had a special and I bought 4 pairs at an absolute steal! When making payment, a friendly lad told me about their guarantee, which is superb. I walked out of there and felt absolutely delighted! Yeah! Nobody will be able to keep me away from this shop now!

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.

I first saw this accessories store while shopping in Sydney. I was impressed then and I'm impressed…read morenow. Especially by the fact that they're in Brissy too. Yippy. I don't think the accessories here are of really high quality, but for random day-to-day use, it is worth buying up here. As trends change fast these days, so does the merchandise in this store. This is a good thing! They don't necessarily just get rid of the older stock, it will just fizzle and then there's a sale and then... BOOM! New hot smack bang in the front and centre of the store. Luring all who dare to get tempted, through its doors. I am more than happy for this store to tempt me. They have such a great range of dress-up accessories and best of all, they are cheap. Not cheap in an nasty way, far from it. The jewellery and bags sold here are of the latest trends and fashion, just done at wonderfully welcoming prices. Easy on the wallet and easy on the eye! I would describe this store a bit like a Topshop. It attracts a market of trendy, young and hip peeps. What I would hate to see happen is this store turn into a Diva. Ick. But I doubt that will happen. The store layout is great and ambience created by the dim lighting and the darker paint shades really sets it apart from the Diva's and other tacky accessories store.

First off i have to say this store is probably my go to store for accessories. I love following the…read morelatest trends but i find most stores to be over priced and cheap quality But with Colette Accessories i find it to be the complete opposite. They have great prices and great quality stuff. Out of all the times i have been here i dont think i have ever walked out empty handed. I only just the other day walked out with a fantastac large handbag and nice rope chain bracelet and only paid $35 all up. You tell me where you can go with a great bargain like that. Not only that but the girls that work there i find always to be really friendly and welcoming and never pushy. They are happy to help but if you just want to look on your own they let you be I love that in a store. I will continue going here. I love this store.

Vintage Revival (aka Lifeline Annerley) advertises itself more as a costume store than second hand…read morestore. Just read their business card "Goth, Retro, Costumes, Accessories, Footwear, Masks, Wigs & MORE!". A bunch of ghoulish and garish masks greet you as you walk in. This place is better than an all out costume hire store because it's cheaper and you get to keep the clothes! The prices are standard inner city prices. The clothes are well categorised, but as far as finding item by size goes, it can get a little frustrating. I'll save you some time as well. If you're looking for corporate or everyday type of gear for cheap, you might be better going elsewhere. Come here if you're into clothes with big personalities, or you're looking to play dress ups.

I usually avoid places that loudly proclaim the existence of "Vintage"…read more Mainly because they are A) extremely trawled through B) annoyingly expensive or C) have a peculiar definition of vintage (I'm looking at you 2001 JayJays collection in lifeline.) Vintage Revival in Annerley falls under A and B. I found it hard to justify spending upwards of $30 on an OK looking dress or scrap of fabric, And while the clothes are handily categorised by style and era it can get exasperating trying to find something by size. The best part about this store is probably the multitude of costumes and props on hand. But while its not really my cup of tea I still recommend stopping by and checking this place out, You never know what you may find.

This menswear shop manages to pull off a bit of 'discount outlet' vibe while still managing to feel…read morehigh end (well, at least to me). They stock all the conventional standbys in business wear as well as some cool variations on the traditional which will appeal to the fashion forward corporate types. I went there to buy a couple of new shirts before a job interview a few years ago and came away with two shiny new additions to my wardrobe and surprisingly, change from $100. One of the finds, a fine white cotton number with a small collar and buttons down to the navel, has become one of my favourites for its casual yet stylish look and comfortable feel. Oh and yes, I got the job.

We walked in not needing a Thing. But what we Found was the…read moremost beautiful, quality menswear. My son fell in love with suit pants and the were tailored to him on the spot. The women (yes, three women) who waited on us, were so warm and lovely! We will definitely be back! Thank you for a terrific shopping experience!

Handmade High Street throws together some really great local crafters and creators of all things…read morepretty and fun. The first things that caught my eye was a crocheted rose-shaped brooch with quite a few other similar ones to keep it company. I found delight in the handmade jewellery and recycled accessories including hairpins made out of old buttons and old teacups being transformed into candle holders, which is something I would never have thought to do. They also had one of the very lovely dresses that is so identifiable as one of Rachel Burke's I Make My Day projects, which is surrounded by a mountain of handmade things to choose from like tin earrings and very flamboyant floral hairbands that are just gorgeous. I was most impressed with earrings that were fashioned out of origami designs. Some of the things in here are so original and it's so nice to see support for local crafters. One of the back shelves advertises renting a space in the store so other artists can sell their wares. As I was walking out I laughed out loud at the cute new spin on bottle top jewellery when I saw bottle tops printed with vintage pictures and resold as necklaces. I think that's a really cute and unique idea. Another item Handmade High Street currently sells is a product by Reclaimed Records, who make old records into new products like notepads and use only recycled paper. A recycled record notepad will set you back $45 but hey, you are paying for an old record. I like what this place has going on. They've got some really great pieces and I see a lot of potential for the artists who showcase their wares here.

Kath Chownston, one of three brains behind Handmade High Street, said that she wanted to provide a…read morespace for artists and craftspeople to easily sell their wares. Markets are often exhausting, subject to the elements, and aren't a very reliable way to get the money coming in if you're selling your goods in this fashion. The internet is a great way to get your stuff out there, but still, she went one further and opened a store- for the good of everyone! For her, for the people who rent space in her store, for the person who happens to pop in for a look and take away something local and unique. For the interested artist or craftsperson- the way the rent system works at Handmade High Street works is that there are small 'cubes' (shelving space) that are $20 per month. If you do larger scale work, clothing for example, and you have a rack that you'd like to have in store, it might cost you around $200 per month. The rental price is subject to how big and how much of the work there is, and whereabouts you want it placed in the store. There's some great stuff there too. The beads by Patti Pennisi made me want for the ocean, the glass work of Cairo Made That was gorgeous, and I couldn't help but want to take home some scented soy wax melts by Lisa Macnab. There's not the tired repeat of like works in there either; there's great diversity. Go in and support a new local business that supports it's locals. Handmade High Street. Remember that name.