Love the black and white colour scheme which goes hand in hand with the Parisian theme inspired…read moreshop and again it's amazing what a paint job and some decor can do. And not forgetting to mention the black chiffon chandelier...nice. The women's clothing boutique has only been open since October 2010 and has a small following, as with all new shops it takes a while to become known and established. Apart from clothes there's jewellery and handbags plus other accessories, so there's an appropriate mix. The change rooms are spacious which is great. So I hope I inspire a few of you to go and check it out. There's a good range of summer clothes and when I was here today, I looked through a long rack of 50% off clothes but alas didn't have my size. Talking about size the range goes from about an 8 to 16 and price wise is very good from approximately $15 to $80. I looked on their website which mentions every Saturday they have 'happy hour' from 10 - 11am as everything is 10% off. Now this is something very unique and I haven't seen or heard of any other clothing store doing such a promotion. Well done Ruby for some lateral thinking. Their website is nifty and also have a Facebook presence, check it out.

Bardot at Marion is one of my favourite boutiques for clothes shopping. I love it because I can go…read moreshopping with my daughters and we can all find something we like at fairly reasonable prices. The clothes range from fashionable daywear items right through to more formal occasion dresses. I can always find something I like (which is rare these days) and they have gorgeous fitted comfortable jeans as well. Their sales are really good especially the 30% off all stock sales. If you are looking for a bargain there is always a few sales racks down the back towards the change rooms and unlike some stores the clothes are not of the variety that nobody would buy in a fit. I wandered in here on the weekend and ended up buying a couple of adorable tops. The sales assistant was outstanding. She was helpful, friendly, without being pushy and we had a great discussion about service in general because the day had been slow. She told me that unlike other stores they don't have specific sales targets which makes for a more relaxed interaction. She said it worked well because they really listen to the customer rather that pestering them or telling them something looks good when it doesn't. She seemed genuinely interested in making the whole shopping experience a pleasant one. Having been there a few times, all the staff seem to have the same friendly attitude. Well done Bardot!

The name states exactly what it does and that's specialising in clothing sizes for the larger…read morewoman. Black Apple is one brand which stands out as being the main brand and the colours and styles are varied. The sizes start at 14 (which I don't consider as large personally) and go all the way up to 34! Building self esteem is another good reason this shop is around as people are not limited for choice and have to resort to just donning a massive sheet like kaftan on, which is not very flattering. For the extra fabric involved in making a piece it is not expensive compared to standard sizes and besides, there are various price tags depending on what you like and what you can afford. So if you know of someone who is struggling to find clothes to fit them and getting a little depressed, this is a good store to go to for sizes and a friendly assisted service.

I was looking for an outfit for a wedding and being a plus size choices are very limited. I did a…read moresearch on google and came across The Special Size Company. I spent the next hour or so looking thru the web site and realised that I could get a nice stylish & flattering outfit. Finally I had hope. I contacted the store spoke to Michelle who was extremely helpful and nothing was a problem. It was refreshing to have good old fashioned customer service. I received my outfit and could not be happier. I live in Melbourne & I highly recommend "The Special Size Company" no matter what state you are in or what the occassion, they will be able to help you. Thank you Michelle.

I've said it before, but I like to treat women's clothes shops like art museums. I don't really…read moreknow what I'm looking at, but I pretend I'm impressed with what I see. Vertice Boutique is another store that makes this extremely easy. The stuff here looks mostly fantastic, and, depending on my mood, I can rile myself up into a kind of excitement about it. I see something and convince myself I simply cannot WAIT to see how milady looks whilst I'm wearing it. It's all about playing mind games with yourself, people. But aside from the stock, one thing I love about the place is the lady who always seems to be on staff whenever I've been dragged to the store. She's funny as hell and always gives me shit for being there. She remembers my face and likes to joke around with me whenever I'm waiting for milady to try something on. She'll say things like, 'Make sure you tell her you like this one.' And whenever I walk into the store she looks at my expression and says, 'Oh, come on; it's not THAT bad.' It's the little things like this that makes the experience more... tolerable.

This cotton on is HUGE…read more My jaw dropped when I first saw it and it hit the floor when I walked in. you may not be aware but Rubi Shoes is a division of cotton on, so one section of this store is dedicated to shoes. Another section is dedicated to accessories and there are wall to wall clothes catering to guys, gals and kids for your browsing pleasure. If I'm in shopping mode, I can spend a good hour in here, happily sifting through shoes and pretty dresses while contemplating if buying another pair of wedge heels really is a bit obnoxious. The guys section is nearly as big as the girls, so your partner doesn't have to stand there awkwardly while you revel in the good feeling that is accessories, and he wont come back for a while (hopefully). I guarantee you wont leave here without a new something or other, so if you are trying to curb your spending, don't even walk past because the colourful television set display is the first thing you wont say no to.

Make sure you keep any children on a tight leash in here otherwise you may never find them again…read more My daughter and I popped in for a quick browse and ended up sucked into this time warp, only to come out one hour later. Like Elissa says this store is massive and has everything from your usual fashion items to shoes, pyjamas underwear and even swimwear and caters for the whole family. It is a great place to shop for you basic items like singlets and shorts. Most of the cotton dresses are very prone to creasing so you are better off buying something with a bit of lycra in it. If you are buying dresses I suggest the more T shirt style that you can just throw over a pair of bathers in summer. Their pyjamas are really good and the quality is there. We came away with some great summer pyjamas and a cute swing singlet. Considering the store is huge and the range is definitely on the cheaper side, they have done a really good fit out that doesn't feel cheap unlike some of the other competitors in the market.

I don't often wear women's clothing. In fact, I NEVER wear women's clothing…read more Okay. It was ONE time. But it's funny how often a dude'll have to be inside a women's clothing store. In fact, it's interesting to see the time spent in women's clothing stores when outside of a relationship as compared to time spent in women's clothing stores when INSIDE a relationship. I'm sure the comparison would be staggering. I like to treat trips to women's clothing stores like trips to art museums. I don't quite understand what I'm supposed to be looking at, but I try to appreciate what I'm seeing all the same. At some stores this is easy. At others, it's impossible. Impulse Boutique is the type of store that makes it easy. I like the look of a lot of the dresses, and am even able to make suggestions! I'll say to milady, 'How about THIS one?' And she loves it. Of course, she's not once picked one of my suggestions. They're all terrible, apparently. But the fact that I'm (allegedly) putting in the effort does wonders. And from what I understand, the selection at Impulse quickly changes.

Customer Service - something some of the staff need to learn and apply to the work. Some of the…read morestaff are very rude when they have greeted me: they've either used a tone that is unwelcoming or don't even greet at all. I used to shop at this store every now and again, but after last time I went in for a browse, I won't be back! As I had walked in and looked at a few things I couldn't help but notice two staff members giving me bad looks. If you want people to keep shopping here, then either learn how to put on a smile, talk in a nice tone or be more particular about the staff you hire!

Attitudes boutique has been in Glenelg for sometime now and has a very loyal following. The staff…read moreare professional and friendly. It stocks a lot of brands such as Mink Pink and Ladakh. The clothing is fairly diverse and caters for a range of budgets. You can buy a casual outfit right through to a dress for formal. They often have a sales rack out the front to attract customers inside but don't forget to look down the back near the change rooms as there is usually another sales rack hidden there. They also have a good selection of accessories to complete your outfit.

Attitudes has broken my friend's heart several times. She keeps finding dresses in here that she…read moreLOVES but then can't justify the cost of them. I desperately wish she'd just find something on the sales rack, or stop dragging us in here! The shop has a large selection of styles, from very casual beach wear up to formal dresses. Their range is quite eclectic, and changes often. When this place is busy, it's a little overwhelming. There are women speaking loudly from all angles, and the shop assistants are very flamboyant, which can be quite fun. I often try to sneak in here for a quiet browse, but if it's busy I don't bother. Though, the sales racks are always worth a look, even if you have to elbow your way in to see them.