There are a few places like this I've come across in Sunnybank. Little boutiques I discovered…read moreaccidentally, hidden among a crowd of less inviting shops, full of less interesting merchandise. Julia has done a great job with her collection; the store is a decent size and it's packed with loads of adorable dresses. Looking at the labels most of them are imported. The prices are average and while the quality of some of the garments strikes me as a little questionable (it's the vibe of the thing), it's a great store and one that I will certainly be returning to.

This shop tries to specialise in too wide of a range of stuff considering how tiny it is. Their…read morestuff is nice enough, but stocking clothes for women and children as well as accessories in such a small space makes for an overcrowded shop. Despite it's less than pleasant setup they did have some clothes and handbags that I really liked, so it's certainly not all bad.

Etre is a women's fashion store in the Metro area off Creek Road. I have been here a couple of…read moretimes, just window shopping really. I like the vibe of the store, sort of breezy and a bit of a holiday feel to it. This is probably due to the fact that a lot of the clothing would be suitable for a holiday. Smart casual I think you would call it. I am yet to buy anything simply because most of the clothing is aimed at women a bit older than myself. I would estimate their main buyers would be 35-50 or so and women with some class because they do have some classy tops, dresses and pants, just not for my personal style.

Giordano walks the fine line of being both cheap and having good quality clothing fantastically…read morewell. Usually it is either one or the other, but here, they do quite well. I like this store for picking up my basic clothes that I might not wear on a nice night out, but I will most certainly get some solid use out of. Things like singlets, polo shirts, jeans and shorts. Pretty dress shops are my favourite to look in, but when it comes down to it, how many cocktail dresses does one need really? Where as is this store, I can pick up half a dozen things without feeling guilty or breaking the bank balance. I actually have at least 3 of the same shirt in different colours at one stage because it was so comfortable and fit really well.

The thing that really grabbed me about this place is that they actually have a section where there…read moreare market stalls. Look, honestly, shopping centres really don't come anywhere close to the charm of the main street, but they do have a purpose. Like many of the Westfields, you pretty much know what you are going to get here, though the issue that I had was that sometimes getting out in certain directions (such as a direction that doesn't involve the bus stop) requires you to maneuver your way through a car park, so yes, this place really isn't all that pedestrian friendly.

Garden City's not my local, but every now and then we drive there for a change of scenery. It's big…read moreand busy and has a different feel to some of the other Westfield's in Brisbane. Take the piazza area, for example; Dicey Riley's in the afternoons and evenings is always buzzing with loud and happy people taking in the afternoon sun in the beer garden; Toscani's al fresco dining is doing a roaring trade and the cinema is attracting a crowd. Inside, there are some places we don't see in the other centres, small one-off clothing boutiques and jewellery stores, and big box retailers like Toys R Us, so yep, Garden City's worth a visit every now and then just to keep up and make sure we're not missing out on anything.