While the name is "boutique", I didn't hold out much hope of this shop being very upmarket given…read morethe faded yellow signage outside. To my surprise, as I got closer I noticed the sign outside requesting Trelise Cooper, Annah Stretton etc, and curiosity got the better of me. When I walked inside I noticed that most of the stock looked to be of good quality and in good condition, but looked to me to be for the funky, older ladies of Birkenhead Point. Definitely catering more for the 50-somethings than people of my age. I had a chat with the shop assistant and their selling policy seems pretty fair, and equitable with most recycled clothing shops around town. They seem to be quite discerning with their choice of stock too.

You can either win or lose with a shop like this. You definitely need to be in the mood for some…read moresifting when you come into this small corner store. The racks are jam packed with clothes so there's not much room for maneuvering around inside. If there are other people in the store at the same time as you it can get a bit tricky making your way around. The racks are all colour co-ordinated so you can at least rule out any items you wouldn't want based on colour. But that's about all you can do to help your hunt. Once you've established where you're going to start sifting, sifting is all you can do. I came here last week and pillaged through many of the racks. I tried a few things on and did come away with a gorgeous top. It was a beautiful soft heavy fabric and was the most brilliant blue-ish colour. I also tried on a red dress, which I decided I didn't want to pay $40 for. The shop assistant told me to come check in again as they lower the prices of unsold items after about six weeks. I will certainly be doing so!

Every man needs one good suit, whether you're a builder, lawyer or sitting on the dole, you need…read moreone good suit, trust me. Sure it would be better if you could have a suit for every occasion, and with Balmoral Suit Hire, you basically do. I'll explain... For the cost of the one suit you need, you can rent a suit at Balmarol Suit Hire for the exact event you are attending, and considering it is most likely only happening every two years, you are actually saving money. As you widen your waistline, you can simply hire a bigger suit, rather than having to pay for alterations or another new suit. The selection is good, and you will be the star of the night.

This place may not look like much from the outside, but on the inside are works of art. This…read moremilliner spends every day making the hats (and selling them) and then teaches on the weekends. A favourite hat of mine in the store, I was told, is popular with many people, enough so that it has been requested for use on top of a model and graced the front of a U.K. magazine. It is a burgundy velvet hat with a large front brim and a large ribbon, the pattern on the fabric is what makes it, Carolyn Gibson, the master milliner thinks, I told her it is also in the little details of her craftsmen ship, in my opinion. As you might have already guessed, I am a big fan of hats, not a shoe girl, jackets and hats do it for me! I highly recommend dropping in for a visit, as seeing them in person is much better than on a website.

From the owner: I am a master milliner and I design and create beautiful hats for every occasion. read more

It's nice to see NZ owned businesses standing the test of time, and having a loyal customer base…read morefor generations. That's what I like about Yarnton's, it's an established NZ owned company and very consistent for stock, no flouro or animal prints to be seen here! I haven't quite made it into their demographic range yet, which I'm guessing is about 45+, but perhaps when I do I'll be popping in to buy some sensible trousers and a nice long tunic top to go with them. Also of note Yarnton's is in the Highbury Buildings dating back to 1934 and looking very art deco. A small slice of history remaning in Birkenhead.

My husband loves the upmarket Australian label R.M. Williams, so when I found out Yarntons was a…read morestockiest I knew where to head for his birthday present. I don't mind paying premium prices when the quality is this good. They've also got a good range of other mens, and of course women's fashion in the store. I must admit, my first impressions are this is a bit of a sleepy, has been establishment. This myth was completely dispelled when I walked in because they have some really stylish labels like Boo Radley dresses and tunics. They are also the place to come for your North Shore school uniforms, so for locals this store will be much more in the know than me, the out of towner.

If you're after more Billabong fashion than the average surf store holds, this is the store for…read moreyou. Nearly everything from the latest catalogues can be found here- the spacious clean shop almost looks like catalogue itself with plenty of posters showing huge Australian waves and coy girls looking out from under their lashes. This "surf store" caters to the branding and the street look of Billabong instead of it's surfing roots. T-shirts emblazoned with sponsor's logos and denim factory faded and everything summery you could wear. The service is average, the prices are high and the chances the majority of people shopping here actual surf is low, but it is a decent store. There is a good range of men's and women's beach-styled street wear and swim wear and a good addition to the Queen St shopping district.

The problem I have with surf labels is the same one I have with Sum 41 and pineapple-flavoured…read morefizzy drinks - they just don't age well. Or rather, they don't age, and I do. While these things are fine for teenagers (I remember thinking my Billabong cap was pretty cool at fourteen), the problem is that it's very much aimed at that audience, and once you leave high school you can't wear any of this stuff without looking like a bit of a dick. This is minimised if you're actually on a surf board, or at least on a beach and carrying a surfboard, but how many of Billabong's customers ever find themselves in that situation? How many actual surfers are buying their clothes full-price at a chain store on Queen Street? Very few, I'd guess. But if you're a poser with too much money or a teenager whose parents have too much money, this place is ideal.

Every time I walk past Mischief shoes on Broadway in Newmarket it kills me. The shoes in the window…read moreare literally so beautiful it hurts. Though I've never actually bought anything from the store, I've tried on numerous pairs of shoes there over the years, and have always been really impressed by the quality of the shoes as well as the wide selection. The staff at Mischief are really helpful, and don't mind you trying on half the store (something I've done quite a few times!), as they too are shoe lovers and understand how important it is to find not only the perfect fit but also the perfect style for you. Stocking popular, fashionable and quality brands like Nude, Soles, Clarks, Chaos and Harmony and Paolo Vandini, Mischief caters to both men and women aged about 16 years onward. A little pricey is ol Mischief, but this an example of the whole 'what you get is what you pay for' scenario. Every pair of shoes in this store is made from excellent quality materials and is on trend with the latest European fashions. If you're in Newmarket and feel the need to treat yourself, take a peek in Mischief - it's well named - you never know what you'll be leaving the store with!

Really beautiful quality shoes! Every pair seems to be made of supreme quality and is just dazzling…read moreto look at. If I had a never ending budget I would be able to buy almost every pair. When i last wondered in here, my nephew (4) was really taken with some of the shoes! He would pick out the fanciest, shiniest, most sparkly high heel and bring it over to me and ask if I'd like to try it on. I was starting to worry about his love of shoes but thought he could obviously just appreciate quality as much as I can. I noticed down the back there are a few shoes on sale. This is a pretty important thing for me because most of the prices are well above my price range and so sale items are unfortunately my only option.

Abigail's was the first gift-store I ever knew..we used to go and spend our pocket money on the…read morelucky dip bags they had then spend the rest of the day squabbling over the booty. They also used to have flowers and a little outdoor courtyard with plants and even an upstairs! However none of that is relevant now (sorry) because it has now moved premises and somewhat downgraded..or maybe just simplified. Nowadays you'll find a small, tidy, upmarket giftstore where everything is nice but nothing is too stand-out. The most useful thing for me personally is they seem to have branched out into baby wear and gifts - very helpful when every second person you know is having baby every second day. Oh and their gift-wrapping is exquisite!

Vintage doesn't get any better than Tango…read more The best thing about Tango is that there quite literally isn't a single thing in the shop that hasn't been hand picked because it's beautiful and high quality. There's a definite aesthetic to the stock - a sort of campy, tongue-in-cheek take on glamour - that you'll most likely love if you're into vintage. Tango is hands down the best place in town to get your hands on designer and name-brand vintage that's in top condition, but there are also less expensive items, like costume jewellery and handbags. Not to be overlooked, the service at Tango is perfect - it's always a comfortable browsing experience, but the guy who works there is really knowledgeable about clothes and is very helpful if you're looking for something in particular. In short: Tango should be your first destination for impressive vintage dresses and accessories.

Do you like old and kind of misc. stuff? Do you like dresses…read moreand pants and all that kind of crap? Do you like archaic suitcases? Do you like to pretend you're way way cooler than you actually are? Do you think you should have lived during the roaring twenties or something dumb like that? Do you have heaps of disposable income? Do you like to impress people by showing them how your suit has some discernable amount of horse hair in it? Do you like dumb hats which cost a lot of money? Do you enjoy wearing fur which has been pulled from the carcasses of murdered animals? Go to this place if you say "Yes" to any of that stuff.

My mom offered to make a quilt to celebrate the birth of my son, and we were going to incorporate…read morefamily photos on the quilt, so we needed the correct materials for the whole process. We stopped by at Smart Dress Fabrics, and we hoped to get all our quilting goods, and they appeared to stock everything we needed. In fact they appeared to stock almost everything in New Zealand. What a painful shopping experience, not because the service was bad or the products poor, in fact it was quite the contrary. There was just too much, I couldn't get my mother to leave. Next time, I'll go the the pub, and I'll let my mom shop at her own leisure...

If you want fabric, whatever texture, colour, or size I am pretty sure these guys will have it!…read moreThey have filled every nook and cranny with rolls and rolls of fabric possible in such a little store (although I say 'little' it is actually bigger than it looks from the outside). I have been into a few fabric shops lately and although the famous Newmarket Centrepoint Fabrics boast to be the largest around, I think this one would do sufficiently for anyone living West of Auckland, plus parking would be far less of a hassle and free! Smart Dress Fabrics also have some patterns available that I noticed some nearby women going through (I have only just bought myself a machine, so I haven't quite got to that stage yet, soon!).

This is a nice spacious shop with plenty of parking and a cafe next door! Perfect…read more This shop sells awesome clothing - it has a whole stack of the Federation range (today I discovered a tshirt in a colour that wasn't even listed on their own online store; and which I now can't stop thinking about). Today I discovered they even stock that super cool label Wild Fox here. Lush. One day when I have heaps of money I'm gonna buy heaps of that and wear it to Coachella. I found the staff friendly and they put a clothing item I was wanting to try on in the changing room for me while I continued to browse. I did spot an amazing cat sweater for sale too (brand was Mr Gugu and Miss Go). Basically if you are after some awesome clothing , chances are you'll find something at Laundromat.

This store is a very recent discovery for me and I'm worried that now I've found it, I'm going to…read moreend up spending all of my money in here. They just have everything I've been looking for. Grey sweater: check. Doc Martens: check. Nice colours of Vans: check. They stock labels like Federation and Wildfox that I haven't seen in many other stores around the city, so you know you're almost guaranteed to be the only person wearing anything you buy in here. It's by no means a cheap store but all of the clothes are really well made and they're really different to items you'd find in chain stores. The store itself has a whole warehouse vibe to it and is really spacious with exposed brick walls and concrete floors. I love the fact that it's got a kids section, they've got some really cool printed tees and dresses that I kind of want for myself! Really must try to keep myself out of this place.