I was really happy with my consult at Astra. The stylists were super helpful and made me feel…read morereally good in everything I tried on. The range was also extensive so I had options at different price points. I would recommend Astra for a wide selection of well price gowns.

I wish I could do no stars. I am incredibly appalled at the customer service. Read the fine print…read moreof their contracts carefully. This company does not deal in good faith whatsoever. They are incredibly arrogant. They don't care about their customers, only their money. Just find another store, literally any other company will give more of a shit about you. It's your special day you're planning, and no one deserves to feel the way they treated me. Find ANYWHERE ELSE to buy a dress from.

This has always been one of the go-to's in the back of my head. It stocks an evenly split…read morecombination of things I think are awesome and things I think are rather hideous. The hideous things include dresses forty-year-olds would wear, un necessary frills and excessive netting or bows. The awesome things are affordable and cool dresses and funky tops. I once bought a dress to wear to a wedding from here. It was the perfect dress for the occasion... dressy but not OTT. There are actually full on ball dress type things down the back but I never really venture into that lot. I start on the sales racks to find the $15 bargains and then I make my way around the perimeter. Some of the stuff is really cheap and some of it is slightly more expensive but totally worth it for the items you'd be getting. I think it's refreshing shopping here and checking out the different and unique items that aren't mass produced and pawned off to shops like glassons. It may not be designer or high end or fancy labels but it's got some cool stuff that's for sure!

Ah, finally, the rarest kind of fashion store of them all: a place where the guys stuff and the…read moregirls stuff is equally as great. This is probably the only shop my partner and I can go in to and both spend ages and ages in. We just want everything in there! I love it because they've got some gorgeous tops and dresses that you just wouldn't be able to find in any other stores. I recently bought a lovely white laser-cut sundress in there and I haven't stopped wearing it all summer. It's generally quite expensive, but it's really great quality stuff and really unique, as if everything bought in has had a lot of thought put into it. I also love how the staff just leave me browse at my own leisure but are always there to help when I (inevitably) want to try something on or ask questions about the products. My partner loves it because they've got some really special mens pieces from good streetwear brands such as Vans and OFWGKTA. And we both love it in equal measure because of their amazing trainers and high-tops. Honestly, I'd live in this shop if I could.

This is as unlikely a review as I would ever expect to be writing. If I had passed Jessica Bridal…read moreon the street I would have maybe got a little bit sick in my mouth. No offence it's just these kinds of shops are pretty cheesy ya know? However I first found it on the Internet and boy am I glad I did. It was here I first got the inspiration for wearing a ruby red dress on my wedding day. Indeed, I nearly bought one that I saw featured in the "After Six" section of their website. But it wasn't quite right and luckily for me my friend the up-and-coming brilliant fashion designer Kiri Nathan was prepared to do it for me at mates rates. But. Finding the right fabric in the right colour proved to be darn near impossible and I hunted high and low in all the nooks of crannies of Auckland where such a thing as ruby red silk chiffon might be found. To no avail. I then remembered where it all began - Jessica's. I looked online again - yes, all their gowns were available in the full colour range of silks, satins and SILK CHIFFONS. I went in and explained myself and she said it was no problem at all; they would be happy to supply me with the fabric only. True, the colour samples were tiny but it was closest I had got by far and the price was RIDICULOUS. (Many capitals here - it's that kind of story.) Three weeks later as promised my package was ready to collect and I had my fabric. Even Kiri was amazed at such a resource - we had literally been to every trade fabric house in the city, along with many others and clever Jessica Bridal has a fabulous quality source straight from China at excellent prices. And she was lovely to deal with and so happy to help. And she does do some nice dresses if you can get over the whole "bridal" thing, which I never really did. I just don't like being told how I SHOULD do things but I'm sure Jessica would never do that; she's deeply choice.

Lovely dresses and a very helpful staff. I was the bridesmaid so had the easy job but the whole…read moreexperience was almost like you see on TV (without the champagne). I'd recommend it to other brides and bridesmaids.

If you're looking for a bargain and a great day of shopping then Dressmart is the place for you!…read more Dressmart is a mall that houses over 100 stores and offers up to 70% off the normal retail price, all year round. No need to wait for end of season sales to be able to spend up large! My last trip to Dressmart I was looking for work clothes and ended up buying three dresses, a blouse, and a singlet top for $60 - a feat that just wouldn't happen anywhere else. However, my real find of the trip was the chunky wedge sandals I found in Glassons. Down from $59.99, I ended up purchasing them for $10, and when I took them to the counter found out accessories were buy one get one free, so ended up walking away with a great black flower hairclip for free as well! Talk about a happy shopper! Though predominantly a clothing outlet, Dressmart also houses eateries, sports shops, shoe shops, health and beauty stores and book stores. The only thing that is missing is a jewellery store, but when you're saving so much money on everything else I guess paying full price for jewellery isn't so bad! Located near Auckland transport stations and with lots of customer parking and a free shuttle service operating Monday-Friday between the mall and Auckland CBD, despite being in Onehunga Dressmart is easily accessible.

You can get some real bargains here I've found. I love my Nike running shoes and shorts which I…read moregot from the Nike shop. The shorts were about $30 and the shoes, I think were not much over $100 and are so comfortable. Since I've had them, I've kept up regular running which is an achievement! My flatmate also got a really good new outfit for a wedding at Working Style and saved a lot of money on good quality clothes. The service here was also excellent. Also Dress smart Onehunga is home to the only outlet shop for Peter Alexander in New Zealand! Dress Mart really is the place to visit if you want to save money on branded items. It gets really busy on weekends though, so either be prepared, or come early. Sometimes I find myself getting a bit disoriented inside trying to find a particular shop, but that might just be me!

When I think of the word exhibitionist, I think of naked people. So it's weird to me that this…read morestore stocks clothes among other things. I don't know, there's just something about this store that really doesn't appeal to me. It may just be all the incense and candles and crap, coupled with some pretty fugly outfits. There was just nothing that really caught my eye and that would set this store apart from millions of other crafty/homewares sorts of shops. Can't say anything about the service because the lady was so engrossed in whatever she was doing that my presence in the store wasn't even acknowledged. Some of the home-ware items are actually alright but not anything that you would go out of your way to come to this mall solely for. It's one of those places that stocks all its nicest stuff in the window to lure you in, and once you are in, you have to wonder, "Is this it?"

Exhibitionist is a great shop that I mainly frequent for gifts, however I have also bought some…read moreunique brightly coloured items for the house and I am tempted to purchase some of the lovely (also brightly coloured) clothing for women and men, such as the long sleeved cotton shirts, that little bit hippy but essentially practical. Actually the jewellery is stunning too, ample silver with encrusted gems, good competition for all the loyal Third Eye customers! The staff have consistently been friendly and helpful when I have been in and always ready to assist if need be, however there may be a slight line up, they do good trade. The prices are reasonable to high end, depending on what you are after. Plus this isn't a 'plastic' shop, (find that next door, literally), the items are quality. Relative to some of the more upper class suburbs in Auckland, the prices are fine. It is easy to find if you are coming in the New Lynn Mall entrance facing Great North Road, they have the prime street window display.

This is my favourite store in Dress Smart. Aspect are the outlet for Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph…read moreLauren and Oroton and the prices are very good here. Often the Oroton products are discounted by 50% which is amazing, considering it is such beautiful product and you can pick up a $600 bag for $300, a steal. There was one time they had an additional 20% off in store for the weekend and I got a $400 bag for $160. You will find the full Oroton range here, bags, accessories, lingerie, clothing, sunglasses, jewelry and belts and if you don't mind it being last season then this is the place to come. The Ralph Lauren ranges are for men, women and kids. They always have lots of shirts and polos but I find it really hard to get my size. You need to come in frequently as they are always getting in new stock then that way you have better odds of finding your size. It is like that with all outlet stores and for the discounts it is worth the frequent visits to check out the racks.

I have a total soft spot for Juliette Hogan. I find her collections incredibly versatile - It's…read moredefinitely my number one stop when I need a special occasion outfit but I'm also a huge fan of her more casual weekend attire, luxuriously soft knits and beautifully tailored pants and blazers. Hands down the best thing about her designs though is that they can easily be dressed up or down for work or weekend. I will admit, it's expensive but what NZ designer isn't and when you are get as much wear out of each garment as I do...it's worth it! I have been going to the Ponsonby store for years but recently ventured down to their new-ish Britomart store. It's absolutely gorgeous - light and airy with beautiful big orchids on the center table. There is also a v.cool light feature in the display window made up of oversized lightbulbs suspended at different heights. Another huge plus is that the staff at both stores are fantastic - not at all pretentious, they smile and say hi when you walk in and are very approachable. It's so refreshing to have consistently good service at a retail store. Love it!

If you're looking for classic and pretty womenswear, Juliette Hogan is the place to go. The…read morecollections are always very wearable - the colours and styles suit most and are very clean and minimalistic. The fabrics are always of high quality. Juliette championed that beautiful full length pleated sheer silk skirt that everyone seemed to have a while ago. She does really lovely dresses, go here if you need something for a wedding or special occasion that could be worn again. The knitwear is also very good. I once got a tweed dress from her, and years later I still get people asking me where it's from. Juliette also has a popular bridesmaid service, so if you need pretty gowns for a bunch of girls, definitely check her out.