Best Kept Secret is an outlet store that has a good range of shoes, bags, clothes and jewellery for…read morewomen with more more mature tastes, however there are still a few things that younger people might like as well. The owner, Lorna, goes on buying trips overseas to hand-pick items for the shop, mostly in parts of Asia, so the stock is not the usual stuff that you would find in other places in New Zealand. It is organised really well, with a corporate section that has stylish comfortable work shoes, a slipper section with all sorts of leading slipper brands, such as Grosby, and also a large leather bag section to the right of the store. A nice place to go if you are after a unique pair of new comfortable shoes, or wanting a reasonably priced present for your mum or your sister.

The St Heliers Mall is easy to miss if you're not on the lookout for it. Tucked away off the main…read morestreet, it's an interesting mix of independent retailers including women's and children's clothes, a nail bar, cafes, an excellent kitchenware/gift shop, and a good second hand clothing shop. The two shops that face the street are Bagatelle, which has an interesting range of bags (including Olga Berg that I'm a huge fan of), with some quite quirky jewellery scattered among them. The other street-facing shop is Chances which is a long-established kiwi surf and street wear company - just the place to duck into if you've forgotten to bring your togs for a day at the beach. My other recommended shops down in The Mall are Déjà vu (mid-range secondhand clothing), and The Gift Studio ('nuf said). Check out my St Heliers list for all tasty places to visit in the area.

Neither my friend nor I are plus sizes but we happened to really like the fashion at this store…read morewhen we popped in. We actually ended up purchasing a frock from here, which goes to show how adaptable their clothing is. Designs are really nice for the entire TS collection and particularly for the audience it is intended for which is the 14 plus (up to 24). I imagine there is frustration in this sector of women since so many of the high fashion outlets are obsessed with showcasing smaller sizes. The boutique store has a lovely selection of dresses, tops, tunics, pants and cardies. So much is mix and match that you will be able to fill up your wardrobe here. I liked the presentation in store as well with many outfits styled on mannequins or on hangers, presenting fashion fabulous ideas one may have never dreamed of. Their jewellery and accessory range is very nice too.

Second Debut has long been a great preloved clothing shop, and happily it was recently taken over…read moreby the very lovely Mary and Harriet, who have given it a new boost of energy. You have to come here next time you're in this part of town. I'd say it's even worth a special trip if you're serious about your preloved clothes shopping, or if you want to have some clothes sold on commission for you. Second Debut focuses on the mid to upper end of preloved clothes - its not all very high end, but you won't find cheap clothes in here. It's more like quality over quantity here. The new owners alos seem to have brought more of a fashion focus to the shop, which is great. Aside from women's clothing, they have a well-edited range of handbags, jewellery, and shoes. I never walk out empty handed!

I'd really rather you didn't know about this Dove Shop. So please, go ahead and read this review,…read moreand then erase all memory of its contents. I think it's for the best. The St Helier's Dove Shop only has stock that's in totally pristine condition. Seriously, you won't find a posher op shop in Auckland. It's really nice and not at all stinky. You can pick up the most amazing stuff here, from men's and women's clothing, to furniture, homewares, kids' clothing, and games. It's not a matter of luck finding something you like, or something in good condition, the only gamble is getting stuff in the right size, so I end up buying something almost every time I visit. Also, the staff are really nice and onviously volunteering for a really great cause - the Eastern Bays Hospice. The prices reflect the quality of the stock here, but they're still extremely reasonable, and hey, it's put to excellent use.

As far as opportunity shops go, I have to say this one in St Heliers is pretty disappointing. Yes,…read morethe stock is probably expensive because of the St Heliers location which is definitely quite an affluent area, however I don't really think the quality of the stock matches the prices you pay. It is very neat and organised all of the time, however I'm not ever really a huge fan of the shop attendants who work here, none are overly pleasant and are definitely not the reason why I keep coming back here. Actually, I'm not quite sure why I keep coming back here - perhaps I have convinced myself that maybe one day I will actually find something I like that is not priced exorbitantly above what it should be. I guess I'll just keep looking then...