Bondi Big Bargain is a for real treasure trove. One of my to this day favourite singlets in the…read moreworld, that I have had no less than 5 strangers comment on, was purchased here for $3. That is not a typo. Do not be misled by the massive "$3" table at the front of the shop, especially if the first things your hands fall upon are unhemmed corsets or a shirt with a sleeve missing. You must dig deep, my friends, to find the reward*. Beyond the occasional nugget of gold on the mostly-crap $3 table, it's surprising how many decent and even well-made frocks can be found in a shop with TEN DOLLAR signs plastered every metre or so. The staff could not give a toss about you or me or anyone else in the vicinity but it's hard to be annoyed when they're probably on $5 an hour. At the far end of the room is the colour-coded samples rack, another journey that has the possibilty of reaping sartorial benefits. *disclaimer: there is not always a reward on this table, sometimes it really is just all unhemmed, unfinished crap.

I'm normally a trouser girl and Collette Dinnigan is mostly a dress maker so we have always gotten…read moreoff on the wrong foot. And I never cared to correct things. But now that my wedding is coming up I was ready to offer my hand -or at the very least my purse - so they could turn me into spinderella. No, no, no, not into the third member of Salt & Pepa, I meant CINDERELLA. So, on advice from the store's lovely store assistant, I made an appointment to view all the wedding gowns on offer at a day and time of my choosing inside their Woollahra store and could I please tell them who I would be bringing along? My mother, fow sho! (actually I didn't say it like that, have to keep up appearances, you know). A very nice Brazillian girl named Geovana directed me into a room in the back of the store consisting of many dresses, a full-length mirror, and a dressing room and I was quickly put to work trying on dresses in order to make the 1/2 hour time that you're allocated (l found out not long after that I would be able to outstay my welcome since no pesky potential bride had been booked immediately after me). It was then one pouffy dress after another until I found The One. NB if you find a dress you like make sure you have enough dough to leave a deposit.

Tuchuzy is like the mecca for Bondi style, so if you want it, come here. Tuchuzy specializes in…read morestocking the latest, greatest labels and trends. Head to toe fashion and accessories are stocked here - you can get anything from sunnies to shoes. Labels fall in and out of favour with Tuchuzy but featured lately is the likes of Bassick, Ellery, Friend of Mine and cult shirt label Equipment. Price wise you'd be surprised that there are some reasonable rates here - last summer I picked up a 'by johnny' skirt for $110. Overall a must visit if you're meandering up Gould Street.

Really fun pieces by many designers (local and international). They have small selection of jewelry…read moreand shoes too. A must when you're in Bondi.

Ruby & Min is a pop-in store. A pop-in store should not be confused with a pop-up store since the…read morelatter is not around for long and was therefore never designed to earn customer loyalty. This, women's boutique however, might. In fact, probably does. You - or as is my habit, I - pop in at moment's notice before or after coffee and brunch at Woollahra (this is very convenient since the store is ((again)) very conveniently located on Queen St in between all the cafes and general brunch spots) and see what's around. There's JuicyBear clothing (not juicy, but comfy tops and tees) of which I have one from here, and other designer-y stuff from Theresa Rawsthorne and Gary Bigeni among a few others. There's also undergarments (not much and designer-kind again), jewelry and heels. A women's dream, yes, but you won't always find something at Ruby&Min. Which is why you need to intermittently pop-in. Another reason to do so is because bargains exist here. There are two changing rooms at the back (with mirrors!) and the ladies working here are genuinely really nice and genuinely really helpful.

I always stop by Ruby & Min when I am shopping in the eastern suburbs. Their range of clothes is…read morealways unique, stylish and at a price point that you are confident in your purchase, and in your new item! Kate, the owner is also really lovely to chat to while browsing. I love this boutique in Queen Street.

Biird originally known as Nest Child is a Sydney hidden gem based in Clovelly which offers fashion…read morefor infants and toddlers and now with its growing store offers women's fashion and select home wares. For women there are beautiful Zimmerman silk sun frocks and they also stock the cult jean brand J Brand. I imagine squeezing my generous self into one of those waxed denim numbers that I have seen on Rhianna and decide I stick with the 'whatever-I-can find' daily look rather than aspire to the unobtainable vamp rock star. Biird has a great store configuration with the right hand side of the shop being fashion mostly for the infant - toddler girls. The boys clothing is accessed to the back of this section. To the back of the shop behind the cash register is the womens clothing. Prams and strollers can be easily pushed around in each section. This is one of the things I love about Biird is the product placement is clearly defined not jumbled together like your kid has just hurricaned through the shop and that one is able to wander around easily. Clovelly Road is a very busy street right up until the second roundabout where the 2nd block of shops are. It has some of the best bakeries, providores and of course Green Mango, Pasta Zu and Clodeli which are very popular eateries. Be savvy and use one of the side streets to park that has unlimited parking. For my little diva I purchase a couple of transeasonal pieces including a green Diesel layered dress and a beautiful cotton number from the brand Ouch. Biird also stocks Fred Bare, Gaia, Pure Baby Organic, Love Luck shoes and Baby Havaania's. The staff are incredibly helpful and having children of their own I trust their wisdom in their suggestions.

From the owner: We are a singular stop shop where you can shop the best in fashion, home wares and accessories for…read moreages newborn to adult.

I love these little T-Bar shops, they're funky and cheap and give me a reason not to buy online. I…read moremean, it's not a brand name which is easily found online, and it's made my individual designers in a limited run, I can try it on, and they're cheap with bulk discounts available. No reason left to buy online. The fabric is very comfortable, and lasts well according to how often you wear it, and wash it, I would say 12-18 months would be a good life to get out of one of the T's The staff are awesome and very friendly, they'll recommend some great designs for you, and if you like the ones on sale - don't worry, they're sweat and not pushy on sales.

I am addicted to t shirts, I do not dare count how many t shirts I own as I know the answer is way…read moretoo many. So when I see a shop like T Bar it is impossible for me to bypass. What I like about T Bar is it treats T shirts as art, rather than an exploitation to advertise brand names. In doing this T Bar employs many artists, both local and international to create designs for the shirts and they promote the artists as well which is fantastic. As always Art is a matter of taste and what T Bar offers is broad, there are many shirts I like and many I do not. At the moment they have a brilliant design from English artist Tim Laing of multiple faces merged together with the top of their heads chopped off with mountains, landscape and birds coming out the top, another by Sydney artist Beast Man features a 3D design of an eyeball in a cage, it is more interesting than that, but difficult to describe. I am not crazy about the prices of $40 a T shirt, manly as the quality of the fabric is not that high and I do not think the shirts will last a long time. If they were a little better made I would be buying them, Still you could buy one and hang it on a wall.

I was pretty much surprised no one updated this shop yet…read more Zara is very popular worldwide and when I was working in Europe I used to see Zara in every city in every country, even in Japan. The design is not too bad and updated style, and the price is very affordable. This Zara in Bondi Junction is quite large and good location which is just in front of the entrance. Everybody got to pass this store and many people think "well why not, just a minute and just have a look" They always updated items so if you see something you like, you grab it, otherwise it will be taken by someone else.

Trelise Cooper in Woollahra is the perfect shop to purchase a gift for a loved one. This store is…read moreone of the most fashionable stores in Sydney that sell avant-garde and luxurious clothing and accessories for women. The clothes have vibrant colours and intricate design and the jewellery is timeless and unique. They even have fragrances! While the clothes and other products are great, what makes this store outstanding is their service. The staff are helpful, friendly, and always willing to help you. Great staff and wonderful products: definitely recommended!

This dancewear chain has a small store on Bronte road in Bondi. They've got a good range of tights,…read moreleotards and other dance clothing for girls and women as well as a small but reasonable selection of tap shoes, ballet flats and points, and ballroom shoes too. As far as mens dance wear products go, there isn't a whole lot here, as is the case in most retail dance stores. The store had two different ballroom shoes for men and a pair of taps and some tights that didn't seem to be on display. Still the sales assistants here were very helpful and friendly and I'm just glad to see a dance wear shop still in business.

If you like to be a black swan or a white swan, Bloch is a great place to get in touch with your…read moreinner ballerina. This store offers everything you need to get on the floor and express yourself. Whether it's ballet, jazz, modern or funk you'll find the shoes, leggings, lycra or headgear you need to stretch, pirouette, point and bend. Even if you're not a ballet girl, but want something comfortable to exercise in you'll find some great outfits in Bloch... I really do like this store, i only wish i had continued ballet post the age of 7...