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.

Manly is a great place to wander. There are so many great little shops and cafes right on the water…read morefront. Butterfly on the Bay caught my eye last weekend. I found it to be a stylish little boutique with a great range of chic women's clothing in lots of sizes. Bright, colourful fabrics jump out at you when you walk in. The clothing style is largely feminine and floaty. Lots of delicate, colourful dresses with belts at the waist and gorgeous chunky necklaces to accessorise. I could have easily bought a whole outfit just off the window dummies.

I really like this little shop. It's been there for absolutely years, so it must be doing something…read moreright. There's not a lot of boutique-y opposition in Manly but what there is have their own niches. Butterfly on the Bay has its points of difference too - it doesn't concentrate so much on the shimmery evening dresses or over the top designer brands, like a couple of other stores in the are do,. Although there are some nice labels here the clothes are a nice mix of pretty day wear, some evening frocks and even some gear I'd wear to work.

I think adding the word 'boutique' to any shop name is a stroke of genius. People tend to like…read moreboutiques. Whenever I see that word I immediately assume the shop has one of a kind items and is beautifully designed. My dreamy definition didn't really apply to this store; even though it isn't a chain store, when I was browsing I felt as though I was inside one. Despite that, they had a huge range of women's clothing and it was certainly a pleasant atmosphere. I felt like I may have been a little younger than the target of the store, judging by the style of most of the clothing, but I still enjoyed having a look. Sometimes I get the feeling that the shop assistants are unhappy when I pay just a quick visit to their store, but that definitely didn't happen this time. The sales staff were lovely and seemed perfectly happy for me to have a quick browse.

Blue Velvet is one of my favourite dress shops. They have the most beautiful range of cocktail…read moredresses for all occasions, from a casual weekend barbeque to a night out in clubbing on a day on the race track. Think sparkles, frills and lots of colours. Everything you need to make you feel like a princess for a special occasion. There is certainly plenty of sparkle, the store even has a chandelier! There are a few full length gowns that are quite pretty but my favourites are the cocktail dresses. They have plenty of small sizes too which can be surprisingly hard to find at small boutique shops. Great to browse through even if you don't have an event coming up. The service is also fantastic. Last time I was there, there was a 'Back in 5 mins' sign on the door however a very nice gentleman advised me that the owner would be back shortly and proceeded to explain the current specials.

It's a Hong Kong and Korean fusioned little clothing shop hidden between the toilets and the other…read morelittle restaurants in a corner of the ever busy, Market Square. Don't get me wrong... I love this place, it's fancy, pretty, clean and looks very couture. But when I browsed the clothing rack on the left and saw that a printed tee-shirt was $59 I started to do that awkward this store is a rip job thing with my face and body expression. Perfect for when the lady in the store approached me with a 'can I help you with anything?'. Priceless. So I browsed some more... they have nail polish, cute belts, hair clips, a whole bunch of accessories... on the other clothing rack there are cute little long tops or shirt dresses... either way with my first browse clocking up a $175 for a top, the rest was Yelping history. It's overpriced for Market Square... and I hope it does well... I just can't see myself buying anything there, plus they only have petite little size 6-10 outfits... so no go for me.

Finding a nice clothing boutique in Market Square was definitely not something I was expecting. A…read moresurplus of kimchi, chicken feet and adzuki beans yes, but not fashionable clothing. Surprise aside, this shop is pretty cute. They sell casual tees, brightly coloured dressy tops, cute denim and satin dresses and a variety of shoes. Ok, so the sizes are suited to the smaller frame, but are still worth having a browse through. Plus the shop itself is beautifully spaced out, so you don't find yourself jammed in next to fellow shoppers.

I recently discovered the charming Grace and Rose after using the bathroom facilities at Queens…read morePlaza (on a side note, Queens Plaza has the nicest bathroom facilities along Queen Street Mall) Grace and Rose don't stock a huge range of ladies fashion but their casual summer dresses feature original, colourful prints which reminds me of a high quality version of the dresses I'd find at the Valley markets. What's more, they sell an eclectic collection of cards, bags and cute little things such as wide eyed owls and snug babushka dolls that would perk up any office desk. All ya city workers check this shop out to perk yourself up during your lunch break.

Best service ever. The lady is very friendly and helpful. She gets in clothes from Europe but I…read morehave found them cheaper online.

I've known the owner Sophie and her daughter since I moved to Maleny she has so many beautiful…read morewomen's clothes as a series from overseas it's has a variety colours and seasons every month

Mila sell a unique range at great prices. Shopping these days can often be a bit monotonous with…read moremany stores selling such similar items, but this was not the case here. It's a very small store, but nicely set out, so the experience of shopping here is a pleasant one. Most of their clothes were very pretty, lots of dresses and crochet tops. They also had one of my favourite features of any shop; sale racks. And not one, but four sitting innocently out the front of the store, ready to grab hold of any meandering pedestrians. I spent a while happily browsing. Some of the pieces were not really my style, but I certainly came across some things that required the reasoning part of my brain to kick in. They are a new business so I found it impossible to track down a phone number to confirm opening hours, so please keep in mind that I have taken an educated guess based on the opening hours of the surrounding businesses.

Avoid online shopping! I use online shopping for almost everything and very very rarely need to…read morereturn anything, but this was a disaster in every aspect. The delivery was delayed, information was not accurate and no visibility to taxes and fares exceeded the original reported by over 50%! And the shop doesn't even allow international returns. Never ever again! And the dress unfortunately wasn't as good quality as described, which was the reason I wanted to return the item. Avoid this brand, not worth it!

Capsule wardrobe warriors lend me your ear. Samantha Ogilvie should be one of your handful of…read moreplaces to bring your wardrobe to life. Yes, price tags are more than your average Portmans top, but they're also pieces unlikely to be found on the masses and will last you a lot longer. Think: cost per wear. Cost per wear. Until recently, I'd been stupid and too intimidated to go into this stunning boutique. Stupid because the staff in here are friendly as pie and on the occasions I've now been in, I've felt welcome and never helicopter'd by a sales member. If you're looking for something that makes you feel a million dollars, without the price tag, and without the chances of seeing it on ever Thumbalina, Deidre and Harriet, then this is where I'd send you to shop.