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.

Do you ever get it when you go into a shop and the staff are so genuinely nice and friendly that…read moreyou want to buy something just because you like them? And have you ever got it where you look around the store at that point and realise that everything in there is utter rubbish, so as much as you'd like to buy something to help out your new friend, you wouldn't actually be caught dead with any of their products? Well that's what happened to me when I went into Bags at Eastridge. The guy in the shop was really friendly, asking me how I was and if I was enjoying my day and all that jazz, but all of the bags, rain jackets, umbrellas and the like he was selling were all just horrid. They all looked like bad designer fakes and were really cheap looking but actually quite expensive in cost. The only thing I did see in there that I quite liked was a pair of cool patterned tights but they were $34, which I thought was a total rip off, so I left empty handed and shall probably never return.

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!

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.

I think I've got a new favourite shop. I'm such a sucker for anything cute, kitsch and quirky and…read morethat's exactly what this shop is. Brand new to K Road, this store embodies everything I love about the area. I think their selection of necklaces is actually even nicer than the similar ones in Monster Threads just down the road, and I looove those! It's clear the owners of this store really think about what they're selling and who they're trying to sell it to. This is only a tiny little store but everything in here is covetable, from the tea sets to books to the array of vintage-inspired sunnies and dresses. It's out of the ordinary, beautiful clothing, jewellery and homewares. I've got my eye on a necklace and the super-cute stick-on animal wall decorations.

Everything in this store is scrumptious. You know the kind of stuff that you could just eat up…read more These girls know what's good out there and now they've got it for us to buy. There's everything from clothes, to candles, to sunnies, and little knick-knacks that you probably don't need, but must have. It's the perfect place to go if you're trying to buy a present for someone who has everything. My favourite product they stock is the ceramic crinkle cups. They're so cute and everyone who sees them thinks they're so awesome. Having just moved from their old store the Bread and Butter Letter is looking seriously suave. I love the new branding and the light boxes out the outside of the store. Best thing about the new place is that you can now buy a cup tea there too. Love it.

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.

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

Ike's Emporium has been my go-to for many years when a dress-up party, Halloween, or random craft…read morething pops up. It's got sooooo much stuff. There is everything you need to get crafty, from the basics to fancy little extras, and stuff you didn't even know existed. Then there are the costumes. Kids and adults are catered to. The costumes are the usual weird ones, with the expected ghouls and ghosts thrown in for good measure. But that isn't all - head down the back and you'll find yourself in a fabric store. It's jam-packed with fabrics off all different kinds and for all different purposes. It's really cheap here which is great obviously. The service is so good, just people who have been there forever and know pretty much everyone who walks in. Whether you know what you want or need some inspiration - this is the place. And if Devonport is a bit far away for you, look them up, there's a few around Auckland.

This is a brilliant shop for dress up parties. But it does have so much more - whether you are…read moreafter a rubber chicken or supplies for your next crafternoon, Ike's will likely have it and at reasonable prices. As a relative newcomer to Auckland, I am pretty jealous a shop like this didn't exist in my hometown. It would have made dress up parties so much easier! Ike's is great for a fun look around, and for a funny quick photo opp (get a photo of yourself wearing the Fred Flinstone hat for Instagram)?! #dressup Their stock is ever changing so you never know what you may find at Ike's!

I love Aimai! Otay? The little 'Chanel'esque boucle shorts…read moresuit in the window at the moment should tell you all you need to know about this store on High Street. It's pricy but oh so divine. I literally melt whenever I am in here. It's really an upmarket Asian clothing store, where a lot of the items are actually homemade (like a lot of the boucle jackets etc in at the moment) so that is probably the reason for the hefty price tags on these items, either that or it's just because their the most beautiful things in the world. Besides clothing they also do a lot of accessories, like felt floppy hats which are a big trend at the moment, shoes, and some oh do delicately delicious headgear. I recently purchased a navy oversized felt flower on a headband thing, and I am so looking forward to wearing it with some of my autumn/winter wardrobe.

I am satisfied with the service and my partner was very happy with the top I got for her birthday.read more

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.