While the name is "boutique", I didn't hold out much hope of this shop being very upmarket given…read morethe faded yellow signage outside. To my surprise, as I got closer I noticed the sign outside requesting Trelise Cooper, Annah Stretton etc, and curiosity got the better of me. When I walked inside I noticed that most of the stock looked to be of good quality and in good condition, but looked to me to be for the funky, older ladies of Birkenhead Point. Definitely catering more for the 50-somethings than people of my age. I had a chat with the shop assistant and their selling policy seems pretty fair, and equitable with most recycled clothing shops around town. They seem to be quite discerning with their choice of stock too.

You can either win or lose with a shop like this. You definitely need to be in the mood for some…read moresifting when you come into this small corner store. The racks are jam packed with clothes so there's not much room for maneuvering around inside. If there are other people in the store at the same time as you it can get a bit tricky making your way around. The racks are all colour co-ordinated so you can at least rule out any items you wouldn't want based on colour. But that's about all you can do to help your hunt. Once you've established where you're going to start sifting, sifting is all you can do. I came here last week and pillaged through many of the racks. I tried a few things on and did come away with a gorgeous top. It was a beautiful soft heavy fabric and was the most brilliant blue-ish colour. I also tried on a red dress, which I decided I didn't want to pay $40 for. The shop assistant told me to come check in again as they lower the prices of unsold items after about six weeks. I will certainly be doing so!

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

Well if you need a scarf you'll be silly to go anywhere else! Scarf Queen is obviously the queen of…read morescarves. Any colour, any style, any shape, any occasion.I really didn't know there could be such a variety of scarves until I visited the Queen. There are other accessories too! Particularly lots of hats. If I were to be going to a fancy wedding or the races I think I'd head here to see if there was something to prop on my head. For me, this shop's best use is for gifts. I think scarves are an exceptionally easy gift for moms, boyfriends moms or other ladies!

If you're after more Billabong fashion than the average surf store holds, this is the store for…read moreyou. Nearly everything from the latest catalogues can be found here- the spacious clean shop almost looks like catalogue itself with plenty of posters showing huge Australian waves and coy girls looking out from under their lashes. This "surf store" caters to the branding and the street look of Billabong instead of it's surfing roots. T-shirts emblazoned with sponsor's logos and denim factory faded and everything summery you could wear. The service is average, the prices are high and the chances the majority of people shopping here actual surf is low, but it is a decent store. There is a good range of men's and women's beach-styled street wear and swim wear and a good addition to the Queen St shopping district.

The problem I have with surf labels is the same one I have with Sum 41 and pineapple-flavoured…read morefizzy drinks - they just don't age well. Or rather, they don't age, and I do. While these things are fine for teenagers (I remember thinking my Billabong cap was pretty cool at fourteen), the problem is that it's very much aimed at that audience, and once you leave high school you can't wear any of this stuff without looking like a bit of a dick. This is minimised if you're actually on a surf board, or at least on a beach and carrying a surfboard, but how many of Billabong's customers ever find themselves in that situation? How many actual surfers are buying their clothes full-price at a chain store on Queen Street? Very few, I'd guess. But if you're a poser with too much money or a teenager whose parents have too much money, this place is ideal.

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.

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!

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.

This is the sort of place where I can imagine Greta Garbo just chilling out on a chaise lounge,…read moreclassily smoking a ciggarette and blowing smoke rings into unsuspecting customers eyes. You can see why this store is known as one of Aucklands best vintage stores, because the stuff sold here is actually vintage. Not just ugly stuff people dont want anymore. It is a veritable treasure trove of antique things I instantly craved. Court shoes, fur stoles, dresses so authentic they look like they could even have mothholes (they dont, dont worry) Though the guy working there could probably take a lesson in customer service, I was just taking a photo and he near about booted me out. How rude.

My mom offered to make a quilt to celebrate the birth of my son, and we were going to incorporate…read morefamily photos on the quilt, so we needed the correct materials for the whole process. We stopped by at Smart Dress Fabrics, and we hoped to get all our quilting goods, and they appeared to stock everything we needed. In fact they appeared to stock almost everything in New Zealand. What a painful shopping experience, not because the service was bad or the products poor, in fact it was quite the contrary. There was just too much, I couldn't get my mother to leave. Next time, I'll go the the pub, and I'll let my mom shop at her own leisure...

If you want fabric, whatever texture, colour, or size I am pretty sure these guys will have it!…read moreThey have filled every nook and cranny with rolls and rolls of fabric possible in such a little store (although I say 'little' it is actually bigger than it looks from the outside). I have been into a few fabric shops lately and although the famous Newmarket Centrepoint Fabrics boast to be the largest around, I think this one would do sufficiently for anyone living West of Auckland, plus parking would be far less of a hassle and free! Smart Dress Fabrics also have some patterns available that I noticed some nearby women going through (I have only just bought myself a machine, so I haven't quite got to that stage yet, soon!).

Oh Cheapskates! What a lifesaver you are to me…read more I was on a mission to buy a gift for a thirteen year old family member and I was racking my mind for what to get. I was in Birkenhead- and from past experiences buying gifts I knew I had a limited option based on my age bracket this time. As I walked past Cheapskates I kind of had to do a double take, it didn't take me long after that to sprint in and check out what was at the front entrance. It took me less than 10 minutes to decide on two beautiful tops and I was happy that I had resolved my present issue. The outlet store, has some really cool clothing for sale, and shoes and accessories including boards to skate, backpacks for school, work or the gym too. Very helpful young guy who knew his style working the counter, was chatty and a good laugh. If you have teens in the family, they will be well impressed with this cool store.

What a strange little store. It opened in October 2012 and was meant to be a pop up store, where…read morecheapskates' old stock could be sold off. But apparently it's now here to stay and I certainly am not complaining. When I stumbled upon it last week the $20 rack right in front of the door was fully stocked with awesome things! I snagged myself two tops from it and rushed into the back room to try them on. The dressing room was pretty much that... a back room with a little stand up mirror propped against a chair. But hey it did the job - and more importantly the clothes looked great. I then spent a good 20 minutes deciding which pair of shoes I was going to buy. They were only $40 each so in hindsight I regret not getting them both. The store also had a ton of dresses at only $50 each, summer shorts, menswear and hats. There was also the odd skateboard lying around and plenty of shoes! I was so happy to stumble upon this place. From outside it doesn't look like much but inside it's a treasure trove.