I generally love Superette's bags, shoes and jewellery and there are quite a few pieces of clothing…read moreI would want to add to my wardrobe that come from quirky designers. However, I can not get over the snobby attitude of the unhelpful staff in this store and can't bring myself to make a purchase. Would much rather nip across to the Posonsby store where I found the staff to be helpful and smiling or to other stores such as Made or Black Box just to avoid dealing with stand-offish characters.

A mildly interesting store which stocks an impressive range of local and international designers. I…read morefeel like I wouldn't get along with people who shop here. I've bought a few Deadly Ponies handbags from this place but mostly because I can't be bothered to find out who else stocks them. In general I find the pieces here to be a mixed bag.. either cool designs from up and coming labels or overpriced basics. Which is a shame because I remember a few years ago thinking that Superette used to stock the coolest stuff, or maybe it was just labels releasing cooler clothes. Now whenever I think of Superette I just think of it as the place where EGGS girls come to buy their party dresses. This place stocks 'unique' stuff for the masses of bunheaded girls who want to spice up their Glassons outfits.

As a reluctant shopper, Co-Lab, an offshoot of the Nike Britomart store, is one of the few stores…read morein Auckland I will visit. Positioned in Auckland's newest mecca of shopping, Britomart, Co-Lab offers a fresh mix of streetwear including Nike SB, Converse and Hurley. Although it has a surf and skate feel, I find this sometimes helps when buying clothes and you can often get more comfortable and suitable attire for unexpected activities (i.e. going for a bmx or playing soccer when you're least expecting it). The service is extremely friendly and are never afraid to suggest another store, if they know what you are looking for. As with most places in Britomart, parking is a nightmare/expensive so the best option is to just fork out for the adjacent parking building next to Les Mills, that is if you don't want to fluff around for what could be 1 or 20 minutes looking for a park in the surrounding streets.

This store is frustratingly located on route when I go to and from uni every day of the week,…read moretherefore I sometimes accidentally spend a little bit more than my intended weekly budget when I get distracted on my way down to the bus stop. They have a unique range of cute and girly dresses, blouses and bottoms which all go well nicely with each other; however sadly a large percentage of the stock is made out of my arch nemisis, also known as polyester. Considering this fabric is the norm in the shop, prices aren't that cheap, so generally I stick to the sale racks or hunt down the few pieces made out of cotton. The service here is great though, much more friendly and tailored than a lot of the other places in the area.

I visited this tiny boutique for the first time today. I find you never know what to expect from…read morethese High Street stores. I either feel extremely uncomfortable in them because everything costs a million dollars or I'm very excited because the things are beautiful. I didn't really know what to think in here. The clothes weren't cheap. There were some gorgeous little dresses - they looked especially beautiful on the mannequins. For the first few minutes I felt quite ignored... which is weird, because in such a small space I sort of expected to be greeted straight away. As soon as I started sifting through the sales rack someone hurried over and started giving me details on the sale and asking if I wanted to try anything on. I took a fancy for two dresses, both orange and stunning. They were $90 each marked down from $180! Bargain alert. I didn't end up getting either of them (my conscious kicked in and asked "do you really need these"?) but I'm glad I discovered the shop! I'll definitely be popping in frequently to check that sale rack!

AS Colour is your one stop shop for all your basics. Famous for their plain, slouchy fit tees and…read morelongsleeves, AS Colour stocks men's, women's and kid's clothing and the quality is great. Although very reasonably priced, AS Colour also offers fantastic deals year around, like their '3 tees and 2 sweats for $110' deal. Everywhere you look people are sporting AS Colour gear, and it suits everyone as well as being incredibly comfortable. I love their guys Shadow Pocket Tees and their Raglan Tees are instantly identifiable - just because they're designed for guys, doesn't mean they don't also look great on girls though! AS Colour is also the ideal place for designers to purchase plain tees, caps and sweaters from - they're cheap and perfect to print, paint or sew on to. So if you're a budding designer or have a business and tees are part of the uniform, make sure you check out the deals AS Colour can offer you!

AS Colour is also known as The Big Little T-Shirt Store, confusingly and slightly misleadingly…read moreseeing as the range is so sparse. The title implies that I would find something like www.threadless.com or www.teefury.com in physical form. Disappointingly, AS Colour specializes in basics- plain tee's, singlets and jumpers. The staff were chatting amongst themselves and stocking shelves but really, what assistance did I need choosing between coloured or striped tops of identical design. The central counter with inlaid computer screens suits top-of-the-line suit and shirt stores but falls short here. For plain cotton T-shirts there are other, cheaper places to shop in Auckland because basics are inherently boring.

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!

Located in an old black villa in the middle of the Kingsland shops, is one of my favourite shops in…read moreAuckland. Full of fantastic, eclectic gifts, furniture, jewellery and cards, The Cat and the Fiddle is the perfect place to find a gift for that special person, or just treat yourself! I've been shopping at this store for years and am still in awe every time I step through the door. The owner is a friendly woman who is happy to tell you about each of the pieces. The whole Cat and the Fiddle experience is a delight. From the creative arrangement of scarves, jewellery, furniture, candles and fairy lights, to the soothing foreign music that wafts around the store as you shop, you'll never have a bad or boring experience in this store. Tip: Get your gift beautifully wrapped at the store for free.

The Cat and The Fiddle is a Kingsland gift store making the most of the converted villa businesses…read morein Auckland that are supposed to create a warm, welcoming environment. They use almost every available space to display their wares in this dazzling display of trinkets. The amount of candles and jewellery and religious iconography is intense and I was hoping for a little respite in a courtyard or garden after the assault on my senses. The store feels like a library of monotonous authors: after browsing everything you're disappointed nothing actually tickled your fancy. You also have the typical Kingsland retail shop greeting where the staff don't want to be the first to break the silence. My partner described it as "Just another old lady shop".

Beautiful, beautiful store full of locally made goodies for the home. Candles, terrariums…read more(obviously), lingerie and artwork. The store isn't huge but you can tell that they've carefully selected everything that is in there and it appears to be up-and-coming brands as opposed to the well-known ones, which I love. They also seem to have a good relationship with all the makers. The lovely lady behind the counter knew about each of them and they've got their business cards on the countertop for you to take home. I spied these two incredible dog portraits, one of a labby and the other a bulldog (?), and being a new doggie mum myself wanted to know if she was based in Auckland and did commission work. The lady informed me that she did and gave me a business card to take home - brilliant!

Love places that support NZ products! Some things they stock include beautiful leather handbags and…read morewallets, Mackinven&co candles (which are my absolute fav), art (amazing dog photography) and then of course an array of terrariums. Great spot to pick up a present and the girls who own the place are so helpful!

Easy peasy. Park right outside, don't have to deal with oodles of people and BOOM you're walking…read moreout with the perfect gift for yourself or the men in your life. I love boys tees, jumpers, jackets and hats so even though Arcade predominantly supplies men's clothing (with the exception of the beautiful Sunday Misfits range) I still manage to find something I love every time. I am a self professed Moreporks junkie so love that the beautiful NZ made brand is stocked here. The latest range of Arcade shirts are also made in NZ too as well as Sunday Misfits so there are options for the sustainable shoppers out there. They have also recently started selling second hand Polo gems that you wouldn't be able to find after hours of internet trawling. Other brands are quality labels from a variety of places sure to tempt your wallet. If you head to Mercs for the sushi make sure you take a stroll down Cross St to see what these gentlemen have on offer

Before setting foot in the door of Arcade you'll see traces of skaters. The ramp outside, the…read moreVans-stickered custom table, the groups of guys in baggy tees and caps loitering at its gates. Don't worry though - they look more threatening than they really are. Once you make it inside you'll see this is essentially, a clubhouse. A clubhouse that sells skateboards and street wear to be specific. The place doesn't so much cater to the fairer sex, but if you're anything like me and love men's clothes, you'll be fine. Arcade stocks (amongst others) the likes of ONLY NY, Vic and NZ's upwardly mobile Moreporks brand. Get amongst.