While my loyalties lie with fotofast (in regards to film cameras),…read moreI do admit I love to come in and ogle the great range of SLRs at Ted's. Specializing in some serious photographic hardware, their selection of digital cameras, lens and accessories cannot be beat. What's also great about this store is that they offer superb services like Ted's Photo lounge (Where you can upload as many full res photos online, create albums, posters and those novelty mugs your mum seems to like.) Be sure to approach the staff with any camera query or grievance for I've found them to be super friendly, professional and very knowledgable. So whether you're the next Ansel Adams or just want some better Facebook photos, be sure to pop by the city store. And with over 40 years in the industry you are in expert hands at Ted's.

My husband and I recently invested in a Canon EOS camera and it was 15% off at Ted's so we bought…read moreit. The price was right and we'd been after one for a while, mainly to take photos of our kids, videos and whatnot. The service we received when we were there was mixed because we had to wait a while to be served as the store was quite busy and the sales people were already talking to others so we waited. They had an impressive range of lenses and tripods and cameras in general, you could tell this was one of the places the serious camera people went. Unfortunately it was not us. We weren't all that sure which camera to get the price ranges... we had a little idea that we wanted an EOS thanks to Google, but we really did need to talk to someone. After waiting about 15 minutes, a young guy came up to us and was very helpful. But too helpful if you know what i'm saying? He was a bit technical and we weren't so even though he was trying his hardest to explain to us newbies the full functionality of the camera we were after, it was going right over our heads. It would have been nice to have someone explain it in a not so technical way, but I can't fault the poor guy for trying. It was a great place, for a great price, we did get a great camera. So we were pleased.

When it comes to shopping, Brisbane is always seen as the poor relative to Sydney. And it usually…read moreis. But the uber chic Level 1 Designer section David Jones is definitely equal to, if not better than its counterpart down south. Let me run through just a taster of the labels you can get your hands on here: Burberry, Paul Smith, Scanlan and Theodore, Easton Pearson, Willow, Romance is Borne, Sass and Bide, Camilla and, my fave, Thurley (note to parents: as the sales will be on by then, I'd love the one shouldered lurex top or the long sequinned necklace for my birthday!) The drawback - the expense makes your eyes water. So my tip to you is, browse now and make a note of what you want, then come back in sale season and rummage, rummage, rummage. It's worked for me many a time. Ladies, be strong, be determined and above all, keep looking until you find it!

When I was a young whipper snapper I remember going into the David Jones store in Sydney. It felt…read moreall fancy, and i'd marvel at the food markets they had in there too. And the cost! Well, DJs still goes for that fancy, up market look, and if their Brisbane store ever had food markets, they're long gone. This is a newish store in Queens Plaza, and it's still quite fancy. Multiple levels, I usually come in for clothes, or sometimes to check out the electrical stuff. They've scaled back on games, and I note that their electronics is just a Dick Smith now. The department stores of the past are long gone. Despite the up market vibe they go for, I've found they are quite often competitive with prices, so it's definitely worth checking out if you're shopping around for the best price.

I absolutely love shopping at Zegna, there's nowhere quite like it in the city. From the moment you…read moreenter the friendly staff make you feel welcome and cater to whatever is required. The staff go above and beyond offering beverages and just being genuinely interested in what the customer has to say. The store is absolutely huge, especially by Brisbane standards. The clothes are always of the current season, and absolutely amazing. Everything is well cut, trendy and made with the finest materials. If I only had to choose one brand to buy from forever it'd probably be Zegna. The store follows the design philosophy of most Zegna stores and is quite a nice space to be in. Finally I'd like to give a shoutout to the family SA Ruby. She is absolutely amazing, she's extremely knowledgeable, friendly, funny and honest. Ermenegildo Zegna is an extremely fun place to shop, so if you're ever in the city and low on endorphins, make sure to stop by!

Garnsis combines just the right amount of edge and cute femininity into its selection of clothing…read moreand accessories. I love going into the store but when I'm strapped for time/being really lazy I just jump on their website and browse the range of awesome clothes at my disposal. Their Facebook page also keeps you up to date with all their latest specials, popular items, and new arrivals, giving you a personalised feeling and the strong urge to just keep buying their stuff. There's just the right mix of flirty, fun, striking, and strong in their clothing mix, and I've never been into the store and not instantly fallen in love with something. Shorts, skirts, dresses, accessories; bold prints, bright colours, pastels, and whites. Garnsis has an amazing range of it all. There are styles to compliment every girl and you'll probably spend ages running through their racks of clothing.

Ahhhh so this is where the young and the pretty have been shopping! Garnsis Boutique welcomes you…read moreat the front of the Elizabeth Street Arcade and is the first of many cute boutiques where little ladies can grab some fun frocks for their wardrobes. The clothes stocked aren't really my style but you can definitely see why it's popular. It's reasonably priced and the perfect place to shop if you need an outfit for a festival or a cute new summer dress. Although, given that the brands stocked are popular in a lot of stores means that there is the chance that you could have one of those awkward "oh my goodness we're wearing the same dress" moments. Garnsis also has you covered if you're after bits and bobs like new sunnies, some fun jewelry or even nail polish. Despite not being really my thing, this cute little place is definitely worth a look for any young ladies who love a good shopping spree.

I love a good rummage around a secondhand clothes store. You never know what gems you will find…read more Unfortunately, the few times I have been into the tiny Revamp Fashions I have never found any of these gems. The store is full of second hand clothes all in good condition and the service was OK, although not all too friendly or helpful. The worst thing about the shop was the prices. Asking $80 for a second hand pretty plain looking sportscraft dress is a bit much if you ask me. Every piece in the store seemed to suffer the same overpriced fate. There was not anything there that I would actually buy for the price they were asking. Still, I will probably keep going in just in case that hidden gem unearths itself. After all there is no harm in browsing.

You must come and have a look if you love labels, fashion history and second hand. They specialize…read morein buying labels and have them neatly assembled in this awfully cute and tiny store. The owner herself reminds me of Meryl Streep. Here I have found Leona Edmiston, Moschino, Calvin Klein, Jag, Diane von Furstenberg, Alannah Hill, Chloe... They have shoes, bags and clothes. And when you are done, go opposite to the upmarket Lifeline shop. Being your big wallet. We're not talking $10 frocks here.

This would have to be one of the most beautifully preserved arcades in Brisbane. With it's olden…read moreday atmosphere, you'd expect the shopping there to be a little but classier, a cut above the rif-raf out on Queen Street, but I find it a bit pretentious, particularly the upper gallery. Looking in jewelery stores up there recently, I felt very alienated by icy shopkeepers. Also, there's quite a few empty stores up there which makes me think businesses might struggle up there. Down the bottom is more lively, with a lovely tea shop, selling a large range of tea pots; jewelery stores; and bridal shops. With the exception of the cheap and nasty accessory store, Colette, at the Queen Street entrance of the arcade, the shops in here require you to have money to spend (or at least pretend you have money to spend). Best not to rock up in your Havianas--it won't help things with the already snooty shop keepers.

I love this arcade, I wish every arcade in Brisbane was like this…read more The architecture has a renaissance feel about it that makes you feel like you have just stepped into old European hotel lobby or opulent castle foyer. Its the sort of place most people probably go to look and admire rather than shop but in saying that it is home to some of Brisbane's most awarded retailers especially if you are after jewelery or bridal wear. If you are looking for a unique gift or something for the person who has everything this place is your treasure trove. I particularly love looking at all the beautiful time pieces in the Vintage watch shop and pens right next door.

Cinderella's Closet is one of Brisbane's few and far between second hand designer stores. It…read moredoesn't really house any huge names in fashion, but it does have some seriously nice threads from locally and nationally known brands. Hello Maiocchi, Kerrie Craig and Cooper Street. You wouldn't guess that Cinderella's Closet was a second hand store unless they advertised it. The store is prim and proper, everything in it's right place. The displays of accessories are simply charming, darling. The clothes are well categorised and the store is easy to browse through. If you'd like help looking for a particular item, ask the staff, or as they like to refer to themselves- 'fashion consultants'. They'll find you the right shoes for that dress, and the perfect accessories to wear with that bag, sweetie puff. They have clothes for all seasons here. Shoes, accessories and jewellery are all taken care of too. The clothes seem fairly priced- most of the items I picked up were around the $60 mark. A Maiocchi dress for $55? Snap. You won't pay less for such good quality. This is a great place to come if you're looking for something special but don't have the big bucks to go spending in town at the real stores. Cindarella's Closet has quite the collection and I'm sure you'd find something to your liking. You'll probably have a ball being fussed over too. It's all part of the service, peach.

Oasis Fashion does not look like much from the outside. Located in the Blocksidge & Ferguson Arcade…read moreoff Adelaide Street, this little shop offers a range of women's clothing and has been around for longer than I can remember but I had never really gone inside until the other day. What drew me into it on this fine day was a stunning, vintage-inspired dress in the shop window. It was so pretty it practically called to me and I had to go in for a closer look. Unfortunately, they did not have it in my size but the friendly staff promised me they would get similar ones in again soon. The shop was very affordable with very pretty dresses from around $40 and up, practically unheard of these days. They had a great range of funky and vintage-inspired stuff as well as ladies hand bags to choose from. From the outside this shop does not look like much, with its outdated signage and off street location. But I am telling you to go in for a look and you will be surprised by the quality and the price of what is on offer.

I just stumbled across this quaint little fashion place walking around the city with my family the…read moreother day and thought I'd go in. There was a lot of vintage jewellery and outfits in the window of the arcade and I thought it was very pretty personally. Upon entering, with prices around the mid $50 range on average, it is hard to believe you can enter this store with the intent on finding some sort of vintage party dress and not leave with one. The prices are very good, the quality is comparable to that of David Jones or Myer where you would pay close to $200. Why would you do that after finding this place? Some of the dresses are very very beautiful and much care has been taken to preserve them and keep them in good condition here. A lot of care has been taken in making them and it's always good to steer away from the classic brands and delve into something a little bit more magnificent.