So you fancy yourself an Audrey Hepburn, but stifled with modern fashion and fluoro colours that…read moreobnoxiously scream at you from nearly every shop window? Well, your search for something that suits is at an end. Forever New is filled with classy outfits with an array of pastels and formal colours. It has fancy jewellery, bags and shoes to suit your budget, but not quite as cheap as your everyday Diva items. I love coming in here and finding some unique items that are good quality. Unfortunately, the clothes are a bit pricey sometimes, so I would recommend heading to the Dressmart Forever New if you can't quite make up the dollars for a must-have item. There you will find even better bargains! This one is great for convenient location, good service and oh so wonderfully colour co-ordinated areas.

I used to be a fan of Forever New but now I just don't have time for their over priced shit. I…read moreremember when the chain first came to New Zealand I was in love, it was finally something that catered to women's fashion, plus the stores were so cute and shiny. After a while I began to study their clothing and came to the realisation that it was just cheap quality clothing that is overpriced. The accessories are those ones you find in the Asian stores, so shit! I say get of your high horse Forever New and start charging $10 for you clothing instead of $80.

I have a total soft spot for Juliette Hogan. I find her collections incredibly versatile - It's…read moredefinitely my number one stop when I need a special occasion outfit but I'm also a huge fan of her more casual weekend attire, luxuriously soft knits and beautifully tailored pants and blazers. Hands down the best thing about her designs though is that they can easily be dressed up or down for work or weekend. I will admit, it's expensive but what NZ designer isn't and when you are get as much wear out of each garment as I do...it's worth it! I have been going to the Ponsonby store for years but recently ventured down to their new-ish Britomart store. It's absolutely gorgeous - light and airy with beautiful big orchids on the center table. There is also a v.cool light feature in the display window made up of oversized lightbulbs suspended at different heights. Another huge plus is that the staff at both stores are fantastic - not at all pretentious, they smile and say hi when you walk in and are very approachable. It's so refreshing to have consistently good service at a retail store. Love it!

If you're looking for classic and pretty womenswear, Juliette Hogan is the place to go. The…read morecollections are always very wearable - the colours and styles suit most and are very clean and minimalistic. The fabrics are always of high quality. Juliette championed that beautiful full length pleated sheer silk skirt that everyone seemed to have a while ago. She does really lovely dresses, go here if you need something for a wedding or special occasion that could be worn again. The knitwear is also very good. I once got a tweed dress from her, and years later I still get people asking me where it's from. Juliette also has a popular bridesmaid service, so if you need pretty gowns for a bunch of girls, definitely check her out.

I love that I can go to Claire with my Mum and we will both find pieces that we love. Granted, most…read moreof them will be above my price range but still, one can dream (and hint at xmas/bday presents). Claire caries a myriad of labels including Helen Cherry, Equipment, Paula Ryan, Not You Daughter's Jeans and recently new addition Frank & Eileen, who makes shirts that fit like a glove and are a huge hit in Tinseltown. Mention must also be made of the fantastic people who work at Claire. Whilst in some high-end shops you are lucky to even be acknowledged, at Claire you are always greeted with a smile. Furthermore, the staff are fantastic at recommending clothes that fit your shape and style and aren't afraid to tell you when something doesn't suit.

When it comes to higher end New Zealand womenswear, Kate Sylvester is definitely something you…read moreshould put on your list. She makes very wearable clothes for a wide variety of ages. The staff are pretty nice. I don't know if it's because they know who I am now so they're extra kind to me, but they're pretty cool nonetheless. Helpful, friendly, etc. There's the Kate Sylvester line and the Sylvester line, which is less expensive and more casual. Both are great. The pricing isn't actually too bad. Pretty much everything is made in New Zealand. She also does eyewear and jewellery, and the stores stock Benah bags and collaboration Douglas & Bec accessories as well.

Kate Sylvester is one of New Zealand's most iconic design names, with a number of outlets located…read moreboth in Australia and New Zealand. Her pretty, feminine frocks and blouses each season are always a winner, however there is also always a selection of more casual attire as well which is perfect for the weekend. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed with the service at Newmarket, the shop assistants seemed more interested in doing shop duties than attending to many of the browsing customers looking through the racks. However my mother has only had positive experiences there, so perhaps this suggests their pleasant customer service is targeted at a particular customer group?

I really love everything about this store. This is Australian designer Lisa Gorman's only store in…read moreNew Zealand and it sells some really gorgeous pieces of women's clothing. Gorman specialises in dresses, tops and trousers in really cool, funky prints. I think the great thing about it is that the clothing can really be worn by anyone of any age. Nothing in there is ever too short in the hem or low cut on the bust, which is perfect for older customers, but the cuts and patterns ensure that the clothes still look really trendy and hip enough for a younger crowd. My favourite things though are the shoes and boots. I've got a pair of little Chelsea boots from here and they are so comfortable and really well made from real suede. They have lasted for ages and I wear them all the time. The store itself is really spacious and is all wooden floors and walls, making it feel really organic, which complements the clothing perfectly. It feels very light and airy in there, so you can really browse for ages and the staff are always really friendly and give great advice as they clearly know the products inside out.

I absolutely love this store. Located on Nuffield St in trendy Newmarket, this store fits in…read moreperfectly. Everything in Gorman is beautiful. The boots are gorgeous - real leather, buckles, thick comfy heels - I was transfixed by them. Not to mention this great knitted clutch bag that was on display. And all that is before I even started flicking through the racks of clothes. How I wish I was a millionaire and could spend up large in Gorman!!! Every single garment was delightful; Gorman have managed to stock their store with items that are classic yet chic, fashionable and have a certain alternative, funky flare. This combination of styles means that Gorman is a shop that would appeal to a really wide age group. Both my mother and myself love their stock. It's just that great. The quality of the fabrics and the sewing means that even though items from Gorman may set you back a few hundred dollars, it's worth it. The garments and accessories you find in this store are the kind of pieces you can create multiple outfits around - they're staple pieces for your wardrobe, so spending a little more on them isn't too bad... Or so I tell myself! Bonus: One of the things that stands out the most about the stock in Gorman is the fabrics that have been used. They are amazing - really textured, bright and great quality - you'd feel like a million dollars in one of the pieces from this store.

I have purchased a few things from Sass & bide over many years with little to no problems up until…read morerecently when I purchased 2 pairs of gold plated earrings for $262 ...The biggest waste of $262 I have ever spent. Both pairs are only gold plated on the actual earrings and have a metal post so here is obvious deception #1 because specifically asked customer service beforehand on Instagram to confirm that these either have Platinum, surgical stainless steel or gold posts because my sisters ears get infected from cheap costume jewellery all the time. They confirmed to me it was plated too to which I assumed it would be for that high ticket price $$ Well guess what? You guessed it! They're cheap costume jewelry with metal posts that would likely infect anyone and everyone's ears. (May aswell have bought $5 earrings from Temu.) the metal looks that of an old coat hanger or fishing wire/floristry wire. And it's about as soft as floristry wire too because they arrived completely bent & broken in their plastic bags!! So I cannot even regift these poorly made earrings to anyone with less sensitive ears. Pics attached!! The posts were bent on one pair and crooked on the other. I contacted Sass & bide with my disappointment, I told them their customer service lied to me about the material of the earring posts and that I now had to spend more money to buy my sister another gift (I couldn't go empty handed, it was a special gift for my sister) I explained the earrings were bent & unwearable and even provided photos & then proceeded to catch my flight out of Melbourne . On the day I received them I was due to fly interstate as mentioned above, as I was visiting my sister to stay with her for a while, while I receive an intensive trial cancer treatment for the next few months. I have advanced cancer and no treatments have been effective thus far, so I had the opportunity to try an experimental trial treatment. I have not once used my health as an excuse for anything until now but I shared this to explain my situation expecting a little flexibility and compassion from Sass & bide to no avail . Only to find out when I am interstate that they will not refund them unless I send the broken earrings back. I am interstate and the earrings are at home. I explained my situation that I may not even be back home as I have quite advanced cancer & they refuse to refund or assist me in anyway unless I can get the earrings returned. They are currently sitting on my kitchen bench in Melbourne that no one has access to and I didn't bring them with me because why would I ? when I expected a photo of them being unwearable would be enough evidence for a large company to process a refund for not only lying to me about the earrings material but to send me broken earrings that I cannot even gift to a child. My guess is by the other abhorrent reviews here that they are possibly not doing well financially if they are this unreasonable, uncompassionate & now obviously distributing poorly made products for a high price. I am gravely unwell and I haven't told many people of my diagnosis but I shared it with the customer service representative 'Hallah' & I was absolutely disgusted at the treatment I received. They specifically said "our sincerest apologies for the less than amazing experience with us. But essentially policy is ...." less than amazing? You mean abhorrent? I cannot believe that with photographic evidence & my personal dire health that I vulnerably shared to better explain my circumstances that they are completely uncompassionate & unwavering to both the financial burden & state of my health. I am literally DYING & flying back interstate to retrieve broken, unwearable, cheaply produced overpriced costume jewelry to send back to a large company to retrieve my hard earned money back is the last of my priorities right now. The stress of this blatant daylight robbery alone is only weighing on me & my health further. I just cannot believe they refuse to assist me given I provided photographic evidence and yet they still want to wear down what little energy I have left to fight for my life. I cannot believe such a company would have that little compassion over $262, $262 dollars that I really need returned to me during this time of need. Shame on you sass & bide. I hope one day you have a loved one terminally ill who is scammed of their hard earned money so you know exactly how devastating it feels to be lied to a refused help! I will be posting this review to every platform possible & will be contacting all media & news outlets with my story to ensure no one else going through a devastating time experiences this type of treatment from such a well known brand as I'm sure "Sass & bide have refused to refund terminally ill patient Chloe after sending her damaged earrings, Chloe is undergoing radical cancer treatment & provided the company with photographic evidence of broken earrings but the large company refused to refund.

My favorite brand !lol high fashion clothes ,really fun design clothes here!i really luv it .read more

Super friendly staff who know the range and brand . I look…read moreonline first to see if me likey and guess what? mama likey ! This brand seems to be a more higher tier than your average House of G and prices can be steep , but if your after something that will last a few seasons and a spin on the fast cycle in the washing machine then Storm might be your very fancy bag . Some stuff can be a bit frou frou but they have good fabrics and well thought out designs . Always worth a peek .

Miss Crabb is dangerous…read more.. Every time it go in there I inevitably walk out with something (hence, why I only go a couple of times a year). The fabrics they use are beyond beautiful - patterned silks and bold colours - and they make the best easy-to-wear statement pieces. You know, the kind you can just throw on and voila, you're ready to go! I went in last weekend, stressed that I had nothing to wear off an upcoming wedding, and within half an hour, with the help of the lovely Indigo, I walked out with a beautiful pale blue and navy dress! Pain free shopping at it's finest (although my bank balance might not agree)...