From the minute you spot this shop there is little doubt in your mind that it is one of the…read moregirliest shoe stores you'll ever step your peep toes in. The store name is splashed across a banner above the doorway, with a pink and white background emphasising the painted giant, black stiletto heeled shoe adorning the sign. Out the front were a bargain 'bin' and a rack of sale items, almost all of which were high heels. Inside you'll find racks of shoes, again mainly high heels. I get the feeling the shop is owned and run by Carrie Bradshaw's cousin, who shares the passion for height boosting footwear but at more affordable prices. Most of the shoes I saw were office-type shoes with a twist, it's not a place I would go to find something to complement my latest Saturday night outfit.

Bare Traps is clearly aimed at short girls with tall boyfriends; I didn't see one shoe without a…read moreheel in the store. I'm not complaining, as I am one of those girls and it's nice that we're being recognised as a demographic. In fact, I loved this store. It's simple, airy and uncluttered, with lovely shoes and laid back sales staff. They had an especially huge range of wedges, my only shoe weakness, so my quick stroll through took a little longer than anticipated. I thought it was great that the store wasn't crammed full of shoes. Don't get me wrong, there was plenty to look at, but it seemed like in this case they believe in quality over quantity which is a philosophy some shops could certainly learn from. The design was simple, so that nothing distracted from the shoes, although I suppose most women don't have trouble staying focused when shoe shopping.

I found this store to sell a rather random mix of clothes. There were dresses perfect for a Year 12…read moreFormal, outfits suited to a day at the races, along with more casual wear aimed at a slightly older crowd. It's a large store, and the amount on offer certainly reflects that. Items in every colour of the rainbow, suspended on the numerous racks, line the walls and a maze of pretty dresses fills the floor space. I saw some things that piqued my interest, but most of the items in here were a little out of my price range. I picked out a beautiful blouse that turned out to cost somewhere around $100, before quickly placing it back amongst it's friends and retreating from the store before the staff noticed me. Despite it not being perfect for me, I noticed many happy customers browsing and some interacting with the friendly sales staff, so I think for the target customer this is a great place to shop.

It was the silky, seafoam green floor length dress in the window that caught me eye. In fact, all…read moreof the dresses in the window spoke to me of beach photo shoots. These are dresses designed to get swept up with the ocean breeze. While I posed in front of a mirror in the seafoam green, I realised that satin and silk aren't good materials for those who aren't in supreme shape. My beer gut was getting a bit too much attention. Back to the rack. You'll find all sorts of clothes in here. Dresses fit to wear to formals, casual daywear for older women, and I want to say 'beachside couture' (even though it's not couture) for the young and fit. I want to make note of the accessories. They are well worth the look. The pieces for the most part are quite contemporary with a beachside twist. You might find some sea worn glass pieces here for example. Expect to pay a little more. It will surprise you as nothing in the store says 'boutique' except the price tags. I was a little put off, but still, it was fun to swan around in beautiful, breezy dresses while I was there.