Why is it that those little kiosks in the middle of shopping centres are always selling either…read moresunglasses or jewellery? This one sells sunglasses, along with optical accessories. As far as I can see there's nothing too significantly different about this place in comparison to your average Sunglass Hut, but they do have a very pretty sign featuring lots of colours, so they've got my vote.

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.

Bags. Wallets…read more Jewellery. Gift Boxes. The quintessential Colette collection all in the one place. What a great idea and it's about bloody time someone opened a shop like this. It looks chic, it looks bohemian, it looks trendy and it looks very fashionable. There are styles here normal people could pull off without looking out of place. And the prices are surprisingly affordable. You'd pay these prices easily anywhere else but here, voila! You have a great collection, a shop full of cool ranges of bags, wallets, gift boxes and jewellery. From beady glass necklaces, to boho style celebrity look-alike bags. You can't go wrong and you'll definetely be with the latest trends without being out of pocket. What I really love about this store is that it's a big one, the shop is uncluttered, well-organised and it just feels good. I bought myself a pleather faux celebrity beige coloured boho bag with the matching wallet and some cool snazzy red beady bracelets that all went well with my bag. Worth checking out if you need accessories that will last longer than a night out.

Colette is a great place to update your accessories wardrobe without breaking the bank. They have a…read moreconstantly changing range of seasonal bags of all shapes and sizes, purses, jewellery and hair accessories as well as a range of more classic pieces. Some of it can tend to look a bit cheap, because it is, but if you only need the pieces to last a season or two then it's perfect. There is a sale rack up the back of the store which sometimes has absolute bargains. Colette have now brought out a limited range of leather products, which are priced higher than most of their other products, but still affordable (bags are under $100) The shop is usually pretty crowded on a weekday at lunchtime, so you might have to push your way through a bit and queue at the registers, but if you feel like treating yourself to a new pair of earrings or something else sparkly for the same price as a couple of takeaway coffees, then it's worth it.

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.

Brissie fashion owes a lot to the two ladies behind S&B (Heidi and Sarah Jane), in my opinion. The…read moreBrisVegas born pair's international success encouraged a whole load of up and comers to give it a go, and thus began the much-needed resurgence of the local fashion scene. So it's great to see that after years of only being able to get Sass and Bide in selected retailers/department stores, a few stand-alone shops have sprung up. This is my fave for the simple reason that it's the most convenient for me to pop into. And I love the huge white space, with the main focus of the decore being the beautiful, eclectic clothes on the rails. Which, currently, have an ethnic vibe with loud, but fabulous patterns, amazing shapes with statement-making accessories like neck, arm and waist cuffs and divine handbags. I'll forever grateful to S&B for giving style-starved Brisbaneites some hope that things would change. And they did.

This op shop has what a lot of op shops don't have these days.... Great Prices! Yep, it's still…read morepossible to pick up a shirt, skirt or shorts but just a couple of bucks. No one is going to pay $10 for a 2nd hand Target shirt when they are only $15 in the shop, brand new. So, this Red Cross is taking the right approach in selling by volume to raise money for their charity. This makes it a good option if you are looking for outfits for fancy dress parties, where you don't want to spend a fortune for an outfit you may only wear once. Snaps to you McWhirter's Red Cross!

There's a great op shop in the McWhirters building in the Fortitude Valley. The Australian Red…read moreCross op shop has a fantastic Retro section of clothes - with costumes and vintage gear. They also have a good selection of books, shoes and clothes to rifle through and find a bargain.

LARGE souvenir shop on Queen Street…read more Tacky? Yes. Postcards? Yes. Boomerangs? Yes. T-shirts, magnets, stuffed kangaroos and koalas? Yes, yes, yes and yes. Obligatory UGG boots? Of course. Plus dozens and dozens of other items you never knew you needed or wanted. Staff was friendly. Location was convenient.

I went shopping with a friend from overseas. We stopped by Tourist House to have a look. As I…read morewandered around while my friend tried UGG boots on, I noticed they sold Golliwogs (aka golly dolls, golly), the dark skinned doll, with clown-like red lips and frizzy black hair. There was a collection of them sitting in a woven basket by the entrance. It is rare to find places that sell this type of doll these days and I thought it looked a little out of place in this souvenir shop. Or was it? Despite this odd encounter with a doll popular in the 60's, we found the store useful and my friend successfully purchased a whole heap of things. One of which, includes her beloved UGG Australia boots which she praises for being half the price here, compared to overseas. An insightful souvenir shopping trip.

I'm no DJ, in fact I don't even own a record player, but there's something so good about flicking…read moreyour fingers through a stack of old records. Butter Beats is a place where you can certainly do this. My most recent visit was for nothing in particular, but it was just nice to wander through the small store and reminisce about Dad's record collection and some of the weird stuff we used to listen to. The walls of the shop are stocked floor to ceiling with spray paint cans in every colour imaginable. I'm not sure what the connection is between music and spray paint. Anarchy? Art? I don't know, but it's effective nonetheless. If you're looking for a hard to find vinyl, in need of a new band T-shirt or just keen for chat about great music with one of the knowledgeable (yet very cool and intimidating looking) staff, then head into Butter Beats next time you're in the city.

Butter Beats has it going on. If the buttery store sign isn't enough to entice you inside, then the…read morerows and rows of records and music will. Welcome to a music library where the records are plenty and hard-to-find music is actually not so hard to find. Thanks goodness! This place is a music lover's ultimate dream with a collection you can get lost in and pore over for hours upon end. It's obvious that this place lives and breathes an intense love for music, and you'll find anything you desire from 80s rock to modern pop and hip hop. No holds barred! They're hidden away on an upper level in Broadway on the Mall, so make the trip up and grace yourself with a new lover in the form of endless music choices.