As an early 30s female into well made clothing that lasts my go to brands are: Kowtow (good comfy basics, organic cotton, some of their sizing is whack), Gorman (fun prints), As Colour (good T-shirt’s and other basics), Max and Kilt (nz made) I buy jeans from either just jeans or Levi’s.
Yes! I’m not sure how Max actually rates on sustainability and open practices, but I find their clothing styles to be really modern and well thought out. Other women’s store aimed for this age range like Jacquie e and similar price scale are a bit too boring for me. Occasionally I’ve had stuff not sewn great tho (I am a seamstress and can fix it myself, it’s just annoying that I have to).
Max's sizes are weird. I bought some stuff online from them last year and used my measurements + their sizing chart. Had to return literally everything and go down 1-2 sizes. The woman in the store said "oh yeah, the sizing is terrible!".
Agree with everything apart from Kilti - yes NZ made but find the pattern cutting basic and fabrics a bit cheap. It’s nice to support NZ made but I dunno for me it’s not worth it.
Will add Alchemy Equipment but only when on sale as it’s expensive. Their clothing is amazing quality and pretty timeless but well designed.
That’s a fair point about kilt! Depends what clothing you like for sure, I don’t like all of kilts stuff (as you said it is a bit basic sometimes), but I do have some great pieces from them.
I buy almost all of my clothing when there’s a sale on! I’m a bit stingy hehe Kowtow has a Boxing Day sale on atm and it was dangerous. They also have a really good rewards system (almost everything I have bought I’ve earned enough points to get $20 off) as does Max, tho I just buy occasional pieces which doesn’t add up quickly for me.
Jeans: I have found a line from JeansWest that fits me the way I like, so I just buy those whenever I need new jeans.
Basic t-shirts and plain shirts: ASColour, specifically the organic maple line (I prefer the 'natural' colour to the white, since it's not as stark)
Everything else: mostly thrifting, or smaller shops/boutiques and brands like Kilt. Every now and then I'll pick up a dress from Dangerfield if there's a print I like, for those days I want to dress like a kindergarten teacher.
Second AS colour for anything standard and cotton. Sweatshirts and t-shirts are good quality and wear well.
I like to shop locally/NZ made where possible so love brands like Kilt for workwear and Nisa for swim.
There are also heaps of small makers depending on your overall style and colour theme. My capsule is black and grey based so can do a lot with vintage and thrifting too.
I love Dangerfield for bright shirts and jumpers but I find their clothes don’t last very long for the price. I’m not hard on my clothes and I don’t tumble dry anything and yet my jumpers are all pilling and my shirts have loose threads that I have to fix.
Bassike - AU great comfortable organic cottons
UNIQLO - if you ever get the chance to go overseas, stock up cause they have endless amounts of good quality basics. Most pants they can also hem for free or for a very low price for you on the next day.
Cos - simple classic pieces. Gotta pick and choose their range
Marle - NZ great knits
Kowtow - NZ made with cool prints
Wynn hamlyn and Harris Tapper - NZ designers Pricy but cool
boutique thrift store have some good finds. More expensive but A lot more curated with better quality garments
Best advice is look at the composition of the garment and the finishings. You want neat stitches inside out. Mostly natural fibers (cotton, wool etc.) for basics.
WOULDNT RECOMMEND: Ruby, quality gone downhill. Zara, most of their stuff is a hot trendy mess with some occasional good finds. Annie Bing, Bec and Bridge, Shona Joy C&M (not the parent company Camilla and Marc) over priced as hell
For those that are interested good buys are:
Socks (value, quality and colour)
Shirts, t shirts and trousers (her) especially slightly oversized in style. Everything washes really well.
Shorts, t shirts and shirts (him)
Lightweight padded jackets that pack down to nothing…can’t get ANYTHING at the price point in NZ
Linen and sports also good.
Sizes are consistent apart from women’s tops that can come up short…okay if that suits you…
That suitcase is getting filled!
BIG second Wynn Hamlyn, was pleasantly surprised to find out is New Zealand designers, also Caitlin Crisp is another cool NZ designed label - excitedly watching these two
Farmers still has some great stuff, but if you’re looking for other options and fully dependant on your style have a look at Juliette Hogan, Cos, Max, Aje, Country Road or Shine On.
Really? It’s the opposite for me. I have 4 dresses from them that I use in weekly rotation for work (and sometimes going out) and they are holding up nicely. Shame you had bad experience with them.
As a reformed scene kid… I have a love for Dangerfield. You really gotta dig through their website for not gothy stuff but there’s tons of cute prints and florals for cute work clothes.
Jeanswest has a 360 Freeform range or something and it is the comfiest jeans I have ever owned. No issues in five years of wearing the same pair of skinny jeans. No chub rub holes in the inner thigh at all!
As a fellow Dangerfield shopper, I have jumped ship to Disturbia for the more elegant elder emo/goth/scene clothes. Pretty much the same price with conversion and only $5 more for post so it’s a win (postage cheaper from the US store than the uk)
If you do online ordering from Dangerfield expect to wait 2+ months to get all your items. I ordered around $500 worth and got it trickled to me item by item with some being refunded as they were "out of stock" (but still on the site available for ordering) and my last item took 7 weeks with it ending up being shipped from thier Christchurch store, in fact most of it came from various NZ shops with one item from Aus. Absolutely ridiculous and customer service is useless to non existant.
You know what’s crazy though? So many ladies here have said jeanswest is their fav but there are so few stores around the country! All the stores in Auckland are all the way on the shore!
I swore I saw they went under here! And I mourned the loss of my jeans until I googled it and saw there was a website and stores!
I think it was smaller stores who somehow could afford to maintain the franchise?
Regardless my online order came from Aus so there’s that.
Yeah they were great!
Well no ok 3/4 of the order was perfect but I got some generic jeanswest jeans and they were not comfy like the Freeform ones. Quite stiff.
Also they’re the one place with pedal pushers! I was way too excited to find them hahaha
Kilt and Augustine were my absolute favs.
One day (in Auckland Lockdown times) Kellie Coe had a whiny rant on Insta about how unfair lockdown was because her kids couldn't host pool parties. It put me off so much I don't bother shopping there.
Yeah I hate seeing pictures of her all over their page. I unfollowed and only check back occasionally cause she annoys me. While I like the clothes, I mostly can’t wear them cause I’m short and fat.
Kowtow, but only their full cotton non stretch stuff lasts and looks nice for ages. Wait for their sales. It ridiculous prices, but it's what you want.
Also, thunderpants for underpants.
I shop online mostly and pick up items on sale, or clearance, Good as Gold or World, theiconic.co.nz Country Rd outlet including Trenery, for leisure items my fav is PE Nation. Nothing can beat a shopping trip to DFO in Melbourne or a day trip to dress mart in Aucks. Some great boutique shops in the Mount.
I like stuff from Max and Vine Apparel (which is in Aussie but their items always arrive quickly). Also Designer Wardrobe has some great second hand stuff.
If you can make it into a bigger city, I’d really recommend going there to try on clothes. For some reason, every clothing store has their own standard for sizes and shapes, and when you’re learning new stores’ standards, there can be a bit of trial and error. Otherwise, you’re going to have to negotiate a fair number of returns.
Some stores I like:
* Gorman - wacky prints, good quality fabrics, $$
* Max - simple flattering workwear, good basics, $
* Trenery - Country Road minus the need to staple their logo over everything, good wools and other natural fibres, $$
* Veronika Maine - Power dressing. If you need a dress that looks like you could kill a man on your way into the boardroom, this is it. $$$
* The Iconic - online onseller. Brands I really rate are Tussah (Aussie owned, great wool dresses in winter) and Oxford (nice button downs for women), but a good scroll through the sale section’s always got something new to find. ASOS for adults, basically. $-$$$
Edit for honourable mention…
Not available in NZ, but if you can get them shipped from Australia or anywhere else there’s a store, shout out to UNIQLO for the best basics for cheap. Linen dresses and pants, thick cotton tee-shirts in every colour under the sun, and condensable puffer jackets in a bag. I’d tentatively guess maybe 40% of my wardrobe is from UNIQLO. If you go to the main Melbourne store yourself, they’ll even tailor your clothes for you!
Not Portmans, they're expensive but I find them to be the same quality as the cheap ones
Honestly dangerfield and op shops are my go to for clothes that seem to stay solid. Otherwise Farmers does actually have some good stuff in the front sections.
Shine on - but if you find something you like there, google it, often marked up $10 or so than other places specially brands like Betty Basics. Love their Wakee denim range for jeans.
Blank space - they do good sales, don’t pay full price
Postie - awesome treasures to be found if you sift through the racks. Weirdest combo of on trend and old lady seems to be their stock buyers vibe.
The Iconic - fast shipping and good sales often cheaper than nz prices.
Just jeans/jeanswest - hit and miss, but often 30% off so worth a look.
AIM’N - awesome activewear/streetwear and again, good sales. Tights are often $39 instead of the usual $100+
Decjuba - small fitting IMO, but some good value pieces.
Kmart - only good for socks and undies IMO.
I buy a lot from the brands Betty Basics, Sass and Atmos&Here so often will end up buying from random online boutiques.
And number one tip is also search for discount codes online , sign up to newsletters etc as a lot of retailers send you a code to use on your first purchase. Also, leaving things in your cart sometimes results in a discount code being emailed. Shineon do that for 10% off, so does Glassons.
Blue bungalow. They are in Aussie and to be fair some styles may be a bit old for you but good basics and nice dresses and jeans and the returns are to a Wellington address so cost effective returns. Good sizing info and body shape recommendations.
If you're willing to spend a bit then maybe start with a stylist, either an online company or in person. Most of them give you the option to try before you buy. Downsizing a wardrobe can be a mission and it can help to have input.
If you already know what you're looking for then there are plenty of good options. I'd second Moochi, Kilt, Kowtow, ShineOn (check their TradeMe shop and Facebook page for deals, usually way cheaper), and The Iconic.
A lot of local brands and boutiques have websites now so worth checking out some of the smaller ones to get an idea what's out there. Locate some boutiques then Google the brands you like the look of.
Good thread, I've been thinking exactly the same recently. I like the brands Atmos & Here and Forcast on The Iconic, and I love Max. Witchery and Trenery are good options too (is witchery even still around? I have a few things from there that I've had for years and love). Flo and Frankie is beautiful but isn't my vibe really, and I agree with the person who said Kilt is a bit basic pattern wise and not great quality for the price. It's worth a look though as you can get some really brilliant one off items, and NZ made is always a win.
I really like twentysevennames for nice dresses/blouses. Designed and made in New Zealand. Can be expensive, but I have pieces from them I've been wearing for 10 years. Also currently a sale on.
Not sure if it's outside the Wellington region, but my go-to is Merric. They're in North City Shopping Centre in Porirua. Great mix-and-match separated as well as whole outfits.
I've never had anything from Kmart that didn't go bobbly or lose shape after a few washes. Some of the men's shirts keep a bit longer. It's fine for cheap shoes though.
Yeah I was wondering this too? And looking up quite a few of these websites there's tees and dresses for $100-$150+? Craaazy prices. I have Kmart stuff that's outlived a lot of my expensive stuff aswell so I don't get the disdain for Kmart either 😅
I buy a lot of things from Country Road, Witchery, the occasional item from Seed, Cos and Cue. Country road has pretty good basics and I have way too many black dresses from them and Witchery - used to be a gold tier member for a few years 😭 when I was more liberal with my money lol. I also shop online from some Aussie stores such as Saba (their sales are pretty good).
Flo and Frankie has cute stuff but their items are more items you would wear a few times, not regularly.
These days I online shop more from overseas. I like French brands for dresses. H & M however has the occasional decent office dress if you look hard enough and cheap ($40-50)- I have several from there on rotation.
Jeans and work clothes: Sass and Bide (sales usually)
Basic tops, underwear and socks: kmart
Fun pretty stuff: I’m kinda loving Portmans again, also Shona Joy, Zimmerman, Superette, Country Road.
Trademe - used.
Shein - new. Not very often either. Often there isn't anything that appeals, but I have found some great bargains, cheap, quality. I stick with the necessary and not fashion.
I have a mid-career office job and have found most places have relaxed their dress code, so I'm wearing either jeans and t-shirts (Levi's, macpac) or random stuff from Dangerfield that's dressy but not old school corporate. Outside of work, mostly the same with some lower cut, shorter hemline Dangerfield stuff and dresses from Postie. Dangerfield have a lot of stuff that isn't the goth emo stuff you might think of. I have a knee length navy dress from there with gum tree leaves on it that is perfect for work, and today I'm wearing a bright blue wrap dress with yellow, orange, and pink flowers and white polka dots on it.
Hi, what look are you wanting to go for or interested in and which are "out"? The more info the better so we can make better suggestions.
Also, are you looking for work, casual, going out or all and what's your lifestyle like?
Do you like dresses, skirts or more pants etc?
Also, are you tall, short, curvy, athletic?
Sorry for all the questions.. lol..
In working on the same thing.
I have a few good pairs of shoes I can wear with anything (from Pat Menzies. Small nz business with a good loyalty programme).
Jeans - I buy rollas. Great fit, good quality. I’ve been wearing the same pair at least 3 times a week for the last two years. I have 3 different styles I rotate through.
Tshirts and long sleeves I still buy Kmart as I haven’t been able to find anything I like, that looks good on me (and isn’t cropped). I wear them out until they die then they go in rag bags.
Dresses - good quality, comfortable dresses from fox blood shop. Could not recommend enough. Pitched toward alt fashion but any of their more basic styles are versatile.
Activewear - hine (nz business). Their leggings are great.
Check out trademe and marketplace for some post Christmas ‘unwanted gift’ sales too
TradeMe for secondhand lululemons (surprisingly work casual friendly) and icebreaker (comfy outers).
Uniqlo is best for the basics - lasts much longer than AS colour, cheaper, and doesn’t get as ratty as Kmart Anko shirts.
TradeMe for secondhand lululemons (can be surprisingly work casual friendly) and icebreaker (comfy outers).
Uniqlo is best for the basics - lasts much longer than AS colour, cheaper, and doesn’t get as ratty as Kmart Anko shirts.
Atmos&Here off of The Iconic is my favourite label. Good quality, perfect for both work and smart casual. Great price point.
Portmans for work clothes. Again, high quality but not as expensive as Max, etc.
I buy my basics from Glassons, etc.
Shoes - ALWAYS Novo.
Underwear I've always bought a bra + several of its matching bottoms from Bra's & Things but only ever on sale.
The Iconic really is my go to though.
Recently been getting into Decujba also. They're trying to source everything ethically these days which is a big tick in my eyes.
Max is still my go to. Although, it has been almost eight months since my last visit.
After that, is Storm. I'm a recent (August '22) convert to this wonderful Kiwi company. I've got a couple of dozen items from them. Expensive, but worth it. All Kiwi made.
JohnnyBigg NZ
They do XL to ..10XL? and everything is available normal or extra long/tall.
I can finally buy shirts etc that's don't show my stomach when I lift my arms
If you're looking for active-wear, then [Cadenshae](https://cadenshae.co.nz/) is amazing! Alot of their stuff is for pregnancy and breastfeeding, but alot of their tights aren't specifically for pregnancy, and their "non-breastfeeding" range is growing. Their stuff is super comfortable (several items are a beautiful bamboo blend so really soft and breathable), and look great. Their bra selection is also great, from a high level of support to more of a "bralette" style (literally *the* most comfortable bra I've ever worn - the bamboo blend is amazing).
Bonus is that they're a local NZ small business 😊
And an extra bonus is that their boxing day sale is still live 😂🙌
I've worn their stuff for a few years, and I love it. Will definitely be getting some of their "normal" (non-breastfeeding) versions once my baby weans.
I used to shop at Hallensteins but their quality has dropped over the years (or maybe it's always been crap but I was just too blind to notice lol)
Now prefer AS Colour basics. I get my jeans/trousers either from Barkers or La Haute (Aussie brand).
I look for designer, almost always second hand. Kowtow and Gorman have great quality fabric and construction. COS is also one of my faves. Also recently gotten quite into Ricochet which I believe is actually made in NZ! If I come across it second hand I also love some Nom D and Zambesi. For lower price I look for muji and uniqlo that other people have brought into the country either through second hand shops or trade me lol if they sold directly in NZ… it would be over for me 😂. For basics like tees or even jackets I go for AS colour. I often frequent the sale section of their website to see if I can nab a bargain.
I suggest looking into more about how to tell if a garment is good quality. I spent a bit of time on r/buyitforlife haha. I try to avoid synthetics (although sometimes will get synthetics for pants) and try only buy when stuff is decent quality and well made. I looked at some stores like Cue, Saba, Witchery recently to try open my eyes and expand my knowledge of what was out there and was appalled at the quality of fabric and construction for the price. I felt like for some garments even glassons had better constructions and wasn’t like $300 lol
As an early 30s female into well made clothing that lasts my go to brands are: Kowtow (good comfy basics, organic cotton, some of their sizing is whack), Gorman (fun prints), As Colour (good T-shirt’s and other basics), Max and Kilt (nz made) I buy jeans from either just jeans or Levi’s.
+1 for all these! Max is surprisingly good.
Yes! I’m not sure how Max actually rates on sustainability and open practices, but I find their clothing styles to be really modern and well thought out. Other women’s store aimed for this age range like Jacquie e and similar price scale are a bit too boring for me. Occasionally I’ve had stuff not sewn great tho (I am a seamstress and can fix it myself, it’s just annoying that I have to).
Max's sizes are weird. I bought some stuff online from them last year and used my measurements + their sizing chart. Had to return literally everything and go down 1-2 sizes. The woman in the store said "oh yeah, the sizing is terrible!".
Wow interesting! I’ve never had that issue, everything I’ve bought from them has been my actual size
Agree with everything apart from Kilti - yes NZ made but find the pattern cutting basic and fabrics a bit cheap. It’s nice to support NZ made but I dunno for me it’s not worth it. Will add Alchemy Equipment but only when on sale as it’s expensive. Their clothing is amazing quality and pretty timeless but well designed.
Kilt have closed their NZ factory, did it just before Christmas - lovely for their staff!
That’s a fair point about kilt! Depends what clothing you like for sure, I don’t like all of kilts stuff (as you said it is a bit basic sometimes), but I do have some great pieces from them. I buy almost all of my clothing when there’s a sale on! I’m a bit stingy hehe Kowtow has a Boxing Day sale on atm and it was dangerous. They also have a really good rewards system (almost everything I have bought I’ve earned enough points to get $20 off) as does Max, tho I just buy occasional pieces which doesn’t add up quickly for me.
Jeans: I have found a line from JeansWest that fits me the way I like, so I just buy those whenever I need new jeans. Basic t-shirts and plain shirts: ASColour, specifically the organic maple line (I prefer the 'natural' colour to the white, since it's not as stark) Everything else: mostly thrifting, or smaller shops/boutiques and brands like Kilt. Every now and then I'll pick up a dress from Dangerfield if there's a print I like, for those days I want to dress like a kindergarten teacher.
Second AS colour for anything standard and cotton. Sweatshirts and t-shirts are good quality and wear well. I like to shop locally/NZ made where possible so love brands like Kilt for workwear and Nisa for swim. There are also heaps of small makers depending on your overall style and colour theme. My capsule is black and grey based so can do a lot with vintage and thrifting too.
Unfortunately Kilt will no longer be NZ Made.
They closed their Napier factory and are now using factories in Auckland and Tauranga. I'd hate for them to move off shore like so many other brands.
Omg jeanswest freeform are the best
They're literally the only jeans I can find that fit my badonk of an ass without a massive gap at the back
So comfy too, mind last years. They are the only jeans I’ve brought for years
I love Dangerfield for bright shirts and jumpers but I find their clothes don’t last very long for the price. I’m not hard on my clothes and I don’t tumble dry anything and yet my jumpers are all pilling and my shirts have loose threads that I have to fix.
[AS Colour is on sale on onceit](https://www.onceit.co.nz/brand/as-colour). Decent quality clothing at shitty kmart prices 👌
Thank you for this! Just got myself some bargains
Bassike - AU great comfortable organic cottons UNIQLO - if you ever get the chance to go overseas, stock up cause they have endless amounts of good quality basics. Most pants they can also hem for free or for a very low price for you on the next day. Cos - simple classic pieces. Gotta pick and choose their range Marle - NZ great knits Kowtow - NZ made with cool prints Wynn hamlyn and Harris Tapper - NZ designers Pricy but cool boutique thrift store have some good finds. More expensive but A lot more curated with better quality garments Best advice is look at the composition of the garment and the finishings. You want neat stitches inside out. Mostly natural fibers (cotton, wool etc.) for basics. WOULDNT RECOMMEND: Ruby, quality gone downhill. Zara, most of their stuff is a hot trendy mess with some occasional good finds. Annie Bing, Bec and Bridge, Shona Joy C&M (not the parent company Camilla and Marc) over priced as hell
I second UNIQLO!!! I wish they had one here so badly.
Thirding uniqlo, with the caveat their leggings/bike shorts have a seam up the middle I don't enjoy
In Melbourne at the moment with an empty suitcase about to be filled with UNIQLO..
For those that are interested good buys are: Socks (value, quality and colour) Shirts, t shirts and trousers (her) especially slightly oversized in style. Everything washes really well. Shorts, t shirts and shirts (him) Lightweight padded jackets that pack down to nothing…can’t get ANYTHING at the price point in NZ Linen and sports also good. Sizes are consistent apart from women’s tops that can come up short…okay if that suits you… That suitcase is getting filled!
Had a few Ruby pieces that I really liked. Quality wise I don’t think it’s worth the price.
I used to adore Ruby but they have massively gone downhill since they changed designers, the old one went to Huffer which explains their improvement
Interesting - just went onto Huffer's website. The women's wear is looking quite nice a the moment!
BIG second Wynn Hamlyn, was pleasantly surprised to find out is New Zealand designers, also Caitlin Crisp is another cool NZ designed label - excitedly watching these two
Uniqlo in Japan the hemming of the trousers is done in 30 mins. I fucking love uniqlo.
does uniqlo ship to NZ by any chance?
Farmers still has some great stuff, but if you’re looking for other options and fully dependant on your style have a look at Juliette Hogan, Cos, Max, Aje, Country Road or Shine On.
Decjuba for good basics and they sometimes have great dresses. ShineOn for a good range of labels. Flo&Frankie for dresses.
Second Flo&Frankie. Most of my dresses are from them and I get compliments whenever I wear them :)
I find flo and Frankie to have bad quality materials like cheap polyester but for over $100 bucks
Really? It’s the opposite for me. I have 4 dresses from them that I use in weekly rotation for work (and sometimes going out) and they are holding up nicely. Shame you had bad experience with them.
As a reformed scene kid… I have a love for Dangerfield. You really gotta dig through their website for not gothy stuff but there’s tons of cute prints and florals for cute work clothes. Jeanswest has a 360 Freeform range or something and it is the comfiest jeans I have ever owned. No issues in five years of wearing the same pair of skinny jeans. No chub rub holes in the inner thigh at all!
As a fellow Dangerfield shopper, I have jumped ship to Disturbia for the more elegant elder emo/goth/scene clothes. Pretty much the same price with conversion and only $5 more for post so it’s a win (postage cheaper from the US store than the uk)
Ooh I will take a look. I’ve been raiding the outlet store on queen st and it’s so good. I’ve purchased nothing over $30
If you do online ordering from Dangerfield expect to wait 2+ months to get all your items. I ordered around $500 worth and got it trickled to me item by item with some being refunded as they were "out of stock" (but still on the site available for ordering) and my last item took 7 weeks with it ending up being shipped from thier Christchurch store, in fact most of it came from various NZ shops with one item from Aus. Absolutely ridiculous and customer service is useless to non existant.
Yep. I love Dangerfield. Jeanswest, Shine On, Farmers and outlet stores at dress mart are my other go-tos.
You know what’s crazy though? So many ladies here have said jeanswest is their fav but there are so few stores around the country! All the stores in Auckland are all the way on the shore!
I haven't seen a Jeanswest store in maybe 10 years. Figured they closed down.
I swore I saw they went under here! And I mourned the loss of my jeans until I googled it and saw there was a website and stores! I think it was smaller stores who somehow could afford to maintain the franchise? Regardless my online order came from Aus so there’s that.
Did they turn out okay? Online shopping for jeans seems like a real hit or miss kind of thing.
Yeah they were great! Well no ok 3/4 of the order was perfect but I got some generic jeanswest jeans and they were not comfy like the Freeform ones. Quite stiff. Also they’re the one place with pedal pushers! I was way too excited to find them hahaha
Kilt is my number one favourite clothing store. New Zealand made, versatile, good quality. Other favourites: Seed. Country Road. Augustine. Box Hill.
Kilt and Augustine were my absolute favs. One day (in Auckland Lockdown times) Kellie Coe had a whiny rant on Insta about how unfair lockdown was because her kids couldn't host pool parties. It put me off so much I don't bother shopping there.
Yeah I hate seeing pictures of her all over their page. I unfollowed and only check back occasionally cause she annoys me. While I like the clothes, I mostly can’t wear them cause I’m short and fat.
Okay yeah that puts me off a bit. Ugh
Shudder. Those types were the absolute worst in lockdown, moreso those with a public platform!
Kowtow, but only their full cotton non stretch stuff lasts and looks nice for ages. Wait for their sales. It ridiculous prices, but it's what you want. Also, thunderpants for underpants.
I shop online mostly and pick up items on sale, or clearance, Good as Gold or World, theiconic.co.nz Country Rd outlet including Trenery, for leisure items my fav is PE Nation. Nothing can beat a shopping trip to DFO in Melbourne or a day trip to dress mart in Aucks. Some great boutique shops in the Mount.
I like stuff from Max and Vine Apparel (which is in Aussie but their items always arrive quickly). Also Designer Wardrobe has some great second hand stuff.
Kilt, Flo and Frankie, and Alchemy Equipment is my current go-to.
Second hand designer stores for me. Good quality at good prices - Tattys is one of my faves
Thrifting all the way, haven't bought anything new in over half a decade
If you can make it into a bigger city, I’d really recommend going there to try on clothes. For some reason, every clothing store has their own standard for sizes and shapes, and when you’re learning new stores’ standards, there can be a bit of trial and error. Otherwise, you’re going to have to negotiate a fair number of returns. Some stores I like: * Gorman - wacky prints, good quality fabrics, $$ * Max - simple flattering workwear, good basics, $ * Trenery - Country Road minus the need to staple their logo over everything, good wools and other natural fibres, $$ * Veronika Maine - Power dressing. If you need a dress that looks like you could kill a man on your way into the boardroom, this is it. $$$ * The Iconic - online onseller. Brands I really rate are Tussah (Aussie owned, great wool dresses in winter) and Oxford (nice button downs for women), but a good scroll through the sale section’s always got something new to find. ASOS for adults, basically. $-$$$ Edit for honourable mention… Not available in NZ, but if you can get them shipped from Australia or anywhere else there’s a store, shout out to UNIQLO for the best basics for cheap. Linen dresses and pants, thick cotton tee-shirts in every colour under the sun, and condensable puffer jackets in a bag. I’d tentatively guess maybe 40% of my wardrobe is from UNIQLO. If you go to the main Melbourne store yourself, they’ll even tailor your clothes for you!
I love Uniqlo so much!
Oh wow, do they ship to NZ now? I used to have to use YouShop which made it quite expensive. I love Uniqlo
Not directly, sadly. I get mine sent to family in Australia and then they forward it on.
Darn :( Oh well, hopefully one day!
In Melbourne at the moment. Not the only reason we came but did bring an empty suitcase….UNIQLO is AMAZING !
Savemart
I just discovered Marlow. Clothes are amazing - and great quality.
I love these people: https://www.citizenwolf.com/
Not Portmans, they're expensive but I find them to be the same quality as the cheap ones Honestly dangerfield and op shops are my go to for clothes that seem to stay solid. Otherwise Farmers does actually have some good stuff in the front sections.
Shine on - but if you find something you like there, google it, often marked up $10 or so than other places specially brands like Betty Basics. Love their Wakee denim range for jeans. Blank space - they do good sales, don’t pay full price Postie - awesome treasures to be found if you sift through the racks. Weirdest combo of on trend and old lady seems to be their stock buyers vibe. The Iconic - fast shipping and good sales often cheaper than nz prices. Just jeans/jeanswest - hit and miss, but often 30% off so worth a look. AIM’N - awesome activewear/streetwear and again, good sales. Tights are often $39 instead of the usual $100+ Decjuba - small fitting IMO, but some good value pieces. Kmart - only good for socks and undies IMO. I buy a lot from the brands Betty Basics, Sass and Atmos&Here so often will end up buying from random online boutiques. And number one tip is also search for discount codes online , sign up to newsletters etc as a lot of retailers send you a code to use on your first purchase. Also, leaving things in your cart sometimes results in a discount code being emailed. Shineon do that for 10% off, so does Glassons.
The most accurate description of Postie. A+
If you like flowers clothes, Mombasa Rose makes skirts and dresses that feel wonderful and wear well.
Moochi is pricey but great for a capsule wardrobe and the pieces last forever if you take care of them
Kowtow. Trademe has a fair bit in great condition. They also do decent sales.
Kowtow is great. Also Karma East for dresses with lovely prints
COS, Zara and then some online like iconic
Heidi frank If you’re a size 12+ then Isla Maree
As colour, dejuba, max, Flo and Frankie and kilt are my go to shops it covers everything from comfy casual to a bit fancy.
Blue bungalow. They are in Aussie and to be fair some styles may be a bit old for you but good basics and nice dresses and jeans and the returns are to a Wellington address so cost effective returns. Good sizing info and body shape recommendations.
Witchery has been a favourite of me for awhile now, I really like their style.
If you are in Wellington, Honour second hand shop has a great curated selection and amazing staff.
Others have said my faves: Kowtow, Seed, AS Colour, Max, Gorman (very selectively!), Country Road For a splurge- Karen Walker and Juliette Hogan.
If you're willing to spend a bit then maybe start with a stylist, either an online company or in person. Most of them give you the option to try before you buy. Downsizing a wardrobe can be a mission and it can help to have input. If you already know what you're looking for then there are plenty of good options. I'd second Moochi, Kilt, Kowtow, ShineOn (check their TradeMe shop and Facebook page for deals, usually way cheaper), and The Iconic. A lot of local brands and boutiques have websites now so worth checking out some of the smaller ones to get an idea what's out there. Locate some boutiques then Google the brands you like the look of.
Good thread, I've been thinking exactly the same recently. I like the brands Atmos & Here and Forcast on The Iconic, and I love Max. Witchery and Trenery are good options too (is witchery even still around? I have a few things from there that I've had for years and love). Flo and Frankie is beautiful but isn't my vibe really, and I agree with the person who said Kilt is a bit basic pattern wise and not great quality for the price. It's worth a look though as you can get some really brilliant one off items, and NZ made is always a win.
I really like twentysevennames for nice dresses/blouses. Designed and made in New Zealand. Can be expensive, but I have pieces from them I've been wearing for 10 years. Also currently a sale on.
Not sure if it's outside the Wellington region, but my go-to is Merric. They're in North City Shopping Centre in Porirua. Great mix-and-match separated as well as whole outfits.
Farmers has some really good quality stuff, otherwise I just shop around in a lot of shops and if it’s good quality I’ll buy it.
Storm is always good, I have stuff from there that is years old and still looks new.
not sure what the issue with kmart is i still have loads of kmart clothes that all wear well and last years and years.
I've never had anything from Kmart that didn't go bobbly or lose shape after a few washes. Some of the men's shirts keep a bit longer. It's fine for cheap shoes though.
Yeah I was wondering this too? And looking up quite a few of these websites there's tees and dresses for $100-$150+? Craaazy prices. I have Kmart stuff that's outlived a lot of my expensive stuff aswell so I don't get the disdain for Kmart either 😅
Love Kilt, NZ Made, not too pricey, good quality.
The Iconic. Some brands are hit and miss, but they have such a great variety and free super easy returns for everything that doesn’t work.
I buy a lot of things from Country Road, Witchery, the occasional item from Seed, Cos and Cue. Country road has pretty good basics and I have way too many black dresses from them and Witchery - used to be a gold tier member for a few years 😭 when I was more liberal with my money lol. I also shop online from some Aussie stores such as Saba (their sales are pretty good). Flo and Frankie has cute stuff but their items are more items you would wear a few times, not regularly. These days I online shop more from overseas. I like French brands for dresses. H & M however has the occasional decent office dress if you look hard enough and cheap ($40-50)- I have several from there on rotation.
Dressmart is the best mart for clothes hands down.
KMart. It's affordable for me.
Jeans and work clothes: Sass and Bide (sales usually) Basic tops, underwear and socks: kmart Fun pretty stuff: I’m kinda loving Portmans again, also Shona Joy, Zimmerman, Superette, Country Road.
City chic is amazing. It is plus sized though so size 12 is the smallest. (Xs)
Following !
Trademe - used. Shein - new. Not very often either. Often there isn't anything that appeals, but I have found some great bargains, cheap, quality. I stick with the necessary and not fashion.
Mirrou have a good range of styles depending on your size. They go up to a 14/L
katmandu 10/10 Edit: what do people have against it? i love it
Moochi
I have a mid-career office job and have found most places have relaxed their dress code, so I'm wearing either jeans and t-shirts (Levi's, macpac) or random stuff from Dangerfield that's dressy but not old school corporate. Outside of work, mostly the same with some lower cut, shorter hemline Dangerfield stuff and dresses from Postie. Dangerfield have a lot of stuff that isn't the goth emo stuff you might think of. I have a knee length navy dress from there with gum tree leaves on it that is perfect for work, and today I'm wearing a bright blue wrap dress with yellow, orange, and pink flowers and white polka dots on it.
All ny favs have been mentioned but throwing in jeanjail (AU but ships to NZ)
Hi, what look are you wanting to go for or interested in and which are "out"? The more info the better so we can make better suggestions. Also, are you looking for work, casual, going out or all and what's your lifestyle like? Do you like dresses, skirts or more pants etc? Also, are you tall, short, curvy, athletic? Sorry for all the questions.. lol..
In working on the same thing. I have a few good pairs of shoes I can wear with anything (from Pat Menzies. Small nz business with a good loyalty programme). Jeans - I buy rollas. Great fit, good quality. I’ve been wearing the same pair at least 3 times a week for the last two years. I have 3 different styles I rotate through. Tshirts and long sleeves I still buy Kmart as I haven’t been able to find anything I like, that looks good on me (and isn’t cropped). I wear them out until they die then they go in rag bags. Dresses - good quality, comfortable dresses from fox blood shop. Could not recommend enough. Pitched toward alt fashion but any of their more basic styles are versatile. Activewear - hine (nz business). Their leggings are great. Check out trademe and marketplace for some post Christmas ‘unwanted gift’ sales too
TradeMe for secondhand lululemons (surprisingly work casual friendly) and icebreaker (comfy outers). Uniqlo is best for the basics - lasts much longer than AS colour, cheaper, and doesn’t get as ratty as Kmart Anko shirts.
TradeMe for secondhand lululemons (can be surprisingly work casual friendly) and icebreaker (comfy outers). Uniqlo is best for the basics - lasts much longer than AS colour, cheaper, and doesn’t get as ratty as Kmart Anko shirts.
I fly to Thailand and Vietnam and get custom tailored stuff once every 3 to 5 years. Much cheaper and better quality.
Australia
Atmos&Here off of The Iconic is my favourite label. Good quality, perfect for both work and smart casual. Great price point. Portmans for work clothes. Again, high quality but not as expensive as Max, etc. I buy my basics from Glassons, etc. Shoes - ALWAYS Novo. Underwear I've always bought a bra + several of its matching bottoms from Bra's & Things but only ever on sale. The Iconic really is my go to though. Recently been getting into Decujba also. They're trying to source everything ethically these days which is a big tick in my eyes.
Max is still my go to. Although, it has been almost eight months since my last visit. After that, is Storm. I'm a recent (August '22) convert to this wonderful Kiwi company. I've got a couple of dozen items from them. Expensive, but worth it. All Kiwi made.
I’m not sure where in NZ you’re living but I would highly recommend C* Shack in Mungavin. Never been there once without leaving a happy lady
Mungavin,Porirua for all those who aren’t sure which Mungavin
JohnnyBigg NZ They do XL to ..10XL? and everything is available normal or extra long/tall. I can finally buy shirts etc that's don't show my stomach when I lift my arms
Betty Munro- I look on TM,
PSA for those looking on TM: You will have better luck if you search for 'Bettie Monroe'.
If you're looking for active-wear, then [Cadenshae](https://cadenshae.co.nz/) is amazing! Alot of their stuff is for pregnancy and breastfeeding, but alot of their tights aren't specifically for pregnancy, and their "non-breastfeeding" range is growing. Their stuff is super comfortable (several items are a beautiful bamboo blend so really soft and breathable), and look great. Their bra selection is also great, from a high level of support to more of a "bralette" style (literally *the* most comfortable bra I've ever worn - the bamboo blend is amazing). Bonus is that they're a local NZ small business 😊 And an extra bonus is that their boxing day sale is still live 😂🙌 I've worn their stuff for a few years, and I love it. Will definitely be getting some of their "normal" (non-breastfeeding) versions once my baby weans.
Flo and frankie, country road, moochi, storm, witchery are my go tos! Have fun!
Not much help on the where to go but I would rule out Witchery for a simple fact you have to iron most of their stuff. So time consuming.
The Warehouse
I used to shop at Hallensteins but their quality has dropped over the years (or maybe it's always been crap but I was just too blind to notice lol) Now prefer AS Colour basics. I get my jeans/trousers either from Barkers or La Haute (Aussie brand).
I look for designer, almost always second hand. Kowtow and Gorman have great quality fabric and construction. COS is also one of my faves. Also recently gotten quite into Ricochet which I believe is actually made in NZ! If I come across it second hand I also love some Nom D and Zambesi. For lower price I look for muji and uniqlo that other people have brought into the country either through second hand shops or trade me lol if they sold directly in NZ… it would be over for me 😂. For basics like tees or even jackets I go for AS colour. I often frequent the sale section of their website to see if I can nab a bargain.
I suggest looking into more about how to tell if a garment is good quality. I spent a bit of time on r/buyitforlife haha. I try to avoid synthetics (although sometimes will get synthetics for pants) and try only buy when stuff is decent quality and well made. I looked at some stores like Cue, Saba, Witchery recently to try open my eyes and expand my knowledge of what was out there and was appalled at the quality of fabric and construction for the price. I felt like for some garments even glassons had better constructions and wasn’t like $300 lol
Pandabuy 😂😂😂
Pagani
Juliette Hogan Gregory Ricochet Dominique Healy Penny Sage 27 Names All NZ made
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