KEY POINTS:
If you like the Lonely Hearts label, then you'll love their new outlet store. Only open on Fridays and Saturdays, the store came about when the designers realised they had extra stock and extra room - in front of their work-room on the North Shore, in fact. Stylish
bargain hunters will find end-of-season stock, samples and one-offs, clothing from previous seasons and other labels formerly stocked at the designer's store, MyHart, in central Auckland. The outlet store is open from 11am to 4pm on Fridays and Saturdays and is at Studio 2, 13 Barry's Point Rd, Takapuna. And best of all, the Lonely Hearts designers plan to keep the place open permanently.
Cyber-success
Local fashion retailer NZ Girl report that their online business has proved so profitable, they have closed the doors on their physical stores. From now on, their fashion basics will be available only to online shoppers. On the plus side, though, they reckon they'll be passing on savings to customers as well and offering some clever, new internet shopping features like online layby and size trial. See www.nzgirl.co.nz for more information.
Lose one, gain one
Meanwhile NZ Girl's loss is streetwear label Four Fontaine's gain. The street and casual wear company that started up in the Bay of Islands in 2003 is moving into the shop NZ Girl has vacated. It's Four Fontaine's first store in Auckland, and no doubt fans of labels like Quiksilver and Rip Curl will like this more local version with T-shirts and hoodies (pictured) featuring slogans and prints.
All the answers
Want to know what shape your eyebrows should be? Where to find good tapas recipes? Or looking for the perfect jeans to suit your figure type? If you're stumped for an answer, you could always check out new British website www.wonderstuff.co.uk. It's a question and answer site based around lifestyle quandaries such as the above. Your questions may be answered by one of the experts - various journalists specialising in food, beauty and fashion from some of the best British papers - or by readers of the site themselves. Although lots of the references to questions like "where can I buy the best wide legged trousers?" involve the British shops, it's still an interesting and useful read.