Aussie MN'ers HELP

[HowsTheSerenity]

So I have been back for two months now and am despairing about the horrible shopping. I trawled the mall and Chermside but everything is just blah.
Where do you shop here. I was skinny when I left Australia and have returned fat.
So being a size 18 where do I buy clothes?

where in Australia are you? Qld?

Chermside is Brisbane so she must be! My DH's family are all in Brissie....but I havent been since 2008 so shops might be different now..I remember good-ish things about Cue but to be fair when I was planning to emigrate (DH is Aussie, we didnt end up going) I spent a bloody fortune on clothes here beforehand as I have never been overly impressed by the Aussie shopping (pls dont flame me).

okay, well I'm from sydney so prob not much help. But I'd say that is your current size is not your 'actual' size, I'd hold off on buying anything much until the good ol' Aussie lifestyle gets you back to where you want to be.

I always buy loads of Leona Edmiston when I'm home, is she available in Brissie? Also Wayne cooper, Camilla & Marc .. depends on your style/ budget though, I mean there's always Country Road/ Portmans/ Sportsgirl for quick fixes, no? Do David Jones do a personal shopping service? lots of labels under the one roof that way ...

When I lived in Oz, I always found myself to be a size or 2 smaller.

I shopped in David Jones and Myer quite a bit. Country Road stuff fitted well but I found it to be next quality sometimes with a huge pricetag!

Target was fine for basics such as t-shirts and everyday shorts that I didn't mind getting covered in sunscreen.

I also like Wayne Cooper and another shop that the name completely fails me at the moment.

All of the above failing, M&S deliver for £7 I think and next have started to deliver to Oz too.

It is depressing being so fat. I could but lots of nice stuff in England but over here there is nothing but smocks and elasticised trousers from the fat lady shops (I can call them that as I am fat).

I will look at the shops listed (thanks for the tips) and hope that I can fit into their clothes soon!
I had given up hope.

The Internet is your friend. DP, topshop, next, Boden, m&s, white company, brora, white stuff and many, many more ALL do International delivery.

I know but the only problem is with online shopping fromthe UK is that as I lose weight I won't know what size I am. I guess trial and error and waiting for the sales!!!

Try Autograph - (Used to be called 16-26)
There is one at the Logan Hyperdome in Shailer Park.
They have got some really nice stuff usually.
Also if you are on a budget I have just seen some nice stuff in Best and Less, Target, K Mart and Big W.
Have just got back from a shopping trip with my SIL and she has been buying holiday clothes in the same size range.
She got some really nice stuff today.
Hope you find some nice things.

And yes Marks and Sparks do deliver out here now. (Thankfully)

I am off for a cuppa and to put my feet up as am knackered now

TS clothing has some nice stuff, size 14 to 26, a bit more expensive than autograph, but personally I find autograph's stuff dire.

Where is Dorothy Perkins over here?

My mum is fat (about an 18) but manages to look reasonable most the time (!) fairly elegant, she is old though but I will ask her what shops she uses. She's in Oz, but in Melbourne, but she uses a lot of mail order.

I feel your pain though re shopping, when I go there on holiday I do wonder how I'd cope if I lived there. I find myself being drawn to European labels which are ££££££££££££ over there (or, $$$$$$$$$$ in actual fact!)

"I was skinny when I left Australia and have returned fat". That's called the "Heathrow Injection" my dear.

In the meantime try This

and This

And here

lol
the astralian brands sound hilarious

"country road"
snortle

Hey, Country Road is a classic! Also, Sportsgirl!

I always find clothes in Australia really expensive when I go back for holidays. I used to be partial to Witchery clothes though...I am sure they are opening Zara there soon, for what that's worth...

Haha. Sportsgirl is South African, technically.

Country Road used to be so coveted when I was a teen...apparently its all Cambodian sweatshops though Bastids. Maybe they changed that.

I used to quite like Portmans but when I went there last it looked so YOUNG

Eep.

Can't wait for zara! I will be rushing up to sydney as soon as it opens. What about seed femme? They have some nice stuff, quite floaty and lovely fabric. I'm not sure what size they go ip to but the small sizes were big, iykwim.

roar at "sports girl"

lol

Sportsgirl and Portmans are quite dire aren't they. I do try and get some basics from Jag and Country Road. Some stuff from Jacqui E and basics from Target. I will look at those websites tatty and just order online I think.

Although if you want dire, supre, rockmans and millers are just that. Do you think that shops like this are why the average Australian has no style?

Also Katies is dire, oh and what is that really bad one...Suzanne Grae? though I used to get my PJ's at Sussan I think.

Its so expensive for anything decent or European over there though - my mum paid nearly two hundred dollars for a pair of Birkenstocks. They were slightly fancy limited edition ones but still! She nearly died when I told her they were less than 40 quid here in the UK.

God this thread has made me think I probably dont want to move back after all!

You know what is impossible to find over there...cheap but good and stylish shoes. You either spend an absolute fortune or you get shyte.

Oh the crappy crappy shoe shops. "Shoo Biz" WTF

Two hundred dollars for a pair of Birkenstocks...

I didn't buy anything on my last trip, despite thinking that it would be a good opportunity to buy things that noone had back here. Instead I saw plenty of copies of things that had been in UK shops 6 months earlier. That's what Australian designers and stores are exceptionally good at - overseas buying trips!

On the other hand, all my relatives go crazy shopping when they are here. Although my MIL did not go into Warehouse as she thought it was the same as the Fashion Warehouse in Australia...er, no!

I think I read that John Lewis is shipping to Australia now...but, yes, puts me off moving back too (as well as the need for millions to buy a house in a good suburb in Melbourne or Sydney).

I think that the UK high street is amazing. However, it is to the detriment of young designers who find it almost impossible to set up shop. Whilst Australia lacks in a wide offering of high street shops it provides and nurtures amazing young designers, but sadly their prices are often huge.