Hitting the capital? Well you definitely want to read our guide to the best shopping spots in Wellington.
We’ve got overviews of the different parts of town and the best secret (and not so secret) places to get a bargain or a fantastic item, whatever your shopping style.
Wellington Central
Cuba Quarter Cuba Street/ Cuba mall/ Upper Cuba/ Vivian Home to eclectic fashion, independent boutiques and upcoming designers – full of attitude and fun!
Lambton Lambton Quay, Upper Willis, Custom House Quay, Featherston Street High fashion and boutique shopping abounds. Experience leading retailers and speciality stores found nowhere else.
Willis Willis street, Upper Manners Street With Civic Square, speciality book and magazine stores and friendly cafes, this is part business district part creative central. The Suburbs
Newtown Riddiford Street, Adelaide Road Home to ethnic stores, independent boutiques, retro retailers and one off stores - this is a mish-mash of cultures, sounds and experiences.
Thorndon Thorndon Quay, Upper Lambton Quay Antiques, vintage and designer consignment stores make this a great place for upmarket shopping. The summer sun and plentiful cafes make it a great all day destination.
Petone Jackson Street Petone, located towards Lower Hutt is fast emerging as a fashion focus for Wellington. It is home to boutiques, jewellery and great secondhand stores and you can get out there by train, bus or car.
Department Stores/ Malls For the nzgirl who wants it all in one place and wants to be able to shop rain or shine!
Kirkaldie and Stains 165-177 Lambton Quay Often referred to as the New Zealand equivalent of Harrods, Kirkaldie and Stains was established in 1863. These days it’s the home of three floors of luxury shopping including designer women's wear, beautiful cosmetics, fine lingerie and an entire section for hats.
Old Bank Arcade 233 – 237 Lambton Quay The gorgeous historical building is home to fashion retailers from the likes of Ruby, Ricochet, Andrea Moore, Plush (local designer), Workshop and Minnie Cooper to name a few. There are also some great places to grab a bite to eat.
Westfield Queensgate Corner of Queens Drive and Bunny Street, Lower Hutt The recently refurbished Westfield run Queensgate Mall is now a large-scale fashion shopping mecca for Wellington. Home to Gregory, Cue, Dotti, Valley Girl, Trendz, Overland Footwear, Classica and many more stores, this mall is a definite shopping destination.
Vintage/Second-hand For the nzgirl who wants something one of a kind or something that was once worn by someone who was one of a kind.
Hunters and Collectors 134 Cuba Street If Vivienne Westwood was to come to Wellington she would shop here. This Wellington institution is home to new and used vintage, modern skate, punk and street clothing. Home to some of the best vintage boots in Wellington and always stocking unusual and hard to find items. Ziggurat 144 Cuba Street Sellers of both vintage and second hand designer clothing, Ziggurat stocks everything from that retro dress to true antique pieces. Varied yet unique, the staff are knowledgeable and the racks always full of great items perfect for any budget.
Past and Present 101 Cuba Street One of the largest second hand clothing retailers in New Zealand, Past and Present are perfect for dresses and have one of the largest collections of vintage hats I've ever seen.
Designer/ Experience For the nzgirl who loves fashion and wants the most out of a day shopping, or conversely for the nzgirl who feels so uncomfortable with the entire process that they would love a helping hand.
Estella's Wardrobe 34 Jessie Street Estella's Wardrobe is run by beautiful and friendly staff who will help you pick the perfect item for an upcoming event, birthday, ball or wedding. With a well chosen range of fantastic designers from New Zealand and abroad, you can either flirt with fashion by renting one of their gorgeous items or buy out right. Even if you don't have an event on the cards, it’s worth a look and is a fantastic idea for a girl’s night out.
The Designer Clothing Gallery Level One 262 Thorndon Quay An appointment is all you need to get acquainted with the folks at the Designer Clothing Gallery. They will take the time to sit down with you and assess your personal style, wardrobe needs and what it is that you’re looking for exactly. Then you will be taken through some great clothing choices hand picked for you from a range of designers including Trelise Cooper and Cybele. A great choice for the busy woman amongst us who just can't spend hour upon hour looking in vain for that one item.
Hamilton and Murray Corner of Featherston and Grey Streets The list of stock is enough to make the hardest fashionista drool with Ted Baker, LuLu Guiness and Alannah Hill gracing the shelves. Not only that, but the trained staff work more like stylists and are able to help you with wardrobe direction or personal shopping if it's needed. And as if you didn't need any more encouragement, the store has some fantastic perks like pay as you wear and voucher deals so that you feel really treasured for simply buying something!
Independent / Boutique For the nzgirl who wants something different, funky and special with a hand chosen feel. She may also love to support local business. Voon 142 Willis Street Wellington's own Sophie Voon is the lady behind the incredibly feminine store that bears her name. The clothes always feature beautiful and lush fabrics which really make each item individual, yet the fantastic cut shapes mean they fit well into any nzgirls’ wardrobe.
Starfish 128 Willis Street Functional and conventional given a quirky twist and use of beautiful yet practical fabrics are all Starfish trademarks. The Wellington store is packed with their so very “Wellington” clothes and complemented by other goodies as well. A must see.
Red 87 Owen Street, Newtown It’s a little out of the way and sure it’s only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday but this little unassuming red store tucked away in suburban Newtown has to be the best kept fashion secret in Wellington. Full to overflowing with beautiful, well-cut clothes for every nzgirl and lots of beautiful jewellery.
Triangle 87 Victoria Street This little boutique is home to a wealth of independent design talent from the quirky, well-tailored and funky designs of Macksa to the out right glam of Wilmott-Dalton. The wide range of designs, designers and the mix of one-off items and larger scale clothing production makes this a great place to visit if you are an out of towner, and one of those places that locals need to get along to often.
Dandylion 206 Left Bank Arcade, Cuba Street Dandylion specialises in 100% New Zealand made fashion and is a great place to stock up on the creations of up-and-coming designers. They are often participants in another Wellington fashion must-see Craftwerk. You can keep a track of their so-very-cute designs through their blog.
Street Wear For the nzgirl who is as at home in her jeans as she is in her dress and heels. These great streetwear stores are not just your typical places to shop though.
Rex Royale 106 Cuba Street Rex Royale is a bit of a Wellington Institution. Located slap bang right in the middle of Cuba Street, the bright store with its cutely dressed mannequins and light, bright atmosphere not only sells the like of Kitten, Industrie, Doosh and Fashion City but also doubles as a gallery that has hosted exhibitions by Misery, Hit Deck and Catlin Devoy. If you can’t get along to the store (and you really should) their website gives an example of the feel.
Good as Gold 140 Victoria Street Part gallery, part cafe and part streetwear experience, Good as Gold are the purveyors of all that is currently lusted after in the world of streetwear. They proudly stock designers such as Sample Only, Not before Noon, Lonely Hearts Club, Lover and Schwipe to name a few. You can also get fifty cent mixtures and L&P. The store also has its own blog, where they let you know what has just come in, what’s on sale and what they did on the weekend, making the store more like a giant family – a really well dressed giant family.
Fin Clothing The Oaks Cuba Mall Fin is known locally as the producer of some of the most flattering, wearable and comfortable pants out there. Which isn't strange, it is their speciality after all! The pants are made with a range of fabrics from denims to heavy weight cottons – if you aren't sure ask the friendly staff and they will point in you the direction of the exact right cut, fabric and fit for you. To complement the pants are some great seasonal tops, hoodies, dresses and skirts. And of course a fantastic sale rack toward the back of the store!
Area 51 Corner of Cuba and Dixon Street Area 51 is a streetwear lover’s dream stocking labels like Tsubi, Huffer, Gorman, Sass and Bide, Diesel and G-Star along with Birkenstock, Camper and limited edition Adidas footwear. The light, bright and clean store is also known to throw a mighty good sale.
Different / Unique For the nzgirl who might be after some rockabilly, a corset or even something new made out of vintage fabric.
Miss Demeanour 106 Cuba Street The bright yellow sign makes this store stand out from the street, but the clothes will have you standing out in every day life. Miss Demeanour has been the destination for clothes with a goth, alt or romantic aesthetic for a while. They are know for their fresh seasonal looks which interplay classical designs with influences from international fashion and the “alternative scene“ in general. There is something for everyone here and if there isn't, just ask the friendly staff and they will help source or make something which will be just perfect.
Eyeball Kick 225 Cuba Street (towards Vivian Street) It's street wear sure, but it’s with a 50s influence. Eyeball Kicks is home to everything a rockabilly loving nzgirl could ask for. From handbags to clothes, shoes and artworks, the store is known for bringing in hard-to-find items and being up with the play with the wider 50s, rockabilly scene. A great stop for those looking for something a bit different or those who haven't been able to find street wear that suits their more dressed up style.
Calico Jacks 45 Ghuznee Street I really wanted to say that Calico Jacks sell hoodies with pirates on them and leave it at that because in my eyes you can’t get better - but really the store is so much more than that. Influenced by tattoo art, the alt and punk scenes and the desire to bring in all that delicious street wear from the U.K and L.A, this store is a treasure trove of clothes, shoes, accessories, hair dye, badges and news about what's going on with the ‘scene’ in Wellington. Check out their myspace page for a look at their stuff.
Iko Iko 118 Cuba Street Described as the store where ‘Taste and tack collide’ Iko Iko is your one stop shop for fantastic jewellery, hand bags and sunglasses along with high design home wares and toys. The store is fantastic for picking up items from much loved brand Nook Art or that little something extra you never knew you wanted.
Frutti 176 Cuba Street From the sequin laden sign outside you know this store will be different, and it is. The clothes are eclectic, ranging from one offs made with vintage fabric to 50s inspired dresses and well cut fantastic pants. Bags and jewellery are also specialities and the bright funky store is full of wardrobe finishers in every colour, pattern and style you can imagine. Make sure you put a little time aside before visiting the store – you will be there for a while trying on all the fancy stuff.
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to the best shopping spots in Wellington. 
Lambton
140 Victoria Street 
Frutti