Chic-a-Booti

The front of this store is inviting… Clean, attractive and trendy. Move a little further towards the back and you’ll find the odd mismatched items no one really wants. However, sometimes it is hard to resist their bargains. I like to buy my ‘at-​home-​clothes’ here in their bargain section. However, if it’s trendy fashion finds you want, you can also find a whole heap here.
I went shopping in here once and saw a top, identical to the one I was actually wearing at the time. The difference was, I paid up to 5 times more for my top from Topshop in the UK! I felt a hot flush of embarrassment over the fact that I spent so much on a top that Chic-​a-​Booti sells at super discount.
This made me think, most clothes really come from the same place, with similar or exact designs and with slightly different quality levels. But in the end, it’s something we will eventually grow old of– So why spend all this money at Topshop or the like, when you can get the cheap stuff from here and donate to charity when you’re done? It’s all branding and brainwashing I think! Because I still love Topshop more.

I don’t really like supporting stores that sell cheap, nasty, designed-​to-​be-​thrown-​out-​after-​only-​a-​few-​months-​of-​use clothing, but there are times that you want/​need something new in your wardrobe and don’t want to pay a small fortune for it.
Price-​wise, Chic-​a-​Booti falls into the very cheap category, alongside Valleygirl and Cotton On, but I’ve had some really great finds in Chic-​a-​Booti and often receive compliments on the bits and pieces I’ve bought from there. (I just don’t like having to say the name «Chic-​a-​Booti» when someone asks me where I got something from.)
There is a lot of trash in here, but sift through it and be discerning, as you will find some gems that, if worn well, will pass for something more expensive.

Awww good ol’ Chic-​a-​booti, even though I find the name of this store to be revolting, I do love going into this store to grab some fast fashion items.
The one great thing about Chic-​a-​booti is that it is cheap, and I do not mean Sportsgirl or Dotti cheap, I mean ‘$ 5-​for-​a-​tshirt’ cheap. You will find some of the most horrendous tacky items of clothing here but amongst this junk are some great seasonal fashion pieces. This store is huge so you will surely find something in here that you will like. The store sells the type of clothes you know will not last long but because they are so cheap, you just do not care. I remember seeing my sister come home with a dress from Mombasa that she paid $ 60 for thinking she got a good deal only to end up being disappointed when she noticed exact same design at Chic-​a-​Booti for only $ 20! I honestly do not know how they do it, but they have some of the best prices in the city.
Chic-​a-​booti really is a great store for any fashion conscious girls on a tight budget. Whenever I feel like following a trend but do not wish to fork out on something I know I will not want to wear in 6 months time, I love coming here to see what they have on offer.

I was losing the will to live when I stumbled upon this store. I was on hour three of traipsing around the Brisbane CBD for an affordable fancy dress costume for a party I was going to the next night (theme — music stars from the last 40 years).
I’d decided to go as Olivia Newton John, in her «Physical» heyday — not expecting it to be so damn hard to find affordable exercise gear. (You can tell I’ve never set foot inside a gym. My exercise is all done walking around shopping centres in wedges).
Chic a Booti is not a fancy dress store, per se, but after my success there, I can now recommend it as one. It’s in the same vein as fast fashion stores like Tempt, Ice and SES… but it is, dare I say it, even lower– end. (Most of the clothes there seemed to be on sale for $ 9.99 or under)
Don’t for one minute assume that’s a bad thing though. After all, I found exactly what I was looking for here didn’t I?
After 10 minutes, I left happily clutching a white cotton leotard (for a mere $ 7.99), with a little blue crop top that tied under the bust ($ 9.99). The only thing missing was the white headband, but I’m sure I’d have found it if I’d kept rifling the racks.
I also picked up an 80s Madonna-​style corset top for $ 9.99 too, just in case I changed my mind on the night and decided to go as Her Madgesty instead. (I always like to have a backup look for every social occasion).
I’m not sure my thighs would have done Ms Newton John proud on the night (they’re, shall we say, a little larger than hers were) but my look was a triumph on the night. And all for under $ 20!
Thanks Chic a Booti — I owe you one.