Blow dry bar adds to the Glassons experience

Glassons' new store in Newmarket is also home to a Pony Xpress blow dry bar. Photo / Babiche Martens

I visited the brand new Glassons flagship store in Newmarket this morning, and it turned me into a giddy girl of 15 again.

I don't know what it was - the pounding music, the pastel colours, the hairspray fumes - but they have definitely done something right with the shop floor and layout psychology. I walked out with a lace dress, rubber shoes, striped headband and an incredible polka dot, high-waisted bikini... even though it's pouring down with rain in Auckland today.

To be honest I haven't exactly felt compelled to shop at Glassons for a while now - I'm a terrible shopper at the best of times, but cramming the shop floor with so many clothes that you can't move makes me want to have a panic attack (Supre and Jay Jay's are the worst for this).

But I will definitely be going back to the new - and spread out - Glassons. If only just to hang out in the pastel pink, girly explosion that is the changing room, or get my hair blow dried in the cute new blow dry bar inside the store, called Pony Xpress (it's $35 for a quick blow wave, or around $45 for a wash and blow dry).

It's clear Glassons is stepping up its game now that Topshop is in town - the blow dry bar is a similar idea to the one in the mammoth Oxford Street Topshop store in London.

Like the British chainstore, Glassons is also now offering a stylist experience, as well as higher-end brands - selected Levi pieces will be available from the Newmarket store, as well as UK label Rare and a new limited edition label from Glassons called Buttons and Bows.

I'd love to see the New Zealand chain store also collaborate with and support young local designers, as Topshop does every season.