Shopping and haute boutique spaces are oft times so organic to movies that they move beyond providing mere ‘eye candy’ to almost function like characters; here are some of our favourite on-screen sprees.

Breakfast At Tiffany’s

The title might have been Breakfast At Tiffany’s, but the fashion faithful love having lunch, dinner and supper there too. New York socialite Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) and her love interest Paul Varjack (George Peppard) understands the importance of finely crafted jewellery and, in one scene, spend a romantic, carefree day eyeing those gems presented in the iconic robin’s-egg-blue box.

Clueless

As the heroine of the Emma-remake Clueless, Cher (Alicia Silverstone) pulls out the credit card whenever she’s frustrated, happy or better yet… breathing.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) in most of the film is seen swiping plastic at the cash register. Hers is a world of dodging her debt collectors, talking mannequins and luring storefronts.

Devil Wears Prada

Fashion-misfit Andrea Saks (Anne Hathaway) lands a job as an executive assistant to Miranda Priestly, editor-in-chief of New York’s top fashion glossy Runway. Among her tasks, of course, is fetching her boss’ coffee, family pet and gorgeous garbs from the city’s designer labels.

Elf

We all get confused over what to get a special loved one around Christmas time, but don’t be like Buddy (Will Ferrell) in Elf who bought his father scandalous lingerie.

Hairspray

Hairspray explores deep issues of segregation wrapped in a feel-good musical with one of the standout scenes being Edna (John Travolta) and Tracy Turnblad’s (Nikki Blonsky) ‘pretty-in-pink and plump’ shopping spree.

Marie Antoinette

Long before Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst) declared, “Let them have cake”, the French queen let herself have everything… and so, viewers are treated to a shopping montage of shoes, dresses, wigs and Old World opulence.

Pretty Woman

Women lived vicariously through Vivian (Julia Roberts), the prostitute with the heart of gold when she got hired by wealthy businessman Edward (Richard Gere). Indeed, few could forget the store clerk snubs Vivian and deciding to make it up to her, her man takes her on a shopping spree where commission-hungry sales execs clearly understand only too well that ‘money talks…’

Sex and the City

Ask any fan — whether they have an affinity for the series or the big screen version — and they’ll tell you that Sex and the City is oft times a prolonged commercial for shopping and as Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) puts it: “Women come to New York for two Ls – labels and love.”

Shopgirl

A film adaptation of the Steve Martin novel, Shopgirl follows Mirabelle (Claire Danes) who works as a sales clerk at Saks and simultaneously falls in love with two very different men: wealthy Ray Port and starving musician Jeremy.

Superbad

Superbad is a disturbing funny movie of the changing tides between childhood friends Seth (John Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) who do everything together… including shop for new pants. Remember the sound, but hilarious “those-are-way-too-tight” scene?