This is a very bespoke and custom men's formal and evening wear shop, offering clothes to a high…read moreend gentlemen's market. While I found the service to be a little bit dismissive at times, I couldn't argue with the quality of the clothes on offer. Unsurprisingly, such quality does bring with it a very hefty price tag, befitting the designs available. As I sought to become a real man with the purchase of a suit, I was put off by the £200 price tag attached. I'm not saying it isn't worth it, I am sure it is. However, such prices are just too rich for my blood.

Paul Clark sells all the necessary items for a gentleman's outfitting and toilet. To your right as…read moreyou come in is an attractive display of Geo. F. Trumper products, including all the necessary shaving creams, brushes, razors, props, colognes, hair pomades, and so forth. The wall is decorated with hand mirrors, and natural sponges sit in a jar. Over by the counter there is a cabinet with vintage and new men's jewellery, such as gilt and mother-of-peal cufflinks. The rear of the shop is largely dedicated to clothing, millinery and other accessories. It's lovely stuff, the shop is put together very nicely, with a good eye and a coherent general aesthetic, which is traditional but still cool. The shop keeper likes to chat, and in such a small space if you aren't happy with that you might feel uncomfortable, but I would definitely recommend checking Paul Clark out. If you have a bit of cash this is a great place to find some swish goodies for yourself or the man in your life.

I'm generally a fan of White Stuff. However, I am finding that they are becoming a little…read morepredictable now. Every time I go in I pretty much know what I am going to find and once you have a few A-line dresses and printed tops, you probably don't need too many more! They do have a good selection on accessories and scarfs, shoes and bags. And, to be honest, I probably will find myself buying another A-line dress in here at some point in the future. The Lewes branch is well laid out and easy to browse, and the staff are friendly and helpful. OK, I'll be back!

From the owner: Established in 1985, British fashion and lifestyle brand White Stuff is known for its unique…read moreprints, use of colour and contemporary style. With Women's, Men's and Kidswear collections, White Stuff is a destination for the whole family.

Tucked away down a quiet side street, just yards from the Lewes Arms, the Vintage Shirt Company…read moresells period men's clothing. I was enticed in by an unbleached cotton bag in the window reading 'I [heart] Mr Darcy'. It's not typical of what the shop sells but it got me through the door. If you've ever fancied the young fogey look, this is the perfect place to kit yourself out. They have collarless shirts, baggy corduroy trousers with a waistline half way up your chest and braces to match. They also sell loose white flounced shirts as worn by Colin Firth to go diving into ponds in Pride and Prejudice and striped flannelette night-shirts and night caps that might grace a Dickensian Scrooge. Classic accessories include top hats and boaters, monocles, sock suspenders and maroon silk scarves with small white polka dots that were sported by ex-RAF types back in my 1950s childhood. The shop is an off-shoot of a theatrical costumier, not a fancy dress shop, so these are real clothes, made to authentic patterns in cotton, linen, wool and silk with prices to match. The Vintage Shirt Company is a unique shop doing what it does extremely well.

Nice double-fronted shop which stocks a good range of clothing. Lighting's a little doubtful. Easy…read moreaccess from car park at rear of buildings.

This is a really good little shop that sells some cool, graphicy kinda T-Shirts, shirts and some…read moresmart jumpers. The makes they have on sale here, I never know what they are, but I don like what I've brought from here, and that definitely includes a £10 T-shirt (in the january sales) I got at the end of a hard days scouting (see pic). Most of the clothes are affordable, yet you'll also get some quite smart, modish style, Fred Perryesque things here too. Quite small, but I always seem to find what I want.

Gossypium is a fabric and cotton shop, specialising in cotton throws, clothes and the like…read more Ethically made, sourced and fairtrade, this is a great place to pick anything you need in terms of cotton. It seems a strange thing to focus on: I'm never sure what to look for when going in. However, it is a great place if you know what they stock. I had a quick look in when looking for some new clothes, and found Gossypium's stuff very nice. It looks very good on, although it is a bit stiff (100% cotton isn't very stretchy), and is a bit on the expensive side. Nevertheless, it is nicely made, often with quirky designs and the like, and a great addition to any wardrobe. I can't quite recommend Gossypium as much as I'd like to: the fairtrade and ethical sourcing here is commendable, but it also means you can push the price up. This is actually one of my bigger niggles: why do have to pay so much more for ethically sourced, fairtrade and organic stuff? I can't cost £2-3 each time to do all of that! Anyway, I like the sentiments, and the stuff on offer is great, if a little out of price range.

Selling organic, fair trade cotton yoga wear, bed lined and kids clothes, Gossypium is the kind of…read moreplace that attracts and reviles me at the same time. Obviously fair trade and organic = good. You can imagine that the people that shop there regularly have lovely, ethical, happy family lives. But something about the fact that they specialise in yoga wear, and that in my fantasy of the clientèle everyone is shiny and ethical and liberal, and probably bakes organic cookies with their happy healthy kiddies at the weekend, after picking them up from their bassoon lesson and taking them for a walk in the woods just makes me feel a bit sick. It's just a bit too smug. But then this negative reaction is probably just a manifestation of my unresolved middle-class guilt issues. That's one of the problems of being liberal and having a humanities degree from an era where everything is post-modern and 'meta' - you develop liberal sensibilities, but alongside it you develop a self-critical, self-reflexive awareness which means that you simultaneously feel smug and hate yourself for it. And then you analyse it in circular thought processes like these. It's very dull, and going into shops like Gossypium just dredges it all up when I could have been happy enough watching Gossip Girl and thinking about nothing. Er... anyway, back to Gossypium. The other thing about the target market is that they generally have a bit of money to spend, and, as part of their ethical lifestyles are more likely to splash out on a yoga top that will last them longer and therefore be less wasteful. As a result you are looking at about £20 for a plain tee, £40 for a patterned top, and so on. Plus they have started doing these boxer shorts which they dye after making them, rather than dying the fabric then putting them together - something about a less wasteful process, but the end result is, they look second hand. A bit gross for underwear items.

Ever wanted a suit that makes you feel like a million dollars?…read more If the answer is yes, book an apppointent at Gresham Blake. They specialise in stunning, bespoke and made to measure suits for men and women. Remember the black and white pin striped suit Heather Mills wore in the court case against a certain Beatle? That was a Gresham Blake. As well as offering individual and customised suits, their Brighton shop sells off the peg suits, shirts, silk ties, cravats and cufflinks.They also do a lovely range of silk hankies with ladies in various states of undress. I'd love a black suit with skull and cross bones in the lining but I'm not sure my budget would reach to both arms....

Gresham Blake is Brighton's most famous bespoke tailors, and for good reason: it offers a huge…read moreamount of different materials and cuts to create your perfect suit, as evidenced by the hundreds of testimonials from local and national celebrities. It's almost too pricey for the common Brightonian, but prices do start quite low, and can be even cheaper if you buy off the rack, and there are some very nice items on there as well! There's even a women's section: everything you might need from a bespoke tailors, really. The main problem here is price: these aren't prices for mortals, I feel. Still, when you enter the shop, you are treated well, even you don't hand over an American Express Gold card upon entry. However, without the necessary cash, much of what Gresham Blake offers will forever be closed to you. I wish I had the cash to get a tailor made suit here, I'd go for something really original and different (definitely some shades of pink), but that will remain a pipe-dream for some time, I feel. If you have the cash, though, you could do much worse!

Another of my wife's favourites. This shop tends to stock the unusual as previous Qyper has said…read more Not a very big shop with room to manouvre but persevere and yoy will be rwarded. Could be thought to be a little pricey.. The shop for menswear is a little further up the High Street

The womens shop has the most gorgeous clothes. It stocks brands like Itchi and Ted Baker. I have…read morenever failed to find something beautiful in here. They often have clothes and accessories made by local designers too, which is great. The shop can be quite pricey, but you get what you pay for, and i have picked up a few bargains in here when they have had a sale on, which they do quite regularly. A bit further up the hill is the mens shop, which also stocks great brands, and really good quality clothes.