I was feeling like a bad mom. I hadn't bought any Easter treats for my son, not nary a sight of…read morefake plastic grass, pastel eggs or the like. Not a thing. To be fair he can't really have any of that stuff anyway, but I was feeling like if there were a blog that featured moms that were not living by the Pinterest-way-of-life, I'd have been on it Then I ran into Purple Shop -- snagged him the baddest, raddest rabbit shirt every created -- hand stenciled and made with love by Owner Dot, the mistress of the coolest kidswear in Shoreditch. A rabbit shirt! A soft white, cuddly tee-shirt with a funny rabbit and a sign that says "Warning, I bite!" Which is both hysterical and ironic, as my child does bite (as a joke!) Ok, mostly. So of course the shirt was darling (£15) -- but really it was the service that stunned me. Dot was truly lovely herself, too. Engaging, sweet, talkative and funny...and super talented! I frankly almost forgot I was shopping in London (Shoreditch no less) and probably looked a bit stunned. Perhaps my skill of chit chat has withered all these days living in London, I am not sure. I so enjoyed my little stop in that I made a vow to return to check out the rest of the wares. I'm currently in search of a cute little girl to buy a Levi's dress for -- artfully crafted from pre-loved Levi's jeans into the cutest damn dresses you'd ever see, seriously. Hipster kid stuff? Yep. Better than fake plastic grass, if I don't say so myself. My little biter bunny didn't really seem to care either way, but I like it!

This shop is a truly amazing experience, the customer service was absolutely brilliant and made me…read morefeel right at home when I was looking for something to get my niece for her birthday! The kids wear is incredibly fun and durable, my niece won't stop wearing it, I highly recommend this shop!

I always want to carry everything home from Carry Me Home- one of the cutest kids stores in London…read more The shop stocks some great childrewear designers like Oh baby and Beauty and the Bib. If you don't have children but your friend has just had a baby then you HAVE to head to Carry Me Home for a cool present. The 'Been Inside For 9 Months' sleepsuits are so gorgeous that I am planning on buying one for a friend who is due any day now. The fruit shaped bibs make meal times a little less messier and are so stylish! If you cannot get to the West End store the owner also has a stall at Spitalfields market on a Sunday. The website is excellent but a little dangerous to my bank account because I always see something I want to get for my son or friends' babies! Carry Me Home will also personalise vests and bibs which make perfect presents. custom

Took me a few minutes to find (on the 2nd floor), but once there all was good…read more I'm not a baby clothes aficionado, but this store made my life easy. Their selection is really well procured: cute, unique and a thoughtful array that felt the opposite of generic. I wanted a unique gift that had some character and I felt like the store owner had a bunch of options that fit the bill. The owner (don't recall her name) was very helpful, not pushy, and pleasant. Also, I don't know what baby clothes are supposed to cost but I thought the prices were quite reasonable for the quality.

One expects a bit more when everything in the store is a good 40-50 percent marked up…read more I was after a new baby gift, and thankfully Igloo has this covered. I picked out a few pieces of clothing (Petit Bateau) and a book. Everything was sort of tossed in the bag without any regard for it (it's expensive stuff, too!) -- no gift wrapping offered, not even bags anywhere to be bought. Seems like an oversight. There is a shoe section in the back that was absolutely rammed with kids and parents. NO THANK YOU. I ordered online at Amazon after waiting forever to be helped and no one coming. They have a lot of toys, again -- all overpriced, but sometimes that's what you get for the convenience of shopping locally. I'm happy to support small local stores and pay the upcharge but do expect the experience to match. I tried to purchase a ball my son had taken a shine too but after 10 minutes of her trying to ring it up I just said "forget it" and she let me. Weird. This felt rushed and hurried and not overly friendly. It's a kids store, c'mon people!

Nice little boutique for little tots and all those fashionable yummy mummies of Islington.Cries of…read morethis will look so cute on Crystal oh Poppy looks so lovely in that bonnet are the order of the day.

This store has now closed down (Fenchurch St), but there is one a couple of mins walk away on…read moreGracechurch Street. 85 Gracechurch Street London EC3V 0AA Monsoon Tel: (020) 7623 3774

This branch is small, orientated mainly on women working in the city. Combined with Accessories…read moreshop, which is nice. Monsoon is lovely for a special occassion when you need some fab dress but I wouldn't get my entire wardrobe there and their sizes are just coming up big. Prices are very high, for that sort of money I'd have a look elsewhere to be honest. Stuff for little girls is stunning, i got there a beautiful silk dress for my little sister for special occasion, it is real treat.

Another good trip to this location. They have so many festive items, including; homeware, clothing…read moreand decorations. Great place for stocking stuffers and their bath bombs selection is one of the best! So many to choose from, including Disney and Christmas designs, all either £1 or £1.50! Staff on the floor are a bit useless and unwilling to help but the register staff were pleasant. As always - come early to avoid the crowds!

Your enjoyment or appreciation of this place is going to be entirely dependent on who you are, and…read morewhat your lifestyle is. I am not local (American) but I have lived in London as a young poor 20 something. Primark was a Godsend for me. It's also really interesting now that they have expanded into the states (although not where I live) to come back and see how it has changed. When I lived here and had no money this was my go to for anything trendy, or needed. When I moved back to America quite unexpectedly I went there to stock up on inexpensive suitcases to pack up my life and carry back across the world. Any fast fashion or trendy items, this was my go to. Needed something for my home that didn't need to be high quality, Primark. I got a job at AllSaints a few blocks away and we were supposed to wear their clothes exclusively, but we only got a 60% discount (that's a big discount but still not inexpensive for a college kid) so I got a lot of my work shoes here and they never noticed. Now that I visit as a tourist, it's my go to for things like I need an umbrella that I can leave behind when I go home, or it's raining and I didn't bring my raincoat with me today...or it's colder than what I planned for on this trip so let me stop by and grab a few pieces of layering clothes or a coat. The Disney selection makes me wonder why there isn't a Primark in Orlando (because they get very unique Disney licensed items). If you don't have a big budget or are in need of souvenirs, I also recommend Primark. But if you're looking for a luxury experience, this isn't for you. If you're anti fast fashion, please just skip this. It's busy and loud and sort of a cattle call at the till, but it's great novelty spot. The layout has shed over the years bit it's still a great spot for cheep gifts, replacing broken or lost items and getting an unexpected suitcase for any souvenirs if you are a tourist (my favorite suitcase going on 11 years was £25 from here & yes we got another this most recent trip) 3 stars because I've definitely had some weird experience here over the years but generally if you go in knowing what it is and what to expect, it won't disappoint you.

This place is a veritable riot of colour, from as soon as you walk in to when you leave, feeling…read moreslightly nauseous. There are loads and loads of amusing clothing here, probably the most I've ever seen in one place. The name is definitely deceptive though - what does David & Goliath have to do with clothing merchandise? They obviously have some very young and 'hip' influences over at HQ, because these clothes are trendy. I recognise almost everything, having seen them sported on many a teenager. One popular one is 'Trendy Wendy' who I think is a little brat personally but girls love her sassy persona! The whole place seems very girly, but there are small pockets of male clothing to be seen if you're willing to look hard enough. There are three floors to this place, an upstairs and a downstairs. Upstairs is kind of the bedroom.. alot of indoor clothes and pyjamas to be seen. Downstairs is a basement and it looks really kind of morbid, selling punky/rockchick kind of clothes. I like this shop alot but I wouldn't shop here. If you're into it, by all means check it out. A very alternative style of clothes shop!

Exchange rate, or normal pricing... I'm not sure what kills this store or keeps me from buying…read morestuff here. but 20L, for a t-shirt, translated to $30US isn't gonna fly. I can't even imagine if the exchange rate was 2:1 and the shirt equating to $40. The shirts or pretty cool... funny... but for the time and mess, I'll bust out some puff-paints at home myself and write the same words.

The selection in the TK Maxx's I visited in London was terrible. Way too much Tommy Hilfiger and…read morecheap stuff made in China; not enough high quality merchandise, especially with regard to footwear and handbags. Most of the footwear and handbags was cheap vinyl crap made in China. The stores are incredibly cramped. They are understaffed as well.

Selection was enormous. Service was a little off. Great value on their clothing. There was at…read moreleast three floors to choose merchandise.