I'm sure that the name of this business has more to do with clothing fastenings than it does the…read morelegal intoxicant that was broadly used, particularly in gay nightclubs, across the UK back in the 80's! Ah, the heady smell of Amyl Nitrate! Nasty! There's something I'm less sure about... Does Beverley, the owner, know about this other meaning? I guess not, but I can imagine that she'd find it amusing, like myself. Beverley Soar is as laid back as any of the business owners on Pontcanna Street., and she's got a sense of humour. When I called in recently she was inspecting the damage done to the huge plate glass window that fronts the shop. The phantom tagger had paid her, (and everyone else down the street), a visit, leaving their tag, or signature mark, etched in the glass. The damage to all was going to cost the insurers a small fortune. Beverley was taking it in her stride, and seemed surprisingly up-beat, considering the disruption and mess that the repair would cause. She owns a particularly beautiful shop with some pretty expensive stock.... clothes by Grea, Annette Gortz, Hebbeding, Indies, Krines, Ischiko, Sonja Marohn and Oska... and I haven't met a tradesman yet that doesn't move everything so that you can't find it, and leave dusty footprints in the carpet! I guess she just reconciles herself with the knowledge that if it needs to be done, it needs to be done, and that's that! I like Beverley as much as I like her shop. The street wouldn't be the same without them both. With customers ranging from their mid thirties, up into their nineties, (her oldest customer is a very well dressed 96 year old, who has lost none of her sophistication and sartorial taste with the passage of time), Poppers is responsible for some of the best dressed women in Cardiff!

I ventured into poppers rather hesitantly as I thought the prices would be way out of my league!…read moreAlthough not exactly cheap, the prices weren't to bad, I saw a stunning black dress for £125 (it could have been worse)! Poppers is probably more suitable for 45+ (I won't be falling into that category for a long while yet), but it did have some very stylish numbers and on the sales rack I spotted a rather nice urban style top reduced to £20 (not bad)! Poppers also stocks a small range of jewellery and bags but at £54 for a necklace, it certainly isn't cheap!

Great little hidden gem, in Pontypridd. Caprice provides high quality clothes and accessories with…read moreall the latest styles and designers. It's only a small shop but does provide a wide range to choose from althoug the prices can be quite large you do get your money's wroth. :)

I love Noa Noa, and have bought plenty of eveningwear and sweet summer outfits from them. They are…read morehard to resist! Producing individually designed, well made clothes at exceptionally good prices compared to the commensurate offerings from the top end of the clothing chain shops, this Scandinavian shop has my loyalty! I have to admit that I often wait for the sales. They really know how to shift stock fast to make way for the new season. Incredible bargains are their only ploy, which suits me down to the ground!

The problem with me reviewing this place is that I'm not really the target market. I could really…read moresee that from the window display but I thought I should give it a go. In case you are wondering why I would be so foolish, I have my cheerleading ball coming up soon. I had found a dress but then it was sold out of my size. In desperation (after looking at many MANY dresses on websites and driving my housemates to distraction) I turned to the shops I hadn't visited before. The staff were really lovely, though none of them seemed genuinely pleased to help me - this is probably because they knew that I wouldn't buy anything... The fact is, though, that I don't think my mother or grannie would shop here...

I was absolutely amazed by the extensive range and variety of outfits. I came looking for something…read moreto wear for my wedding. Wendy listened to what I had in mind and, without fuss, found dresses and outfits that might suit me. She encouraged me to consider alternatives and was kindly honest about what did (and did not!) work. This is a wonderful place to come if you are looking for something special. I am a very satisfied customer!

Surprisingly larger than the branch in Tenby, there are plenty of cut price, as well as more…read moreexpensive, clothes and it's worth a browse through the rails just in case something nice jumps out at you. I would say the clothes are mainly for middle-aged people and older, but there are also nice, fashionable, scarves and other accessories, and a small selection of home and kitchenware as well. At the moment they are selling some attractively coloured straw baskets with smaller ones inside, useful for summer picnics or shopping, for £15.

There is a mixture of big name shops and market at the Rhiw…read moreThere is a huge Boots, Shoe Fayre and W H Smith A Greggs and Ferraries plus some cafes. The market has a really good butchers and a news agents. There is a multi story car park that leads right into the Rhiw with motability wheelchar rental on the third floor. Its not a huge shopping center but you walk through it to get to the main street and there is always something to stop and look at

Lots of shops packed into a rather small arcade. There is a large Boots store, a WHSmith, Greggs…read moreand a Game store to name just afew. The rhiw backs onto a multistory so parking is a doddle. There is also parking behind Wilkinsons, which is cheaper to park in but does mean an extra 1 minute walk :-) There is also a market ajoined to the Rhiw with all sorts of stalls including electronic store, sweets, cafes and butchers.

@ Fab are a bit of an anomaly to. They seem to have a confusing array of stock that does not adhere…read moreto any kind of focus or logic. 'Random' is possibly the word that best describes the fashion choices that they espouse, but may be this is due to the fact that they appear to be trying to appeal to absolutely everyone's tastes, from kids to teenagers, 20-somethings, young professionals, middle aged women, and of course, centenarians! Every time I glance into this shop I wince a little. I think that it makes it worse that the little segment of Wellfield Road that @ Fab occupies is populated by businesses that really know how to specialise. Noa Noa and Luxor, to name but two of the well focussed and targeted businesses that flank this inconsistent boutique that defies definition, although 'pretty awful' would be a good generic start to the proceedings! They have a few A4 posters by the entrance, offering to 'price match' identical items found at other shops... but I guess that they are pretty safe in this territory, and are rarely called to, if ever, sell clothing at a lesser price than is advertised on the label... there really aren't too many other outlets that are stocking the same clobber!!!

The main thing about this shop is that the window displays sometimes seem to suggest that there are…read morenice clothes inside. Then, you'll find that there are actually none at all. At other times you will think that the window display is hideous (at all times the display suggests that the shop is stuck in the 90s, but there are moments of brilliance) but the stock inside will be pretty good. The staff are lovely, which is more of a must than a plus, when the stock is so hit and miss. However, the prices are cause another problem. Some items are cheap and some are more expensive - too expensive for what they are. The only way to shop here is to search long and hard, check every price and every label. However, once you get to the till and talk to a staff member, you'll be happy again.

The Quadrant Shopping Centre is great as it is indoors and with our lovely welsh weather it is nice…read moreto be in from the wet and cold. There are loads and loads of shops in the Quadrant like HMV, Game , W H smiths , Clinton cards and Debenhams. It can get pretty packed out with shoppers at peak times and especially with the run up to christmas. At christmas there is usually a lovely christmas tree with lots of decorations which make it look really nice. The shopping centre always looks clean and tidy and you will always find a cleaner pottering around.

The Quadrant is like many indoor shopping centres across the UK. It mostly houses chain stores like…read moreHMV, Clarks, WHSmiths, Faith and so on and so forth. Shops you find in every town in Britain. The Quadrant itself is quite pleasant though, it has a predominently glass roof which allows it to be very bright and airy inside. There's a gallery cafe which looks out on to the main concourse of the shopping centre which is great for people watching. The bus station also comes out of one end, so finding it is very easy, and also you won't have far to carry bags to get a bus. Or even to get to your car if you choose to park in the NCP which also adjoins the Quadrant. You can also get to Swansea Market via an entrance in the Quadrant. The largest store by far is Debehams, which is a large department store and takes up almost an entire wing of its own. ANECDOTE: I was sick on the doors of Debehams one Christmas as I was shopping for presents and very rapidly came down with a virus. There are public toilets (free) upstairs which are clean and well maintained. The buidling is decorated according to the seasons, and a large Christmas tree is the focus during the winter.