A definite favourite for presents. I'm too scared to try on the clothes because they look…read moreexpensive, even though they're not extortionate, but in terms of sticking fillers, and fancy kitchen things, and books and cards, it's a great place to come. The staff are usually dead helpful, although when I came here just before CHristmas one time and they were super busy, and I'd hammered my card and it needed phone authorisation, the till guy told me to go to the cashpoint instead because he couldn't be bothered to phone through with the queue as big as it was. Embarrassing much? Just a little. And unnecessary. But as it's Joy, I'll forgive him. This once.

They used to have one of these in Manchester but they closed it. i have no idea why as its…read morewonderful. Lovely clothes shoes and accessories, and also an eclectic mix of cards,. wrapping paper and little gifts.

I'm normally a proper advocate (not advocaat, that's different) for T K Maxx, but this one, in the…read moreForster Square complex in Bradford, is so messy and disorganised and rammed that I had to leave within five minutes because I thought I would have a panic attack. It was just like Primark in Leeds all over again. Not pleasant.

I like this TK Maxx - as someone who travels round and visits them all, this is one of the better…read moreones if you're looking for a real bargain! For some reason, TK Maxx in Bradford always seem to have things in stock that you don't find in other stores. I remember finding a rare Lulu Guinness handbag there reduced to £13, and a fab Duchamp waistcoat that I haven't seen anywhere else. It is a bit messy inside, but it is a large store and there's plenty of stuff to look through if you've got the time. Watch out for the wobbly floor upstairs - you sometimes think that the vibrations are going to bounce all the glasswares off the shelves!

This branch of Topshop is ok, I guess. It's quite big and stocks both womens' and mens' fashion as…read morewell as accessories, shoes and cosmetics. There are plenty of helpful staff and the queues at the checkouts don't tend to take too long to get through. I have two problems: 1. The music is sometimes played so loud. I'm not just getting old, I swear, I shouldn't have to shout over music when I'm shopping. 2. It's so confusingly laid out. I'm not sure what the plan was and if it's intended to be laid out like this but I think you could easily get lost in here. Maybe if you shop here all the time you'd get the hang of it but I can't see the logical flow of the store. Otherwise, it's just like every other medium-large sized branch of Topshop. It's handy for getting your high street fashion fix and then moving on to explore the rest of the Trinity.

Im fast becoming fed up of Topshop in Leeds. Any time I visit I can't really see anything that I…read morereally like...yes, theres a big choice of sparkly cardigans or skirts so small they look like belts....but you know that whatever you buy and wear out, you're going to see about ten clones in the same outfit. I think a lot of the garments cost a lot of money for what they are and I don't think that the quality is there on a lot of the materials. Everybody was rather excited about Kate Moss's fashion range hitting the rails but really...what's so special about it? Yes she's a model, yes, she's famous...but then again, yes...the clothes look the same as any others but have an added Kate Moss tag and a few extra numbers on the price. I do like the accessories they sell, the rings in particular. But I find that they break pretty easily and quickly and that the colours are quick to fade on the earrings. Overall, Topshop is okay. If you want to look the same as everybody else.

There are lots of charity shops in Leeds - lots and lots and lots and... You get the idea. But not…read moreall of them are great. So many of them are full of Primark tat, well worn shoes and dated (but not in the fun, vintage way) threads. So imagine my joy when I discovered King Lane's St Gemma's Hospice shop. Helpful, friendly volunteers, plenty of parking and the most amazing stuff! This place is packed with high street favourites like Topshop, vintage finds and heavenly homeware. I've stumbled across two delicious vintage tea sets, current season Topshop clothing and the most fabulous vintage Frank Usher beaded batwing top, all for under £3 a pop. Pay St Gemma's on King Lane a visit - not only could you uncover forgotten treasures, pre-loved prizes and plenty of second hand style, you'll also be supporting a very worthwhile cause. Now what could be more fabulous than that?

This is a huge shopping village with loads of top designer shops under one roof. There is the…read morechoice of Dorothy perkins, miss Selfridge, Warehouse and Topshop to name a few. They are all hugely discounted in the village and there are some very good bargains to be had here. I love taking a day out and coming over here to have a good shopping spree. Make sure you have plenty of money because there are so many bargains to be had you wont want to miss out on them. There are discounts for students too. The place is very nice and spacious and very clean. There are some nice clean toilets with disabled access and a small shop to buy a coffee and bagel. The staff are very friendly and hard working.

A great shop for if you want it all under 1 roof. There Dorothy perkins, Topman, Miss selfridge,…read moreTop shop, Wallis, Warehouse (and maybe more i cant think of!) If your a student you get discount too.

I get the distinct feeling that I am the odd one out here when it comes to this shop. It just goes…read moreto show that a person's taste can really affect their opinion of a business. I have no problem what so ever with alternative clothing, nor the people who wear such garments, and so I do not dislike this shop. Simple as that really. I'm not suggesting that the items inside are of my taste, but I don't dislike them on the basis that I wouldn't wear them - on the contrary, I think some of the clothes in here are really interesting and cool. My particular favourites, as you'll see from the pictures, are what I have dubbed (in my mind) the 'Beetlejuice trousers'. I think if I actually saw someone walking down the street in those I would not only be rally excited, but also a tad jealous that they had the stuff to wear them! I love seeing anything that escapes the bromidic zeitgeist items that are paraded about town, and this place is certainly somewhere that you can rely on to be alternative. From vampiric dresses, to sergeant pepper jackets, to neon day-glo doc martins and more, this shop has plenty going on. It is definitely one guilty of supplying Leeds' emo-goth-teen reactionaries with their status gear, but once you see past that element you can really browse with intrigue. Not all the items in their are for me, I am not keen on some of their gear, but I love having a browse. Maybe one day I'll muster the bravery to put on one of their fantastic vampire corset dresses, but for now I'll stick with my vintage clobber! Prices, as expected, range but err on the higher side of a twenty pound note. The lady in there can come across as aggressive, but give her a chance as you might anyone, and she's got some pretty decent banter. I mean come on, she was playing Bjork for goodness sake. Anyone who plays Bjork is right on with me. I don't care who knows it! Give it a chance, you might be surprised.

I don't know about you, but I don't tend to dress up as a prisoner from Alcatraz too often. If you…read moredo, then go to Soho. They do a fine line in Alcatraz branded shirts. In all shapes and sizes. Weird? Am I the only one? I guess this is a shop for a very niche market. It must sell some of these shirts, or else why would they dominate the entrance area? Do you have one? Please, message me reasons why you've got one. And I might alter this rating. If you convince me. Thinking about it, Soho is a good place to go for fancy dress. Or maybe fancy dress ideas. As these not-novelty-but-should-be garments don't come cheap. Maybe I'm being too harsh, just because I'm not in this alternative niche. Perhaps it's because I'm left out. And I can't afford an Alcatraz tee. Go if you're a signed, sealed, delivered emo/goth. If not, steer clear. Unless you've got a fancy dress bash coming up.

I love Joy as a shop in its self but this new one is even prettier then the existing ones in Leeds…read moreand few I have been to in London. The lay out is standard shop but as per they have masses of choice and interesting bric a brac gift ideas too. The shop has a lovely design with a great wall display as you go down the stairs - check it out to see what it is. I'll have to get a picture of it next time I go in. I try to limit myself on visits though because every time I think I have all the clothes I like from here I find two more! Always different styles too. Love love love this shop.

What a gorgeous shop! Situated in one of the more run down arcades in Leeds, Upstaged Vintage is a…read morewelcome addition to the thriving vintage scene. The thing that makes this one distinctive for me, is I could tell that the owners are very selective when buying stock. In many vintage shops, it seems evident that a large order has been delivered from wholesalers, and it doesn't always seem completely genuine. There is an old-fashioned, celebratory feel on entering the family run local business. With bunting and fairy lights decorating the place, and an iconic washing line hanging from the ceiling displaying 50's style lingerie, it feels special. I can't speak highly enough of the pieces on sale. The faux fur coats and numerous jackets are absolutely stunning. I tried on a classic pilots waistcoat and jacket. Complete with gold buttons and a stripe on the cuffs, it was beautifully tailored to fit a women. Collections of tea dresses and evening gowns from the 1930's to the 1980's adorn the interior. There is an interesting shoe section of the shop, with some truly unique pairs on show. Upstairs, there are further delights in store. It is a burlesque pin-up boutique; filled with a wide range of corsets, gloves, burlesque accessories and pin-up style lingerie. Dita Von Teese would be in her element. The woman running the shop was absolutely lovely, she was patient and attentive whilst I dithered over what to try on. There is a men's section of the shop and they also sell goods online. Although Upstaged Vintage is not in an obvious location, the treasure you uncover when discovering it, is reward in itself.

Who would have thought that tucked away in the Grand Arcade was a shop that is some kind of vintage…read moreheaven? No, not me, and so imagine my surprise to nip in the other day and discover it?! According to the guys in there people often say that they had no idea that it existed, which is really quite shameful, since it has been here for over a year! Imagine that. And all the delights that I have missed. The ground level shop space has two changing rooms, which you will need, and all the glorious vintage items that you could possibly wish for. There are beautiful eighties puffed sleeved dresses, glorious gorgeous full length coats - one in particular which was absolutely divine but sadly a size wrong for me. They also have some beautiful classy hats, gloves, scarves, shirts - you name it. It's hard to actually describe the amount of beauty within, you really must go and see it for yourself. The people in there are lovely, friendly and vintage fans themselves so you won't be short on advice either! Prices are ranging, but considering they are selling high end clothing for a fraction of the original price I would call it bargainous - investment pieces. The upstairs section also deserves a special mention in its own right. Set out as a burlesque boutique it has a number of beautiful items especially collected for ladies who perform burlesque acts. There are fitted corsets galore, of the finest quality, in a range of sizes. I couldn't sing louder about such a cool and exciting place to shop. It's beyond fancy dress in every sense of the word 'fancy', it is divine! You absolutely must visit, if only for a browse.