There isn't much for the men, but the 40 or so businesses that mostly cater to women are…read moreextraordinarily charming in this upscale American-style mall. It's a lovely stop along the outdoor Buchanan Street pedestrian mall. With four levels, lots of retail, a few restaurants, and one great chocolatier, Princes Square Shopping Centre is worth a few hours of shopping for the ladies on vacation in Glasgow. The facility is just steps from the St. Enoch subway station on the Inner Line if you need a reference to the metro stops.

Not being much of a shopping centre fan generally, I actually really like Princes Square. Granted,…read moreI don't actually do much shopping here but it is nice for a place to take cover on a rainy day and browse the shops. This is an upmarket shopping centre which has more expensive high street shops like Reiss, Ted Baker, Vivienne Westwood and Cos (which I'm still yet to check out!). The centre is certainly decorated to match the crowd it's looking to attract - glitzy, glam and always clean and tidy. I like the size of the centre as well - it's very dinky but still has lots of shops and is easy to navigate. There's also a host of restaurants, bars and cafés but I'll be honest - I've not visited many of them. I ate at Barca probably 4 years ago and also one of the places on the bottom floor but I think that's changed hands. One down side is that if you are dining at a restaurant on the lower level, parents will tend to let their kids run riot in the centre circle which can be a bit of a mood-killer. Princes Square doesn't have a car park due to its location but it is really close to train and subway. If you do really fancy driving, probably St Enoch or Mitchell Street are the closest car parks.

This gorgeous homewares shop opened about 5 months ago but somehow I'd completely missed it in this…read moretime. It's got some really lovely bits and pieces - Glasgow road signs, vintage map wall art, luggage cases, Shetland wool blankets, chandeliers, furniture as well as wee decorative pieces. One of my favourite finds was a glass pineapple that has a silver coating and now sits on my lounge room table. I didn't realise but they also have a shop through in Edinburgh and an online store. With fantastic customer service and great, unusual pieces, I'll definitely be popping in more often.

The window displays are so beautiful here, it almost put me off because I was scared my…read more'clumsiness' would mean I would knock everything over! Anyway, needed a mother's day gift and I'm glad I went in. I was focussing on the unique candle scents, rhubarb and ginger or fig to name but a few, for the gift. These were so delicious I came away with one for mum and one for me. Other things that caught my eye were the range of blankets/throws and room diffusers. Staff here are extremely helpful and friendly (none of the pouncing/smothering approach some people go for) and a pleasure to do business with. If you need something lovely...time and tide. (Even if you are clumsy!)

Lovely gift shop with some beautiful and unique gifts for yourself or for someone special like…read morecards, prints, crystals, books, teddy's ornaments and keepsakes but it's expensive.

I don't walk along this part of Argyle Street very often - in fact this is possibly the first time…read moreI've ever walked along here instead of driving past. Unfortunately, Herself had the inside track on this flyby, and before I could do anything I was unceremoniously yanked into the shop as she had been seduced by some trinket in the (admittedly very attractive) window display. Before five minutes had passed, she had grabbed several items from the clothes rail by the door and was heading rearwards to the changing room to try them on, while I mooched around like the long-suffering husband I am, trying not to look like a shoplifter as I browsed the goodies on display. Both the ladies on duty were very chatty and friendly, which makes all the difference in these small gift shops - although the sample dish of tablet on the counter also helped it must be said. They have a great selection of Scottish- and Glasgow-themed knick-knacks on display as well as more generic items, so you'll have no trouble in finding a gift for that special person in your life. However, although I was impressed with several items and earmarked them for future gift purchases (I particularly liked the hanging jam jar lights), on this occasion I managed to escape with my wallet intact. Not so my good lady, who came away feeling very pleased with herself and her purchases.

Fantastic little shop in the Ashton lane family…read more Full to the brim with the unique, interesting and useful They also have their own Jewellery designers/makers who can give you so much information about their own unique designs and metals etc used, don't get this in a run of the mill jewellery shop If you're passing I really recommend a stop off I came Out with some egg cups with kilts on them, a pillow and a wooden pig ..... I have no idea why either

I think the world you are looking for is 'small'. Although I prefer 'tiny whiny' if I'm honest. But…read morethat's just me. It is a very true cliche that good things come in small packages, as De Courcys Arcade proves very well nestled in amongst the coffee shops and bars of Cresswell Lane. The upper floor, refurbished and renovated in 2009 plays host to a number of small shops, independent and specialist, which makes shopping here a totally unique experience. At the moment, the top floor is fully shoppable, with Miss Lottie Lou's vintage clothing store, Not Now Cato!, Auntie M's Cake Lounge, Mind the Gap artistic supplies, The Maisonette and Just for you bought and sold vintage clothing. Plenty to get your teeth into. I particularly liked The Maisonette, selling loads of gorgeous and kitsch handmade bits and pieces which would make gorgeous gifts. I even got a doggie birthday card for my Yorkie's 3rd birthday in Mind The Gap! Perfect for a Sunday Afternoon lazy shopping day!

My partner and I stopped by Glasgow Vintage Co our last day in Glasgow. There are a few vintage…read morestores around this area, but of the bunch, this one definitely had the best selection. When you walk in, you clearly get the vibe that this is a university student's frequent haunt. As we shopped here, students came in and out, receive a discount, and generally have their needs met with the types of clothing available. However, the selection of clothes in the store isn't so student oriented that a wider audience won't be able to find something of interest. The first floor is more women's oriented, with tartan featuring prominently. The second floor is men's, which had some decent selections of Fred Perrys and the like. When we were there, the store was staffed just by a couple girls on the first floor, and they were pretty deep in conversation with each other. Didn't bother us at all, but perhaps don't expect to have staff catering to your every need here. But if you just like to do your thing and browse through the racks, you should be well sorted.,

TL;DR bad quality, overpriced, cheeky response. Would like…read moreto say the staff member on when I was in was lovely. However... I spent good money (too much) on trousers that had an irreparable defect that I did not notice until I put them on at home. I understand this is a risk with 2nd hand clothing, and places don't accept returns etc, but I do draw the line at paying ~£30 for something I literally can't wear. I messaged their instagram page about it and expressed my disappointment that they weren't willing to reconcile this in any way (I said I felt this was poor customer service) and the message I received back was so cheeky I am honestly in disbelief. So here I am doing the only thing I can do since I've literally wasted my money.

Govan Shopping Centre has had a makeover and are now OPEN on Sunday's…read more There have been some great changes made over the year great selection of new shops, almost all of the centre's units are now occupied. Some of the shops now at the shopping centre are: - Home Bargains Iceland Greggs British Heart Foundation Farmfoods Albemarle Bond Jewellers and Pawnbrokers McColls Subway Forde Opticians Card Factory Deans Super-store Post Office Fruit & Veg stall Woman's Clothes stall (everything is £5) Free parking plus the adjoining bus terminus and Subway Station. Opening hours are 8am to 6pm from Monday to Saturday - and now also 10am to 5pm on Sundays.

Just a quick hop off the Govan Subway will find you in the Govan Cross Shopping Centre. You'll…read morepretty much find what you expect to find in this place, Coop store, farm-foods, wee cafe/bakery, bargain books stand, hardware store etc... Nothing really to write home about but a good amenity for local shoppers none the less. Unless you find yourself in Sunny Govan then there really ain't much of a reason to set sights on this place as the stores here don't offer anything extra in relation to the ones you'll find in your local area.... Oh, i may aswell make mention of the Christmas decorations which were pretty cool and traditional, not these fancy smancy led lights and such.

It's a shame really because I like this shop and it stocks a lot of lovely jewellery, etc., but I…read moredid get the feeling (and I'm pretty perceptive) that if you don't go in all trendy-west-endy in your pearls and tweed the assumption is you're a shoplifter. Got followed around with chit-chat today under the guise of interest in my upcoming holiday with my sister, but really the underlying message was: "I think you're dressed way too shabby for us, so you must be a shoplifter"... I've bought from here in the past, but I won't be doing so again and this kind of experience only pushes me more towards online shopping.

I've been in this wee gem of a shop loads of times, and always enjoy having a gander around it…read more Reasons I love it: I had an awesomely super, wee old Aunt called Nancy. I went to the same school as Carol Smillie. It's a much bigger shop than you actually think - ever inch of it is covered and piled high with all sorts of awesome nik naks. Think Tiger (see other review) but of a more classy and personalised nature - everything you didn't realise you wanted or needed but absolutely do! Seriously (if the Mr would let me), I could totally kit out the entire flat with stuff from here. The staff are just lovely. In that inimitable West Endish kind of way. What I don't like: It's incredibly cluttered. Making your way through the shop can be treacherous. Especially if there's other cusotomers there. Most of their stuff (as awesome as it is) is very pricy for what it is. Bring on the next sale!

Formerly known as The Glory Hole this place's name always used to give myself & my friends a wee…read morechuckle...T-hehee! Childish I know...but back in the days of said GH I was often in here buying and selling clothes (this was the days before eBay kids) which was a brilliant idea. I'm not 100% sure they still do that now, but because of eBay (other auction sites are available) I very much doubt they still offer this service. Not a vintage shop as such, more a nearly new shop as I would guess 90% of their stock is (very) new/modern items & a lot appearing to be hardly worn. So I guess I would describe this as a sort of 'vintage' shop for folk that don't like retro styles. You'll find high street & fashion labels such as Top Shop, ASOS, River Island and others as well as the odd Karen Millen & more high end/designer items too. Everything is laid out very well & there's lots of space to wander & browse, it's also got great lighting too which is something some other vintage/2nd hand shops seem to lack. As well as clothes they sell shoes/boots, bags, belts & some jewellery too. Everything is a pretty reasonable price, especially considering the condition of the items. You can pick up some real bargains here if you can be bothered searching (Me = always!). Last time I was in I found 2 dresses I really liked but didn't have enough cash on me to pay for them (Note: they don't take cards here) so they nice lady serving said she would put them aside whilst I went in search of a cash machine (there's plenty on nearby Byres road) and when I returned she very kindly rounded down the price of the 2 dresses saving me a couple of quid! Such a lovely gesture. The staff here have always been super nice & friendly which is always a wee bonus. It's service like that that keeps folk coming back. For trying on clothes they have one small changing area which is better than nowt but can be a pain when the shop's busy, but good things come to those who wait...supposedly! It might be off the beaten (Ruthvern Lane) track but this wee hidden gem is well worth a swatch. Another example of a fantastic wee local Glasgow business.

Glorious has always been one of my very first stops when shopping in the West End for as long as I…read morecan remember. In fact, from way back when it was known as The Glory Hole. (I actually prefer the risque name!) The problem with Glorious is that that I NEVER leave without purchasing anything, and that's no exaggeration. If I can limit myself to a fortnightly visit and a maximum of two items purchased I'm doing well. The stock is always carefully selected- lots of on trend pieces, lots of items you missed out on first time round from the High Street, and a nice little smattering of vintage. There's also always a great selection of handbags. I think the prices are extremely competitive too. Its always possible to get two of three items for under £20 but equally you might spot a really special designer piece and pay a bit more for it but still get a bargain. The owners and staff are lovely and always enthusiastic about offering an opinion if needed. They all seem to take great pride in Glorious and subsequently all items for sale are of the highest quality; washed, pressed and ready to be worn. Often this can be a rarity from a secondhand store. Cant recommend this place enough and looking forward to my next pay day!

How did I resist the lure of Oliver Bonas for so long?…read more They always have great window displays and I finally managed to pop in for a quick visit before dining at Ubiquitous Chip. They sell much more than books and dresses - there's also some body products, statement necklaces and accessories as well as selection of homewares. A while back I got two really sweet bowls from a friend and Oliver Bonas had similar ones so I got another couple to add to the set. On the way to the register I also glanced at the cards and saw a perfect birthday card for my Mum, so I grabbed that. Then, while waiting to be served I turned and noticed the Korres body washes were two for £8 (normally £8 each) so grabbed those as well. As you can see, I'm like a bull in a china shop when I go into places like these. There is simply too much stuff that I want (need) and I can't resist. The service was friendly (although possibly a little robotic as the staff member who was serving me asked me the exact same question the other staff member asked her customer), and the prices aren't too bad - for that haul it was around £20. Will I be back? Of course - I can't stop thinking about their great selection of dresses. Oh dear.

Having just met with a friend, I decided to take the long way home and stop in to a few shops along…read morebyres road. I absolutely love this shop and don't frequent it enough in my opinion. I want to buy everything I can get my hands on, and that doesn't bode well with my checking account, but I do it anyway! Today, however, I decided that I would simply be browsing, to kill some time before heading home, and that's exactly what I did. Not only do they have an amazing spread of dresses and socks (cute as anything socks) but they also have books, jewlry, cards, candles and a wee section of kids stuff. It really is a shop full of quality products at reasonable prices. The staff are friendly to boot which is a nice touch in little shops such as this. They make you feel like the want you in their stores, even if just to have a look. There was one girl in there who knocked over and smashed a mug. One of the girls working in the shop quickly came over to help clean up the mess and the girl was so beyond apologetic, it took nothing short of actually giving the girl the broken mug to convince her that it was ok and that these things happen. I love this shop for a quick gift when my brain can't come up with ideas, and I love this shop for decorating tips, as the always have the shop decorated so perfectly. Well, I'd love my home to have many things from this shop. Check this place out, you won't be sorry that you did!

Initially I thought the Hoodie Stop was just a nice wee gift shop in De Courcy's Arcade, but after…read morea bit of a chat I discovered they also do personalisation of hoodies, tote bags, hats etc, meaning you can get them printed or embroidered with your own designs. Inspiration struck, and with the recent introduction of the 5p bag charge in shops, I really wanted to grab a bunch of tote bags and have them customised. It was super easy to arrange - I popped in store to check out the available bags, and emailed through the design. Communication was great, KJ kept me up to speed the whole time and let me know that the design needed tweeking to make sure it looked really good. The finished bags looked really slick and exceeded my expectations, and were ready to collect in store. I love any excuse for a browse of their stock as there's loads of nice gifts as well - tshirts, purses, handbags, and of course, hoodies. Well worth a visit if you're looking for a gift as you could get something really personal made up for someone.

What a fun shop The Hoodie Stop is!! Been dying to go there…read morefor aaages and I finally managed to at the weekend, could've easily bought many more things than I did if it weren't for my somewhat limited budget (booooo!) I've been following them for a wee while on Twitter and have loved the photos of things they've put up, especially their Glasgow-themed products, of course! The other week I saw that they were having a sale and there was the most lovely pink satchel (down from £20-15, bargain!) which I assumed would have sold really quickly cause I couldn't make it in at the time, but when I went in at the weekend, BOOM, there it was! So OBVIOUSLY I had to buy it, it was totally fate and I absolutely love it! (I realise there may have been more than one but please leave me with my fate illusions, if you will...) I also got some birthday presents for my cousin - an I love G33 badge (her neck of the woods, Yelp won't let me type a heart!) and a wee giraffe tea light holder which is just the cutest! She loves giraffes so when I saw it I had to get it! Their prices are definitely very reasonable as well, which is a bonus. They offer a t-shirt and hoodie printing service, as the name would suggest, which I've yet to try - but I've been pretty impressed with what I've seen them do, so if I'm ever needing something like that done I'll be sure to check them out. It's definitely somewhere I'll come back to when I'm looking for interesting gifts or just for a wee nosey about when I'm in the area, the people who run it seemed really friendly and nice too :) A great wee addition to Cresswell Lane!