Andi Hanson is a lovely designer clothes shop in the beautiful town of Ilkley, West Yorkshire. The…read moreshop layout is very neutral, fresh and contemporary with beige clothing displays and natural colours, which are complimented by their bright shop shrubbery! The style of the clothes is very much classic, classy and I would imagine aimed towards the more mature woman, with very safe but complimentary cuts and a style and class befitting of an lady with those extra few years under her belt. That's not to say a younger lady mightn't be interested, their clothes are certainly lovely and well designed, but perhaps not as adventurous as the youth of today might enjoy. Being an indie shop in Ilkley, prices are that notch higher but when it comes to well designed clothes you always have to weigh up the pros and cons. Lots of classy accessories to accompany your purchase too, so well worth saving for the whole outfit!

A shop I return to every year when I am in the area. I live hundreds of miles away, so look forward…read moreto seeing the classy designer clothes the shop has to offer. I never go away empty handed!! Sadly on my most recent visit on Tuesday 29th December 2015 at 1pm the shop was closed with no holiday opening hours (or other opening hours for that matter) visible, though the SALE signs clearly were! What a shame - I had to spend my money in another shop down the road.

The Cove is a lovely little fashion shop situated on the promenade of shops just opposite the huge…read morecar park in the centre of Ilkley. It's really easy to find, but be warned, at the moment there is a bit of scaffolding going on in front of the shop which obstructs the signage at the moment - I am sure this is only temporary though! Inside you will find a selection of sharp, snappy clothes, all quite 'young fashion' in style, with some bold prints and short cuts! One little number certainly qualified as a 'little black dress' item making it great for accesorising and decorating to ones own style. They had options for you to do just that too, since there were a number of different handbags and jewels on sale here too! From a delightful crushed velvet handbag, to posh little clutch purses, gold circlets and contemporary sleek jewellery - such as long chains with heart pendents and such! Essentially, I'd hazard a guess and say this one was definitely more for the girls of Ilkley than the ladies but it is nonetheless a great little place to browse.

The market down of Ilkley is known for its upmarket status and fine shops so it's no surprise to…read morefind a little piece of Joy like CoCo there. Now we're talking girls because it's bag heaven. All aboard the bankrupt train and don't stop till the final destination. If the bags aren't what you're after then worry ye not. It's an accessory paradise with belts galore, hats and some truly lovely jewellery. It's a really nice lay out too and is lots of fun to go for a gentle wander around whilst planning your next big money spending raid. I find it ideal for gift ideas. It's especially good for gift ideas regarding certain members of the family so with Mother's Day coming up you could do a lot worse than have a look around. What mum doesn't like a nice bag or some bling? Nothing in Ilkley is particularly cheap but sometimes we need to share the wealth.

I'm in the mood to shop now. The credit card is fully charged and my eyes are a wandering. What is…read morethis rather splendid looking boutique? It's only Attic. What a wonderful little shop it is too. It is crammed with independent designer womenswear and it is all stuff I've never seen before. If you want to stand out from the crowd but not in a bad way, this is perfect for you. It isn't the biggest place but it really has some quality stuff. It is fashion but not with your main stream labels. What I also love is that you can get an array of gifts and homeware too. Some real love has been fed into the creation of the shop and it shows. Don't go in expecting to spend very little as it is reasonably expensive but sometimes we should all shell out a little bit on ourselves. I do it often. Lovely shop and very friendly to boot.

I popped back in here during a recent day out to Ilkley and was reminded just how much I love…read morelittle independent boutiques like this. Love and care has gone into every display, each garment is wonderfully finger-spaced for easy browsing, items are matched in gently suggested outfits and the lady behind the counter was friendly and chatty. The item that I was particularly in love with was an utterly gorgeous washed leather jacket, in a taupe dusky pink. The leather was tailored with ribbed woven jersey and the design was utterly fantastic. The bottom of the jacket hung down in a beautifully flattering draped cotton affect and the leather was utterly soft to the touch. None of that plastic feel, and, it was on sale for about £120 - so so cheapl! There was also a number of delightful accessories, making this shop the highlight of my Ilkley visit. Gorgeous.

I really don't know why I do it, it's silly and it's unfair, but I almost can't help it. I have a…read morebit of a torturous habit of wandering into interior design shops and planning all the rooms in a home which simply doesn't exist. I do not own my own, nor am I likely to for some time, so it really isn't good for the old self esteem! Nevertheless I can appreciate these places as I please, and it does indeed please me to say that Maison have some utterly delightful items inside their store. The first items which struck me were their lovely collection of lampshades and cushions, sat delicately in the shop window. With the embroidered hearts on ivory cushions, a beautiful white bureau to accompany the gorgeous lampshades and matching draft excluders to go with the cushions, I don't think any living space could be less inviting! The majority of their stock seems aimed towards a more country cottage, homely style than anything else, and it's just lovely. This country home feel is perfectly matched in the little town of Ilkley, so it's no big surprise that this is what they are selling, but that's not to say you won't be intrigued. They have interiors for virtually any room, from beautiful dining tables and chairs, kitchen crockery cabinets, bed frames and more; they have enough that you could fill the whole house with their goods, allowing that cosy, lovable theme to continue throughout! Honestly, for beautiful interior design, this place has my vote!

Ilkley is one of those little market towns that is somewhat renowned for it's independent shops,…read moreand it's high end brand retail too. Obviously, I think you can imagine which arena this place falls in to. Yup, the brand retail. Usually, for me at least, there is a bit of a barrier when it comes to that kind of place due to the expense, but this place has got some decent garments inside. Sadly, even if it's an expensive odd jumper, you will get what you pay for in here. I can't entirely justify that much for one wee item but the quality of the knits in here speaks for itself. And that quality comes two fold. Firstly, there is the quality of the wool; they use the finest cashmere, angora and lambs wool in their items. Secondly is the quality of the design, although the garments on ladies wear could be accused of being aimed at, say, 45+ I have on occasion found their clothing to be flattering to both myself and my mother too! Of course, they aren't strictly limited to woolen items, they have a plethora of skirts, shirts, trousers and tops to choose from as well. But really, all I ever nip in for is a beautiful warm cosy jumper which will see me through the harsh winters we've been having. If you catch them in sale, you'll grab yourself a bargain - even if the garments are aimed at an older shopper!

The Yorkshire Trading Company is a really handy place to visit. Having been installed where, I…read morebelieve, the old Woolworths used to be in Otley you could imagine some old school woollies fans might have been somewhat miffed. Nevertheless it only takes one little peek inside to realise how much more useful (sorry woollies) this store is. Being as they've cropped up all about Yorkshire, thankfully, you don't need to be in Otley to appreciate them but the one here is pretty good. To describe exactly what they sell is a bit like trying to describe all the shades of blue. It would take eons. I'll give it a go. They sell just about everything and anything - like an up market version of Wilkinsons. They have DIY bits, gardening items, clothes, household bits and so much more. The most delectable bit is that they sell all at pretty bargainous prices too - so truly a handy shop to have around. I can't think of an occasion where I would think to myself "I need to go to The Yorkshire Trading Company," but when I've been at a loose end in Otley it has been a pretty good place to start. Not bad!

Well well, I concur with Rowena on this place although I can list everything they sell and if…read moreanyone wants that list then email me at getalifeandgolookyourself.not lol I only discovered this company a year ago whilst wandering aimlessly (again) around Otley wondering why we go there full of excitement at our "day out" only to realise it's just another town.... Since my discovery I have visited the shop in Otley and Skipton and even Skegness and always end up buying something as there is always something you need. What other shop can you make purchase's that will allow you to build a fence, paint it then chop it up to put in your new BBQ all whilst wearing a fetching hat, then have a bath, dye your hair whilst eating chocolates, reading a book and playing with etch-a-sketch and a dolls house........ They really do sell that many different things it's mind blowing....... Car stuff for instance, from air horns to polish, birthday cards......... I could go on but I have to do something else with my life so go and have a look next time you're at a loose end in Otley or anywhere you see the sign :)

Ilkley Dress Agency is another one of those quirky one off indie clothes shops of Ilkey, situated…read morein The Arcade. From the window display, and the shop signage, I had thought that the shop might not have been for me. However, on further investigation I found that they had a lot of lovely accessories, clothes, jewellery and handbags etc, that were really rather nice. It just goes to show that one shouldn't judge, doesn't it! I think being in Ilkley the customer is likely to be a little bit of a more refined in taste, and so if you are after young/alternative fashion I wouldn't necessarily suggest this shop. I happen to like quite vintage styled items and so this is why the accessories and such appealed to me - there was a fair amount that agreed with my kind of taste. But this sort of thing is all dependent on your opinion, isn't it? Even so, there was a great range of branded clothing to choose from, so what ever your preference it's always best to nip in and have a quick scan, isn't it? They had a large shoe rack too, with some pretty tempting heels, and of course some lovely hand bags! Similar to Deja Vu of Oakwood, the idea with this shop is that they buy in hoards of designer dresses - including Nicole Fahri, LK Bennett, Prada and more - to sell on at discounted rates. That alone is tempting enough for me to want to come back again for a secondary visit!

Now I'm a giddy kipper. Well obviously I'm not or else I'd be a fish and would have no fingers to…read morewrite but you get my drift. It's shopping baby and it's the Ilkley Dress Agency. Hoorah to it I say. A shop dedicated to dresses. What is a girl to do but spend? What you'll find is a lovely shop with a wide range of high quality, new and pre-owned fashions. Whether you want clothing, accessories, jewellery or footwear it's all here. It really is a great place to have a delve around and you can pick some really unique and top quality goods up. This is a girls dream. All I need now is a pair of killer pins and I'm ready to go. Oh well best come back in a year then. Wonderful shop.

I took my Mum here recently and she adored it! On second glance, I realised that I too was finding…read moretrinkets and treats galore in every corner. Whilst it's your standard gift shop, housing all kinds of clocks, jewellery, scented candles, and the like, the items inside are actually pretty unique and interesting. I remember being particularly enamoured of their clocks, so perhaps enough hints will get me one for Christmas... ! The main event on this occasion was the jewellery. My Mum needed to pick up some gifts for the girls at work and so spent a good deal of time deciding over a few of the items that were artfully displayed on this lovely fake tree. I ended up chatting with the lady about the tree and she gave me some suggestions of where to find one, as this would solve a myriad of problems in storing my many necklaces and earrings! In the end Mum opted for two of the bracelets, sort of chunky gemstone and shiny beaded ones, and she was really pleased. The lovely lady was really patient with us whilst we mulled over the options and all in all it was a really pleasant shopping experience. One to watch for Christmas goodies!

Ilkley, darling, has a higher caliber of people, I am told, therefore their gift shops meet the…read moreneeds of these - the middle aged, the higher-middle class and the higher-earning. Bluebell Gifts is one of a few gift shops in Ilkley, a nicer shop than anything you will find towards the city of Leeds, even in the Victoria Quarter or Chapel Allerton. It sells a large range of gifts that would come under the home-ware category. Many of these are of a designer and novelty kind. There are Alessi corkscrews and salt shakers, in the shape of people; Black Ginger chopping boards in silhouettes of cats; Cath Kidston and Emma Bridgewater china that you have probably seen in someone's kitchen at some point. All of this is luxury and would make a good gift for any home-owner. They also sell scented candles, soft toys, wedding gifts, and amazingly coloured tea pot and tea cup clocks. I loved these and would have impulse-bought one if they weren't about £50!