I ADORE this shop! I'm a sucker for designer bags (don't judge me..) but can't always afford to get…read morethem new, designer exchange sells pre loved bags and accessories at a fraction of the original price. Some of the bags are literally as good as new. The older the collection the cheaper the price usually (unless it's Chanel...of course). I'm not bothered about the 'latest season' look, I look for quality, design and craftsmanship so this place is heaven for me. They also buy directly from customers. All bags are checked for authenticity so you can rest assured you're buying a genuine item. The staff couldn't be nicer, and they're not pretentious or overbearing so I often just go in for a browse without any pressure to buy. Golden purchase - a hand embroided, leather Dior bag. As good as new. Originally sold for $1700, bought for £90. Can I get a hallelujaH?!

Burton is a shop specialising in mens clothing, the store is part of a group who also own Dorothy…read morePerkins, a female clothing brand, whose stores tend to be together as they are here, but today I will be reviewing Burton, which has nothing to do with the other aspect of the business mentioned. This Burton store is a decent size, albeit a little small, it isn't the most modern of stores either, which is a shame as in such a large mall such as the Manchester Arndale, with 60 out of 240 stores being fashion stores, to survive this store needs to set then apart from the rest for the better, which sadly I don't think they have managed to do just yet. Everything about this store just seems reasonable, average or maybe slightly poor such as the range, pricing and staff, they do have a decent selection of shoes here too, but sadly there isn't always staff about to go and get your size so it becomes a hassle, this is a shame. There isn't much else to say about a store like this except it just is fairly average and barely satisfactory in all aspects, so due to so much competition and the fact Burton doesn't seem to stand out, I can't help but feel this store only warrants a generous two stars. I am also delighted to say this review marks my 366th review of 2016, which was my goal at the start of the year and I'm pleased to finally reach it today, 231 days into 2016 which gives me an average of 1.45 reviews per day as of when this review was written, August 18th.

A note to mothers and aunties everywhere: Don't let the window displays at Burton woo you inside…read morethe store! You might find some great skinny jeans, faux-leather jackets and grey tees with cool logos but trust me, your sons and nephews won't thank you for buying them anything else from Burton. The cable knit jumpers and chunky cardigans that look so cosy? They'll be deemed a worse present than socks. The v-neck jumpers, cotton shirts and blazer jackets that look so smart and presentable? They'll be taken back for a refund in the new year. Your best bet - stick to a hipper, high street brand like Top Man, Ben Sherman or Paul Smith.

Now the name of the company is describing the scale of the operation rather than just talking a…read moreload of street bollocks. It is always a good sign of the quality of the goods on sale if a shop is extending and the new 2nd floor edition to this hugely popular store proves it to be amongst the best vintage jewellers and party accessorizers around. With the new store selling all of the silver, heavy metal, glitz, punk, glam and hand made jewellery that made the first one so popular, big things can be expected from this chain store in the making.

You see I liked the first shop's name 'extreme largness' but with this second shop the owners have…read morebeen pretty lazy. How about 'The extreme largest'? Anything but 'Extreme largest 2'- sounds like a sequel. Great jewellery shop with pieces for every occasion/outfit/gift you can of. Staff are sooo friendly and prices are fantastic for such a small independent shop.

I have just had the pleasure of having my first bespoke shirt made @frankrostrons Shirtmakers. From…read morestart to finish it was an absolute delight. The guys that help me pick my fabric, styles and general style advice. They gave me advice on the best kind of fabrics I should be wearing for work and what to wear for casual occasions. Once I had been measured up and all the paperwork had been filled in they were kind enough to show me the shirts being made for other customers upstairs above the shop. From the cutters to the seamstresses putting the shirts together and adding the finishing touches to the immaculate and perfectly crafted bespoke shirts. Just short of the 4 weeks wait for my shirt to be made i received a phone call letting me know that my first shirt has been finished and I could come in to have my fitting. Being the overly excited fashion enthusiast I quickly made my way over to see the guys and try on my crisp new End on End ice blue business shirt with cut away collar and single cuffs with two buttons! It looked and fitted amazingly well first time around! I have just recently order another 5 shirts! Let my new addiction begin :)

Serious selection of fabrics , needed a shirt for a wedding and they made it in 2 days as a rush…read morejob I met the cutter and the lady who made my collar Spectacular service and the lads were great fun Highly recommend a visit if you're in Manchester and want something different and made in uk which makes a change !!

I would like to give all these 5 stars to Vanessa, for her brilliant customer service, help and…read moresupport throughout my shopping trip to the missselfridge.store in Spinningfields. It's not all the time that you find people passionate about what they are doing and when we do meet characters such as Vanessa (I think she is quite young, but she'll understand what I mean) it makes your shopping experience a pleasure.

Miss Selfridge is not as popular as TopShop but that can only be considered a good thing!…read more I hate TopShop, the clothes are insanely overpriced, the sizes are ridiculously irregular and when you do actually manage to find something you like that fits...everyone else has it too! Miss Selfridge on the other hand has always been consistently good to me, I've bought tons of things from there that I've loved and whenever I wear them I end up getting complimented! The sizes fit, the prices are reasonable and the clothes are good quality and pretty...what's not to like?! It's quite a girly shop so be warned if that's not your kind of thing!

Time and time again I have been in Warehouse, time after time I have been disappointed. Even in the…read moresale. Am I doing something wrong? Back in college I used to see Warehouse labels on many things my friends wore, and I'd think, yeah, that looks great on them, but it wouldn't suit me. And this is something which has remained with me to this day, as my clothes rails are noticeably Warehouse bereft. One thing I can't knock is the jewellery. Warehouse stocks some fabulous earrings and a lot of amazing statement necklaces and bangles. In fact, the accessories are where it's at, with lovely scarves, patterned tights (a favourite sock drawer staple of mine), clutches, oversized bags and innovative things like 'arm warmers'. Hey, with all the goshdarn length sleeved coats we see these days, you need inventions like this. I genuinely don't know what it is about the clothes though, it seems that nothing ever grabs me. I'm not saying they're not nice, perhaps it's just the colour or feeling of functionality, I really can't put my finger on it. You might love them though, so I do suggest you give Warehouse a visit and see if there's anything in the sale that tickles your fancy. As far as accessories go, it's a fabulous little shop, and this standalone store in the Arndale makes for varied shopping.

I only started appreciating Warehouse recently, it's a really good shop. Not for everyday stuff but…read morefor going out/dressing up clothes, it's really good, really reasonably priced and very good quality clothes. I've got some beautiful dresses from here that I've worn to weddings and christenings, really pretty and they're also not dry-clean only which saves a fortune and means I wear them much more often! This one in the Arndale is much better than the concession stands in the department stores because they have a much bigger range and the staff are really helpful.

Got to be honest, I'm actually getting pretty sick of bleating on about how quirky, quaint and…read morefolksy every shop in the Northern Quarter is. I'm not a fucking pixie. I'm not setting up home with an elf. I'm not planning a vacation in Narnia- I don't need bricka brack, I don't need keepsakes, I don't need fecking chintz- that's why it's called chintz, if it was any use to me it would be called 'the essentials'!! The NQ has sold us a hippy dream that can never be. Being a boho mash head who sits in coffee shops talking about Neil Young, collects dolls and Japanese backpacks and is generally too arty to care about 'the system maaan' is an expensive past time so either these fakers are secretely high flying lawyers or daddy is a patient and giving man because the good ol' NQ is one of the most expensive and business minded monsters in Manchester! Sell me a dream I can achieve Thunder Egg!!

Until I checked out their website, I had no idea that Thunderegg was a shrine to all things…read moreJapanese.. but now it all makes sense. It is a cute little shop in the Northern Quarter selling clothes (Cutie, Gorgeous - brands like that- yes please), vinyl toys, plastic headbands and jewellery. The till area and near the fitting rooms are like if a harajuku girl started up her own branch of Accessorize. They sell Hello Kitty, Paul Frank, Emily Strange and the clothes aren't even that expensive - I tried on a spotty grey/ purple dress for £18. There was a fair amount of the old leopard print and plenty of sequins and sparkle for autumn parties ahead. Also towards the back I found a Herve Leger style bandage dress with an exposed zip. Ok, fair enough all the 'slebs were wearing those six months ago but I think in Normal-Time that's still a good buy.

It all looked very nice to me…read more The store was typically decorated in that modern retail favourite of lacquered white surfaces and art nouveau cardboard cutouts, the lighting was subtle yet enticing, the staff well dressed and helpful and- I suppose most importantly- the clothing was tasteful and glam. "Nothing wrong here" I thought. "Nah, it's for old people" my girlfriend said. Oasis- nice, tasteful, full of old people (allegedly).

Thinking which of Arndale's stores might have that glam factor about them? Oasis is your guess…read more I've seen dresses there to be full on glamorous; perfect for weddings and ceremonies where dressing up is the thing. Clubbing, sexy dresses might be amiss. Their collection of classy office wear and evening wear is also delightful and my friend has informed me time and again how much she loves slipping into that perfectly stitched pencil skirt of hers. The store is quite airy and not too filled, free spaces always give the mind an illusion that there is room to relax and think. The great part would be the sale section at the back of the store where you can get lucky and find many dresses and blouses for mere £15-20. Always an extra something to make you swell up with content!

Coast. The name can evoke whatever image your brainbox dares conjure, whether that be the more…read morepositive sun-drenched coast of a Mediterranean holiday town with its white sandy beach and loungers... or it can be a grim, grey day in Southport with many disgruntled looking elderly people. It's fairly similar to peoples' perceptions of this here evening wear store... you either get rather excited about it or you can't see the fuss. I personally see the necessity in Coast, especially for its varied range of maxi dresses. I'll be honest, I haven't encountered a shop that sells quite as many different kinds, all of which would be suitable for a party. Some are summery and light, others are proper gowns. Coast helpfully categorises its items this way - you can shop specifically for a certain type of dress and not be disappointed. And come wedding season, it's is always packed to the rafters. That's exactly what Coast is perfect for... occasional wear. It's one of the best options for those last minute high-class party outfits, and its jewellery range helps this along nicely too. You'll find necklaces, earrings and bangles to match every single outfit in the shop, so you might as well get the whole lot done in one go. And stuck for a clutch or a fascinator to finish it off? You won't be disappointed. You can find Coast concessions in House of Fraser and suchlike, but I find this store in the Arndale Centre is large enough to offer more quality and quantity for your buck. So if you're in a panic about how to upstage the bridesmaids, or even, God forbid, the BRIDE, get yourself kitted out at Coast and be beautiful. Just don't say I didn't warn you about Bridezilla giving you the evils throughout the shindig because you look better than her...

I used to love Coast…read more If ever I had to go to a wedding or a special occasion I used to always head here first to stare longingly at dresses which were much too expensive and too opulent for the occasion. Sigh...I miss those days. Nowadays, Coast has become a little bit too high-street, the dresses aren't really that different than what you see in all the other shops. They've completely lost their spark. It's quite sad really because this place used to be amazing! I'd always chicken out of getting the dress I really wanted and then end up seeing somebody wearing that dress!!! Maybe next season will be better, I hope so.