I love browsing old antique shops. I rarely buy anything, but I love the feeling that hundreds of…read moreyears of history are in one room. Antiques on High has the proper smell of old things and has an interesting range of antiques. Rather than focusing on big pieces of furniture, which so many antique shops do, it uses its space wisely to host: Jewellery, books, records, clothes, ornaments, pictures, maps and various collectables. The condition of the goods varies, but they're priced fairly reasonably. I find it's best to go in without the aim of buying something in particular, but just to browse. I can't say anything has ever caught my eye enough to want to buy it, but I've seen plenty of other people who have found the perfect addition to their home or the ideal gift. The best bit is the craft section, where there's a gallery of jewellery, leather, pottery, glass and art in general, all produced locally and all promising to be valuable antiques in the future. There's a great range in here and you can get something for less than a pound or spend hundreds of pounds. Equally, you can pop in for a few minutes or spend hours browsing - it's almost like a mini museum. If you like antique shops, this won't disappoint; if you've never been in one, try approaching it. Don't be put off by the prison-like bars in the windows; the staff are friendly and it's a different world inside.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my yearly visits to this shop. There are superb finds. Beautiful pieces…read moreof jewelry and vintage items in every case. My favorite is Caroline. I have bought wonderful treasures from her. They are all truly nice charming people. I miss this place.

In town for my sister-in-law's wedding, the Hat Box was the obvious choice for any of the guests…read morewho needed to buy the proper hat for the event. The space is small and packed with beautiful hats. The crowd of Americans somewhat overwhelmed the space, particularly in the warm July weather. But Gillian worked with each of us to find the right hat. She selected the perfect hat right away for most of us. I continued to try on hats while the others arrived, not wanting the fun of hat shopping to be over. There were several that I loved enough to consider buying a whole new dress to match... but in the end, it was the first she'd recommended that I selected. After talking more with her, she said that she could add some feathers that matched my dress if I would bring it back. I paid for the hat, but left it there so that she could add the feathers after I brought the dress back to match. While wandering around the rest of the covered market, I saw the most gorgeous exaggerated brim hat with curlicue in yellow and black that I just had to have. My husband asked Gillian to see it, and she fetched the porter for the key. The hat was amazing, but because of the price and because I was coming back for the feather matching the next day, Gillian advised me to sleep on it. The next day I returned for the feather matching and the yellow hat. With feathers selected, and yellow hat fetched, I asked about hatboxes, since I wouldn't have been able to get these beauties back to the US without one. Gillian at first mentioned that her boxes were quite large, but the yellow hat just fit at an angle, with room for my wedding hat underneath - perfect. Another of the wedding party was able to pick up my hat with the feathers added next day. The wedding hat was perfect (love that most of the hats are on headbands now to secure them to your head) and brought many compliments, as did all the hats purchased by my fellow American wedding guests. Both hats made it back to the US unharmed, though the rope of the box tore through one of the carrying holes in the process. I highly recommended for your hat needs in Oxford! 2019 Reviews #16

One of the reasons for a trip up as multiple weddings are looming. My wife has ben here before and…read morewas well pleased, so another trip was inevitable. PLUS,. more shelved hats around the home!! Excellent and fast tailor made service is provided by Gill and not extortionate, ( so I'm told)!! Brilliant colours and designs are in abundance, (quite impressive for the size of the shop)!! There are some really nice hats here, and it's all worth it if your wife's happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I loved all the Harry Potter stuff in this store. If I could, I'd buy all of them. I also liked…read morethat they sold little snacks, in addition to the University of Oxford gear/accessories. They have £9.99 Harry Potter-themed necklaces that I couldn't say no to, and most of them are nice or decent-looking. The Hedwig and cauldron necklaces were lackluster. They have a decent variety for the scarves, sweaters, and jackets, and they had accessories galore. Lots of horcruxes and wands on display and for sale. They even had Slughorn's hourglass and Gryffindor's sword! The mirror on the wall is between a narrow hallway where some Harry Potter stuff are displayed and a wall on the left, so it's very cramped in that area. This is one of my two complaints. The other complaint is that the employees there are so down-on-the-dumps or have that "ok let's get this day over with" attitude. They were helpful in that they helped me view and get everything I asked for, but they were so monotonous and dull that it's like they've never been delighted in their lives before. Two more things before I end this.. I have to talk about the University of Oxford gear and British souvenirs. The other half of this store had University of Oxford gear and accessories on sale as well. There's a good variety of ties, jackets, sweaters, etc. on sale. In the middle of the store, there are typical British souvenirs you see in London. The red bus, red telephone booth, British cookies, tea bags, bookmarks, magnets, etc. This section was alright as far as variety went.

Went in here today to get some souvenirs for my family and I felt like a little kid in a candy…read morestore. There's a wide array of oxford hoodies, T-shirt's, and on top of that, Harry Potter stuff! I walked out with three oxford hoodies, a 9 3/4 coffee mug, and an oxford t-shirt. Little overpriced, but I understand why. After all, it is a tourist location. The woman who rang me up was rude, no smile or indication that I was welcomed and didn't ask if I found everything okay. Maybe it's just a UK thing, but if you want tourist money, make them feel welcomed!

Great place to pick up Oxford t-shirts at a good price. I just bought three t-shirts @ 4.99 pounds…read moreeach, which is a real deal because they seem to be good quality and not the cheap ones that shrink to nothing. I bought one in 2010 at the same store and it is still going strong. The store has a variety of other touristy type things as well, including sweat shirts and other clothing. It is definitely worth checking out, located on Broad Street down the street from Boswell's.

Love this place! I recently ordered a crewneck through them and there were some delivery issues so…read moreI contacted them and Laura was quick to respond and super helpful! Will definitely be back!!

The more 'classy' shopping centre in Oxford, the Clarendon carries a number of designer labels…read moreunlike it's counterpart - the Westgate. The centre is small, with the list of shops in the review below. Note though, that it is open 7 days a week, not 5 as stated below. There are often promotional staff situated in the centre - Paintballing, Sky and Cars seem to be common themes. There is minimal seating available.

The Clarendon shopping centre is more modern and brighter than its slightly poorer cousin across…read morethe road (Westgate centre). Some fabulous shops including: French Connection lovely clothes with ladies downstairs and mens (not so good) upstairs Body shop smells yummy and very nice helpful staff Office - my favourite shoe shop River Island again ladies downstairs and men upstairs (not great, a bit unfashionable) Zara classy and elegant with helpful staff. Great ladies on the ground floor with mens and childrens upstairs. Quite a large size store too Gap good for those basics A lovely little boutique whose name escapes me just now they sell gorgeous ladies clothes and handbags The Christmas decorations this year are a bit dodgy though nice lights but one very strange looking santa riding a reindeer My only complaint about this centre is that is has absolutely no seats for tired boyfriends waiting for us girls to stop shopping!

I have to admit that I loved this shop so much that I travelled all the way back to Oxford just to…read moreget some more t-shirts. Look, I can't say that the quality of the shirts are particularly great (they aren't screen printed - which means that I suspect that they won't last as long) but I have to admit that they are pretty funny. In fact, they are hilarious. In fact there are a lot of other things here that have some pretty awesome jokes. Yeah, worth checking out, though since it is in the covered market, it can be tricky to find.

The name might sound like an underwear shop, but it's actually a brilliant little clothes shop…read morenestled in the Covered Market. I discovered it while looking for a 'Cheer Up Goth' t-shirt (still not found one!) and was entertained by looking at the funny t-shirts. I don't think I'd wear many of them, but I've got a couple of friends who thrive on that sort of display of wit. I'm more interested in the Camden market, hippie-ish bags, colourful wall decorations and accessories. It's not too expensive, at around £16.50 for a t-shirt, and it's well worth popping in if you're buying a present for someone who's into that sort of thing. Top tip: try and go during the week as it gets very crowded on Saturdays.

I could spend a lot of time (and money!) in Reign. The layout of the shop makes it feel bright and…read morespacious and the different items are sorted not just by type but also by colour. The most interesting things they have to offer appear to be placed in highlighted locations around the room and they really are beautiful pieces. Compared to the quality and prices of vintage in London, everything in Reign is a complete bargain, with most items in great condition and ranging from £5-£30. Apparently frequented by Emma Watson, Reign is a gem in the midst of Cowley road.

I was recommend this shop by a friend and had previously never noticed it was there after having…read morelived in Oxford for 2 years. And boy had I been missing out! Full of your typical glitzy and floral vintage dresses, but also casual jumpers and retro tees. I snapped up a funky vintage beige vest top with brown airmail stamps across it for the bargain price of £4.50! They also have great quality leather shoes, clutch bags and your usual vintage accessories. Worth a look if your craving a classic

Ede and Ravenscroft is one of those shops that really belongs in Oxford. It's a little glimpse into…read morethe past and into the world of esteemed traditional businessmen. I reckon most people who go in are just curious at the idea of a traditional tailors, and it's a refreshingly quiet change to similar shops in London. It specialises in menswear, but I've had a browse around for cufflinks and ties as presents for male friends and family members. Unfortunately for me, the price is high for such quality products, so I remain an admiring window shopper. There is a 10% discount for students, so it's a good place for interview or internship clothes, or even for sub-fusc, if you want quality clothes that will last. It also caters for academics, legal professions and even clerical outfits. You can treat it as a normal shop or get professionally measured and have clothes tailor-made. Great fun to browse around, but definitely not an everyday shop.

The Ede & Ravenscroft branch on High Street is most likely the best choice for suit, shirts and…read moreformal wear in Oxford. As part of the Ede & Ravenscroft tailoring house in London's Old Burlington Street, not only does the Oxford shop offer ready-made suits, sweaters, ties, shirts and accessories, they are also able to deliver custom-made shirts and suits and to my knowledge -at least until recently- had a tailor coming in for bespoke clothes. The choice of clothes and formal wear is quite remarkable for a small city like Oxford, and with quite a few well-off kids joining the local university each year, there definitely is demand for a shop like E & R. They do provide a great variety of dinner suits, and since every student at Oxford University at some point during his university life requires a dinner suit, this would be my recommended place to get it from. And students even get a 10 percent discount (at least they got it during my student time).

One of my favourite places to go window shopping in Oxford, and in fact anywhere. Don't be put off…read moreby the idea of expensive breakables - this is like a miniature art gallery of beautiful crystal and glass sculptures. Check out the miniature animals - they make a wonderful wedding or baptism present, or just as a cute present to tell someone how special they are. If such sentimentalism isn't your style, you can at least goggle at the expensive jewellery, which is far more than just necklaces: they do brooches, charms, cufflinks, bracelets and more. You can get gift vouchers if you're afraid of buying the wrong thing for someone, but they'll need to be quite a lot to get much! This is definitely somewhere to indulge in your decadent side, and it's fine to browse.

I just love window shopping in this store. I used to browse the counter at the department store…read morebefore it's demise but it's even better now that it has a dedicated shop. As with all Swarovski shops, the merchandise does have a seasonal aspect as well as a core range. I've always wondered if you could actually use the champagne flutes :-) however whether they are purchased for use or gift, they do look beautiful as do all the goods in the shop. Of the jewellery I have bought from other Swarovski shops (closer to work - I only ever window shop at the Oxford shop), it's all been good quality.