Walking through the doors of shop is like literally taking a step back in time. Everything from the…read morefurniture to the shop assistants look as though they've come from the swinging sixties. This is a little slice of retro happiness on the Christmas Steps. They stock everything from home ware to jewellery making it a vintage girl's paradise. Not only is Shop one of the best shops that Bristol has to offer, but they also hold gig and film nights where they'll serve you hot buttered pop corn and cups of tea. Keep an eye on the website for an event that takes your fancy and then try it out for yourself.

A lot of shops have come and gone on Christmas Steps, but this little vintage shop has kept its…read morechirpy little doors open. Focusing on modern vintage ('70s to '90s with a few nods to '50s and '60s) the first room has carefully displayed homeware and little nick-nacks. Owners Jayne and Brett are always there with a 'hello' - they always look so damn happy! - and the lounge music will usher you in smoothly to the back room. Here you will find some good retro clothes, particularly nice are the accessories and brooches available. TOP TIP: Pick up a 'shop-fir-mation' from the bowl at the back, a pick-me-up fortune cookie message in SHOP's unique style.

Small vintage boutique tucked beside The Lanes bowling alley. This has an area for vinyl and then…read morethe shop has clothes on tall racks. There is a nice range of eras on show here, and very reasonable - I saw a 60s skirt suit here for £20. Keep an eye on their website/shop as they often hold vintage fairs here with the bigger space of the lanes available. Then shops from all over the country visit with some serious period panache.

If you're looking for a place of sanctuary, away from the generic high street stores found in the…read moreCabot's Circus/Broadmead area, come for shelter here. It's a cute little retro vintage store, with a small selection of individual items to spice up the fashion jerseys and plain jeans in your life. Found in the entrance to Bristol's city centre bowling alley, you could almost strike lucky with a well priced find. There's an especially good range of accessories and vinyl on offer here too and with a retro bar round the corner, you can't loose.

Bizarre little shop this. It ocassionally has some really interesting looking vintage pieces,…read morealthough a lot of the time it looks like your grandmother had her wardrobe raided. Highly recommend coming here if you are looking for something special to wear to Grannycon! I've noticed in the last 6 months the granny trend is taking off and blue rinses have become the cool new hairdo! Lavina's Lair is most certainly a lair of the unknown. The rails are rather crammed so you have to search if you want to spot something. I've yet to find that one perfect piece of clothing from here but its definitely worth checking out as you just never know what you will find.

Uncle Sam's has been here for as long as I can remember, and I do quite like it, but despite saying…read morethat, I haven't actually bought anything from here. It is a fairly small shop, a beacon to vintage lovers on Park Street. They sell records, leather wallets, jackets, 80s dresses, cut off levis.. anything vintage that pops in your head, they do have it here. You do have to dig abit to find things though, which just adds to the fun. This is somewhere I always pop by to have a browse, always expecting to find something awesome, but never really do. Maybe that is because the prices are quite steep; rising with the rise of the love of vintage fashion these days.

From the outside it looks as though Uncle Sam's is going to be the best offering that Park Street…read morehas. A classic American vintage sign, a window full of Levis and checked flannel shirts, but it's best not to judge a book by its cover. (Or a vintage clothes store by its window!) I love a bit of a rummage through piles of retro clothing, but the interesting finds here are so few are far between that it doesn't make your wait worth-while. On the whole, I find that men do better here than women with some fantastic leather jackets and belts to be had. Just be prepared to pay a hefty price for some of the better pieces. It's worth a look for die-hard vintage clothes fans, but personally I prefer to save my pennies and go rooting around Bristol's fabulous charity shops. Cheaper, with added feel good factor!

Everything in this shop is gorgeous, including second-hand books, vintage clothes and accessories,…read moreleather-bound notebooks, local postcards. "Booty", with its definition "treasure", is exactly the right name for the place; anything you pick up here feels like a little prize, something you uncovered by happy accident when wandering along this quirky street. This is the sort of shop I remember dreaming about as a teenager, yearning for a shop that would have the ideal combination of brilliant things all in one place. It's a great place to come for gift-shopping, as you're likely to find something far more original and meaningul (and easier on the wallet) here than you would in a conventional, specific "gift shop". The shop is very at home here in this part of Bristol, with a dozen unique small businesses along one stretch leading towards yet more as you start down the Christmas Steps.

Booty! The name says it all - this shop is pretty much like a car boot sale (this particular car…read morewould have a very big boot). There are tonnes of books, vintage jewelery, vintage flick out fans, sunglasses, clothes, leather bound Indiany books, cards, hats, records.. the list goes on, and boy does it go on. You feel like you're transported to many different shops while you're in here. You could be in the aisles of an old library in the book section, and suddenly you're in your grandmother's closet, and a few steps later, you're in a really old school record shop! It makes it feels so fun to shuffle around in here, peering at every item as you go along. A great shop to wander in on a lazy afternoon, when you feel like immersing yourself in some great vintage retail therapy.

This is the kind of vintage emporium in which it's possible to lose whole afternoons as you rummage…read morethrough racks of incredible dresses, shirts and velvet jackets in colours you never thought possible and 1970s patterns that make your eyes go funny, and shelves of incredible aviators, braces, gloves, belts and badges, every item more mesmerising and tempting than the last. And that's before you reach the glorious, plush nook at the back of the shop where dozens of fur coats, leather jackets and bags brush against each other, giving a rustling call for you to drape them over your shoulders. It's hard to leave RePsycho, mainly because it is, actually, quite hard to leave; it's very cramped and stuffed with stock from ceiling to floor, wall to wall, and it can become a bit of a slalom if more than two people are inside. It's also awkward getting out if you're the only person in there and you haven't bought anything. It's the kind of small boutiquey environment that's staffed by people who are intensely passionate about what they're selling, so you can't really slip out empty-handed without offering a slightly grovelling "thank you", wearing your best "I'm sorry" expression as you open the door. Of course, as with any vintage shop, you get the best experience when you're prepared to invest time looking through all the racks and all the shelves and battling through lots of questionable stuff in order to find something gorgeous at a price you're willing to pay. RePsycho is one of those shops that can provide hours of silly fun if you take a friend and play dress-ups (and do your best to stop worrying about the shop assistant hearing you talking about how hideous some of the things are), but it's also good for intensive, solitary shopping when you're on a quest for those perfect Betty Draper-esque white court shoes.

I usually loathe vintage clothing shops. They make me feel more frumpy than a royal and further…read morefrom the likes of Alexa Chung and Agyness Deyn than a square meal. However, RePsycho manages to be kooky, great value and truly a beacon of style rather than just pretentious. It is not for those who like to cruise well-ordered rails and peel pristine items off their hangers, however, as there is something of a jumble sale feel to the mess within. But there are great bargains to be had, from cool Paddington Bear-style bags to amazing 80s garb and just lived-in enough cowboy boots. As usual I never emerge from here looking remotely cool but if you do have an eye for how to put a good outfit together, or a really cool Mod party to go to then this is the must-see haunt for you.

I wish this shop stocked men's clothes! Now I don't know if…read moremore mirrors are being manufactured or if it's the result of a subtle advertising campaign but I'm sure more men nowadays are taking more pride in their appearance. It would be a godsend, essentially, if places like RagTrade could be of service to us. The idea is spot on. A shop that gathers, in their own terms, pre-loved designer women's wear. Another delightful name they call themselves is The Recycle Boutique. Think modern feminine Dickensian, with a kind of sexy urban twist. The website, the flyers and of course the shop are all very poetic and friendly, offering services to customers of all age, budget and occasion. With regular discounts and sales they must be, I am sure, popular with the local student market. Indeed it is shops like this, and thus the writing of reviews about, that I sometimes feel I'd have made a pretty good woman. A shopaholic, but woman nonetheless. Roll on the man's Rag Trade!

Rag Trade is simply a lovely, and functional idea. From the outside it looks like yet another…read moreboutique, but their concept is just great. Basically they are a dress agency, who you bring your unwanted designer clothes to, and they price it and put it in their shop for sale. Hence, anyone wanting to find some unique price slashed designer pieces, try here! The clothes stay on the racks only for 7 weeks, in which they get lower in price as the weeks go, if the clothing doesn't sell. After that 7 weeks, they go to charity. So if you are a seller, and if your item does sell in the shop, you either get 40% of the sale price in cash, or 50% of the sale price, in store credit. Ideal for label lovers, or those who are just looking for something non high street. The 7 week rule ensures the stock changes regularly, and I'm really glad that a shop like this seems to be sustaining itself through the more difficult economic times. It's quite inspiring.

Wandering with the 80s lycra masses is all very well, but what if you don't want to look like a…read morecomplete high street clone?? I was intrigued by this lil' vintage shop, stuffed to the gills with alternative, retro and hippy clothes and sporting a rather lovely hand painted sign. Inside, psychedelic patterns and velvet fabrics took over my brain. Denim, leather, gorgeous 60s flat boots, strappy sandals and rows of handbags. The thing they do best is hats (though not strictly a miliners). There are loads of different types from sun visors to full on Bogart hats - get the distinguished look! The guy behind the counter will give you his opinion on which one looks good, if you should so wish! What I didn't expect was the selection of retro velvet curtains on offer (I thought it was a fashion shop!!) which they'll alter on site. They come in every colour and smell a tiny bit musty - but I guess that's part of the appeal. I ended my visit with an obligatory look through the super rummageable bargain bin full of material and random clothes/tights/beaded necklaces. Needless to say, my wallet did not leave unscathed.

Up the top end of Gloucester road and well away from much other competition from vintage clothing…read moreboutiques, Billie Jean Clothes offers a dedicated service of providing clean presentable vintage clothes. The inside of the shop is pretty small, but I've always managed to find the odd vintage shirt or t-shirt in here. A lot of my female friends rave about this shop too. They're forever picking up scarves and bags here and I've managed to find the odd present after quite a lot of rifling through. If you're looking for something in particular though, make sure to ask, as the staff are really helpful and know exactly what they have in store. This is definitely a great alternative if you have exhausted the city centre vintage shops such as Uncle Sam's and Re-psycho.

Dulay offers a wide range of both men and women's clothes at very reasonable prices. More often…read morethat not they've got a sale on, so whatever time of year there's likely to be a bargain available. There's a large denim section on the ground floor, along with the ladieswear, whilst upstairs there's a large mens section, offering both a range of smart clothing and suits, as well as casual wear and accessories, with watches and belts at particularly reasonable prices. Denim is their main focus, and Dulay is one of the largest denim retailers in the south west. They stock all the main brands like Levi and Wrangler, but cheaper than you're likely to find elsewhere. A good team of staff (which is quite large - there's always someone available to assist) complete the package for a very good shop.

I'm not big on clothes shopping in general, not when I can save my money up for new gadgets and…read moresuch, but on occasion I find myself in desperate need of some new jeans/jumpers/socks and find myself with no option but to venture into the jungle that is high street fashion. Dulay isn't a place I'd even considered before, to be perfectly honest, but as I found myself walking past I decided to go in and check it out. They do a good range of jeans - although I couldn't find any baggy enough for my preference, there's plenty to choose from if you're into average leg widths. The staff are friendly, but not overbearing as they can be in other places and the prices aren't bad either. I didn't pick anything up this time, but I'm sure I'll head back at some point in the future.