So Flock Boutique is this cute little shop in my 'hood that sells cool indie Canadian brands and…read morealso Canadian brands that have made it big(ger). They have clothes by Jennifer Glasgow and Miik. They have soaps and body care by Purple Urchin. They also have jewelery by local designers and weird knick knacks like hand puppets of Canadian prime ministers, lol. So funky and weird! This store is more neat, clean and upscale-ish, a la "Yorkville" (Toronto reference) and not like Adorit in the Byward Market (that also carries local and Canadian designs, and some of the same brands, like Miik) which is more, a la "Kensington Market" (sorry, another Toronto reference), but meaning more bohemian and smelling of patchouli. Prices are high, but your getting good quality and supporting the Canadian market.

I will definitely be going back to this trendy boutique soon. I have been looking for a wedding…read moredress (something trendy and artistic and untraditional!) and I found several options here. The great thing about Flock Boutique is that the clothes are made by Canadian designers, the majority of which are women! They try to bring in lots of fashions from Ottawa and Montreal also, to be local. The accessories here are amazing! They have lots of colourful pins and earrings and some great bags! I really had to control myself, or I would have had an empty wallet when I came out. I did see several dress options, but was tight on time, so I couldn't try anything on. One of the girls working in the store patiently showed me several dresses and answered all my questions about the designers and the store. The people who work here clearly know what they are talking about. It is also great that so many of the designs are by Canadian women! For someone who wants to dress artistically, this is the perfect spot to shop.

Beautiful clothes set up on great displays. There was a good…read morevariety of ladies wear All seemed well made with good quality fabrics. They were very colourful. Prices varied, but much was on sale 30% off. Staff were not pushy. Only drawback was lack of larger sizes. But very much worth the visit.

Love this place! It has all the best designers in one little shop..like Nicole Miller and Elie…read moreTahari.....nicer stuff than Holts! The staff are so nice and really care about you and how you look when you leave! The best kept secret of the fashion world in Ottawa.

Shepherd's is a unique women's clothing store. Their aesthetic is drapey, flowy and asymmetric…read more(very similar to the "lagenlook" style). I love this style, but unfortunately, do not have the height to pull it off, lol. They do have some more fitted and structured items, but I would say the majority of their stuff is of a baggier fit (think Caftans and Ponchos). Also, I find that they don't carry a lot of smaller sizes, so if you are smaller than a North American 6, you likely won't find much that fits you. However, they also carry jewelry and other accessories. I have never bought anything at Shepherd's because nothing I've tried on has ever fit me, but I do like looking around at the cool styles. And maybe one of these days they will actually carry something that fits me. Prices are a bit on the higher end (tops $75-$175, pants are about $100 and dresses are around the $200 mark - and we're talking casual to semi-formal dresses). However, the styles are a bit different and you will likely not see too many other people on the street wearing the same thing. Some of their stuff I find a bit matronly, but some of their stuff is really neat. I loathe to use the term "mature woman" but let's just say that I doubt any tweens, teens, or even those in their 20s would find anything there to their liking. Shepherd's used to have a few stores in Ottawa (Rideau Centre, Bayshore and a brief stint at Tanger), but now their only location is at Trainyards.

Shepard's is a destination for those few pricey but solid pieces of your wardrobe that you can base…read moreall your other pieces off of and will then help you elevate your entire wardrobe. The quality and design of Joseph Ribkoff, Eileen Fisher etc is amazing and helps you to see what is trending in women's fashions and help you "hide" what you want and "show off" what you have. They lost (1) star because when I first arrived no less than (5) people asked me if they could start a room and I wish they would communicate and coordinate their efforts between themselves for newly arriving clients.

Beautiful new store in the heart of Preston Village. Popped in due to the beautiful window display…read moreand found a new retail shop full of clothes, accessories and jewellery. It was uber cold so I picked up a pair of mackage gloves where I can text and use my phone. So helpful! Great staff, and the mirror and dressing room reminds me of a tailor or a seamtress's with the multi dimensional mirrors. Feels cozy and friendly.

Vincent is an amazing store located in Little Italy. Angie and Amanda welcome customers into the…read morestore like it was their home. I couldn't help but admire all of the interior decor and wished I could make my house look as good as the store! Last year Angie and Amanda were so helpful in helping me special order a very limited and unique jewellery piece. I get compliments on it all of the time. Without their outstanding service, I would not have gotten it! I loved their store so much I wanted to write a blog post on them! Read more here: http://www.tobakiss.ca/vincent-a-womens-fashion-boutique-on-preston/

Ok, The Wholesale Outlet is a strange little place. It's in what looks like a converted barn (!)…read moreThe parking lot (which it shares with The Apple Saddlery) is unpaved and full of potholes. When you go inside, everything is really messy and it looks like a warehouse. The back of the store is really poorly lit. So you would expect really low prices and great deals, right? Well, every clothing item hovers around the $100 mark. Now they do specialize in clothing from Canadian and European designers, and many of their items are made in Canada or in a European country, so yes, the quality is higher. However, with a name like "The Wholesale Outlet" I really was expecting lower prices. In my opinion, the majority of their items are rather dowdy, unless you are in your 8th decade of life, in which case, you would be considered a fashion plate if you wore these items. HOWEVER, if you have the time and patience to sort through their stuff, you will find some lovely gems. I have only ever purchased skirts here, and only in the clearance section at the back of the store, where everything is 50% off (but poorly lit and items are tightly packed together - my arms often hurt after pulling all the items apart to look at them on the racks). Now to give you an idea of my style, I love asymmetric hem lines, over-sized buttons, and superfluous zippers, so I'm a huge fan of the skirt styles from French, German and Scandinavian designers. The sizing of items here is a little strange. Yes, some are European sizes, but even that I found not to be consistent. I'm pretty much a North American size 2 (sometimes 0), so typically a European 36 or 38 and a UK/Australian 6 or 8. However, here I've tried on a "European 40" and a "Canadian 6" and couldn't zip up either item :P So the take home message is, if you like something, disregard the sizing, just eyeball it and if it looks like it might fit, try it on. If you are under 50 years old, you will likely be the youngest person in the store. The staff here are very nice and friendly. I don't come here often, but I will pop in once in a while to check things out.

This store is so unbelievable! Great service & amazing…read moreFrench dressing jeans. Awesome tops, jackets, shoes & beautiful sweaters! My new favorite store! Check it out, you won't be disappointed!

Such a cool store! I'm so happy I randomly walked in. I found so many unique items and discovered a…read morelot of amazing local Canadian brands. It's a great place for gifts or for finding a little piece of Ottawa to bring home

Great store with a wonderful selection of Clothing and all kinds of hidden treasures, many locally…read morehandmade. The knowledgeable staff are friendly and helpful without being overbearing. Take your time while shopping so you don't miss laugh out loud moments as you look at the many cards, stickers, magnets and patches. A store worthy of the time to enjoy. I always look forward to stopping at Milk when I'm in the Byward Market.

Every time we go to this store we receive excellent service. It's a pricey store, but they do put…read moreon some great sales and the clothing is very good quality. The men's sizing is very precise with fitted or more relaxed fit dress shirts and pants. We have mostly purchased men's clothing but they also have a small women's section as well. Two of my favourite items in this store are the wide selection of tie-able bow ties (as opposed to pre-tied bow ties) and the small selection of satirical books found at the register. The books are quite expensive and I have yet to see them on sale, but they are such fun: How to be a lady, how to behave at a formal diner party - amazing! Tanger outlets have all the essentials for every event, from the casual BBQ to a night on the town, to a fancy dress ball - enjoy!