Irene's manages to cover the exterior of the shop with its wares while still keeping the sign…read morevisible - plenty of other stalls in the market should take note! It sells mainly baby clothes, and some very adorable ones at that (though I am a little biased as I am one of those (probably rather irritating) people who practically squeals in adoration at the mere clatter of a pram so I find anything approximating a baby-grow pretty adorable!) Some of the baby grows are padded to the max with detachable mittens to keep little baba toasty and warm even in our recently snowy climate...I actually rather wish they sold them in my size! They also have other baby grows of standard thickness and some rather more grown-up baby clothes...I actually find it rather creepy when a six month old baby boy wears a nicely ironed checked shirt and jeans and has his 3 hairs gelled in a side parting like a terrifying little man...but these clothes also go up to toddler sizes. There is also a tiny hoodie with the word 'skate' emblazoned across the chest...personally I think trying to make your baby look cool is most certainly not cool! Other clothing includes princess-style dresses for tiny baby dolls ...sorry... 'girls', hmm...also not particularly cool. It would make some sense maybe if she's a baby bridesmaid...I remember my little sister aged 10 months looking decidedly spherical and bored in a pink satin dress and matching headband at my aunt's wedding. Haha! The clothes here are very cheap at 2 or 3 pounds for tops or trousers and £9 for an amazing padded baby grow. Great for parents struggling to cope with the financial burden of a new child, though charity shops also often cater well for little ones.

Bags & Baggage have two stalls in the market. The one with a more central position in the upper…read moremarket hall sells mainly handbags and purses. If you like your handbags with large sprinklings of kitsch garishness then you will love this shop! There are plenty of brightly coloured gleaming quilted PVC bags with gold fastenings. Some have a shimmering leopard print and are embellished with bows and lace. There are also some rather cute classic-style purses with snap fastenings and some slightly more reserved brown and cream bags in a more unassuming style. They also sell umbrellas and have a make-your-own charm bracelet thing where you can choose different letters and charms to add to a chain. Prices are probably about high street level or cheaper. 30 seconds walk away, the Bags & Baggage on the south side of the upper market hall sells a similar range of handbags but also sells luggage bags of a variety of sizes and some unisex shoulder bags. Together the two Bags & Baggage shops cater for a range of tastes and uses at a decent price.

This little shop sells all types of bags from handbags to suitcases, sports bags to school…read morerucksacks. The handbags dominate the small shop and nearly put me off my lunch. They are quite tacky and all seemed to have a gold crown symbol on. Perhaps the proprietors are royalists? If you long for the designer handbag but like most of the population cannot justify spending hundreds then you will be able to find an equally sparkly, glitzy replacement here for a fraction of the price. If you can see beyond the handbags then there are some good deals on suitcases which are strangely expensive outside of market-world. There were a few sets decorated in different patterns in varying sizes. A decent sized one is about £25.

I have got literally no idea why this stall is called 'Around A Pound', as nothing is any nearer to…read morea pound in price than you'd expect it to be in a shop with a variety of different products at a variety of prices! Bizarre! But despite the illogical and clumsy name which may lead to disappointment when spying a bargainous ring only to find that it is £4.99 I think this shop manages to redeem itself! It is quite large for a shop in the market and sells a vast range of jewellery and trinkets at a reasonable if not pound-proximate price. The jewellery here is very much magpie-material with endless, jewel encrusted twinkling rings and 'statement' necklaces on display. They also sell some extremely blinging fancy dress style 'ice' with pendants including dollar signs covered in plastic gems. On top of the array of jewellery they sell cute home decorations such as Chinese lanterns and wall hangings and large butterflies made from feathers. Other wares include charming little wicker baskets and a selection of scarves in a range of colours and designs. Around A Pound is a great place to come for an affordable gift for any friends or girlfriends partial to a bit of glitz, or to find pretty bits and pieces to pimp a dull-looking room!

I was introduced to this place recently and I think it's going to solve a lot of problems for me…read more Outwardly, it's a gorgeous little stall in the market that hosts a number of beautifully tailored items. Hand made dresses in a number of prom styles, gorgeous fabric, beautiful detailing and wonderful beading. The stall is reasonably large, so there's plenty of lovely girly items to browse, and my magpie eyes are always open to such temptation, and there's no end to the sparkle in this lovely space. But, the interesting detail for me is that the lady who runs the stall apparently has a lot of tailoring talent. I mean, that's evident from the items on display alone. But my friend, who showed me the stall, mentioned that someone she knew had given the stall owner a dress that she wanted to save and the stall owner managed to craft a perfect replica! Now, this is obviously not something I've yet to test out myself, but being one with a plethora of unfinished projects, I intend to try this out. I've so many items that need taking in, old clothes that are too far gone to save but could be made using the original as a blueprint, that I will be back... And hopefully with a whole new wardrobe!

My Gran is one my favourite people in the Universe. Her requests put to my Mam and I about what…read moreclothes to look out for, is in turn one of the worst things in the Universe. Slightly picky would be an understated description. Let me paint the picture. The tops that she favours are not too thick, but not thin material either. The sleeves must not be too long but she hates shorter ones too. The neck must not be too far down because "the chest area is awful to see on an older person" she explains. However, high necks are out as she despises the feeling of being suffocated and the garment should never show off her bust very much. My Gran loves a bit of beading but must never have anything that daddles. I did not even know that 'daddles' wasn't a bona fide word until I moved away from home, such was the frequency of its use in such matters! I will save you the details of skirts, trousers, jackets and everything else in between. You get the picture. Myers Cardigan Shop is our new saviour. The massive list of specifications gets a proud, emerald green tick next to each one! Succinctly, if you too have a relative of the older persuasion who is a challenge to buy for, the friendly guy who runs Myers Cardigan Shop will happily guide you to present giving success.

Established over 50 years ago, this adorably quaint little shop sells mainly cardigans, with a few…read moredresses and blouses thrown in for good measure. I have a penchant for vintage clothing and I'll happily admit to being quite a fan of the 'granny look' that has recently found a bit of a following among vintage shoppers. Though not actually vintage, this shop does the 'granny look' with panache and I always find that something catches my eye whenever I walk past. With many a cutely embroidered cardie, vintage-look belted dress and beaded blouse, it would definitely appeal to ladies with a love of the vintage look. Prices at The Cardigan Shop are those you would expect in a market - cheaper than your average high street shop. Supporting an independent shop gives you a much more feel-good shopping experience than buying imitation-vintage at a high street chain...and despite not actually being vintage you get the feeling that, rather than attempting to emulate vintage fashions Myers The Cardigan Shop is genuinely stuck in the past, which is actually very endearing!

On a brief trip in town the other day I popped back into Memphis Belle, drawn in beyond temptation…read moreby the beautiful 50s dress outside. The lady, as ever, was a delight to talk to and I explained that although I did have an event to attend I had simply been longing for one of their dresses for sometime so wanted to try one on. The dresses inside are all rather fabulous, some in very bodacious cupcake prints, others in a more delicate rose print. Although there are a few with slightly different features to the design (some with more frilly adornments, others a little more standard) all have been lovingly made by Memphis Belle - something I'd not known previously! Essentially, the majority of items not in a packet have been made by these guys, which endears me even more to this gorgeous shop. The 50s style dresses really are stunning, with slightly sweetheart necklines, high waists and flowing skirts they're utterly flattering and I'm sure would suit all different shapes. After trying a number of different ones on, with lots of advice, I eventually chose one that we thought suited my skin tone best. (Being pale as death can be a real drawback.) They also sell the underskirts if you wish to make the dress more 'poofy', which I couldn't resist, so I came away delighted with a new outfit! For every aspect of retail this place is fabulous - from great products to customer service. I realise it's an entirely 'girly' shop, but if you're even a little tempted by glamming up I suggest you pop in and have a natter with the lovely lady who works here! There are all sorts of retro and burlesque style bits to choose from, or even simply some outrageous eyelashes...

Memphis Belle is really eye catching, perched neatly on the corner of the Leeds/Kirkgate Market…read more It's main items of sale are dramatic dresses, mostly varying around the 50's era and burlesque ilk with some more gothic. The windows outside are also decorated with mannequins legs flirtatiously portraying various colourful tights and high heeled shoes that are all wacky and wonderful. They also stock a wide variety of fancy dress type stock such as those packaged witch outfits or nurses attire, plus a load of jewellery, fake eye lashes, silly string and the like. I really enjoy having a look around in here, it is very busy on the eye and always draws me in and conjures up images of me dressed as a burlesque 50's lady at a party or just strutting around in some garish colourful tights. A huge amount fun to be had with this place, however is really quite small so navigating inside is hard to say the least when it's busy, and also wouldn't be the most wheelchair friendly.

Pav's Bargains is located in the lower market hall in Leeds Kirkgate Market. It is easily…read morenoticeable from its bright red and yellow sign and the dozens of neon gloves, legwarmers, socks and hats hanging up outside. It sells socks, underwear and gloves for both men and women. The knickers here are not, as I'd judgementally assumed, all large Bridget Jones style knickers or generally unattractive and unflattering...there's actually a selection of quite pretty French knickers with lace trim. There are also what appears to be girls' boxer shorts...or just fun, colourful boy's boxers. Some of the socks on sale really are wacky, with crazy neon patterns or neon lace and bows. Gloves are almost all blindingly bright shades of orange, yellow and green and only £1.00. They also sell thermal leggings and vests - brilliant at this time of year.

Grin, having come to exist here once evicted from the Corn Exchange, is an old time favourite place…read moreof mine to browse. Being one of the original alternative places to shop in Leeds, supplying all the old school goth kids who amassed outside the Corn Exchange with their garments, I am really glad that it survived the relocation. There's definitely a hint of nostalgia in it for me, it was one of the first places that I'd regularly shop at, but having been in Leeds a while it is now more than loyalty that draws me within its doors. I don't usually shop here for many of the clothes, being that I prefer a different style, but for accessories and shoes I love this place. A while back I bought my 'non-converse' trainer boots here and I literally wore them to death. It was only once the backs had entirely ripped away from the heel that I had to give up the ghost with those. They lasted me a year or so, of virtually constant wear, and for forty pounds I think that's no bad thing. They also supply me with a great collection of arm warmer things, cool gloves and interesting tights with which to lift a more standard outfit! Even if you aren't sure what you like, Grin will twist your arm. There is a cool about this shop that just can't help but find its way to you. Contagious style. Just go and have a look - I'm sure you'll enjoy!

The 'alternative' clothing provided by Grin when I was a teenager no longer seems particularly…read morealternative, their products having remained very similar for over ten years and having seen a huge growth then slight decline in popularity in that time. Though providing some of the lacier, buckle adorned, PVC coated items and tiny black and red tutus popular among goths, much of their products now have similar incarnations in the likes of H&M and Tammy at BHS. Oh well. Grin still appears to be Grinning! Despite the seemingly tiny size of this shop I had a bit of an explore and discovered a basement dungeon full of Nintendo and comedy Banksy-inspired hoodies and band T-shirts. While upstairs there is a rather disorganised fancy dress section with a good wing selection, some pretty cool giant comedy glasses and some 'Part Animal' all-in-ones, including a cow, a bear and a bee - a rather hilarious antidote to the pandemic of 'sexy' nurses infecting the nation. My favourite products from Grin are their Stargazer vegan makeup range and La Riche hair dyes, both available in bright and unusual colours. Prices at Grin are pretty cheap - £15 for a tutu and £10-£20 for a hoodie. Not necessarily a good thing as it rather makes you wonder where and how they were made...

I stumbled across Pop Boutique after visiting the haberdashery right next to it. I was surprised to…read moresay the least. Cute little woollen skirts and check shirts seemed to be the running trend. Along with lots of lurex and sparkles! A lot of the clothes here are recycled, hence their motto - recyclable fashion! The fitting rooms are plastered with cool band photos and pin ups advertising burlesque evenings. I bought a shirt and a skirt from here and can't wait to wear them. Different and affordable with lovely, polite staff. 5 stars from me!

Pop Boutique is one of that strange breed of shop that seems to market itself as a 'vintage' yet…read morestocks entirely new clothing, cut from new textiles in designs vaguely inspired by vintage clothing. There are a few genuine vintage finds in here, but they seem to be getting fewer and farther between as the stock leans more and more towards the new. Put aside any qualms over the label 'vintage', however, and you'll find that Pop Boutique is a fine addition to the pile of central Leeds clothes shops, and while its cute tea dresses and floral skirts may not be originals from the 1950s they're still different - and cheaper - than anything you might find on the high street.

I love this shop! The hand painted sign describes its wares as 'African and European designs'. It…read moresells a small range of clothing with a loud and colourful style. Long dresses, tops and skirts have striking prints and are embellished with lacy edges or embroidery. They also sell amazing fabrics with vibrant African prints at £20 for about 6 metres. And they have a range of rather flamboyant shoes - brightly coloured heels with long sharply-pointed toes and men's shoes which include blue snakeskin effect brogues also with long pointed toes. They also sell bags, scarves and other bits and bobs. The woman running the shop, presumably Rita, was very friendly and helpful, making me feel welcome to have a browse and answering any queries I had. This is the kind of shop that makes the market such an amazing, vibrant place full of so many different cultures and unexpected treasures!

Finding this kind of speciality store really makes me happy, especially when it's tucked out of the…read moreway, down one of the passages in the market. Unlike many of the stores, Rita's has a market and sells something you would not be able to find anywhere else in the market: African clothing and fabrics. they also sell shoes and other items of clothing, but without a doubt, my favourite part was looking at the bright colours and patterns on the african fabrics. At reasonable prices, Rita also seems lovely and helpful.