Ive been dreaming of Jean Genie! A little shop on trendy Beech Road in Chorlton Cum Hardy, it was…read moreconceived by two visionaries : Zoe and Vic and look how their baby is growing up!!! Antique wardrobes stuffed with jeans call out your name. Now, I have always been turned off by shops selling a lot of denim- maybe too much blue puts me in a blue mood. This is not the case at Jean Genie as my denim phobia is banished by the brightly coloured t- shirts which punctuate the room. I saw a fetching red Superman retro design which my liitle boy would have pestered me for. Well established names such as Wrangler, American Appararel,Hilfiger and Levi link hands with less mainstream brands like Junk Food to which I am a complete convert! I was in the mood for something a little different and Zoe showed me the Junk Food Alice in Wonderland t-shirts which had just arrived. How very topical and truly tempting. Sizes are quite small, I am a 10 and need a medium but there are several styles of one genre. Men's hoodies and tee's paternally protect clothing for bambinos, OMG how cute, there are t-shirts for little ones here. Zoe explained to me how they operate a bespoke t-shirt printing service and I think they are onto a winner. Starting from a reasonable £20 you can take in any design you wish, from a photo, to your 5 year old's self-portrait and Jean Genie will transform it into a t-shirt that everyone will notice. Prices increase if the design is hand drawn as opposed to pdf, and also if you want them to use a variety of colours. I left with my £32.50 and worth every penny, Alice in Wonderland top and with an idea for my fashionista daughter's birthday. I was given the shop's innovative flyer( a frisbee) which will give me 10% off my next purchase and as Arnie says...."I'll be back!"

If you're looking for some cheap and cheerful clothes in Sale town centre then look no further than…read morePeacocks. If you haven't heard of Peacocks before then it's a chain of stores which isn't too dissimilar to Primark. The clothes are of an average quality but they won't last you for years but once you've seen the price tags you won't be complaining. The Sale store is a decent size and offers a good range of women's clothes as well as underwear, menswear and a limited children's range. The staff might no be the most helpful and enthusiastic but the store is usually quiet which makes for easy browsing. Definitely a perfect stop if you're looking for something cheap and cheerful to update your wardrobe.

While I was working at Spinningfields, I was on fairly decent money. For me, that is. Probably not…read morein the great scheme of things. Hey, I'm a massive budgeter and the only debt I've ever been in revolves around that darn student loan. So when we were doing 'okay', my friend and I decided that we should really boycott Primark. We'd had enough of the hell that comes with shopping there - the long queues, the prams being used as weapons, the stampeding scenesters, the screaming babies, the messy thrown-everywhere clothes. But where oh where would we get our cheap little essentials from? Prior to my friend's Spanish holiday, I took her into Peacocks (or 'Piceaux' as the brunette calls it. She has a nickname for everything that makes it sound cooler). She was impressed. She snapped up the little denim skirts she wanted along with strapless tops, all of which were very cheap... only slightly more expensive than Primark too. This branch of Peacocks is great because its location, right near TK Maxx and Poundland, seems so appropriate for its price range, and it's really done a good job with the display. Everything's easy to find and the window draws you in with brightly coloured coats and nicely put together outfits. It's a great place to grab those last little bits like flip-flops or party shoes, and I think the underwear selection is top notch. It also sells those invisible bras for only about £3. It might not have the same kind of high street reputation a lot of the clothing stores in the Arndale have, but do give Peacocks a try - you might get more than you bargained for.

This Peacocks in the Arndale Centre look a bit like it's trying to be Topman. Its clothes look kind…read moreof similar, generally it looks kind of the same. Only, really when you look closely it's no way near as 'cool.' Sure these are well made clothes at decent prices that are actually way more reasonable than Topman, but just not as trendy.

I told my husband that I loved Fred's and he said Fred's what? Fred's clothes of course darling. He…read morehad every right to be jealous because I have developed an unhealthy obsession for this place. The brother of Six clothes shop in Urmston, Fred's is a plethora of funky, pretty and stylish ensembles and as only approximately three of each garment is stocked, you don't run the risk of seeing clones of yourself about town....is there anything more irritating?! A fresh green exterior leads you into a boudoir of flocked wallpaper and huge ornate mirrors. The store itself is small and can get really crowded especially on weekends, yet the changing room is spacious with two cubicles ( I just whip my clothes off in the area outside them, it beats a long wait). From floral boho maxis to vintage looking 60's lace minis. From cute summer dresses ( I bought a yellow/purple floral creation last year and was never out of it), to sexy sequinned numbers, Fred's has something for everyone. Prices are superb too! Most dresses range from only £18 to £30 with a couple of exceptions. The staff are terrific, Fred is so helpful and amazing at sourcing original clothes, teenage Saturday girls cannot do enough for you. Yes dear husband, another man has entered my life and stolen my heart.

I was immediately drawn to Fred's by their quirky window display. It's a relatively small shop but…read moreeverything is well spaced and displayed to advantage. The clothes are extremely reasonable. The last time I called in they had a rail of chunky knit jumpers going for £20 each. Styles lean more towards the younger market a pretty mini dress with a bunny print and lace collar caught my eye. Other items included cute tops with character prints and stripes and polka dots seemed to be popular. If you buy from Fred's it's unlikely you're going to bump into anyone else wearing the same thing. This is not your average high street stuff. Knowledgeable staff make this a relaxed and enjoyable shopping experience.