When I first happened upon Darimeya not so long ago, I thought I had discovered a hidden gem. The…read moresmall store was - and is - relatively empty, save for about 7 racks of clothing, a smattering of jewellery and a couple of the sweetest shopgirls you can imagine. Nothing is terribly expensive and the designs are highly original (indeed, the Korean designer Darimeya creates the prints herself and only produces a limited amount of each style). Turns out, Darimeya got her start on Portobello Road before moving on up to Topshop and then to two of her own boutiques (Ken Church and Brick Lane) and elsewhere. So you may now recognize the name, but that doesn't change a thing. The clothes - predominantly dresses and only coming in 1 size (around an 8-10) - still have a unique, handmade feel and I love popping into the store to see what's new.

A friend of mine sings praises to this boutique in Clapham and she always wears unusual pieces from…read morethere. So I popped in last week to check them out. Galleria Conti sells gorgeous, wearable clothes from both well known brands like Maxmara Weekend, Farhi and hot fashion pieces from Luella, as well as quirky one offs. Their prices were a pleasant surprise, too. I've picked up a Farhi smock coat which I've been admiring in Selfridges, but at much better price. Alannah Hill and Nicole Miller dresses were to die for. A definite must for that special dress. Shop staff were lovely too, friendly, helpful and bags of style advice if you stuck for ideas. They also have an inhouse professional stylist. I shall be back. Thank you very much.

A fantastic little boutique on Battersea Rise - with brilliant personal service. I bought a…read moregorgeous dress that needed altering. When the alterations weren't right, Marietta ordered me a brand new dress within days. She could not have been more helpful. I will definitely be back!

I love discovering places like this. Independent fashion shops that stock quirky local designers…read morethat won't break the bank. Here at Saloon you'll find a huge selection of West London label Anami & Janine. These guys became pretty popular about two years ago when everyone just had to own a 'tea dress'. Saloon stocks some pretty decent vintage that is mid to high end prices too - a little odd for this area I will admit, but a lovely selection all the same. They also have hats, a great selection of jewelery and other items to browse through. If you like vintage inspired modern clothing this is a good place to come. Dresses start at £55 and unlike other 'tea dress' style, they are cut a little longer so you don't end up flashing your arse all day. One thing I was a little disappointed in, is that they were selling a few items that you can get directly from the website at full price when they were meant to be on sale. Maybe they just hadn't changed the price tag yet, who knows. There is a small changing room and the staff are super cute and helpful. Great if you are looking for a dress that is just that little bit special.

I got a used wool jumper dress with an enormous cartoon dog knitted on the front and black baubles…read moreall over it for a mere £20. Does anything more really need to be said?

I always pass this shop on the way to Portobello market and think that the window displays are…read morereally good. At the moment they include and up-side down mannequin wearing a dress and it looks cool. I was a little disappointed when I went in though because it essentially has the same stock as the street vendors in the market but you can try the own and it isn't open to the elements. The clothes are nice though, despite being a fraction of the price 5 minutes away; lots of pretty cotton dresses with lace or embellishment detailing. The average price for a dress is about £50 though which is quite steep.

I absolutely love this place. The staff are so helpful and friendly. The product range is brilliant…read moreand the prices are excellent. I would recommend this place to anyone.

Beautiful, classic clothes with just a twist. Perfectly constructed of excellent quality materials…read moreto last years. Great pieces for women who are building a professional wardrobe, as well as for those who need to add a piece or two to an existing wardrobe. There are extremely versatile pieces (particularly the dresses, that are easy to dress up or down) that work wonderfully for travel, because they have just enough stretch to prevent wrinkling in your luggage. They will mail to your home and the fit (again, because these are mostly woolen pieces with a bit of stretch) is beautiful on a wide range of body types. This is not fast fashion. These are investment pieces you will turn to again and again, year after year. If you are American, not the UK sizing.

I went here during my weekly voyage to the Portobello market this weekend. From the outside it…read moreseems to be a real treat; photos of past customers Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, Victoria Beckham etc cover the windows, and there is a doorbell system on the door which means you cant just stroll in from the street. After a five minute wait outside in the freezing cold we were eventually let in to what is essentially a small room with women's apparel and another tiny room behind it with menswear. The clothes are amazing quality and not just reams of eighties gear like you find in the market, there are some lovely 1940s and '50s pieces here. It is so expensive though, the bag and dress that I liked were each £150 so i swiftly made me way to the door. Its expensive but if you needed something really special this is a good place to go.

One of A Kind is my favourite vintage store on Portobello Road. And Notting Hill. Actually, it's…read moreone of my favourite vintage stores in town. Sure, the doorbell system is a bit wanky, but with clothes like this, it's easy to see why they need to monitor who comes in and out. The shop is tiny - but they have packed it with more stuff than you could believe could fit in such a small space. It's got an absolutely superb range of vintage things - from 1920s sequinned flapper dresses to some phenomenal 80s snakeskin boots. Sure, it's pretty expensive but some places have to be, right? Last time I was here, Kate Moss was also browsing. Only difference was she could afford to buy things, whereas I could not!

Only came in here because M saw the Lily Dress Blue Gray in here, but this place totally doesn't…read morehave anything I would like...eck! The clothes look a bit cheesy and cheaply made!

Although I'm technically straight, I would turn for Beyonce. Seriously, she must be the most…read morebeautiful woman in the world, who else could make the outfits she wears look so good? Head to toe covered in diamante is not a look that most of us could pull off but somehow she manages. My idol. Chica in Spitalfields is Beyonce's kind of shop. Everything here is very girly and very over the top. There is a real feel of glamour and night-on-the-town fashion to the place, boosted by the amount of colour and glitter inside. Unfortunately for me, I can't afford anything in here! While I would agree that some items deserve their price tag, a lot of the stock just feels plain overpriced and it puts me off coming back to this shop. Although everything is gorgeous and the staff are lovely, it's too torturous to be in here knowing that you can't take any of it home. Probably for the best anyway, I wouldn't want Beyonce feeling embarrassed if we were to both show up to a party wearing the same thing. Guess I'll just have to leave the diamante to the woman who wears it best...

Extending from a home and furnishings shop on one side of the road to a clothing and accessories…read moreshop on the other. I love the original home furnishing side where you will find stylish accessories, lighting, chairs, drawers and shelves crammed in at full capacity. I find the clothing shop in contrast rather dull and uninspiring. The collections seem to merge into each other as a muddy mass (with the colourful spark of Orla Kiely occupying one rail) Mrs Robinson's fashion is however, normally quite popular. Maybe it is just not my shop.

Mrs Robinson is one of the most eclectic and funky furniture shops London has to offer. It sells…read morereally chic tea kettles for £55 a pop and really awesome, original pieces like 'The Book Box' (a funky little box to store all your books in) for £42. I must admit, most everything in this store is pricey. Don't think you're going to buy a really amazing lamp in here for under twenty quid, you better bring some dough. If you're into really inventive and stylish home décor and you're willing to spend £50 on a really nice piece then have a look in this store. You will be impressed.