Couture is the brainchild of Rachael Corrigan, who only recently relocated her designer boutique…read morefrom Swansea to the quaint corner of High Street Arcade. If you're a Pussy Galore lover, then you'll find Couture is definitely worth a hearty browse of its eclectic kaleidoscope dresses, tops and skirts. Black seems to be the only colour in shortage here. With a Yankee Candle ablaze in the corner and no discernible decor , Couture is one of those boutiques where the clothing rightly takes centre stage. Only the ground floor was available for shopping when I stopped by, and Rachel explained that once the massive delivery of A/W stock arrives, the first floor will open as well (this is where the dressing rooms are hiding). I found a few items that'd suit my small-but-strong frame, but overall, Couture's clothing is a bit ostentatious for my liking, although it's evident the pieces are exquisite and well made. Couture indeed. The shop is tiny (much like the quirky dresses you'll see here), but thankfully you're not overcome with that claustrophobic feeling like when browsing other designer boutiques in the city, thanks to the austere interior and absence of unbounded clothing racks.

I love Noa Noa, and have bought plenty of eveningwear and sweet summer outfits from them. They are…read morehard to resist! Producing individually designed, well made clothes at exceptionally good prices compared to the commensurate offerings from the top end of the clothing chain shops, this Scandinavian shop has my loyalty! I have to admit that I often wait for the sales. They really know how to shift stock fast to make way for the new season. Incredible bargains are their only ploy, which suits me down to the ground!

The problem with me reviewing this place is that I'm not really the target market. I could really…read moresee that from the window display but I thought I should give it a go. In case you are wondering why I would be so foolish, I have my cheerleading ball coming up soon. I had found a dress but then it was sold out of my size. In desperation (after looking at many MANY dresses on websites and driving my housemates to distraction) I turned to the shops I hadn't visited before. The staff were really lovely, though none of them seemed genuinely pleased to help me - this is probably because they knew that I wouldn't buy anything... The fact is, though, that I don't think my mother or grannie would shop here...

Just to let the blonde lady know - a few years ago you told me not to bother trying on a dress…read morebecause it wouldn't fit me - I have now lost four stone! So, I'm slim and happy now - has your customer service improved?

Went to Luxor with my best friend, staff amazing with supporting you with what will suit you,…read moreclothes for lots of occasions, we bought some amazing clothes, we are very happy with all we bought. Staff very helpful and kind as usual we are looking forward to our next visit to the store. Thank you Heather and Kavian we love all the new stock keep up the good work making us look lovely at our events. Thank you Lucie and Ceri

This place has such friendly, helpful staff who are always willing to give you an opinion without…read moregiving you the sense that they're simply trying to make a sale. The store itself has a good selection of clothing, which they often have on sale. Plus some really pretty changing rooms!

Coast is a dress shop. It sells lots of lovely, wonderfully pretty dresses and skirts and frocks…read moreand lederhosen and other womanly clothes that I, as a bloke, don't understand. Why is everything so intricate with you girls? Men put on pants and a shirt and they're done. With women, there are like sixteen layers to every outfit you wear and the end goal seems to want to make you look as much like a cake or as much like a cat as possible. As a bloke, I can't offer much criticism of the style. But knowing one of the managers once, I can say she was a consummate professional and, seeing her work, I could tell she was an exceptional sales person for this store. And this has been my continued experience with this shop. When I've entered the store looking to buy something for a ladyfriend, the staff have been incredibly helpful to my lost-in-the-woods little self. They clearly have experience dealing with clueless men, as they know all the right questions, and just how to interpret the equally clueless answers they are bound to get. Nothing I've bought from there has ever been a disappointment, and I can't say that's down to my great taste.

This is a great shop to have a rummage through, and you're likely to find something incredible…read moreevery time. Because this is vintage clothing, you often have to spend quite some time in this shop to find what you're looking for. This is sometime a bit frustrating when you've found something that you love, only to realise that they don't have it in your size. This isn't a high street store where they have everything neatly lined up and labelled; you have to really work at shopping in this store! And, of course, the staff have to be very helpful because of this. And they are. If they've spent 20 minutes searching with you for something, you feel terribly guilty if you then turn around and say you might give it a miss. The only issue with this place are the the high prices, as have been mentioned time and again by the frustrated shopper of Cardiff and the lovely other yelpers.

Probably Cardiff's best city centre retro / vintage store, Hobo's is a vibrant little shop that…read morecrams a lot into its tiny and rather cramped space. The shop mainly sells clothing and accessories spanning the decades since the 60s, although in the window display you'll also some odd gifts and novelties such as greetings cards, purses and even bathtime rubber ducks with bizarre designs - including one with a Rubik's cube theme. From second hand jeans, old leather jackets, and retro t-shirts to brightly patterned summer skirts and dresses, they have a really good clothing range and seem to update and add to their stock fairly frequently. You can also pick up retro style sunglasses, old belts, hats and other accessories. As is the case with most vintage stores, the prices aren't cheap - but for those of your who are students, Hobo's offers a helpful 10% discount.

The House of Fraser is a British department store with over 60 locations in the UK and Ireland,…read morethis location its-self is quite big, located on St Mary's Street in Cardiff and even has a Caffe Nero attached, which is a coffee shop which seems to be all over Cardiff, yet interestingly I didn't seem to visit on my recent trip to Cardiff, so this review focuses on the House of Fraser Department store in general, and not a Caffe Nero inside it, despite confusion I can confirm I have been to the branch of the listing in question, where I offer feedback in terms of a review here today, which I'm pleased to add, with it being nearly 6 years since HOF's last review, which once again for a busy location in a city centre, of a capital City (of Wales) nonetheless, this is quite shocking and in a way it is sad. As mentioned above, this location is on St Mary's Street in Cardiff, fairly close to Cardiff Central Railway Station, and of course right in the Cardiff City centre, which was also close to my Hilton hotel and Cardiff Castle, from my recent weekender in Cardiff. The store did seem quite nice, and was a typical high-end department store, although it seemed to lack the class I have seen in other branches of House Of Fraser, such as in the branch in Manchester, which has a lot of history to it, meanwhile this branch seems newer and the only history I'm aware that this branch has, is Cardiff Castle not far from here. This did pretty much seem to be your average department store with high-end labels and high-end prices, as a fan of the Hugo Boss brand it was a shame not to see them having a selection here in Menswear. Here is a full list of there in-store brands here, in Menswear, which is the only part of this review copied from the House of Fraser website, which I feel is useful to add a more in-depth analysis and conclusion to this review Alexandre Armani Jeans Barbour Berwin & Berwin Bjorn Borg Bugatti Calvin Klein Corsivo Criminal Diesel Dune Emporio Armani Failsworth Farah Fred Perry Fulton Gant Hilfiger Denim Howick Howick Tailored Hugo Boss Jack & Jones Kenneth Cole Label Lab LACOSTE CN Levi's Linea Lyle and Scott New & Lingwood Original Penguin Paul Smith Jeans Paul Smith London Peter Werth Polo Ralph Lauren Polo Ralph Lauren Golf PRETTY GREEN CN Pringle PS By Paul Smith SIMON CARTER Sloggi Ted Baker Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Sport Turner & Sanderson Overall, this department store is okay, although it just feels like something is missing, a bit of class, that added sparkle, and it isn't the nicest places to shop, and I would much prefer John Lewis, a similar nearby department store which even has an Opticians, and friendlier staff, so sadly I feel HOF deserves two stars and as Ofsted would say "Requires Improvement".

I absolutely love the James Howell & Co. building that is presently the home of House of Fraser in…read moreCardiff. It is just utterly beautiful and displays a number of different styles that chart the rise of its once formidable position as an independent Welsh store, founded by a homegrown entrepreneur. Occupying a prominent position on St Mary Street, it does a lot to maintain appearances amid the decaying grandeur and decadence of this once fashionable and up-market strip. The original structure was built in the late 19th Century, and lends the place its unmistakable ornate façade that sits proudly, in gorgeous symmetry on St Marys Street. In the 1920s a large and well-proportioned neoclassical extension was built reaching to the end of the portion of St Mary's Street that meets Heol-y-Cawl. A unique result of this extension was that Bethany Chapel was absorbed into the design of the building, with its fascia being incorporated into the interior of the new building. Further extensions were added throughout the 1930s, 1950s and 1960s, bridging the gap between the more ornate Victorian style of architecture, and the ground-breaking, Modernist movement, with is minimalist style, of the '60's. Howells Department Store was originally a family run business, but was sold out in the 1950s to Welsh banker Sir Julian Hodge, who subsequently sold the store to Mohammed Al-Fayed, the then owner of House of Fraser, ultimately causing the loss of its Welsh independent business status. It was then sold onto the Icelandic investment company, Baugur, at the end of 2006, around the time when Iceland decided it was time to buy up the rest of the world, and, as we know now, to somewhat disastrous effect!

I'm pleased to offer a much needed review for this store, as it sadly has gone without one for a…read morelength of time which would be exactly 7 months on Tuesday, considering this is a city center location and one of the busiest shops on Queen Street and in St David's, I'm surprised to see this. My local branch of Primark in Manchester has in a way put me off the brand alltogether, being such a big store filled with huge queues and just smelling and feeling cheap, and sweaty, but this store feels nicer than that, and is still a decent size and still follows a typical layout which one would expect from a Primark, a large clothing company based in Ireland. They did stock a decent range of stuff here especiallmY y in the mens department on the -1 Floor, and there are multiple other floors as well, as far as I'm aware there are 4 floors, with kids clothing on the top and the ground floor having an enterence onto Queens Street and also into the St David's mall. The staff also seemed quite friendly, at the till and also in the store, trying to get the lifts moving as quick as possible. The signal throughout the floor can be a little poor, but for a large store with a basement, this has to be expected especially with my poor signal from O2. My server also didn't mind me paying with lose change, and it did seem quiet enough, as in short queues to do that and even made jokes about it. Overall, this is a decent branch of Primark, a typical Primark in a way and deserves a solid three stars.

I too love Primark but will now only ever go in this store during the week because its just far to…read morestressful on a weekend, or in the school holidays. There is never enough space to have a good look at what's on offer unless your willing to go to war with a handful of other determined shoppers and then when you find something you have to wait ages to try it on and even longer to buy it. Yes this store is huge, and full of all the usual bargains. It has an especially large section of accessories and sun glasses at the moment. Is it worth the stress? Not always. Primark please, please open another store in the city centre to take the pressure off this poor place!

To be honest I'm not really feeling Madame Butterfly. Whilst this store does have some nice…read moreclothes, it's very much of the same thing as everywhere else; I really don't know what makes Madame Butterfly special. I will admit that I do own one of their day dresses, but I've never really worn it. On a positive note prices are cheap, compared to many of the nearby stores, so it is worth at least taking a look here, you never know you might find something you like.

I write to reiterate everything that Sarah has said. The clothes here are nice enough (though they…read moredon't really feel as though the material is particularly nice and I've seen a few loose threads just when browsing) but they are very similar to the things that you get in the places around here, especially New Look. New Look also has student discount so... Having said that, I agree - it is worth a look because some of the dresses are just lovely. The bags tend to be a little cheap looking though. However, the service is really good - really friendly.

Visage is a high quality dress shop on Cowbridge High Street. I was drawn into the shop by its…read morespectacular window display. the shop stocks a number of designer labels, none of which I was particularly familiar with, but the owner explained they came from some newish London and Italian based designers. The shop had a number of beautiful hats which were surprisingly reasonable at £40. There was a good range of unusual jewellery, at various prices. There was a variety of long and short dresses tops and shirts. I tried on a particularly pretty floaty top, which at £45 was good value (especially as there would be no risk of seeing other people wearing it, unlike popular high street brands). The changing area was delightful, with a lovely sitting area for accompanying friends/partners. I found the owner very helpful and friendly, she made me feel at ease with browsing and there was no pressure to buy. I would definitely recommend this shop when looking for that special outfit, and I think Visage will become one of my regular haunts.

I see Visage as just another women's clothing boutique on Cowbridge High Street that is…read moreindiscernible from any other in the area, unfortunately. Don't get me wrong, the clothes and accessories are absolutely lovely and many are reasonably priced for designer garb (I saw one in the sale for less than £40), but there's nothing especially spectacular that makes it stand out from the rest. Visage offers a varied selection of special occasion outfits, which comes as a relief to those ladies sick of showing up to a wedding in the same dress as three other people. The boutique carries a wide range of designers including Gina Baconni, Beppe Bondi, Save the Queen and Michel Ambers, as well as hats, jewellery and other accessories to ensure your look is complete. The decor boasts mosaic vases, clear-beaded chandeliers (these seem to be a common theme in this area), and frames constructed out of a gilded gold material. It's not my favourite boutique in Cowbridge, but luckily Visage has enough quality clothing and helpful staff that its appeal will reach far and wide.

As I'm somewhat of a fashion obsessive, I always thought I was quite in the know when it came to…read moreclothing boutiques (or lack of) in Cardiff. However on a recent jaunt down the Castle arcade, I discovered this fantastic little boutique that I never new existed. By Cardiff standards Lunacy has a real sense individuality to it. They sell many quirky brands with fabulous names such as: - Chocolate Rain, Eucalyptus, Frilly by Lily, Lolita Karma and many, many more. The clothes really have an individual and vintage feel to them. Even better they come in a wide range of prices. You can buy some really beautiful dresses which would set you back around £200, but I also saw plenty of cute little skirts which only cost around £30, so I think a good rummage is in order. Unfortunately I didn't really have any time to much shopping, which means I'm going to have to get back here pronto (with plenty of cash).

Lunacy is one of the more accessible quirky clothing and accessories boutiques nestled in the…read morecity's arcades. For such a small shop, Lunacy really packs it all in. Every available space was marked by a kaleidoscope of colours - flamboyant wallpaper featuring Matryoshka dolls, trunks with an assortment of belts spilling out, splashes of pinks in all hues, and of course, a wide selection of women's clothing, jewellery and accessories. For what you'd expect from a boutique, Lunacy's prices were pretty reasonable, and the sales girl behind the counter left me to wander without watching (I hate feeling like I'm under surveillance). I walked out of there empty handed, but only because I didn't have enough time to try anything on. Lunacy is luckily open for a few hours on Sundays, making it a perfect lazy afternoon hideaway. In any case, it's definitely one of those shops that's worth a second look. If you're heading toward Swansea and fancy some retail therapy, Lunacy also has a boutique in Port Talbot, a haunt that will definitely be on my radar the next time I head out west.