No. 20 Frances Street has changed hands a great deal the past couple of years, and has a nice new…read morepaint job each time to go with it. Black, white, and now a lovely zingy blue. No prizes for guessing why that is... Lulu Blu is not my kinda shop, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. The clothes are electic, quirky and, well, interesting. Not the kind of thing I could carry off whatsoever. That, however, is not to its detriment, and these kinds of clothes shop are growing ever popular. You never know, maybe one day I'll deck that flowery coat with the colourful, yet random, buttons. Well, maybe not. With distinctive garments from the likes of Desigual and Custo, you know you'll be dishing out the dosh, but these designs are certainly unique. Plus, there's a fab sale on at the moment, up to 70% off! One final comment, this time on the customer service. The sales assistant was happily conversing with a customer (who was really into the clothes, might I add), when she noticed my sister and I making for the door, empty handed. She abruptly stopped mid convo with this other enthused customer, and dashed towards us, asking "Are you girls ok there?". Bless her cotton socks. Four stars for the lovely sales assistant alone.

Yeah, not really my kind of shop. It looks good from the outside and that is what always gets me in…read morethrough the doors. They have a sale on so I wanted to look and see if I could pick up some bargain jeans - as it turns out the sizes in jeans are all very small - something to do with the designer brand names. They sell a big range of Desigual clothing - mostly coats, skirts and tops - this is a brand I have never liked and actually find hard to wear. My friend got her now ex boyfriend to buy her one for a few hundred pounds and while it is nice on her retro body i would just look like I was trying to hard. The mismatch of colours and designs is not my thing at all and the price tag is phenomenal - £300+ for a coat! I've been to a shop in Italy stocking this brand for way way cheaper but I still didn't buy anything. Go buy something if you want something different looking and expensive. The staff are nice but the sale wasn't great and the sizes are smaller and the clothes are too expensive. Not for me.

I think I'm a little bit in love with Koko. It's Ok, the husband knows how I feel…read more Koko is just to die for. It's a newish little boutique which sells the most funky and gorgeous ladies clothes. It's definitely upmarket with really well made, quality pieces, but it's not scarily expensive. To give you an idea, a tunic top/dress will cost about £60-£70 but will be individual and will look more like £150 worth. Everything is fresh and colourful and a little bit different but still on trend for the season. There are lots of nude shades at the moment which is bang on trend. What makes this little gem even better is that the owner and her staff are down to earth and friendly. No condescending glares here, quite the opposite. And no hard sell either which is refreshing. I'm going to a wedding in a few months and Koko will be my first port of call to look for an outfit.

DO NOT SHOP HERE!!!!!! I would give this shop zero stars if…read moretheir was an option. I purchased a dress here on 12th April 2019, however I did not like it on and returned it within the 7 day full refund period and was told the amount was too large to put straight back onto my card so would be done by Lisa herself that evening, its now the 29th May 2019 and I have still not received a refund as promised and they will not answer my calls or messages and have blocked me from Facebook. Totally unprofessional and Hannah one of their staff members was down right rude and ignorant and should not be allowed to speak to customers the way she did. On another note they have a really lovely girl called Bethany that works in store and I would like to thank her for all her help.

This stunning little boutique is just what Carrick needed! In the current trend of high street…read moreshops closing their doors, this fab little shop has breathed new life into West Street, and Carrickfergus town centre as a whole. They offer a wide range of gorgeous dresses, shoes and bags, with some sale items too. The shop itself is beautifully decorated and it's a lovely place to spend some time (and money!)

I love Excel but sadly can't often justify the prices to shop there. It's not that their stock is…read moreoverpriced, definitely not, but the labels they stock are high end - stuff like Diesel and Armani and VBD jeans. Beautiful clothes which will make you drool and for a special occasion good value for money. The good news is that twice a year Excel has a great sale, which starts at 25% off and ends up at 75% off which is when the real bargains are to be found. Of course it's a fine balancing act between waiting for the prices to go down and making sure they still have stock left in your size. What I also like is that the sales staff give you the same level of service whether you are a customer who buys there every week or are like me and go in twice a year for the sales. Excel stocks ladies, men's and children's clothes and as they have another branch in Newtownards, they will be only too glad to try to track down your size if they don't have it. Boys' Timberland clothes and shoes have been particularly good bargains for me so give it a go.

I was walking by yesterday and out of interest I popped in for a look - that and the fact the shop…read moreitself smells absolutely delightful. They must spray perfume at the entrance. To me, this store seemed like a Zara outlet - it was much more up market than other competing High Street stores. There was a large selection of clothes and accessories for women and when I popped in it was well staffed. Obviously there wasn't much in there for me but If I was a fashionable lady I would give Stradivarius a go ;)

This is my new favourite clothes store. It's a welcome addition to Belfast, as I had got sick of…read morethe same old clothes across all of the usual high street stores. It has occasional quirky little items. Stradivarius has casual clothes nicely arranged at the front of the store for everyday wear and more dressy towards the back. All of the accessories are arranged around items that they would go particularly well with. The changing rooms are well staffed and run effectively. There are pleasant staff members at the check out too. Reasonable prices.

This gorgeous boutique is situated in Queen's Arcade, and is a tiny but perfectly formed shop which…read moresells the most beautiful dresses. Every possible colour, shape and style is avaliable, as well as numerous delightfully kitsch gifts, making this an excellent place if you're shopping for a special occasion. It is pricey enough, with the dresses ranging in price from £60-£200, but you would be guaranteed that no-one else would be wearing the same one (such a disaster when that happens!). When my sister and I took a peek at these exquisite dresses, her cries of "oooh" and "ahhh" reflected the level of wonderment at such lovely garments, and for me, this is what really makes Atelier. The girl who was 'on duty', so to speak, was lovely and helpful, and didn't mind us hunting through the rails. Even if you go just to window shop, definitely pay this lovely wee place a visit.

Atelier - (for those who -like me - didn't know, this is defined as 'an artists studio or workroom'…read moreI didn't think much of this name until I discovered this!) Stop press! Wow! Wow! Wow! How have I never known of this shop before? It's so elegant and beautiful. There are three lovely girls who work in the shop and they design all the items they sell. Lizzie makes the dresses, Ursula makes the accessories, handbags and head wear, then the other (I'm so sorry I've forgotten her name, I'll repost it) creates the jewellery. This whole process just makes me smile. I love it! I will definitely be back here. It's such a little gem of a shop hidden away in this arcade. The store is beautifully laid out and they sell some amazing items (see 'The Good Book' a hollowed out book with a mini flask hidden inside!) The dress maker, Lizzie Agnew, is famous by name. Her dresses have featured in Tatler, The Wedding Journal, and The Guardian. She creates beautiful vintage inspired silk gowns designed and made to order. I've seen some of these both in the shop and on her website and OH WOW! If I ever have the funds/occasion/need to get a tailor made dress it will be here. They're simply heavenly! Ladies, get yourself down here now. Don't miss out any longer!

I went into this brand new Next shop which opened recently in Bloomfields and it is big inside, but…read morea nice shop. They seem to have the latest fashion on display and now they have a proper mens section upstairs and a cafe.