Shhhh... Don't tell anyone but this is the Dotty P's version of the "Big" Toppers. (If that made no…read moresense to you, you obviously don't read Look and have little regard for high street fashion, ie. sod off) So ever since Etam was taken off the high street, this has been my go to place for reasonably priced clothes that aren't cheap like New Look or super slutty like River Island. (great handbags though!) The thing that makes this such a wonderful shop is that they stock a few independent designers that you won't find in other smaller stores. Basically, if you have a glance at their website you'll see these and why I'm so excited about them. Now shhhh... Don't tell anyone but, there is a label here called Closet. The design structured 50s inspired dresses that are sexy and flattering in high quality fabrics. No they aren't lined but with a slip underneath you can totally make them look designer chic. Nipped in at the waist and not so short that they flash your bum every time you move, they are perfect for work and evening. They even have great neck lines for a lady with boobs. Sweet heart style without the cleavage hanging out is a hard thing to find, and here I've found it.

Large branch of Dorothy Perkins, right outside Tottenham Court Road tube station. This store has…read morethree floors and a wide selection of clothes including Tall, Petite and Maternity ranges. They also stock bags, belts, shoes and other accessories as well as jewellery. The store is large and spacious so it is easy to get around. There is also good disabled access with a lift for reaching the lower floor.

I told the sis that I HAVE to go here ... at least before we leave and fortunately we managed to go…read morehere the day before we flew out. The store itself reminds me so much of the The Gap / BR ... and JCREW... go figure that I'm attracted to it considering those are my stores in the US. Thankfully, they had a good sale that day and of course I went a tad bit crazy... bought a couple of shirts and sweaters for work and couple of shirts to go out at night. Also bought a couple of shirts for the little monster... Upon checking out... their credit card machine was offline so they had to do everything manually. It caused quite a scene in the front cashier on the first floor and I could see the stress from everyone ... but they managed to pull through after awhile and were thankful for my patience. I told them that I was ok and in all fairness, I was considering I really wanted those clothes! They also managed to give me the VAT tax form to bring to the airport... which was nice. For all you petite / skinny folks... these place is it for you. Modern, preppy... stylish... definitely check it out considering their USA shops like the one in SF is a bit crummy in design and options. Take advantage of it while you still can!

Ok, I thought I might just wander into this store and give it another shot, it wasn't dark, so it…read morewasn't really a 'shot in the dark.' Right? Wrong. I'm starting to really struggle with this store. I used to buy a lot of garments from Benetton when travelling to the USA and the quality was awesome. Or, was I just super young and super naive? Thick, pure woollen knits in skirts, tops and jumpers and in the sort of fabulous colours that looked decidedly edible - so would have suited Lady Gaga to a T if she were to be parading in any of the Benetton trade mark attire and got peckish during one of her dance routines. Actually, the snazzy, uplifting colours have always been their stamp and true to form, is the one thing that hasn't changed. Tremendously bright and stylish, but most of all, it used to be good, quality gear you could depend upon. It was sensible, no-nonsense and the Benetton label would stand out a mile. Like Burberry, people could always tell what you were wearing in an instant. But, sadly, in recent years, like a lot of Benetton's competition, they have forfeited their distinctive measure of excellence for appearance and profitability - What's new Pussycat - In other words, like other clothing chains who have fallen foul of the 'Asian sweat-shop syndrome,' using inferior quality artificial fibres - and often poor workmanship - even though in Benetton's case they have mostly chosen the former Eastern block countries as well as taking the Asian and Oriental locations for their outsourcing. Have other Benetton faithfuls also noticed how poorly the finish is these days, and how thin and coarse the fabric has become? Check out the labels and you wouldn't even recognise the country that the garment has been manufactured in. Places I didn't even know were still on the map like Chernobyl - well, not really - but you get my drift This label used to stand for quality, it is sad to see it now representing a sub-standard rating. I give it two stars for what it USED to represent!

As I mentioned before, I love Holloway. Not to live necessarily here but I like to come here and…read moreshop. Lotus Leaf is not particularly zen in any way but it is good for cheap clothing deals. The clothing here is cheap but doesn't look cheap. Right in the front, there is clothing (mostly off season) for 3 and 5 pounds respectively. There are some nice sweaters and dresses here as well but no shoes or bags. The average dress costs between 15 and 20 pounds and a sweater is around 12. I think this store may not seem like much but actually it is a pleasant surprise of decent quality for very inexpensive prices, not the crap in Mkone or similarly cheap places.

And the award for cutest boutique to find your partner in crime an adorable purple jacket for…read moreChristmas goes to..... Lotus Leaf!!! Yes, this is where we scored my girl Laura her darling little purple jacket that looks like it was tailor made for her. It was only 39 pounds with tax and all and it is adorable. They also carry a cute variety of other fashionable finds and I think you would have a hard time NOT finding something to take home here, because the prices are fair and the selection is brilliant. Check it out and then head down to the pub on the corner. Total win win.

Bond Street reminds me of Rodeo Drive - amazing luxury shops galore!…read more I had to buy a pair of earrings for my Mum from my Dad. I was a bit nervous as I knew the reception I would receive! I worked in Slone Square I know how shop assistants eye people up and judge them straight away! I had a mission I knew what I was going in to buy and then I could leave. I gave myself fifteen minutes as I thought this would be plenty of time to walk in, purchase and leave... I was wrong; everything is a process from getting the earring out of the cabinet, to looking at them, to paying for them they then get passed onto someone else to wrap! It was like a bloody ceremony. The store itself is not very big. As they have one store for jewellery and another for clothing. Overall not as bad as I presumed, the door man / bouncer was lovely and the staff were ok.

It's just Chanel, love it or leave it and leave it I did. The store was mad with noisy clatter of…read moremandarin speakers and no help was available on the ground floor. But not their fault. What I do give the 2 stars for is for their presentation and displays at this location is a bit tired. Not creative, no special lighting. Very dated fixtures. If no help is available, and no one to convince to me buy shouldn't I be swayed by it's displays? But I wasn't. Kind of sad of Chanel if this is their flagship store in London. Even the Chanel at the Incheon Airport was nicer.

This Staines shop is a small branch of the plus-size ladies fashion chain Evans…read more It's very small, but crams a lot of clothes rails into a tight space which can make for awkward shopping, given that the clientele (including me) are of generous proportions! The security alarm goes off a lot as some of the merchandise is right up against it. There's a reasonable representation of the full Evans range here, but it seems that some sizes are more popular than others so sell out quickly and aren't replaced. This can make for a disappointing shopping trip if you've come in to look for something in particular. It's not uncommon to see something on the Evans website or in a magazine, but not be able to find it in this branch. The emphasis is on the more casual ranges, rather than office wear, and there's usually only a small amount of partywear around Christmas. There is some underwear, nightwear and shoes, along with a reasonable amount of jewellery. The jewellery range is great value and the chains etc are longer than in most shops so you can be sure it fits. There are often price reductions and sales here, which is fortunate as sometimes the quality of the merchandise isn't great. T-shirts in particular tend to look ok till you wash them and then the seams twist round and the shape goes. The staff who work in the shop during the week are great and have been there for a while so know what they're doing. The weekend staff isn't as great so things like refunds and ordering items in from other branches can take longer.

This shop is my other favourite shop when i'm away from my other home in Chichester. They have a…read morelovely boutique feel shop with funky clothes for men and women, they also have lovely gifts and cards. I bought a wonderful Italian coat here with my bonus, it was expensive but i'll love it forever. The staff here once you ask for their help are really friendly. I also like the fact that they get one off styles, and dancing Elvis's for your dashboard.

I love it here, the sales assistants are very helpful and the prices are nice. Would recommend this…read moreplace.

Fantastic two story location on Sloane Street with a huge array of men's, women's and accessories…read more Our sales associate Beatrice was extremely helpful and brought out numerous pieces to try on before we settled on the ones we wanted. VAT paperwork was filled out for us and a quick run over to Harrod's 3rd floor will get you an instant refund at Global Blue.

I don't know the hours of this location because it's not posted. I walked up at 6:15pm on Friday…read moreevening and the guy standing behind the glass just waved me off. I asked what the hours were but he just waved me off again and went back to texting. So here I am posting this review.

I have to admit that I did go to this shop a while a go and have just remembered to review it. I…read morelove love love joy and its clothes. Often making me think 'oh well its only money'. The Brunswick Centre is a great little area near offices and a training centre I go to for work and its dangerous that there is a joy here. This shop is fairly big, big enough for a good variety. Its laid out well and well lit with big mirrors for deceiding how you look in the potential new attire. I have bought something everytime I come in here so probably for the best that I DONT work in London. If you have time pop in to the Brunswick Centre, especially Joy. :)

This wasn't the best branch of Joy I've been too (I think that crown will always go to the…read moreGreenwich branch for being so pretty. But this is a good little branch indeed. It's full of dresses, which Joy is very very good at making (in fact, I think this is the only thing I buy from here). But none of the dresses here caught my eye. That's not to say the shop wasn't nice - it's a bit cramped, but the sale section was pretty good so it's not the wort place to go shopping. If you want a bright coloured mac, they've got some great ones in here and I might pop back and get one later this week. Expect to pay about £40 - £60 for a dress, and up to £80 - £100 for a coat. Avoid the shoes, they're never nice.