What a cornucopia of wonderful jewellery! I could have spent ages just pouring over all the glass…read morecabinets filled with beautiful second hand jewellery. They have an impressive collection of clocks on the wall, but more impressive are the second hand watches in the window outside. The Casio watches caught my eye; they all look in great condition and are not as pricey as I had imagined. As for the jewellery, well there is all sorts really. I spotted a lot of cameo brooches, earrings and pendants which are quite fashionable these days across all generations. The rings and earrings generally were very beautiful. They also have wedding rings, charms, christening spoons and cheap costume jewellery. This place really reminds me of one of the copious amounts of second hand jewellery shops you find down the Lanes in Brighton.

Long established jewellery shop and watch repairers in Harborne - Gwinnett and Burkill can be found…read moreat the top end of the High Street by Waitrose. As well as stocking an impressive selection of watches from the Swatch, Timex and Seconda ranges they also stock watch straps and batteries and will fit both for you free of charge. More expensive items - including wedding and engagement rings can be found in the shop window but they also specialise in second hand gold and silver jewellery and have bought gold long before Cash Converters and the like got in on the act and these tend to be held in a variety of tantalising display cabinets inside the store. This is a great place to pick up an unusual present - money clips, charms and charm bracelets, pill boxes and christening spoons can be found here. Staff are more than happy to help - I tend to go in with a sum in mind and they will recommend pieces to match (my often ahem meagre) budget.

Brummie bohemians rejoice! Xanadu is a great little fair trade clothes shop located in Selly Oak,…read morethat's a much needed establishment to the area. Students at University of Birmingham can finally become hippies again (which is exactly what the student life should be like!). Stocking men's and women's clothes, each item is handmade to perfection and imported from the likes of India and Nepal. There's a brilliant selection of garments that rival the Hippy Buddy shop in the Oasis Market perfectly. In fact, I find this shop a lot more convincingly authentic when compared to most other stores in the same league. As well as fresh, uniquely, natural-made clothes, Xanadu also sells didgeridoos, candles, incense, singing bowls and many other spiritually inspiring products. There's a great selection of religious symbolisms and buddha statues sold in store too; I'd love this place to be my house, I'd feel so cultured and relaxed! Especially when you realise that Xanadu are massage therapist as well! When can I move in? This is a brilliant shop that basks in everything bohemian, and even the store front has been hand designed too. I wish more shops were as beautifully creative as this!

I really like this shop, I think that it is different and alternative, especially in comparison to…read morethe other stores in Selly Oak. It has a variety of clothing for both men and women and is what some may call a 'hippy shop'. I have never bought any clothes from here, but they have more to offer as well as clothes. They also sell candles, crystals, pretty ornaments for home, incense and lots of other healing and holistic-style materials. They also offer various treatments too such as reflexology and massage. You would have to enquire about these though as I have not booked any myself. I like coming in here as it is peaceful and I like the candles and incense. The staff are friendly and are willing to chat about the things they offer here including spiritual advice. Overall, it is a good shop if you are into this kind of thing!

Classy Rags is at the top end of Bearwood High Street as you go towards Harborne and the Hagley…read moreRoad and specialises in what my Nan might have described as 'posh frocks'. Billing itself as the place to go for Mother of the Bride outfits and Evening and Prom wear it has a collection of well made dresses and hats as well as handbags and shoes that have obviously been picked out with care. The shop itself is immaculate and stock changes on a regular basis. They also offer some pretty heavy discounts throughout the year. If I ever found myself on a cruise ship and was looking for something to wear to the 'captain's table' then this is probably where I would come.

Italian boutique with an interesting selection of clothes. Think of Nancy D'Olio (Sven Foran…read moreErikson's missus) she looks like she got her clothes from here. Yes, it's over the top and its not the sort of clothes you'd wear day to day, but if you're going to a wedding or a Christmas ball this is the ideal place to shop. Lots of floaty fabrics, sequins and fake fur. You can get an outfit and matching shoes for about £120.

I bought in a jacket to have the sleeves shortened and a pair of trousers to be fixed. I was…read moreimpressed with Damian's service, he was thorough in explaining to me how he would do the repairs and told me that there may be an fixing the trousers due to their age. He repaired the jacket to an excellent standard and it now fits! Excellent friendly service from a very talented tailor at a reasonable price. Thank You!

It is difficult to express in words how poor was the quality of service from this tailor. I…read moreentrusted a bespoke tailored suit jacket for replacement of sleeve linings. The result was a jacket so distorted that it was unwearable. I took the jacket to another tailor, who is highly reputable, for recovery of this poor work and who said, "It's the worst tailoring job I have ever seen...the tailor who has tried to repair your jacket has actually destroyed it." I spoke to the Mr Marquez on the phone, but he was "too busy" to have a conversation. I wrote to him, but he did not respond. I returned to the shop and spoke to him where he denied any damage had been done, stated emphatically that the jacket was wearable and said, "It's just a jacket, nobody has died." He finally admitted he had not done the work himself, nor had he seen the final work as he had delegated this to an assistant. Is this a quality and professional service? Let the product and behaviours speak for themselves.

I am a big fan of thrift stores. I love having a mooch through the rails to try and find that one…read moreoff or hidden treasure. Thrift is a new addition to the Birmingham scene and they have really excelled with this new shop. Oldschool decoration and vintage furniture sit alongside both branded and unbranded pieces of vintage from the 70s,80s and 90s. From the minute we walked in the people working were so friendly and happy to help, they explained that they have only been here a couple of weeks so if you are in the area go and have a look for yourself, get involved and possibly meet that one off special item you didn't even know you were looking for.

This is a great place to come for unusual, sometimes kitschy artwork and pottery. Pictures tend to…read morebe originals - watercolours, pastels etc and usually come in a decent frame and at a very cheap price. They have a nice selection of 'designer labels' which features more upmarket high street brands like Monsoon and Zara and they always have a decent selection of handbags and ladies clothes. Furniture can be found at the back of the store. This is probably my favourite charity shop in the village and best described as a good 'all rounder'. Staff are kindly and happy to chat and it always seems busy.

Another of the many, many Charity shops that are dotted along the Harborne High Street. This one…read morehas a strange layout that means it feels crowded with only a few punters browsing inside. There is bric-a-brac at the front, books and and records in the very narrow middle section and then furniture at the back. As with all charity shops, there is of course a large element of pot luck in terms of what you'll find, but over the years I've picked up the odd gem here, usually from the records and books section, so I always stick my head around the door and have a look inside. A few years ago a friend bought a bed frame here. The staff were happy to arrange for us to park up and load in around the back and helped us carry the large, wooden pieces to our car, so if you do spot something large and bulky you don't have to worry about lugging it through the crowded shop and out onto the street where you can't really park.

I have a bit of a soft spot for Davenports, with their boxy jackets, snazzy blouses and Betty…read moreBarclay bags. Originally in the spot where Fallen Angels now sits, Davenports can now be found a little further down by Iceland and the relocation has seen them take on a slightly more glamorous guise. Catering for the older woman, they sell well made, moderately expensive outfits and are popular and well thought of. Like Classy Rags in Bearwood which offers similar 'Mother of the Bride' outfits, I doubt I'm their target audience but I'm rather glad they are still going. Scarves, bags and other accessories are nice and the staff are helpful.

This is a great shop for the smartly dressed older lady. It is clearly where Harborne's many ladies…read morewho lunch stock up on well-tailored white blazers, flattering slacks and jaunty nautical tops. They stock well-established quality labels like Gerry Weber, Betty Barclay and Olsen, as well as some smaller and quirkier brands including Lisa Campione and Joseph Ribkoff. Their range of outfits for the Mother of the Bride is pretty impressive. Think classy fitted pencil dresses with cropped boleros and sharp tailoring. The staff are knowledgeable and happy to help out when it comes to making sure garments fit perfectly. The clothes aren't exactly my taste, but I hope that my 60-year-old self will one day be donning leopard print capri pants from such a shop.

I really struggle to find fashionable clothes shops that I actually like, and unfortunately,…read moreResonate still doesn't hit the nail on the head for me. Walking into the shop, I was immediately put off by the loud chart dance music that was booming out of the doorway, and felt straight away that this place wasn't going to be my cup of tea. The shop itself is very sleek and shiny, whereas I prefer clothes shops to feel a bit more rugged and artistic. (just my personal preference.) The fashion and style of menswear sold in here is probably perfect for lovers of suits, shirts and suave ties, but for me, it felt more like I was mooching through the range of clothes at M&S or River Island. I was looking for something different or unusual, to stand out from the norm, and I expected an independent shop to stock more unique items of clothing; But unfortunately for me, it did not. For lads into high priced, fashionable shirts and brands such as Paolo Vandini, this shop is definitely for them. But for me, Resonate is a little too expensive and little too far away from my pallet.

My fiance likes this store and has got to know the owner in there. Because the owner has put in the…read moreeffort, he really helped me find something which wiuld fit and he'd like for his birthday. Really nice set of guys in the store. Not a huge selection but obvious that they've taken time to select pieces they love for the store as they were passionate about their stock.