So exploring west London in preparation for Yelp's WestFest I stumbled upon this fabulous shop…read more Ignore the name, antiques enthusiasts look away now, the jewels here are for fashionistas! Art deco designs, 1950s plastic pineapples, Lady Di diamante replica drops, you name it and this shop has it! All with a price tag mind you but if you are looking for a special gift or item that will wow and impress all your friends look no further. You really can spend hours in here, or at least that's what I did. Everything is in a glass case as most of it is delicate and it must be hard stopping people with a five finger discount from snapping up these beauties otherwise. The items are all laid out thematically, so you'll find your scotty dog choker with the houndstooth broaches off course. Head on down if you have some time during the week, that way the whole place isn't over run by tourists and you can look in peace, even better than that, go on a rainy day... Notting Hill becomes a ghost town.

OMG soooooo many different pieces of costume jewellery. All displayed in colour coordination. It's…read morebreathtaking that you can have as many pieces of perfection in such a small area. There are labels to let you know what styles/eras you are looking at and everything has a price tag on them. I'm sure you'll be able to find anything specific you are looking for and the staff will be able to point you in the right direction if you are overwhelmed with choice. Please please go and see it for yourself. There are no words to describe the overwhelming beauty of the jewellery.

Maribou slots into Portobello Road perfectly. It sells gorgeous, unique clothing and all of the…read moredesigns are hand-made in their local workshop. Everything has quite a bohemian and colourful style to it and some of the fabrics are just beautiful. The prices are pretty reasonable as well. They have some cool accessories as well, the scarves and hats were really cute. If you love Notting Hill and individual, fairly priced and feminine clothes then you'll really enjoy what Maribou has to offer.

Maribou fits perfectly into the Portobello market theme of a slightly bougie "DIY or Die"…read morementality. Everything is brightly colored, bohemian seeming and individually made. The accessories are gorgeous and the scarves have the most amazing patterns. The clothes are all very feminine and provides a great alternative to the other shops in the area. However, I found it a bit overpriced for some of the items. Although the scarves were nice, I found a skirt that was essentially a mangled pair of Gap jeans (inside tag) with brightly colored ruffles attached to create a new hem. Really? If I wanted to do that, I could make that skirt very easily and not have a price tag of 30 GBP. Nice service and nice atmosphere, but I could do with less expensive clothes.

Been to this shop three times over the years and I just can't get enough of the amazing quality and…read moredesigns of their rock n roll inspired jewelry and pieces. This location is very easy to find as it's off the main drag of Carnaby street just off to the side. The black paint and signage make it easy to spot. The inside was clean and not overdone so you can really focus on the pieces there. I've always wanted a piece from here but was apprehensive because of the prices (I'm just cheap, the pieces are quality and reasonable for the craftsmanship) but mainly because since all of the pieces are custom made to your size, the items need to be shipped. Told myself for years I'd just go to their Los Angeles store but never did. It's so much more special getting a piece here though as the Great Frog originated here. Staff member named Jaws helped me out and was a lovely human being. Approachable and helpful, not pushy but made me feel good about my purchase. Walked me through sizing me for a ring and talked prices and shipping. Also was friendly that we got off topic talking about life and overall just a nice person who made the experience A+. I'm so happy with my rock n roll ring purchase that I'll be a fan going forward. If you love badass jewelry with a rock n roll edge and history, this shop is the one for you.

The Great Frog has been a Soho institution for as long as I can remember - and that's a bloody long…read moretime now. My heart sank when I saw the original shop front in Ganton Street boarded up on a post-lockdown visit to Central London. Turns out, they just moved to a new location around the corner in Newburgh Street - phew! With quite a queue outside as well, so the future seems secure. This is the original rock'n'roll jeweller and famous for its collection of skull rings.

Statement bags for those wanting something astounding and a little off-kilter. It's hard to sum up…read moreJamin Puech's exact style because there are so many different versions and aspects; crazy-eclectic with such abandon that there's bound to be something to suit everyone. The materials used are also a mixed bag: woven cotton, leather, straw, fur - it's all fair game. What stands out for me are the handbags festooned with layers of enormous sequins - square in some cases, those that mimic feathers in others, which are then adorned with large button-like baubles in an uncalculated fashion. This is also a good place to find a truly unique evening handbag that's on par with a work of art. But the nice thing is that even these don't feel so "special occasion only" that you'd let them waste away in the closet for that rare memorable eve out - you wouldn't feel a smidge guilty wearing it on a more casual date. People tend to be pretty skeptical of this brand since it lacks high-profile name-brand recognition - but I'm a fan. The thing is that each bag has such an individual personality, I know that whatever I might have purchased from them 3 years ago, I'd still be wearing out despite the fact that styles and trends have changed. Jamin Puech bags possess a classic quality and are lent a timelessness stemming from their sheer uniqueness. The staff is charming and helpful... and there's a major sale on right now... so if you haven't checked them out, this would be a good time to have a look.

If ever I have to decorate a house, and one day I suppose I will, it will be one wacky place -…read morethink Dr. Seuss meets comic books meets Willy Wonka. In the process of feng shuiing the wild mess of space, I'll probably have to go to Octopus and clear it of all its home goods from brightly colored, wavy-shaped chests of drawers to cheese grater women to mirrors lined in folded bits of magazine. While I was at it, I'll probably buy them clear out of doll-eye earrings encased in Bowie-esque sparkly baubles, umbrellas with the heads and feet of a ladies and, for good measure, the baby spoons that have airplane wings. In short, I love this place and I love everything in it and it makes my knees quiver with adrenaline every time I set foot and hand and soul in the store. It's actually a painful experience because while the stuff is quite reasonable, its not cheap enough for me to buy like confetti to throw in the air with joy. The store is actually the English version of the French store/company Pylones. Their creations are among the zaniest, brainiest most creative, innovative items to grace the shop shelves of today's commercial world. Somebody quick get me to help for my Pylonoctophile disorder!1

This quirky, yet cute store is one of my favourites in all of London! In my mind this accessories…read moreshop is there to remind me not to take myself too seriously! Here, nothing is what it seems! The have umbrellas that look like ducks, jewelry with fake eyeballs and chopsticks that look like prawns. This fun and colourful shop is a great place to find a small affordable gift for a friend or just a treat for yourself.

I'm not personally a fan of this shop, but it probably has more appeal for the older shopper. Big…read morechunky accessories in shiny metallics and bright colours, loud patterned scarves, and large shoulder bags with plenty of spunk and sass. They also have a handful of clothing pieces... mainly flowing and loose-fitting items that style-wise pretty much follow the same ethos as their accessory assortment. Again, definitely a place that the more mature customer would probably appreciate.

Its a nice little shop! They have a lot of really cute gift…read moreoptions and fun clothes. The prices are a little high for what they're offering though and I didn't buy but I got their Instagram account name, they do sell online and will respond through there. I think since they're a particularity shop with some nice clothing that the prices are appropriate. The ambiance and the shops interesting presence comes with a price tag I guess.

Four score and seven years ago, somebody decided to found the Appletree Boutique. These…read moreillustrious forefathers decided that one was not enough to find equality, so they built another a few minutes walk down on the same street, but I will not speak of this second shop We all know that not all shops are created equal. Ye olde shoppe does not trounce upon others. Neither does ye olde shoppe fall to the bottom of the ranks of inequality. It remains normal. There are fashionable pantaloons, blousons, shoes and robes at half the price of a goat. That is to say that it is not inexpensive like a sac of cotton, but it is not a bargain like getting a new plough for the price of an ounce of molasses. On the other gauntlet, there are some mighty tempting items there for few doubloons as with the Lego man pin. I thought about bartering for the pin. Then I thought - why not be a robber of artistic integrity and affix a Lego man to a pin myself. Like this I could skirt the few pound fee. If you are in need of a gift to present to your sister or mother or friend, or a gift to give to your dressmaker or notary, you might find something useful here among the frames and games, the swags and the bags. It is not as good as my nearby general store, and I would not ride my horse very far to reach this olde shoppe, but I would stop by again if I was in the region.