This is another gem of Horsforth that I had previously been unaware of until my recent visit. As…read morelingerie shops go I usually avoid them in favour of cheaper stores, since I am a fairly unassuming size which requires little specialist attention! I really do feel for any girls out there whose only option is to spend a vast amount purely due to their cup size requirements. But, I would suggest to those ladies, this shop may be the secret you've been hoping for. The first thing my friend and I noticed on entering was the extensive range of sizes within. Usually all you can hope for is B - E but we were seeing AAs to Gs, and beyond, all over the place! There was also a beautiful selection of night dresses, a lacy ruby red item caught my eye, some cosy looking dressing gowns and some delightful 'cyber jammies' pyjamas. My favourite nightwear item was a sort of 'boyfriend shirt' type night dress, which looked like it would be both comfy and sexy in that very casual kind of way. For all you nightwear and underwear needs this place is both great value and beautifully stocked. The staff are helpful too, so don't be afraid to ask. Lovely!

Oops & Downes is an airy and comfortable lingerie shop that has a wonderful collection of retail…read morelingerie from sizes AA - J. You'd normally think that larger sized cups come in boring designs and unflattering patterns. Nicola Jane has changed my perception of this immensely. Pretty, girly and fun seem to be the name of the game in this particular shop. Swimwear and sleepwear is also available and the variety of prices and styles means it's easy to tailor for different needs. Private appointments for lingerie fitting can be made by calling the shop and free measuring is available all day. Make sure you have self control over your budget before you enter!

I used to be a little skater girl back in the day so Quiksilver and its sister brand Roxy became…read more'cool' in my twelve-year-old eyes. I do remember though getting a bit bored of the typical branded and stereotypically surfer-girl look to the clothing as it just seemed a bit too obvious. Quiksilver has changed a lot since then in its range for women, with much more in the way of stylish, flattering and interesting garments and none of the garish branding of yesteryear. Great! The women's wear in their Leeds shop is upstairs in a pleasant minimally decorated room with friendly staff. The guy's section on the ground floor still bears a strong resemblance to the clobber I remember from my skater days with many a logoed hoodie, but also some simpler, cooler items. They also sell a range of trainers, bags and wallets with the Quiksilver logo. I'm glad to see Quiksilver branching out to some more interesting designs for women, which still retain the slouchy, comfortable feel of skater gear.

I love me ski jackets and skater wear. I do. Walking into the Leeds Quiksilver, you could be easily…read moredisappointed with the size of the store. It's tiny. But it's well packed. The bounty of Quiksilver goods are cleverly placed around the small shop floor, utilising the height as well as the depth of the place. Ground floor, accessories, menswear, kids. First Floor, Roxy - ladies' wear. The buyers have chosen a good round mix of merchandise to kit the store out with. There are the trusty ski jackets, hooded tops, woolly hats, jeans, some footwear, wallets, backpacks, t shirts, shirts, swimwear and more. There's also four changing rooms. It's like Narnia. The brand speaks for itself, Quiksilver always provide good quality clothing, and the choice as said, is really good for the small store. I always like to take advantage of sales season, as Quiksilver do really discount their higher end prices, quite heavily, especially when a new season is looming, and I've had many a bargain from this little gem. The staff are always really helpful too. There's one lass, that whenever I go in she has a different hair colour, I think purple is the choice of the moment, anyway she's really nice, and really helpful especially if you're buying for someone else, be it a kidlet, a sister, the other half or whatnot. She has plenty of suggestions and has no qualms in routing around in the stockroom for sizes that aren't out on display. There's a youngish fella that works in there too, and I find him most helpful on technical clothing; if there's a new waterproofing technique or material quality to be had, he knows about it and he can explain it to you in detail. All in all it's a good lil shop with lots of things to choose from, and helpful cheery staff who actually look happy to be working there.

Vicky Martin's website states;…read more 'All our garments are individually and carefully made using fabric sourced from France, Italy and England. Our core fabrics range from soft jerseys and lycras, silk crepes, fluid satins, delicate laces and chiffons, fine knitwear and unusual prints. We use Swarovski crystals and spend time finding unusual trimmings to decorate our designs. Other Vicky Martin ranges also developed are underwear, swimwear, accessories and Limited Edition pieces to expand the brand identity. ' And this they do...with class! I was drawn into the shop by the selection of sprakly garments in the windows and absolutely loved what I found inside. Pretty dresses and tops suitable to dress down in the day time and gorgeous accessories to glitz up any outfit. I was pleased to see that the bling was kept to a stylish minimum, I think a lot of shops have gone overboard on the sequin trend right now but Vicky Martin has it bang on.

Popped in the shop because it looked fairly cool. Turned out to be a great experience…read more The service was brilliant. I had three staff members tending to me and both my girlfriend and I were offered a complementary cappuccino! We were given a tour of all of the new items and the items were catered to what he (I didn't catch the employee's name) thought I liked based on what I was wearing. He was super friendly and helpful. We were really treated while trying out different pieces of clothing. It worked! I ended up purchasing a black hoodie (which fits me perfectly, is extremely comfortable and looks awesome), some new jeans (Razor type, I believe) and a super soft green pullover jumped. Two thumbs up to this designer. Note: This is the first Denham store in the UK! The designer is supposedly very highly regarded in the industry.

Quality items and fantastic staff. I'm not much of a shopper but I was in need of a few key pieces…read moreand looking for quality not quantity. Charlie helped me find a fit that worked best for me and I walked out with two tops and two jeans and a new friend in Leeds.

Monsoon is full or pretty, colourful, floaty outfits that look particularly perfect at parties…read more This was my first port of call when I needed a dress to wear for a christening. I ended up getting two dresses (I couldn't choose because they were soooo nice!) Plus they were in a sale so I ended up with two gorgeous dresses for £50...which for Monsoon, is a bargain! If you do deicde to visit at sale time..beware. The 'ladies' turn into a pack of animals mauling the racks for their sizes and the fitting room queues can be anything from 20 minutes to an hour long! Monsoon also have a great bridal section and cater for children aswell. They have a range of accessories that go perfectly with the party dresses on offer!

I have been taking full advantage of the sales by going into shops that I wouldn't normally such as…read moreMonsoon. With only remnants left now you may be a little hard pushed for good choice but if you find a bit of jewellery which takes your fancy they are now 70% off so you get some very pretty stuff at Primark prices. Some of the patterns and cuts in her are a bit uninspiring but the underwear is gorgeous and a snap at £7.50 for a bra, definitely worth a rummage. The other ace thing is that the staff are lovely and it is quite a calm place to shop.

I've discovered Victoria's Secret. Both in the literal sense, and the metaphorical…read more For those that haven't, this is a high end lingerie shop. You can expect the whole gamut when it comes to undies, including varieties of pants that I didn't even know required a name, and bras of virtually every conceivable colour, shape, and style. (That's perhaps hyperbole, but there is a massive range.) I've been to another branch in the states a few times, but never found anything that inspired me to spend the whole fifty quid on a bra. This time, it was different. If you're not au fait with the whole deal, the best thing to do is to actually speak to one of the assistants. The two ladies who helped me were not only super friendly, but excellent in helping me navigate the overwhelming mass of garments before me. As well as beautifully crafted smalls, the shop also has a number of perfumes, make up, night wear, and other bits. The whole shop smells amazing, actually. And if you're in any doubt as to sizing, get measured -- I discovered I'd been shopping for the wrong size my entire adult life. (Which is probably something tons of women do.) It's worth noting, however, that here you'll likely be a size bigger than you thought, since it's an American brand so the sizing works differently. A lovely shop, with fantastic staff, but worth saving up for since the price tag ain't shy.

Hurry up and open a proper store in Scotland!! I love Victoria's Secret for amazing underwear. It's…read morealways so silky and soft and it's great when they do a deal on the bras and panties. Can always find my size and love all the different colours and designs. I also like the Pink section, however some of there stuff is a bit of a mess as it's more the studenty young person section. I love all the underwear as it lasts really long and always have really pretty designs. A lot of the clothes can be a bit on the cheesy side, but I like some of the tops for the gym. I bought a new bikini this time which fits really well and is super pretty. Also treated myself to a gym top (they are made quite big so went for Xs and fits nicely), and a nightie from The main VS. This place is probably a bit more on the expensive side for underwear but it's so worth it. Maybe it is a good thing they don't have one in Scotland otherwise I would be there all the time!

What a gorgeous shop! Situated in one of the more run down arcades in Leeds, Upstaged Vintage is a…read morewelcome addition to the thriving vintage scene. The thing that makes this one distinctive for me, is I could tell that the owners are very selective when buying stock. In many vintage shops, it seems evident that a large order has been delivered from wholesalers, and it doesn't always seem completely genuine. There is an old-fashioned, celebratory feel on entering the family run local business. With bunting and fairy lights decorating the place, and an iconic washing line hanging from the ceiling displaying 50's style lingerie, it feels special. I can't speak highly enough of the pieces on sale. The faux fur coats and numerous jackets are absolutely stunning. I tried on a classic pilots waistcoat and jacket. Complete with gold buttons and a stripe on the cuffs, it was beautifully tailored to fit a women. Collections of tea dresses and evening gowns from the 1930's to the 1980's adorn the interior. There is an interesting shoe section of the shop, with some truly unique pairs on show. Upstairs, there are further delights in store. It is a burlesque pin-up boutique; filled with a wide range of corsets, gloves, burlesque accessories and pin-up style lingerie. Dita Von Teese would be in her element. The woman running the shop was absolutely lovely, she was patient and attentive whilst I dithered over what to try on. There is a men's section of the shop and they also sell goods online. Although Upstaged Vintage is not in an obvious location, the treasure you uncover when discovering it, is reward in itself.

Who would have thought that tucked away in the Grand Arcade was a shop that is some kind of vintage…read moreheaven? No, not me, and so imagine my surprise to nip in the other day and discover it?! According to the guys in there people often say that they had no idea that it existed, which is really quite shameful, since it has been here for over a year! Imagine that. And all the delights that I have missed. The ground level shop space has two changing rooms, which you will need, and all the glorious vintage items that you could possibly wish for. There are beautiful eighties puffed sleeved dresses, glorious gorgeous full length coats - one in particular which was absolutely divine but sadly a size wrong for me. They also have some beautiful classy hats, gloves, scarves, shirts - you name it. It's hard to actually describe the amount of beauty within, you really must go and see it for yourself. The people in there are lovely, friendly and vintage fans themselves so you won't be short on advice either! Prices are ranging, but considering they are selling high end clothing for a fraction of the original price I would call it bargainous - investment pieces. The upstairs section also deserves a special mention in its own right. Set out as a burlesque boutique it has a number of beautiful items especially collected for ladies who perform burlesque acts. There are fitted corsets galore, of the finest quality, in a range of sizes. I couldn't sing louder about such a cool and exciting place to shop. It's beyond fancy dress in every sense of the word 'fancy', it is divine! You absolutely must visit, if only for a browse.

Hasseen exclusive wear is just one of the many sari shops on and around Roundhay Road. It stands…read moreout for me because it has some exceptionally beautiful elaborately beaded garments which seem to be of a higher quality and level of detail than the pieces in many of the other sari shops. Some of them really are gorgeous, in vibrant gem colours with intricate patterns of gold and silver beads painstakingly sewn in. It would be worth a visit just to drool over them even if you don't intend to buy anything. The most elaborate garments are suitably more expensive than their less-detailed counterparts, with a very elaborate tunic top selling for £85.Though I'd be worried if it sold for any less considering the work that must have gone into it! If you want to experience the real beauty of traditional South Asian fashion then I would highly recommend Hasseen.

Diesel, a highly popularised brand, with it's own dedicated store to it's unwavering coolness right…read morein Leeds centre, on Vicar Lane. Adorning the backs and backsides of college students with too much money, and yuppy urbanites with a penchant for good quality fabric at an inflated price, yet happy to pay because Diesel tells the world you are cool. You are. All sarcasm aside, Diesel is a pretty sturdy brand, the shop itself is a nice rustic homage to the image the brand creates for itself. I can't quite explain how, but it does. Trust me on this. I actually really do like the Diesel brand, it's excellent quality gear, and it feels nice and washes and washes and washes without any trouble at all. Leeds Diesel has both a women and a men's section, with men's wear taking residence on the ground floor alongside the bags, watches and those oh so famous Diesel beanies. Remember them? Do ya? I do, looked a pillock in them, I'm jealous, I don't have a beanie head. Oh and the women's range is upstairs, notably smaller than the men's offering, but you take it where you can get it these days. Diesel's show pieces are the jeans, with a large section of the store dedicated to denim, all arranged in style and then by size. Excellent jeans to be found here, averaging on £110 per pair, if you're not fussed about what season they are, the trusty TK Maxx tip comes in handy again, I've seen loads of Diesel jeans in there for £40. What you don't often see in TK is the range of bags, and watches that I still drool over. I rememeber when Diesel watches were the must have wrist accessory, I still want one. You also don't see the chunky knits that are flippin gorgeous to look at and touch, or the beautifully crafted coats and jackets, that yes do cost a small fortune, but will last you forever. Honest.

I recently had one of those shopping trips that's my dream come true. One of my male friends had…read morerecently gone through a break up and I was getting used to my early morning call from him where he just sobbed down the phone. On this particular morning he was outstandingly happy and even though he had woken me up I was delighted that he was in such a good mood. My mood grew even more exhilarating when he told me that he had just received a large bonus at work and wanted to spend spend spend. The first place we went into was Diesel and I had so much fun dressing him up and giving him a completely new look. I am not normally one for labels but you really cant argue with the quality of the clothes. In under an hour we had got him two new pairs of jeans, a couple of tops, bag and sunglasses. I winced when we got to the till but my friend was more than happy and totally loved the clothes he got.