Aitken and Niven sell private school uniforms, guide and scout uniforms, sports gear and various…read moreother school related items. This branch at Blackhall is fairly small, but has most things. (For example they had a wider supply of beaver scout shirts than a large store like John Lewis did). The staff are generally helpful, but on ocassion can be a little prickly. They do not like to be asked the prices of things. And many things in the store do not have prices. (Once I took a grey school sweater withough a price to the till, thinking even if it is expensive it's not going to be THAT bad. I knew that at M&S the grey school sweaters were between £8 and £12. How much could it be? Like £20? It was £34!) That being said, most of their non-school uniform things are reasonable. The scout and guide uniforms are a normal price, and things like football socks etc are good quality and a normal price. For blazers I would suggest Clan House over Aitken & Niven. We have had better luck with their quality. Also, Aitken & Niven only caters to the private schools. Clan House carries Edinburgh City School blazers and ties as well as the private schools.

If I am looking for a dress for a wedding/dance/formal occasion then Coast is usually my first port…read moreof call. They are always hot on the latest trends and have a better selection than dress shops such as Monsoon which I find can be a bit samey. Although Coast is not cheap the prices are reasonable for the quality and they often have good sales on too so you might get lucky and bag yourself a bargain. I remember a few years ago I needed a new dress for a formal event and after trawling around various different shops I was left uninspired and deflated by the ridiculously expensive price tags on some of the dresses I liked. I found a gorgeous red silk strapless dress in Coast and it was significantly less expensive than other stores I'd checked out and I fell in love with the dress as soon as I saw it. Most of the dresses in Coast are timeless and the quality is fantastic so the outfits here are something you'll be able to wear for years to come and not need to worry about it going out of fashion.

School dances, University balls, work nights out, weddings. Sometimes the occasion calls for you to…read moredress up to the nines and for these occasions there is Coast. Coast is a lovely shop with high quality, timeless pieces that will make you feel drop dead gorgeous. For the high street, it can be expensive but it's a good option for a one-off piece or for that special occasion. This Coast on George St is conveniently located so you can pop into neighbouring shops. The staff are friendly and happy to give you their opinion

I was a bit confused when I saw this place, I was confused as to why I had never really noticed it…read morebefore and about their collection of clothes...so I went in! The shop itself is quite small, and I was greeted by a nice man! But I felt a bit under pressure to spend a few minutes looking, I was being watched! The bottom half of the shop is for women and the rest is for men, to be honest it's mainly aimed at men, there is a far bigger selection. They sell the likes of Miss Sixty etc, some of the things are really lovely but some are a bit out there. It's quite expensive too. But hey, go have a look, there might be something to take your fancy

Men's clothes shops are often very boring and don't do anything to inspire. This shop is totally…read moredifferent. The guys in here really know their product and they pride themselves on putting outfits together for their male and female customers rather than just selling you a single item. My husband shops here all the time and they have really helped him find shapes, colours and styles that suit. They have a good range - smallish but mostly clothes you won't get in most other shops in town. They have started doing women's clothes now and when I have lost 2 stone going to treat myself to a spree. Brands include; Energie, Blood and Glitter, Wesc, Seven and much more. Don't come in here expecting to buy one t shirt and spend £30 - I popped in today to get a small Christmas present for husband and ended up spending nearly £300 on him - they did throw in a free pair of shoes though and he will look great over christmas. If you want to smarten up or smarten you man up - this is the place to go. Little gem in the centre of Edinburgh.

I love browsing in Ness in the city centre although the Royal Mile location is so compact and…read moresmall. This location stocks the same items but is larger and more spacious, and it seems to have greater variety. Today when I went in to browse, I loved the beautiful winter coats and the gorgeous but feminine tartan bags (think tartan with pink, purple, and turquoise!). When I continued around the store, I spotted the cutest shoes! They are comfy around-the-town shoes but are trendy and girls with turquoise and purple tartan fabric and purple silk laces. Trying them on, they were extremely comfortable and fit my feet well. Then, looking at the price tag, they were reduced! All of the stars had aligned and I made my purchase. I am so excited about wearing my fun new shoes in comfort so that I can be comfortable while not killing my feet. Ness has so many beautiful things, and I love coming here!

A great branch of Debenhams that seems to pad out Ocean Terminal a bit. I was lucky enough to snap…read moreup some bargains on my visit a few days ago. They had Fake Bake tan reduced from £40 to £20 and I also got a Cath Kidston Wild Rose bath and body set reduced from £30 to £15... the discount got better when I took my items to the till to find out it was 10% off day. Result! They have a good range of premium make up including counters from Benefit, YSL, Dior, Chanel and my favourite; Lancome. In addition, they have a good range of men and women's clothing and I spent longer than I should have in their Warehouse concession where I got the most gorgeous kaftan I've even seen in my life.

I had some difficulty writing this review as I do frequent the place when in Ocean Terminal, but…read moremore as 'part of' the Ocean Terminal visit and I wanted it to be positive, I wanted to like it and tell people how nice shopping here is..but I can't. I am ok with big department stores. I loose several hours checking out current trends. And cheap last season things. Debenhams is however not my favourite. The place is a mess. Dusty and frumpy. Most of the time I am in the men's section checking out the designer garb - Jasper Conran, Rocha, Levis, Maine, St George and just as many times I leave with an empty mind.. it doesn't inspire me to try things or buy things. They also have a 'kitchen' section where famous names flog their wares. ( I find TKMaxx to be more appealing to be honest..) - this may be a department store for some, but to me it is just a collection of market stalls.. Don't get me started on the canteen like restaurant on the top floor. Nope.. just don't.

I love Mrs Smith!…read more It is a fabulous little boutique fashion store in the centre of the busy and bustling Morningside Road in Edinburgh, close to the city centre so very easy to get to. Mrs Smith sells really smart and sophisticated clothes for women. Most of their clothes are 'work' clothes, such as nice trousers and blouses, but there are also plenty of lovely dresses and skirts which are very summery. Mrs Smith is a relatively new addition to the Edinburgh fashion boutique seen as it opened last year. Personal stylists are available which is fantastic as they are able to assist you if you are unsure which colours go or what style of clothes suit your body shape. The clothes in this store are of excellent quality and will last for years, and as a result, they are a wee bit pricey. If I am ever looking for a lovely outfit to wear to work, Mrs Smith is my first and only port of call. Amazing.

For the fashion conscious lady with a sophisticated style, Mrs Smith ticks all the right boxes…read more Well presented clothing, well made and at reasonable prices with friendly staff ensures that a trip to Mrs Smith is always pleasant and enjoyable. As the other reviewers have mentioned, Mrs Smith clothes are especially good if you're looking for something smart but still fashionable for work. They have gorgeous blouses, jackets, suit trousers and other smart items of clothing all excellently tailored and flattering. In addition to smart clothing they also offer a selection of dresses and pretty tops that you could wear everyday or for more fun, formal occasions.

The reason I would visit Cult these days differs quite significantly from the reason I used to…read morevisit this clothing store. When I was going through the, my jeans must be as flared as possible, piercings and general fancying myself as alternative phase, I would come here to peruse the wares and get myself something suitably baggy. I'm a bit more girly in terms of clothing now, and more partial to a dress or a skirt than I am to a pair of flares, and Cult in turn seems to have changed its style along with me. Rather than being top of the list for alternative clothes shopping in Edinburgh, Cult has now geared itself towards more of a boho, rocker, festival-esque, funky fashion vibe. The Superdry label is clearly the dominating force here, with the range of hoodies, checked shirts, denim items, t-shirts and other garments taking prominence on the shop floor. That's quite alright with me though, as I'm really keen on the Superdry range, particularly the shirts, although I wouldn't exactly say any of it was cheap. The vintage look skirts and dresses are pretty reasonable however, so Cult is a good go-to for a quick fix outfit purchase on a small budget.

I used to really like Cult when I was 16 and was going through my Bench clothing phase. Now that…read moreI'm more grown up, I can appreciate that they do have some pretty cool, nice stuff but it is a little too expensive for my liking. I gather that Super Dry is the new trendy label to be wearing and this is where people flock to get their fix of Super Dry. As far as I can see Super Dry is checked shirts and jeans at inflated prices. The girls section has some pretty dresses and tops but I always leave here empty handed. Cult always seem to display these really cool, fashionable outfits in the window to entice you in then you realise that ahh it is quite expensive and that is purely because it has a label on it.

I hadn't heard of Hogarth before I spotted it in the West End Village but after seeing it, I popped…read morein for a browse. As it has been an expensive month, I wasn't shopping but I wanted to check out what was on offer. This is a gorgeous accessories shop for women. There were beautiful scarves and handbags in all colours. I loved some of the pastel leather bags on offer - my bags all look very functional and dark in the current weather so I'm tempted to treat myself. Some of the bags and scarves are pricey, but other scarves were on offer for about £15 which is really reasonable and I'll keep popping in in case some of the other things I was eying up go on sale. Staff were friendly, greeting me and offering assistance, but also leaving me to browse (I hate the hard sell so I appreciated this) and then I was acknowledged again when I was leaving so I'll definitely return. The décor is bright white and it suits the showcasing of the beautiful products. Products are all set out and are accessible - I hate when lots of stuff is out and up high and I'm usually tall enough to reach it, though this adds to the temptation!