Steranko is the epitome of the ultimate boutique shopping experience - a glossy former…read moreconfectionary store that carries some of the best young labels from around the globe, hand-picked by friendly store owner and local celebrity Pete. For 15 years it's been the academy of fine threads. The shop caters to both men and women, with a price range varying from £30 to £100 plus. I love that more eccentric labels like Numph grace the racks alongside one of my favourite labels, French Connection and that you can find quirky jewellery, hats and belts too. Great for a present for a loved one, Pete's taken all the leg-work out of finding that something different.

Steranko is one of those establishments etched in West Didsbury legend having been around for a…read morelong long time when some people will tell you half of Burton Road was just fields. Over the years Ive purchased a number of shirts/polo shirts/jeans from this great shop. The customer service is fantastic, and they get it spot on .... you can expect them to ask if you'd like any help, but, they wont jump on you and make you feel pressured. I can only comment on the Mens section which has everything from Fred Perry, Hudsons, Levi's, Carharrt etc and thanks to the recommendation of the staff I also own a pair of Edwin Jeans (which I admit, I hadnt heard of before) and Nudie jeans, both of which were at great value. To go back to the customer service part, two years ago I umm'd and ahh'd over a jumper, before going back a week later to buy it. I found that they'd sold out of my size, but they took my details and 3 days later they rang to tell me they were keeping one in my size behind the counter for me, brilliant service ! The only down point for the shop....its not big enough! If youre after a shirt for a night out and dont want to run the risk of seeing someone else wearing the same top whilst out, get yourself down to Steranko and find yourself something a little unique

Wanna look as cool as early Elvis or Carl Perkins? Or as hot…read moreas Betty Page or Dita Von Tease? Better get yo'self to Rockers then. A rock and roll boutique halfway up Oldham Street, it has an old Ford bumper in the window and lots of cool and stylish clothes for teddy boys, psychobillies, 50s prom queens and burlesque ladies. As well as classic dresses, skirts, blouses and shirts in bold colours and funky fabrics, they sell belt-buckles, brothel creepers, shoes, jeans and rock and roll CDs. Anyone hear that Rumble? That's just LinkWray on the stereo, baby.

This shop is well worth a visit if you're into 1950'd rockabilly clothing, it stocks brands such as…read morelucky 13 and coop, liquor-brand, rocksteady and sailor Jerry all at really competitive prices, they also stock a good selection of alternative shoes and handbags. So yes, if you are either teddy boys, rockers, psychobillys, punks, little emo kids, goths... this is the shop to find the unique threads that would otherwise only be found in the States, then head down here!

We all know by now that I like my clothes quirky. I'm always banging on about vintage this, unique…read morethat, retro this, customised that. So when my recruitment agent friend, expert in all things Northern Quarter pointed me in the direction of his mate's shop Renegade Marmalade, I was transfixed. It's a women's clothing boutique which opened in December 2008. Its founder, Victoria Jackson, used to work in the fashion industry as a model booker and found herself irritated with high street retailers and limited options for city shoppers. What she's managed to do is find unusual labels not stocked anywhere else in Manchester and relatively unknown and new designers, resulting in a shop that's both independent and fierce yet feminine and playful - hence the funky name. It's all very exclusive and one-off, so be careful... these things can cost you. Prices range from around £20 to £700. Hudson Jeans (as modelled by Angelina Jolie), Ann Hagen, Hemyca, Uno de 50 (a Spanish jewellery designer which only makes fifty of every item to be sold around the world)... these are brands you might not have heard of but they've graced the bods of Hollywood actresses. It's all varied and eclectic stuff meaning there's something for everyone, and gosh, is it pretty. The Northern Quarter's heavily dominated by vintage shops while the high street is wholly homogenised... Renegade Marmalade is the solution if you're getting sick of both. Plus Victoria only buys a small amount of each thing, meaning you're hardly likely to walk down the street and bump into someone else wearing it. They've even got Bolongaro Trevor which makes me super excited as this is the designer behind All Saints' cutting edge, unusual tailoring. If you've had enough of not being able to pull together an unusual look, a trip to Renegade Marmalade will be worth your while. Just make sure you padlock your wallet after the first round.

Renegade Marmalade is bloody brilliant, the only thing that is totally gutting about this shop, is…read morethat fact that my bank balance only allows me the one item per vist and leaves me coveting nearly everything I leave behind! I must admit, I am not all over the fashion industry and was not familiar with most of the labels when this shop opened at the end of 2008, they stock designs from the likes of Anne Hagen, Pretty Disturbia, Lie Down I Think I Love You and Uno De 50. This is a boutique that really does meet the demands of women looking for stunningly beautiful designer clothes and jewelery, most of the designs are stocked in a few sizes each... and that is it. The shop is completely beautiful, and the clothes are generously spaced out. You don't have to be one of the "beautiful people" to shop here either, I have walked in looking rather shabby to say the least in my favorite Noel Gallagher army mac, and still been treated as well as someone in head to toe couture! Some of the clothes are a bit pricey, but they are the one-off pieces for special occasions, you can find reasonably priced items of everyday wear though.

I hope the company behind Fat Face didn't pay a consulting company to come up with a great brand…read morename for them. Short of Thunder Thighs and Amazing Ass, I can't think of a worse name for a store. Judging by the size of their flagship Manchester store however, it hasn't done them any harm. A big retail space in St. Ann's Square, it's packed floor to ceiling with contemporary men, womens and kids clothes. Since the brand's niche is 'clothes for an active lifestyle', there's casual jeans, tees, hoodies, sweaters and accesories for each season. There's also bikinis, sneakers and trunks for swimming, cable knit jumpers and jackets for ski-ing and snowboarding and vest tops for cycling, running and rockclimbing in the summer. If I was the sporty, outdoor type, I might be tempted to try a few things on. As it is, I'm still finding it hard to get my head round the idea of wearing anything called Fat Face!

I really like Fat Face. True, it does have a faintly ridiculous name but that's just about the only…read morething wrong with it. The clothes here are all about being a bit surfer-ish, without being covered in "Vans" or "Animal" or "Rip Curl" slogans. What's so great about Fat Face is that there clothes are different to almost everything else on the high street, where as clothes in Next, Gap and H&M often seem exactly the same. The staff in Fat Face are cool and friendly, and the shop has a nice, relaxed vibe. If you're a Fat Face fan, pay a visit to this flagship Manchester store. There's two floors packed with all the great Fat Face clothes you could want.

when this place first opened its doors a few years ago, I was like WOW. Clothing is unique,…read morefantabulous and cheap! And today it is still the same, it is not quite a secret anymore. Nevertheless they do have some great stuff! The fella is a massive fan and recently we went in and he bought a Superman Jacket - looks great and I am planning on stealing it as it is so warm! The women's part is upstairs and they do have some wonderful clothes, but sometimes they only have size 6 left. And as a J Lo bum lady, I do get annoyed. I cant help having a big bum, It's curves! But apart from that I give it a 4 outta 5!

I like Ark. I've been in there quite a few times and come out with exactly what I wanted…read more However it can be a little hit and miss. It's kind of like a cheaper USC. It has designer clothes, not all the tacky chav-tastic ones but some of the better ones like Superdry. They are always up-to-date with the trends though which oftens means you'll walk past and see something horrendous in the window, laugh about it with your mates and then end up seeing at least twenty or so people wearing it the next time you go out. But to agree with Rachel, it does tend to be smaller sizes left in everything whenever I go in.

Back in the eighties, my little brother and his mates couldn't get enough of Lacoste polo shirts…read more It didn't matter what colour they were, it was all about the two buttons and the green crocodile logo. Two decades on, he's grown up and the label seems to have too. Of course they still sell polo shirts and sweaters but the majority of their swish Manchester boutique is occupied with well made, well tailored garments. We're talking classic blazers, sculpted blouses and wide leg trousers for ladies and high collar cardigans, smart woven trousers and desert boots for men. I appreciate there's a big market for the above but have to admit none of it really floats my boat. I prefer their smaller and more daring line of youth-orientated threads - like the bright blue jeans, acid yellow and black shirts and black and pink striped sweaters. Come to think of it, I should get one of them for my little bro's birthday!

My personal favourite thing about Lacoste is actually the men's parfum. I think its great. It…read moresmells about halfway between those sporty ones like the adidas ones and the ones you often get free with deodorant and shower gel at Christmas, and a nice proper posh one. Nice bottles too! I love it! They do women's parfum as well but I think that smells a bit too sporty, and a bit too much like men. The clothes aren't bad, but I prefer the accessories. The do the coolest satchels I have ever seen. Plus, that little crocodile looks lovely doesn't he? The little green joker.

Ive been dreaming of Jean Genie! A little shop on trendy Beech Road in Chorlton Cum Hardy, it was…read moreconceived by two visionaries : Zoe and Vic and look how their baby is growing up!!! Antique wardrobes stuffed with jeans call out your name. Now, I have always been turned off by shops selling a lot of denim- maybe too much blue puts me in a blue mood. This is not the case at Jean Genie as my denim phobia is banished by the brightly coloured t- shirts which punctuate the room. I saw a fetching red Superman retro design which my liitle boy would have pestered me for. Well established names such as Wrangler, American Appararel,Hilfiger and Levi link hands with less mainstream brands like Junk Food to which I am a complete convert! I was in the mood for something a little different and Zoe showed me the Junk Food Alice in Wonderland t-shirts which had just arrived. How very topical and truly tempting. Sizes are quite small, I am a 10 and need a medium but there are several styles of one genre. Men's hoodies and tee's paternally protect clothing for bambinos, OMG how cute, there are t-shirts for little ones here. Zoe explained to me how they operate a bespoke t-shirt printing service and I think they are onto a winner. Starting from a reasonable £20 you can take in any design you wish, from a photo, to your 5 year old's self-portrait and Jean Genie will transform it into a t-shirt that everyone will notice. Prices increase if the design is hand drawn as opposed to pdf, and also if you want them to use a variety of colours. I left with my £32.50 and worth every penny, Alice in Wonderland top and with an idea for my fashionista daughter's birthday. I was given the shop's innovative flyer( a frisbee) which will give me 10% off my next purchase and as Arnie says...."I'll be back!"

I'm shocked that there are shops in Manchester that know about Nudie jeans, let alone a single shop…read morethat carries them. Are there Mancunians with that large a wad of cash burning a whole through their purses? Impressive! A chill, hipster-y gent sold the boy a super cute pair of Vans (casual shoes that aren't a shade of brown: success!) and explained the origins of the noteworthy bicycle saddles hanging up behind the till. Luxury skinny jeans and posh gear for your fixie... I mean, what else could a Williamsburg-wannabe desire, right?

Good style never comes cheap. This is especially true if you're a man. Most clothing boutiques and…read morehigh street stores cater for women and it's rare you find a store like this that offers so many unique quality items for the discerning young gentleman. This is the only store my boyfriend comes to for his trousers (in particular he Edwin brand of jeans) simply because you can't find them anywhere else. From Barbour to Oliver Spencer, Levis to YMC, they have such a well selected collection of labels that convey the best in British understated style.