Deborah Rose Bridal opened its doors in January 2006 offering Brides the latest in Bridal Fashion…read more With a fabulous collection of contemporary designer dresses; stylish, comfortable surroundings and a relaxed atmosphere; together with friendly, professional service. The lady who runs the store came into the shop I used to work in all the time and was a lovely woman, so I am sure that she endeavours to help each bride's dream of finding that perfect gown. I have never used the services here but know of friends who have had good experiences here. With bridal gowns from leading designers, including plus size brides, together with bridesmaids from award winning designers you will be sure to find that perfect gown. Deborah Rose also stocks a wide variety of accessories including veils, jewellery, tiaras, hair accessories, shoes and petticoats. Now all you ladies out there is get a man to want to marry you to justify coming here, or else you could be that stereotypical crazy lady who likes to drink on her own and go around the house in their future wedding dress!

The lady who ran this store used to come into the place I used to work, and I really wanted to…read morepromote her place because she produces wonderfully decorative and ornate bridal wear. Let me start off by saying as a 21 year old male, the only way I want to see anything bridal coming my way is my girlfriend dressed in a slinky garter-y number, not because of any actual desire to get married! This is definitely not the kind of place I would ever go into normally, but once I knew her I called in one day to chat and was able to see her work: she does excellent bridal wear. Everything is customised and made on site, and she will endeavour to do anything she can to make the woman and their little marriage slaves (or bridesmaids as they are more commonly known) look as glamorous as possible. Advice though: book appointments ahead of time, she is a very busy lady indeed!

Protocol is a formal clothes hire shop in Queens Street in Belfast. They rent out formal wear from…read moreweddings suits to tuxedos for special occasions. I have used these guys for several formals I have attended throughout school and university. I never really have any idea what I'm looking for when I go into these type of places which is why it's good to have staff that know what they are talking about and can help you make the right choices, so you don't show up looking like an a ejit! The staff knew why I was there so they just went around kitting me out with all the things I needed. The rental price is a little expensive and god help you if you dare return your tux late or with a stain on it, but that's part of their business I suppose. Great place with great suits for any special occasion.o

Protocol is a formal clothing hire shop. You can rent out classy clothing for brides, bridesmaids,…read morecommunions, formals, evening wear. They also have a wide range of menswear for hire. If you need to get a tux in a hurry, this is your place guys! The place seems to be very popular with brides and their bridesmaids. I have heard that the staff provide excellent service and tailoring. If you go to Protocol, you are guaranteed quality.

Ok, so clearly Burton is not a place I shop in for myself, but it is somewhere I'll head to on any…read moregiven birthday or at Christmas. We all know what the stock is like, so there are no surprises there, but personally, I've always found the staff to be really helpful as well, which is great for someone like me, who goes in with only a vague idea of what I want!

As I have said in other reviews, I enjoy a nice suit. But unfortunately for this place, this is not…read morewhere I would go to get the afformentioned nice suit. This is a pretty standard men's fashion shop with pretty much a full range of casual as well as formal wear. You can also pick up a pretty handy amount of belts, wallets and accessories as well as footwear. I just don't like that much of it to be honest. Its well situated in between Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge which means the males among you can pop in and have a look while the Mrs is in either of the neighbouring stores. The staff are always dead on enough and the usuall have plenty of stock. You can also pick up a pretty decent 10% student discount with an NUS card. Well worth a look.

I called in here basically because I wanted to have a nosy at the stock. I have no gala events or…read morepremiers coming up so I didn't need to hire a dress or a bag or a hat but it was nice to look at what was on offer in case I ever do. The outfits are very revealing and very glitzy - the kind of thing young girls wear to their formals now-a-days - there really wasn't much that I would choose to wear myself as a lot are very low cut at the front. The lady who works there is very nice and she told me that they will be getting new stock in in a few weeks and that I could try anything I wanted. The hire prices range from about £35 to £55 depending on whether you choose a ball gown or a formal dress. I fell sorry for the owners as I don't think this shop will do well purely because of its location - it is at the back of the arcade mall which is a very old office block part of Newtownards and I don't think it would get much passing trade. Dress hire is a good idea but it might do better in a busier, younger town or in Belfast itself.

Got my skirt done in a rush! Perfect tailoring and very friendly service. Pricing good too..read more

McEvoys used to be the Bees Knees in Newry, forty years ago it was THE shop to go to for fashion,…read moreundergarments, wool, needles and every other imaginable/unmentionable requirement drapery wise. Over the past year or so it has plummeted in standard and shot up in price, (the elderly and young were the staple clientele of McEvoys). Why did they have to change it? I'm a great believer in 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' if you had a sick older relative in hospital...get them something in McEvoys, a child ready for school...get them kitted in McEvoys..a nice new pair of big women's pants...go to McEvoys. Now they seem to have tried to move upmarket and more 'fashion' based, basically just like all the other department stores around. McEvoys, go back to your roots, big pants, thermal vests, fleece nighties, fat men's pyjamas, terry tea towels, knitting needles, wool, stuff for turning up hems, bed socks, thick welly socks, flat caps and cheap and functional baby clothes. Basically the stuff that is far too un trendy to be in most other places but essential to the older person. Granny will pay a small fortune to have a decent pair of knickers that will come up past the waist band of her skirt you know. And you can never have too many thermal vests. Go back to where you were 10 years ago it will be much better!

If you find you haven't packed enough for your trip to Belfast, or if you're a student, or even if…read moreyou're just on a budget, then it might be worth your while taking a run into Burton. They do all manner of clothing from jeans and t-shirts to suits, shirts and ties, and footwear. It always seems to me to be one of those places that always has some kind of sale or offer on. You can get a decent pair of jeans in here for around £20-£25, but I always end up coming out of here having bought more stuff than I went in for (which I know is usual for most people, but not really for me). They'll often have offers like two pairs of jeans, which are £25 each, for £35. An extra pair of jeans for a tenner? That'll do me. They do similar offers on footwear from time-to-time, which is handy if there are a few of you going to a wedding who are on a budget. You can also pick up some standard "no frills" t-shirts for around a fiver. I also picked up a suit in here one time for less than £60. Definitely worth a visit, especially if you're on a budget.

I must say I have more items bought from Burton in my bulging drawers than I thought. I was…read moreorganising things yesterday and soon realised that one of my suits, two pairs of jeans and a handful of shirts and ties have started life hanging on the wall of a Burton. Burton is aimed somewhere in between cheaper budget stores like Primark and higher end designer ware. It's probably just priced a little under Next but has a similar sort of feel and line. The last thing I bought here was a dark grey suit for a wedding. The staff were more than helpful and showed me what they had to offer, before popping in the back to grab the correct size. I ended up getting one close to half price at £80, which my meagre budget at the time stretched too. The range in general is great if you're looking for something simple like a pair of jeans, I'm not a fan of their designed and branded tshirts and jackets - but to each his own.

I was in tempest this weekend and was reminded of what a great shop it is. What makes it so great…read moreis that it has lots of mini shops all under one roof. Take a look at this little lot: Top Shop Argento Exhibit Wallis Benetton and Sisley Kookai Faith Warehouse A Wear Oasis Benefit and Clarins make up I know, what a list! And you can honestly say to whoever is with you 'I only need to go to one shop.' Genius. Each shop really is small but they manage to have a good selection and little bits of everything. Tempest is a really good one stop shop when you need an outfit in a hurry. The only little niggle is that if you try on and want to buy a selection of things from different brands, you have to go to separate till points to pay for them. If they get that sorted, it'll be pretty darn perfect.

Right, as a male, there is very, very little for me on offer in Tempest, if anything. It is all wee…read moreshops of womens clothing, which I have been taken around a number of times by girlfriends, sisters and female friends. The shops on offer all seem to be to be much of a muchness. What really is the difference between Top Shop, Warehouse and Exhibit? Its all clothes for people who have an eye for mainstream fashion and who want to have something to wear on the beach or a night out. No big deal really. This place is what it is, you kind of know what is going on and what you are going to get. There is nothing for anyone who is either male or outside the mainstream. Alas, if you like TopShop this is the place for you.