I always want to carry everything home from Carry Me Home- one of the cutest kids stores in London…read more The shop stocks some great childrewear designers like Oh baby and Beauty and the Bib. If you don't have children but your friend has just had a baby then you HAVE to head to Carry Me Home for a cool present. The 'Been Inside For 9 Months' sleepsuits are so gorgeous that I am planning on buying one for a friend who is due any day now. The fruit shaped bibs make meal times a little less messier and are so stylish! If you cannot get to the West End store the owner also has a stall at Spitalfields market on a Sunday. The website is excellent but a little dangerous to my bank account because I always see something I want to get for my son or friends' babies! Carry Me Home will also personalise vests and bibs which make perfect presents. custom

Took me a few minutes to find (on the 2nd floor), but once there all was good…read more I'm not a baby clothes aficionado, but this store made my life easy. Their selection is really well procured: cute, unique and a thoughtful array that felt the opposite of generic. I wanted a unique gift that had some character and I felt like the store owner had a bunch of options that fit the bill. The owner (don't recall her name) was very helpful, not pushy, and pleasant. Also, I don't know what baby clothes are supposed to cost but I thought the prices were quite reasonable for the quality.

I was feeling like a bad mom. I hadn't bought any Easter treats for my son, not nary a sight of…read morefake plastic grass, pastel eggs or the like. Not a thing. To be fair he can't really have any of that stuff anyway, but I was feeling like if there were a blog that featured moms that were not living by the Pinterest-way-of-life, I'd have been on it Then I ran into Purple Shop -- snagged him the baddest, raddest rabbit shirt every created -- hand stenciled and made with love by Owner Dot, the mistress of the coolest kidswear in Shoreditch. A rabbit shirt! A soft white, cuddly tee-shirt with a funny rabbit and a sign that says "Warning, I bite!" Which is both hysterical and ironic, as my child does bite (as a joke!) Ok, mostly. So of course the shirt was darling (£15) -- but really it was the service that stunned me. Dot was truly lovely herself, too. Engaging, sweet, talkative and funny...and super talented! I frankly almost forgot I was shopping in London (Shoreditch no less) and probably looked a bit stunned. Perhaps my skill of chit chat has withered all these days living in London, I am not sure. I so enjoyed my little stop in that I made a vow to return to check out the rest of the wares. I'm currently in search of a cute little girl to buy a Levi's dress for -- artfully crafted from pre-loved Levi's jeans into the cutest damn dresses you'd ever see, seriously. Hipster kid stuff? Yep. Better than fake plastic grass, if I don't say so myself. My little biter bunny didn't really seem to care either way, but I like it!

This shop is a truly amazing experience, the customer service was absolutely brilliant and made me…read morefeel right at home when I was looking for something to get my niece for her birthday! The kids wear is incredibly fun and durable, my niece won't stop wearing it, I highly recommend this shop!

Again, this is situated in Gabriel's Wharf, which hosts a plethora of cool little shops. A little…read moreshopper's paradise on The Southbank amongst the bustle of restaurants and tourist attractions. I visited Hears Rule Hearts specifically to find a hat for my Mother's birthday. She's a real hat fanatic and I was glad I came here as they sell hats for all occasions. For me, it's not really my thing. I prefer vintage hats and things but for everything else, this is definitely a nice little shop to visit if you are specifically looking for something hat-centric whether it be to keep out the cold or for a special occasion.

This shop in Gabriel's Wharf was a welcome change from a lot of the shops we had visited in our…read moreLondon travels. We were so happy to come across a place that had some unique handmade goods, as well as some cute childrens' clothing. On top of that, everything seemed to be reasonably priced, and the sales clerk was very friendly. It's always nice to discover places like this, if you're in the area I suggest you check it out.

Another good trip to this location. They have so many festive items, including; homeware, clothing…read moreand decorations. Great place for stocking stuffers and their bath bombs selection is one of the best! So many to choose from, including Disney and Christmas designs, all either £1 or £1.50! Staff on the floor are a bit useless and unwilling to help but the register staff were pleasant. As always - come early to avoid the crowds!

Your enjoyment or appreciation of this place is going to be entirely dependent on who you are, and…read morewhat your lifestyle is. I am not local (American) but I have lived in London as a young poor 20 something. Primark was a Godsend for me. It's also really interesting now that they have expanded into the states (although not where I live) to come back and see how it has changed. When I lived here and had no money this was my go to for anything trendy, or needed. When I moved back to America quite unexpectedly I went there to stock up on inexpensive suitcases to pack up my life and carry back across the world. Any fast fashion or trendy items, this was my go to. Needed something for my home that didn't need to be high quality, Primark. I got a job at AllSaints a few blocks away and we were supposed to wear their clothes exclusively, but we only got a 60% discount (that's a big discount but still not inexpensive for a college kid) so I got a lot of my work shoes here and they never noticed. Now that I visit as a tourist, it's my go to for things like I need an umbrella that I can leave behind when I go home, or it's raining and I didn't bring my raincoat with me today...or it's colder than what I planned for on this trip so let me stop by and grab a few pieces of layering clothes or a coat. The Disney selection makes me wonder why there isn't a Primark in Orlando (because they get very unique Disney licensed items). If you don't have a big budget or are in need of souvenirs, I also recommend Primark. But if you're looking for a luxury experience, this isn't for you. If you're anti fast fashion, please just skip this. It's busy and loud and sort of a cattle call at the till, but it's great novelty spot. The layout has shed over the years bit it's still a great spot for cheep gifts, replacing broken or lost items and getting an unexpected suitcase for any souvenirs if you are a tourist (my favorite suitcase going on 11 years was £25 from here & yes we got another this most recent trip) 3 stars because I've definitely had some weird experience here over the years but generally if you go in knowing what it is and what to expect, it won't disappoint you.

As an American, I loved seeing T.K. Maxx in person!…read more I knew that T.J. Maxx in the UK is called T.K. Maxx, and I was so excited to finally see it with my own eyes. The assortment of inventory is very different compared to the US, and honestly, it's not as good LOL. Also, if anyone knows the "No tag" rule at all TJX Company stores in the US. Whenever you would like to purchase something that doesn't have a tag, they try to give you the best possible price for an item that's comparable to the item. The same thing happened to me with a bracelet, and they tried to charge me 15 pounds for a bracelet that's worth 4. There were many cheaper ones all around, but of course they picked the most expensive one. . . I had to drop a star for that, but otherwise it was a cool touristy experience.

Visiting London and to my surprise, I found TK Maxx! My favorite store to shop is TJ Maxx in the…read moreUS. TK Maxx is the exact same shopping outlet as TJ Maxx in the US. Lots of name brand products from clothing to home decor at a discount price. Really enjoy the search for treasures! Store is very busy and crowded. Fun to visit and look for bargains!

Disgraceful disgusting company. Ordered a dress online. Couldn't fit it over my head and return…read moreit ASAP! They sent it back to me and said it was not in good return condition? What!? I didn't even wear it. I called customer service to complain. They were suppose to call me back for a 2nd review. By this time they sent it back to me. I called 2 weeks after and they decided without even seeing the product new with tags, they declined a refund? WTF!!!! Called again to speak to a supervisor and again no call 2 weeks later nothing! They obviously do not care about their customers. Disgusted and disappointed!! I will never ever buy anything from this company again and post this experience everywhere I can.

A good sized store with a selection of youth, womens and mens clothing. Clean with friendly staff…read moreand although busy, never feels stressful. Changing rooms are large and clean also. Zara clothing is sold all over europe and this can be seen as all sizes are european. Prices depend upon each item- their basic range is very good value, but other items can be very expensive, due to material or complex patterns or designs.

This store has now closed down (Fenchurch St), but there is one a couple of mins walk away on…read moreGracechurch Street. 85 Gracechurch Street London EC3V 0AA Monsoon Tel: (020) 7623 3774

This branch is small, orientated mainly on women working in the city. Combined with Accessories…read moreshop, which is nice. Monsoon is lovely for a special occassion when you need some fab dress but I wouldn't get my entire wardrobe there and their sizes are just coming up big. Prices are very high, for that sort of money I'd have a look elsewhere to be honest. Stuff for little girls is stunning, i got there a beautiful silk dress for my little sister for special occasion, it is real treat.

From the outside the shop already looks cheerful but when you go inside it even makes you happier!…read moreThe shop is made out of very bright clothes and accessories! They all have cute/funny prints on it. Often food/animals/monsters ate portrayed on it! The prices are very good and affordable for something as fun and cute as this! The shop is mainly for girls but downstairs they also have a small collection for men!

I'm a huge fan of David & Goliath clothing and accessories - their T-shirts are adorable…read more My favourite things are the luggage tags and keychains - they feature very clever designs and my friends always ask me where I got them. My favourite lines are "Boys are stupid, throw rocks at them." "Come to the dark side - we have cookies!" and "Spooning leads to forking." The graphics are so cute and the taglines are so funny. I don't fit into most of the clothes here, so it's a bit hit and miss - the "L" pants are made to fit a size 8 (US) and even the XL sized T-shirts are tricky because they shrink down a size when they are washed. If you use your dryer to dry your laundry (i.e. North American tourist), definitely buy a size up because all of their cotton shirts and PJ pants will shrink. If you're a UK-er who uses a laundry rack to dry most things, then that isn't necessary. There are lots of cute t-shirts (usually on sale) in the basement. If you're in Soho, check this store out.