Mad Hatters is an exceptional shop and I try and make a visit I whenever in England. I love this…read moreestablishment and i would venture to say that this is one of my favorite stores anywhere in world. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful and the selections of hats is extensive. You are getting London High Street inventory with the friendliness and service of Brighton...all at very reasonable prices. Well worth a visit and you can get your purchase custom sized, which is a very nice touch. Highly recommended!

If you're planning on walking along Brighton beach in the autumn or winter, you'll need a hat…read more Really. The Brighton wind is relentless and if you don't have a hat you'll end up with a head cold AND your hair blow-dried into a weird style. Staying wrapped up with a scarf, gloves and hat is the only way to survive the seafront intact and luckily, Mad Hatters is a shop that specialises in hats. They sell felt, cord and wool trilbys in every colour and fabric imaginable. For the more daring, they also sell berets, spanish panamas, stetsons, top hats, bowler hats and leather caps. As we all know, I love cowboys and cowgirls but a stetson would last about, erm, 3 seconds on the seafront...

Lulu Rose is Yoma's sister shop located in Kensington Gardens. Whereas Yoma is marketed at women in…read moretheir twenties and thirties, Lulu Rose is aimed at a younger demographic. The shop is packed with vibrant, youthful clothing and many of the same bags and accessories you'll find at Yoma. This store is much larger than Yoma and can get quite crowded with teenagers at the weekend. The selection of stock is impressive- it doesn't particularly wow me, but I'm probably 10 years older than their average customer! (wow, that's depressing...) The bag selection is great and very up-to-the minute with lots of tote bags and holdalls. I distinctly remember Lulu Rose being one of the first places I saw metallic bags and purses (before they were everywhere), so it's probably a good place to go if you want to jump on board with the latest fashion and accessory trends. In the past I have always thought the clothing was kind off the mark, but lately I've seen a couple of good old body-con dresses (who isn't selling them, seriously, they're everywhere?!) and some pretty cardigans in the window. I prefer Lulu Rose to Yoma, because I don't feel its masquerading as something more upmarket...what you see is what you get.

This is a relatively good independent woman's fashion shop in the middle of Brighton's North Lanes…read more I only came here by chance, desparate to find some kind of present for my house mate. After much searching elsewhere, Lulu Rose was among my last options. Thankfully I managed to source a bag that was in the sale, reduced for £35 down to £16. There were perhaps half a dozen items that I considered buying, which is certainly better than the previous shops I had tried. Some of the clothes were a bit average, looking like Top Shop inspired items from 3 months previous. Still, I was able to find a good quality bag for a cheaper price than I would have expected.

Perfect shop for specialty gifts, childrens clothing. Staff is super helpful and the selection is…read moreeclectic and of the best quality

From the owner: Bluebelle & Co - Purveyors of beautiful vintage inspired ladies accessories, homeware, children's…read moreclothing, toys and bedding, gorgeous giftware and 100% pure cotton nightwear. Our gorgeous shop is just a stones throw from Brighton station in the vibrant North Laine area. You'll find that many of our antique pieces of furniture used for display are also for sale which helps with our ever changing appearance. There's loads of pieces that are not shown on our website so its always worth popping into our gorgeous store . Dedicated to unique and vintage inspired products, Bluebelle is a thoughtfully edited collection of women's accessories and sleepwear, homeware, babywear, children's clothing, toys and gifts. A one stop shop where you're able to buy something lovely for yourself, your mum, your son or your daughter.

There are some surprisingly nice clothes available from this little North Laine shop…read more One of many independent, fairly cheap boutique type places in the area, this is I think one of the better ones. They tend to stock more unusual clothes, with skull-patterned dresses, brightly coloured jumpers and unusual t-shirts. I bought one of my favourite t-shirts here, which depicts two giraffes kissing. Aaah. They also seem to have a constant sale rail, which does often include a lot of duff items, but occassional gems can be found here - I bought a couple of lovely £5 dresses here over the summer.

When I walked into Sassy's, I assumed I'd do a once around and walk out. The front of the shop is…read morevery goth-centric, with black ballerina dresses and skull-themed accessories. But it's a bit of a mix and match shop really, and I was surprised to find a long, grey sweater that I liked enough to try on. Unfortunately, it was one of those styles that looks much nicer hanging on the rack. So, I'd consider this a clothing shop with a twist, if that category were an option.

Hi Valentina at 'Sensation'. I have purchased several pieces of jewellery for myself and friends…read moreBirthday Presents over the years and have been more than satisfied. Recently a Bracelet which I have worn so many times needed to be re-strung. Valentina, a very pleasant professional young lady came to my rescue, an excellent repair was carried out. Valentina is a great asset to 'Sensation'. Thank you Valentina. Pauline, Brighton. 2nd July, 2023.

In a city with no shortage of jewelry and handicrafts, Sensation sticks out from the crowd by a…read morenice blend of semi-precious stone jewelry mixed with some light silver designs. The general stock is always quite 'light' and not gaudy. Certainly not a store to frequent should you require some Bling! Whilst the majority of the stock is the kind of thing you would be buying for your girlfriend, there are also enough bracelets and necklaces of jade and citrine etc. for the more bohemian gentleman. I have bought myself a very nice amber bracelet from here before and more importantly received the thumbs up for presents to girlfriends. There is not always quite as much stock as some of the larger jewlers, but as the saying goes sometimes 'less is more'. The staff have always been helpful and will box up your purchase nicely, so that those who are lazy or inept at wrapping would be able to get away with giving the gift as it comes from the shop. The price is kind of wide ranging with nice pieces available for those on a budget, but also some fine items for shoppers wanting to spend out of something that will draw compliments at relevant functions. They regularly rotate their stock and display a nice range of items in the window. Highly recommended.

Forget the misleading title, this branch of the Vintage Magazine Co is actually a fun shop that…read morespecialises in music and movie memorabilia. There's lots of naff stuff like Charlie's Angels and Dukes of Hazzard mousemats and key-rings but these are nestled between more cool items like Godard posters and Mick Jagger and Marc Bolan tote bags. My favourite items however, have to be the Bettie Page tee-shirts and fluffy white towels with Bates Motel embroidered on them. If only they had Psycho shower curtains too!

This is extremely Brighton, representing the true character of the North Lanes. From the outside,…read morethis looks like the a World War 2 front cover for the Beano. When you step inside though, you are greeted by comedic nostalgia and a host of quirky items, all of which cannot be bracketed with any ease. I love buying post cards from here, they are anything but pictures of the pavillion. Beyond post cards, you can find Rocky Balboa aprons, novelty badges or a variety of saucy mugs etc. A very interesting shop really.

Impulse has combined regular and costume-type make-up in their shop, which is interesting. Perhaps…read morethey want people to question why some types of 'dressing-up' are more socially acceptable than others. Or, perhaps they just sell more stuff this way. The eyeshadow, mascara and other 'normal' make-ups are down the centre of the shop, surrounded by tins of face paint, costumes and accessories (pirate eye patches, crowns, wings, parrots, masks, wigs) are along the outside walls. There's also some party favours and gift ideas (lots for stag and hen parties): silly string, fake boobs, plastic snakes ... a weird mix. I'd recommend checking it out for a fancy dress party, but the day-to-day make-up didn't seem to be very high quality.

One of the flagship anchor stores of Churchill Square, Debenhams in Brighton is a pretty decent…read moresized store, although pretty much average for the chain it is located in. It is located fairly close to Apple, up to a steep gradient in the mall floor. The store isn't as modern as one would expect from an anchor store of a mall, but still pretty much does the job when it is open with a satisfactory selection. The store like most branches of Debenhams is pricier than the overall feel of the store implies on the first impression. Average, generic Debenhams store with poor opening times (unstructured, closing early on most days but this is the same as the entire mall) - A useful brand for the city but not really a great store within that brand. 2*

Debenhams is like a time capsule…read more Every time I offer to take my mum shopping and we've done every other store in the city from M&S to Wallis, she swears she just wants to 'Pop in Debenhams for 5 minutes.' And of course, we always emerge weighed down by bags one or two hours later. This particular branch is tiny compared to the Manchester and London stores but they still manage to squeeze a lot of stock in. The ground floor is mainly occupied by accessories, shoes, perfume and make-up counters from Clarins to Benefit whilst the first floor has a strong selection of bed, bath, kitchen and dining room goodies. There's also a small childrens-wear department. The reason my mum loves this store however, is for the womens wear in the basement. There's air conditioning, three changing room areas and small subsidiaries of Wallis, Red Herring, Jane Norman, Warehouse, Top Shop, Oasis, Coast and Red Herring amongst others. Right now, there's also a Blue Cross sale on - which means 70% off for card-holders. Hang on, I think my mobile's ringing...

I agree with those who find T K Maxx a strange experience: a sort of cross between retailing and a…read morejumble sale, and the Brighton store in particular veers towards the latter. I am always amazed at some of the terrible 'fashion-victim' clothes on offer, reduced from something ridiculous to something that still strikes me as daylight robbery; I cannot understand why anyone would buy the stuff at all, unless they have more money than taste, or perhaps simply no idea? Only go if you have something very specific in mind, unless rummaging through lots of entirely unsuitable items turns you on. I've found some excellent silk ties here in the past, from brands like Aquascutum and Jaeger. Inevitably, they were alongside ties which were so loud, you would only buy them for your worst enemy. Now there's a thought...

Anyone who still thinks good things can be found in TK Maxx is highly disillusioned…read more 'oh yeah, you just have to wait for them to get a new batch in' Or 'you just have to rummage around, there's some well good stuff in there' Wrong! Theres nothing in there, there never was...idiots.

Every Saturdays, from 7 am to 5pm, on Upper Gardner Street there is a lot of independent stalls…read morethat sell everything from secondhand books, antiques, records, clothes to street food and vegetables. Every time I go there I usually manage to find and buy a vintage cookery book. I have now four cookery books, they were published between 1911 and 1970. On Upper Gardner Street there is also a very big two storey antique shops which I really like: North Laine Antique & Fleamarket, it is the perfect place to find old fashioned plates and cups of tea for example.

The best thing about this market is it has such a variety of stalls, which makes it much more fun…read moreto walk around than if it was just fashion or organic vegetables. This street really does come alive every Saturday with sellers and prospective buyers. I sometimes wonder how these people have the energy to move larger items like bookcases and tables from place to place, especially first thing in the morning. You've got to have a passion for it is all I can say. Personally I'm a fan of perusing the vintage jewellery, the second hand books and records, the retro clothes stalls and the cakes!