Top of the Shops: Best of Cardiff -

Cardiff: the fashion capital of Wales. With three huge shopping centres packed with popular brands and labels, the St DavidÔÇÖs Centre, Capitol Shopping Centre and QueenÔÇÖs Arcade are the go-to mallÔÇÖs for your style desires. However, we have decided to shine some light on the hidden treasures of the fashion scene in and around Cardiff; to open your eyes up to some of the unique and bespoke fashion and beauty hot spots locally available to you via independent boutiques, and truly flaunt the best of Cardiff!

NAME: The Castle Emporium

LOCATION:┬á┬á┬á Womanby Street, Cardiff (Opposite the Castle)

BACKGROUND:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á Formerly known as CardiffÔÇÖs Fashion Quarter, the newly re-launched Castle Emporium, and most unique shopping experience in Cardiff, is home to a number of new and established local, independent boutiques and pop-up stalls, offering both vintage and modern fashions to both males and females who seek exclusivity.

OPENING TIMES:┬á┬á┬á┬á 10.00 ÔÇô 18.00

CONTACT:┬á┬á┬á┬á www.facebook.com/TheCastleEmporium

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NAME: High Street Arcade

LOCATION:┬á┬á┬á From Saint John Street to High Street, Cardiff

BACKGROUND:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á Dating back to 1886, the High Street Arcade has been packed with the best choices of fashionable boutique stores; suiting a range of tastes in designer clothes, quirky and individual fashions, jewellery and even vintage clothes amongst a number of coffee shops, deli and even tattoo parlour.

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NAME: Rock-Ola Reborn

LOCATION:┬á┬á┬á The Castle Emporium

TARGET MARKET:┬á┬á Anyone who appreciates good style

DESCRIPTION:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á An independent vintage and pre-owned fashion store for both males and females, that advocates individuality and expressive style by aiming to bring iconic styles from the past, into the present. Every item in store is personally selected by owners Daisy and James to ensure the highest quality, whilst the store prides itself with its low and affordable prices. You can find the best garments, from handpicked day-to-day jeans, sweaters and shirts, to your key fashion statement pieces such as dresses, jumpsuits and bags, or even venture into their own reworked range: ÔÇÿRock-Ola RemadeÔÇÖ where you can find gorgeous vintage pieces, remade into a more modern look or fit.

BACKGROUND:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á Originally known as Rock-Ola, the shop of the eighties, owned by DaisyÔÇÖs parents, was ÔÇÿrebornÔÇÖ having been one of the cornerstones of CardiffÔÇÖs independent scene, providing an alternative style. It was at the centre of fashion and music at a time, reflecting the varied youth culture of the day: Rockabilly, Psychobilly and post Punk clothing, before adapting to the Soul music culture; followed by the Groove; then Rave culture. This independent shop has adhered to the societal tastes of the times and has remained a popular outlet for those with style.

PRICE:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á ┬ú

UNIQUE SELLING POINTS: A 10% student discount off their already bargain prices, complete with late night shopping events with a bar, DJÔÇÖs and even more discounts!

CONTACT:┬á┬á┬á┬á www.rock-olareborn.com┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á Facebook: Rock-Ola Reborn

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NAME: Blue Honey

LOCATION:┬á┬á┬á High Street Arcade, Cardiff

DESCRIPTION:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á A small vintage boutique store, selling classic vintage accessories and clothing of popular brands such as Nike, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and many more. The staff are exceptionally friendly, and even have their own Super Nintendo Chalmers upstairs, free for customer use! If you are dying to know how much an item is, and desperately want it for yourself, you can comment on a photo through their social media, asking for the price and you can even ask them to hold an item for you before it quickly sells out. They sell vintage clothes in the week and make parties on the weekend!

UNIQUE SELLING POINTS: The shop holds a weekly event called ÔÇÿBlue Honey PresentsÔÇÖ. A new disco, funk and soul night, held every Friday at CardiffÔÇÖs Gwdihw Club!

PRICE:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á ┬ú┬ú plus a 15% discount for us lucky students!

OPENING TIMES:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á 09.30 ÔÇô 18.00

CONTACT:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á www.bluehoney.co┬á┬á Facebook:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á Blue Honey┬á┬á┬á IG:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á blue.honey

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NAME: HoboÔÇÖs

LOCATION:┬á┬á┬á High Street Arcade

TARGET MARKET:┬á┬á Those with a love for a colourful selection of vintage pieces

DESCRIPTION:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á A vibrant and independent vintage boutique specialising in 60ÔÇÖs, 70ÔÇÖs and 80ÔÇÖs clothing and accessories for both ladies and gents, HoboÔÇÖs is like a psychedelic dream, bursting with brightly coloured retro clothing and quirky accessories including; snapbacks; bandannas; satchels and berets. The store is better known for stocking trendy cut-off denims and dungarees, as well as timeless retro All Star Converses where you just cant go wrong!

UNIQUE SELLING POINTS:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á An array of social media pageÔÇÖs that regularly post any new arrivals and their prices.

PRICE:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á ┬ú┬ú plus a 10% student discount

OPENING TIMES:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á 10.30 ÔÇô 17.30

CONTACT:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á www.hobosvintageclothing.co.uk┬á┬á┬á FACEBOOK: HoboÔÇÖs Cardiff┬á IG: hoboscardiff

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NAME: Eagle Eye Vintage:

LOCATION:┬á┬á┬á The Castle Emporium

TARGET MARKET:┬á┬á Anyone who wants to wear something a bit different! Eagle Eye Vintage caters for teens to the older generation ÔÇô thatÔÇÖs the beauty of selling vintage

DESCRIPTION:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á Eagle Eye Vintage is a shop that sells vintage and reworked threads handpicked through vintage suppliers by the owner Linzie herself. You can find a huge amount of colourful, heavily printed and patterned 80ÔÇÖs and 90ÔÇÖs garments, as well as reworked items such as fringed t-shirts, studded denim and generally funky items depending on the season.

BACKGROUND:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á The owner Linzie decided to open Eagle Eye Vintage as a result of needing to sell on some of her own accumulation of vintage finds and decided they would be easier to part with if they were going to a good home.

UNIQUE SELLING POINTS:

PRICE:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á ┬ú┬ú plus a 10% student discount

CONTACT:┬á┬á┬á┬á Facebook: Eagle Eye Vintage

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NAME: Jones The Barber

LOCATION:┬á┬á┬á The Castle Emporium

TARGET MARKET:┬á┬á┬á Males who appreciate old school rules, a trustworthy barber who takes pride in his work and gets the job done exactly how you wish with a strictly no fuss or thrills ethos.

DESCRIPTION:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á Ross Jones operates as a traditional barber within a classically recognisable vintage style shop; styled with the conventional red, white and blue stripes of a barbers pole, vintage desk and industrial lighting. Offering everything he would desire from a barber himself, whether it be a short-back-and-sides, a Mohawk, a cut throat shave, a beard trim or a number one all over, you can expect to leave with a good-looking style, immaculate facial hair and possibly a new best mate.

PRICE:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á ┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á Jones offers a good value being much less than city prices in order to allow his customers a wider range of choice in styles as maintenance becomes more affordable

CONTACT:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á Facebook: Jones The Barber┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á Phone: 07432140463

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NAME: Princes and Paupers

LOCATION:┬á┬á┬á The Castle Emporium

TARGET MARKET:┬á┬á┬á If you like the clothing in Boardwalk Empire, Shawshank Redemption, Peaky Blinders and the like, Princes and Paupers a good old fashioned menswear shop packed with these vintage and classic styles is the shop for you.

DESCRIPTION:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á Formerly known as AlÔÇÖs Musique Boutique, Princes and Paupers holds a superb collection of tweed suits, waistcoats, denim work-wear and an intriguing cabinet of dressing accessories including button braces, cufflinks, detachable collars, flat-caps, trilby hats and much more, a visit to this veritable time machine is an experience in itself.

PRICE:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á ┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á With tweed suits from ┬ú65 to braces from ┬ú7.50, all of the handpicked and excellent quality garments are fairly priced

CONTACT:┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á Facebook: Als Musique Boutique