When you think of shopping and Sheffield, ten to one you think of Meadowhall, one of the UK’s largest shopping centres. It’s an obvious connection to make, but I do wonder why anyone would prefer shopping somewhere so clinical and vast, where all the shops are straight off the high street and where there are millions of other people after the same changing room in Dorothy Perkins.

Sheffield city centre itself might not be indoors, and you might not always be protected from the rain, but it has individuality, some truly beautiful architecture, and approximately nine hundred and ninety nine thousand fewer people in every shop.

The shops may be smaller, but they’re still there: Fargate has just about every large high street shop, and Orchard Square Shopping Centre, a quaint little courtyard off the main street, boasts a few high street stores as well as independent craft shops, cafes, and an adorable balcony to sit outside and enjoy a break during the warmer months. You just don’t find fresh air or balconies in massive indoor shopping complexes.

My favourite shop in the whole of Sheffield is ‘Evolution’, part of a small chain of vaguely ethnic themed gift shops. Just inside Orchard Square, its bright purple front and quaint stock make it hard to miss. Most gift shops are boring, plain and difficult to find anything affordable in; ‘Evolution’ is the exception to the rule. I could easily buy a present for everyone I know inside, and they wouldn’t break the bank. On top of this, the staff are friendly, helpful and passionate. Whether or not there is anything I want to buy, I always go to ‘Evolution’ when I’m in town, because of the smile it puts on my face for the rest of the day.

Buried away in the side streets of Fargate is another of my favourite places: the Millennium Galleries and Winter Garden. If ever my life turns into an exceptionally bad movie, and people are running round, crazed, trying to find me, I’ll be in the Winter Garden with a Fancie. cupcake and a mug of Tea Pig, listening to my iPod and just forgetting the world. The gardens are beautiful, and the shops within them are equally so. If ever the day comes when the Millennium Gallery shop can’t entertain me for half an hour with its kitsch wonderfulness, there is something fundamentally wrong with the state of the world.

Working out of town slightly, towards the University Quarter, West Street boasts one of the most beautiful, affordable vintage shops I have ever found. Cow, nicely inconspicuous with its bright yellow front amongst a sea of boring brick work, is the kind of shop any fashion writer could gladly spend hours trawling through. Like any vintage shop, not everything is to everyone’s tastes, but the cheerfulness of the colours and the helpfulness of the staff mean that finding that one item is not as painful as usual – and that you can’t help but come back, digging for more.

Meadowhall also has a cinema and several restaurants within its vast confines, keeping shoppers occupied when they can’t be bothered to shop. Now, obviously, the city centre can do better than that. With Leopold Square’s upmarket chain restaurants and several smaller eateries scattered around the city, and the independent Showroom Cinema on the road to the railway station, there’s really no reason to venture out of town at all. In fact, there just seem to be more and more reasons to stay within the city.

If you’re looking for a place chock-full of independent shops, one offs and beautiful designer boutiques which look like they’ve fallen right out of a fairytale, you really need to look no further than tiny, historic York, in the North of England. Easily accessible by train from all ends of the country, it’s a tiny hide-away amongst the industrial metropolises which make up most of the North.

A few pointers, hotspots, and must-sees...

• Papillon, behind Newgate Market, is literally the most beautiful hair salon in the world – and whether you’re after a hair-cut or not, the window alone is worth a look!

• The Shambles, York’s famous, higgledy-piggeldy ancient street is crowded with the most adorable shops in the city. From the exquisite Monk Bar Chocolatier to the beautiful Silverado jewellers and The Gift Company, full of adorable presents for friends and family, it is definitely worth a visit. If you can, visit the top floor of one of the buildings – lean out of a window and shake hands with someone across the street!

• Hard-ware store Barnitts on Colliergate may not sound enticing, but it is a tourist attraction in itself. Wander in and you can find literally anything – but it spans most of the street, weaving behind other shops, and so finding your way out again is pot-luck!

• Miss Diva on Low Petergate is in view of the Minster, and harbours a collection of inexpensive, stylish women’s clothing, whereas Molly Brown’s, just down from it, is couture, unique, one-off, and pricey – but one of the most beautiful shops you will ever see.

• One, the ethical boutique on Swinegate and Peter Lane is adorable, and kind to the planet. The shop assistants are passionate and knowledgeable, but most of all, they’re good, kind people. Stop by and say hello.

• Stonegate, like the Shambles, has some truly beautiful shops. With a clear view down to the Minster, on a sunny day this is one of the most beautiful places in the city – and, possibly in any city. The shops aren’t as independent as on the Shambles; here you’ll find The White Stuff, Jack Wills and Jigsaw in amongst cute gift shops and dress makers such as Rosie Muggles, but like everywhere else in the city’s old quarter, they’re so pretty that you won’t care that you could find them in just about any other city, as well.

THIS COLUMN IS BY THE LOVELY LIZZIE, OUR INTERN

When I was asked to write about fashion in my local area, I was completely stumped. I live in a tiny little town called Grays in the South of England, which actually is just as dull and boring as the name suggests! So for people like me, the internet serves as a complete haven, an oasis of inspiration and style amidst the monotony that is my local area. There are so many beautiful online outlets run by British designers, lots of them quite obscure, even under-the-radar, and if you ever have a little time to spend browsing the internet, I’d definitely recommend a visit to the list of sites below.

Lazy Oaf

http://www.lazyoaf.co.uk

Lazy Oaf is an adorable online shop, full of graphic tees, cute printed sweatshirts, and hilarious greetings cards. The flagship store can be found in Foubert’s Place, London, but the website ships worldwide and is just as bright and funny as the items it sells. Lazy Oaf is extremely popular with both Londoners and those from further afield, and whenever I see someone on the street with one of their t-shirts, I just can’t help but smile at the incredible cuteness of it all!

Vivien of Holloway

http://www.vivienofholloway.com

Vivien runs one of my absolute favourite Camden boutiques, and she also provides an online outlet for anyone living a little further away. These gorgeous, affordable vintage-style dresses are ideal for weddings, proms and special occasions, made in the UK but adored by women across the globe! They can transform anyone into a Fifties rockabilly, Mad Men office girl, or WWII sweetheart, and perfectly combine the 21st Century technology of shopping online with the soft, glamorous styles of the Fifties era.

Rock n Rose

http://rocknrose.co.uk

Rock n Rose is a whimsical accessories brand inspired by all things ‘classic, vintage and beautiful’. The girls behind the brand, designer sister duo Jess and Emily Jane have been pioneering the site since 2007, and in that time have been featured in publications such as Cosmopolitan, Bliss, and Elle. I believe that their quirky, floral, pieces are so individual and can finish off any outfit just perfectly. It’s also a good idea to sign up for the mailing list, as then you can receive special promotion codes and limited edition offers, saving money on this beautiful store!

Comfort Station

http://comfortstation.co.uk

The jewellery found on this site is quite a bit more expensive, but if you’re looking for a dark, handmade, almost menacing piece, you’ve certainly come to the right place. Comfort Station’s classy, gothic, and frankly quite beautiful metal jewellery brand has been operating since 2003, and in that time has evolved into the creation of items which are more like tiny works of art than accessories – this is one of the boutiques where the fashion and art worlds really do begin to align.

Beyond Retro

http://beyondretro.com

Beyond Retro is a beautiful shop celebrating vintage apparel from the 1990s all the way to the 1920s. Its nautical, theatrical site design is a perfect match for the stunning items it sells, and it has been a cult hit with celebrities, editors, and designers since its conception in 2002. Beyond Retro has been featured in various magazines such as Nylon, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Dazed and Confused, and Vogue, and is famous for its stores in Brighton, Soho, and Brick Lane, where no two pieces are ever quite the same! A selection of items are chosen to be featured on the website, and can be sorted by size, era, price, or theme, guaranteeing a fabulous vintage find even for those who do not live near one of the flagship stores.

A Quarter Of

http://aquarterof.co.uk

It’s sometimes easy to forget that it’s not only fashion stores available on the internet, but all sorts of products can be sold online. For example, I love this independent old-fashioned sweet shop, A Quarter Of, which sells wonderful confectionary from times gone by – just browsing the site makes me remember childhood favourites like Jazzies, Rainbow Drops, Love Hearts and Toxic Waste. If you ever have a craving, or a sweet-toothed friend with a birthday on the horizon, A Quarter Of’s gift sets are ideal – just look at that amazing hamper!

Urban Junkies

http://urbanjunkies.com

Urban Junkies automatically directs you to its site for your nearest city, so is a life-saver if you ever need to research events, gigs, restaurants, or any aspect of culture going on in your local area. Its shopping guides are second-to-none, providing priceless information about markets, pop-up shops and catwalk shows, but my personal favourite is its music section – every month mixtapes and playlists are published, devised by artists and industry experts and featuring brilliant, talented underground musicians.

Black Pearl Boutique

http://blackpearlboutique.co.uk

Up until recently, Black Pearl Boutique was a lovely little jewellery shop, situated in Kingly Court, London. It has now sadly closed down, but is still alive and a significant presence on the internet! Black Pearl sells necklaces, bracelets, earrings and headpieces, all inspired by 1940s and 50s glamour, old tattoos, charms and trinkets. There is also a ‘Discarded Jewels’ section of the site, which is a custom shop providing hand-made, bespoke and independent pieces, constructed from broken chains, old brooches, earrings, pendants, beads and charms to create a new, highly individual item for you to forever treasure!

Heidiseeker

http://www.heidiseeker.com

This site provides cute, kooky accessories, inspired by neon, electro, and eighties trashiness. Heidiseeker is particularly famous for its personalisation service – both the tote bag and necklace above can be personalised with the name of your choice, and this creates a truly individual piece! I purchased one of Heidi’s glittery necklaces with my name on it last year, and received quite a few compliments from friends and strangers alike, so it’s definitely something to consider if you want a new item of jewellery to refresh your wardrobe and help you to stand out from the crowd!

I’ve always found that the internet is brilliant for buying clothes from High-Street stores, but independent online outlets are where it really comes into its own. There is such an exciting community of creatives and designers with beautiful, inspiring ranges of clothing, accessories, jewellery and even confectionary! If you’re willing to look a little further afield, the internet can provide you with the means to travel to hundreds of boutiques situated all over Britain without leaving the comfort of your computer chair.