Life & style and Shopping

Dundee fashion label Nkili aims to reinstate the blouse as a key fashion item

24 Apr 2012

Has anyone worn a blouse to greater effect than Maggie Gyllenhaal in Secretary? She looked filthier in her high-necked, pussy-bowed polka-dot number than in her Agent Provocateur shoot. On the right person, the mother of pearl button, the leg of mutton…

Peroni Nastro Azzurro hosts a series of intimate dining experiences across the UK

Gianluca Longo hosts dinner at Glasgow's Old Fruitmarket

5 Apr 2012

Over the past few months, Peroni Nastro Azzurro has been hosting a series of unique Italian dining experiences in cities across the UK. Amici di Peroni celebrates Italian style, good food and great company. The dinners are a revival of the Italian…

Style Guide 2012 - My Style

Six Scottish fashion and design creatives talk us through their wardrobes and shopping habits

2 Mar 2012

Name: Dougal Marwick. Job: Vintage buyer and seller at HB Electronics/ copywriter. What three words best describe your style? Chip-toothed smile. Where do you find inspiration? There are so many identikit ‘cool-guy’ blogs these days it’s a bit hard…

Valentine's Day - How to buy lingerie

Don’t get your knickers in a knot - Scottish underwear experts provide expert advice

3 Feb 2012

‘When someone enters the store, and motions to one of the agents, “She’s about your size,” that’s the biggest no-no of all!’ says Jemma Hill, manager at Agent Provocateur in Glasgow. ‘If you’re too shy to ask your partner about sizes, look at the labels…

Valentine's Day - where to buy your flowers

Independent florists in both Edinburgh and Glasgow advise thinking beyond roses

3 Feb 2012

‘Red roses are absolutely the worst thing you can buy at Valentine’s time,’ says Esther Kuck, the florist behind The Wild Flower Shop in Portobello. ‘You can spend £70 on a dozen red roses, which is just mad. They probably won’t be good quality, and…

Neighbourhood Watch: Hyndland, Glasgow

Tips for hot spots in the plushest part of the West End

3 Feb 2012

What’s it like? That nice bit between the ‘proper’ West End and Anniesland, with lots of cute coffee shops, restaurants and lovely flats. Think ornate doorways, stained glass and well-pruned window baskets, going for much more than your average…

Whole Foods Market opens in Glasgow

A trolley-tour round Glasgow's popular new ethical food outlet

13 Jan 2012

You have to hand it to the Americans – they certainly know how to create an impressive supermarket. The opening of Whole Foods Market in Giffnock has had foodies, healthy eaters and ethical shoppers from Glasgow (not to mention resentful Edinburghers…

Neighbourhood Watch: Broughton Street, Edinburgh

A guide to Edinburgh's hip gay hub

9 Jan 2012

What’s it like? A street full of bars, restaurants and delightful eateries nestled underneath old tenement flats. Ideal for stuffing your face full of food and hitting a pub with friends just a stone’s throw from the centre of the city. Where’s it…

Glasgow boutique Made in the Shade prepares to move to London

Carrie Maclennan and Clare Nicolson on expanding their horizons

6 Jan 2012

Bad news for all Glaswegians who can’t get through the week without buying a quirky new tote bag. The Made in the Shade Maisonette, the spiritual home of the vintage fabric stuffed bird and curly moustache keyring, is closing its doors. Owners Carrie…

Spotlight: Starter for 6 - Salute

Starter for 6 is an enterprise training programme run by Cultural Enterprise Office

4 Jan 2012

What's your name? Danity Blame Name of business? SALUTE Tell us more SALUTE is a unique multi-platform lifestyle brand created by those in the know! Our core focus areas consist of Creative PR, Marketing, Events, our ‘SALUTE’ Digital Magazine…

Spring/ summer 2012 trend preview

30 Dec 2011

Citrus shades Marigold and canary yellow were among the zingy citrus hues championed for the new year at New York and London fashion weeks. During the UK’s biggest fashion event, designers such as Osman, Mark Fast, Jaeger and Aquascutum used the…

How to survive a Christmas away from home

Top tips for living an independent Christmas

22 Dec 2011

Utilise technology Why not use video calling to talk to your loved ones back at home? This way, you can visually update each other on your Christmas presents and have face-to-face conversations. Send presents Send thoughtful gifts to your…

Gifts that keep giving: Postal subscriptions

Subscribe to NotAnotherBill.com, or film memberships at the GFT, Cameo or LOVEFiLM

19 Dec 2011

Fluffy slippers that can be heated in the microwave. Mobile phone holders in the shape of endangered species. Socks bearing the legend ‘world’s best grandad’. Ned Corbett-Winder promises that his gift-a-month website notanotherbill.com will most…

Neighbourhood Watch: Great Western Road, Glasgow

Including The Captain's Rest, The Belle and Lupe Pintos

19 Dec 2011

What’s it like? One big road full of pubs, cafés and little shops. Flats are mostly old tenements above the bars, restaurants and stores which go up most of the road. Where’s it, like? In the West End, a stone’s throw from Woodlands and Byres Road.

The best family games this Christmas

Animal Croquet, Pointless, Angry Birds, Rory Story Cubes and Spyro the Dragon featured

13 Dec 2011

Animal Croquet One for the little ones or if you just fancy a very civilised mini game of croquet indoors. £24 (currently on special offer online at £16.50) from poshlittletots.com Pointless The much loved TV quiz show with Alexander Armstrong…

Neighbourhood Watch: Stockbridge, Edinburgh

A guide to the village-like Edinburgh suburb

16 Nov 2011

What’s it like? Architecturally lovely and quite picturesque, the area is still pretty bohemian despite the influx of more affluent shops in recent years. Where’s it, like? To the north of the city, between the New Town and Inverleith. It’s about…

Christmas 2011 events in Glasgow and Edinburgh

Our round-up of some of the best festive fodder including markets, fairs and carol concerts

15 Nov 2011

Shopping To find prezzies with an individual feel or just some tasty treats, head out to a Christmas fair near you. In Glasgow, there’s the St Enoch Square annual market (from 20 Nov) and Country Living Magazine’s Christmas Fair, with homemade food…

The top tips to look wide awake after a late night

5 Oct 2011

Yes, it can be done! After a night out and only a few hours sleep, you can look wide awake even if you don’t feel it. The trick is to look after your body, especially your skin, by maintaining a good beauty regime. With these quick and easy beauty tips…

Student Lock In!

13 Sep 2011

St James Shopping are hosting a Student Lock in on Tuesday 20 September 7 – 9pm and promises music and entertainment throughout the evening and great discounts at many of the stores. The perfect opportunity to stock up on those last minute essentials…

Neighbourhood Watch: Shawlands, Glasgow

25 Aug 2011

What’s it like? The unofficial hub of the Southside. Young, bustling and almost completely tenement-bound, packed with pizza places, big bars and some excellent independent shopping, Shawlands also benefits from proximity to the lovely space of Queen’s…

Foodies Festival Edinburgh returns in 2011

27 Jul 2011

Celebrating the finest food, drink and culinary talents, Foodies Festival will celebrate its fifth anniversary when the event returns to Holyrood Park on August 12, 13, 14. Having launched in Edinburgh five years ago and enjoyed unprecedented…

Top ten ways to get in shape – and stay there!

27 Jun 2011

1. Go slow Whatever your goal, whether it’s losing weight, toning up or eating better, start slowly, says diet and fitness expert Laura Williams. “Wearing yourself out by overdoing it is unlikely to get results. You need an exercise routine and diet…

Neighbourhood Watch: Partick, Glasgow

A guide to your local neighbourhoods

13 Apr 2011

Partick, Glasgow What’s it like? The bit of the salubrious West End that still feels properly Glaswegian: cool café bars, delis and boutiques sitting tooth by rough-shaven jowl with classic boozers, betting shops, greasy spoons and pound…

Independent shopping guide: Books

Analogue, The Fruitmarket Gallery and Monorail are among our favourite hangouts

28 Mar 2011

Some of our best and most enjoyable timewasting has been done in the independent bookshops and record stores of Edinburgh and Glasgow. So – apologies go out to the recently relocated, ever excellent Analogue Books with its unique collection of locally…

Independent shopping guide: Julie Nicoll, owner of Analogue Books

Newly-relocated indie publications shop

24 Mar 2011

Before we opened, we found it hard to get hold of many of the books and magazines that we were into and felt if we were into this stuff, surely others would be too and decided to just take the risk and open. We have all kinds of customers; art students…

Independent shopping guide: Fashion designer Jenny Sweetnam of Technicolour

Featured designers include Jo Richardson, Magda Boreysza and more

24 Mar 2011

After a few weeks of DIY craziness, we opened up before Christmas. We stock bold, contemporary design with a graphic edge. I make jewellery and garments, and design colourful and geometric shapes that sit playfully on the body. I think of both clothing…

The rough guide to Portobello, Edinburgh's seaside

Neighbourhood Watch: The best bits by the beach

24 Mar 2011

What’s it like? An utterly charming, slightly wonky area of Edinburgh, characterised by the city’s only beach and a very distinct, anti-corporate local community ethos. Formerly the holiday destination of most Central Belters, a lack of investment in…

Five of the best: Vintage clothes shops in Scotland

Vintage Guru, Starry Starry Night, Barnardos Vintage, Herman Brown

24 Mar 2011

Vintage Guru 195 Byres Road, Glasgow, 0141 339 4750, www.vintageguru.co.uk Existing as a web distributor for 15 years, Vintage Guru is now 3D, catering for the ladies and oft-neglected retro-hungry gents. Past List favourite finds include a white and…

The Scottish collections at London Fashion Week

Christopher Kane, Holly Fulton, Alexander McQueen and more

7 Mar 2011

For a small country with an estimated population of just over five million, the volume of creative talent that Scotland produces is astounding. This season at London Fashion Week, it was the Scottish designers who stole the limelight. Christopher Kane…

Win a Winter White getaway for 4 people to the Isle of Harris!

23 Feb 2011

Escape to a world of scenic Winter White beauty with a luxury break for 4 people at the stylish Hotel Hebrides. This intimate 4-star boutique hotel nestles on the harbour front of Harris’s capital, and offers sparkling white sea views at the front, and…

Area guide to the Glasgow Film Festival

Kirstin Innes helps you bring the movies to life with our GFF-themed area guide

17 Feb 2011

If you're interested in the Beyond Bollywood, Superheroes in Glasgow, Ceol's Craic or Fashion in Film strands, this is the Glasgow guide for you.

Textile designer and re-upholsterer Eleanor Young's modern take on furniture

Glasgow designer enjoys giving unloved, boring items a new look

17 Feb 2011

How did you get started? I graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 2007 having studied textile design. I’ve always had the intention to produce my own designs, however I didn’t have the confidence or practical knowledge to jump straight in. It was…

The historical events that shaped Edinburgh

An overview of Edinburgh's history provides further insight into Scotland's capital

16 Feb 2011

In prehistoric times, our ancient ancestors hunted and farmed on the plain between the Forth and the Pentland Hills, and settled on the heights of Castle Rock and Arthur’s Seat, strengthening these rocky outcrops with primitive ramparts. Later, in the…

The Scottish clothes designers making a name for themselves

Jonathan Saunders, Christopher Kane, Deryck Walker and Holly Fulton

16 Feb 2011

Scotland has always been at the head of cutting-edge design – and today’s selection is just as good

Gaming centres 1LevelUp and Twitch offer high-spec machines

Glasgow and Edinburgh centres blast loner stereotype

16 Feb 2011

There’s a tired stereotype that gamers are loners, locked in their bedrooms hunched over their consoles or PCs desperately trying to beat their high scores. However, gaming centres, such as the recently opened 1LevelUp in Glasgow and Twitch in…

We saw you: George Miller

'My haircut is quite often done by myself.'

16 Feb 2011

George Miller, 48, production designer/musician My haircut is quite often done by myself. The shirt is from Hardy Amies, when they had a shop on George Street [Edinburgh.] It’s called ‘the Jagger’, but that’s not why I bought it. The cardigan is…

Some simple suggestions for a special Valentine's in Edinburgh and Glasgow

Poetry, song, food and hotel break options for February 14th 2011

1 Feb 2011

Special Valentine-themed events seem to fall around but not on the day in question this year: Club Noir (O2 Academy, Glasgow, Sun 11 Feb, below) have their sexy burlesque-y Valentines Masked Ball slightly early, while Aidan Moffat hosts his Valentine’s…

Christmas shopping bargains to be had from local retailer in Edinburgh and Glasgow

The best neighbourhood Christmas markets for last-minute shopping

15 Dec 2010

So, just like every other year, you were sort of probably planning to leave your Christmas shopping until, like a week beforehand or something, yeah? Ah. Might be a problem: 2010 isn’t like any other year. First off, the weather will thwart your online…

The independent design and craft shops springing up across the UK

Edinburgh shop Technicolour interviews Glasgow shop Welcome Home for tips

15 Dec 2010

Ever dreamt of opening your own shop? Or maybe turning your online mini-empire into a real-life bricks and mortar boutique? Jo Richardson is one of three ECA graduate designers who has just opened Technicolour in Edinburgh’s Tollcross. She asks Mhari…

The best books to give for Christmas 2010

A look at some leftfield seasonal offerings - no celebrity autobiographies or TV annuals

30 Nov 2010

When bestselling memoirist Augusten Burroughs was a kid, he had something of an identity crisis. For him, Jesus Christ and Santa Claus were the same person. He couldn’t quite figure out which one of them came down the chimney on Christmas Eve and which…

The best places to buy Christmas trees in Glasgow and Edinburgh

Real Christmas trees, fake trees, wreaths, firewood and flowers

23 Nov 2010

Caring Christmas Trees has outlets for their sustainably-farmed Nordmann Firs in various locations around the country, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Musselburgh, Paisley, Livingston and Fife. The ‘caring’ part of the title comes from the charities…

Coleen Rooney fronts Littlewoods 2010 Christmas campaign

Star continues her ambassadorial role for retailer

4 Nov 2010

Coleen Rooney is set to continue her ambassadorial role for the Littlewoods brand by fronting their enchanting 2010 Christmas campaign. The campaign is certainly not without an element of the magical, as the girls, and children, wait expectantly for the…

Scottish duo Tights for Sore Eyes produce unique, handmade tights for the masses

Glasgow-based cousins design hoisery featuring teapots, moustaches and custard creams

3 Nov 2010

For anyone who has stifled a yawn as they pulled on their winter opaques, or left John Lewis’s hosiery department bored and empty handed, help is here. The hosiery cavalry, in the shape of cousins Nikki and Danni McWilliams, are charging into the…

The quest for the best cup of coffee in Glasgow and Edinburgh

Delivering the verdict on quality coffee dispensers in Scotland

8 Oct 2010

Coffee drinking has become a serious business, with roasters, baristas and drinkers all equally concerned at the quality of the product. Shiny espresso makers with their levers and dials and steamy bits are a familiar sight, but they remain intriguingly…

Tights for Sore Eyes make hand-printed hosiery

McWilliams sisters launch Scottish tights enterprise

8 Oct 2010

For anyone who has stifled a yawn as they pulled on their winter opaques, or left John Lewis’s hoisery department bored and empty handed, help is here. The hoisery cavalry, in the shape of cousins Nikki and Danni McWilliams, are charging into the…

Suit Squad

1 Sep 2010

Here at Shop we never underestimate the power of a good look, and neither does Dress For Success.

Festival Briefing 2010

Some things we think might help you at this year's festivals

30 Jul 2010

Here's a short briefing about some things to look forward to during the Book Festival, the Fringe, in Music events, and Shopping opportunities in Edinburgh

Les Garçons de Glasgow – Street Style

16 Jun 2010

Rash-inducingly hip style blog Les Garçons de Glasgow has been making the city look properly fashionable for a couple of years now, just by very simply stopping all the best dressed people in the streets and taking stunning pictures of them. Now they’re…

Gok Wan glams up Glasgow at Glam in the City

9 Jun 2010

Spandy dandy Gok Wan joins forces with Lorraine Kelly (yeah, we’re scared too...) for three days of fashion shows, workshops, makeovers and exclusive evening events, all based out of a great big tent on George Square. Tickets from www.glaminthecity.co.uk.

Shopping in and around Leith

3 Jun 2010

There’s no better place to begin than legendary Italian food emporium and Edinburgh institution Valvona & Crolla at Elm Row. Open since 1934, this is as close to food shopping in Rome as you’ll get in Scotland. Further down Leith Walk, St…