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Absolute Vintage
'Vintage' dressing has been the fashion in London recently. Of course, that's just a posh word for secondhand, as is patently clear in this store full of unusually affordable women's frocks and men's suits. Choice rather than quality is the watchword here.
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Agent Provocateur
For women's lingerie that is to be worn and seen, and certainly not hidden, pull up to Joseph (son of Vivienne Westwood) Corre's wonderful Agent Provocateur. Its sexy and saucy corsets, bras and nighties for all shapes and sizes exude confident and positive sexuality.
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Alfie's Antiques Market
Its higgledy-piggledy maze of exclusive vintage fashion and retro homewares (from lighting to posters) makes this complex a wonderful window-shopping experience, even if you find the prices too high. For female shoppers, an undoubted highlight is the Girl Can't Help It (www.thegirlcanthelpit).
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Ann Summers
This is one of Britain's most successful stores - so who says the Brits are a reserved lot? Just look at the racy lingerie (usually in flaming reds and fluffy lace), accompanied with furry handcuffs, breast enhancers, G-strings, leather whips, nurse uniforms and other playful accessories.
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Antoni & Alison
Quirky tees, mad floral skirts, gorgeous leather purses and funky cashmere knits are Antoni & Alison's trademark products, and you can find sweet key rings and brooches too. Look out for their brilliant sales.
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Apple
Mac geeks of the world unite! Here's your temple, your winter fireplace, so come and warm your faces on the soft glow of MacBooks and iPods, laptops and desktops, inside this white and airy two-storey emporium. Weekly workshops and talks help you get to know your computer, and the banks of iMacs are a free-for-all internet surfing base - a practice that's approved by Apple staffers. Come and worship.
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Aquascutum
Despite the store's modern look, Aquascutum's mackintoshes, scarves, bags and hats remain traditional. For men, this means classic gabardine; for women, the look is straight lines, classic fashion and natural beauty, as worn by the super rich.
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Aram
Despite the fact that most of the furniture stocked by Aram is unaffordable to ordinary mortals, admiring the designer pieces in this fantastic shop is an experience to be cherished. Originally opened by Zeev Aram on King's Rd in 1964, the shop was a key player in the Conran-led furniture design revolution that saw the end of a chintz-laden Britain. The shop grew and eventually moved to this four-floor, free-standing luminous building, where the furniture is given the space it deserves, as if in a museum. Among the many accomplished designers, Aram stocks pieces by Alvar Aalto, Eileen Grey, Eames, Le Corbusier and Arne Jacobsen. The top floor is an exhibition space, where you can see new talent in fine or applied art and design.
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Burberry
The first traditional British brand to reach the heights of fashion, you'll know you've reached Burberry when you see hordes of giggling Japanese girls standing outside. It's known for its innovative take on classic pieces (bright-coloured trench coats, khaki pants with large and unusual pockets), its brand check pattern, and a tailored, groomed look. You'll see a lot of its catwalk pieces ripped-off by high-street shops like H&M.
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Burberry Factory Shop
This warehouse stocks seconds and samples from reborn-as-trendy Brit brand's current collection or stuff from last season. Prices can be up to 50% to 70% lower than those in the West End, with the best deals on accessories.
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Butler & Wilson
There's a sybaritic 1920s Shanghai vibe to Butler & Wilson's central branch, where costume jewellery, handbags, T-shirts and knick-knacks are sold beneath red Chinese lanterns, watched by Chinese shop dummies. The Chelsea store (tel:7352 3045; 189 Fulham Rd SW3) has a large collection of retro dresses, too.
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Carnaby St
A former shadow of its 1960s heyday, this now features very commercial streetwear outlets.
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Cockfighter Of Bermondsey
T-shirts with attitude, and other clothing and accessories, are found in this small boutique and worn across the pages of celebrity magazines by DJs and pop stars.
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Coco de Mer
A very classy, almost French take on silky lingerie and ticklers, spankers etc.
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Coco Ribbon
Coco Ribbon is so girly, even Barbie might feel a tad butch when walking into this award-winning boutique. There are chiffon dresses and faux-fur gilets, Calypso Rose's customisable Clippy Kit handbags, light-hearted words of wisdom for newlyweds or new parents and, for your broken-hearted gal pals, 'boyfriend replacement' kits (sugar pills and chocolate, of course).
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Daisy & Tom
This superb children's department store has a marionette show, carousel rides, rocking horses, play areas, traditional and modern toys, and a big book room where kids can loll about while flicking through the latest Harry Potter. Upstairs there are fashion labels fit for (your) little princes and princesses.
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Diverse
One of London's coolest streetwear boutiques for men has jeans, trains shirts and tees from Italy and New York arranged around fairly minimalist interior. Jeans labels include Blue Blood, Indigo Form, Rogan and Paper Denim.
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Duffer of St George
The first to bring Evisu jeans to London and a good place for Oeuf T-shirts, Duffer remains the meister of London menswear despite growing competition. 'Shield' formal wear like shirts and classic Italian handmade suits, as well as more urban sweats, bags and accessories are all on sale.
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Emporium
Each piece is individual at this lovely vintage shop (unisex), where glass cabinets are adorned with paste jewellery, old perfume bottles (under the Shell advertising lamp) and straw caps, and gorgeous jackets and blazers snuggle on the coat hangers.
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Floral St
This tucked-way street boasts a few cool fashion shops, like Paul Smith and Ted Baker.
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Hoxton Boutique
If you want to look like a true Hoxtonite, come here for your (women's) street wear - there's Isabel Marant, Hussein Chalayan, Repetto shoes, and the shop's own brand, +HOBO+. The boutique is meant to resemble Studio 54, with a mirror ball, white walls and neon lights.
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Joy
This spacious, two-storey 'urban lifestyle' shop is aptly named; it truly is a delight. And although its mens- and womenswear is new and trendy, its saucy, quirky homewares fit right into the Greenwich scene.
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Junky Styling
On retail-friendly Dray Walk, Junky 'recycles' traditional suits into sleek, eye-catching fashion pieces. A man's jacket might become a woman's halterneck top, for example, or tiny shorts with heart-shaped hot-water bottles for back pockets. Menswear includes short-sleeved half-shirt/half-T-shirts, and jackets with sweat suit-material sleeves and suit-material hoods. Bring your own clothes to be transformed.
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Kilgour
London's Savile Row is still renowned for its customised suits. Conventional with a modern twist, Kilgour sells a ready-to-wear range, as well as tailor-made suits from £1400 .
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Koh Samui
It's high-end fashion galore at this little boutique that prides itself on finding new designer talent and specialises in floaty pieces from Brit designers like Chloé, Marc Jacobs, Clements Ribeiro and Julien MacDonald. You'll drool over the handsome Chloé bags.
