Last Thursday saw the opening of a sparkly new Topshop in Leeds. This, my friends, ain’t just your average Topshop. This, well, this is what the kids might call “da bomb diggity”. With 2 huge floors of clothing, make-up, accessories and shoes (plus a little something for the fellas in the form of Topman, upstairs) this new store covers 31,000 sqft and makes for a shopping haven placed conveniently just off the busiest shopping street in the city. If you’re local, pop down to Briggate to have a little looksy for yourself but you should be prepared to lose hours; this really isn’t the kind of store to pop into on your lunch break – you may never make it back to your desk!

The layout of the store is just insane; it’s organised beautifully but there is just so much stuff on offer, it fills me with both glee and panic at the same time. It has all the best concessions (like Ragged Priest and Rare), Studio and Limited Edition ranges, alongside a (frankly overwhelming) Shoe Gallery where footwear literally lines the walls, spilling over with everything from the full range of this season’s ankle boots, to heels, flats and everything in between. The make-up area takes up one corner on the ground floor and I can’t actually explain to you how exciting it was for me to see all the nail colours (a personal favourite of mine) lined up screaming “Wear me! Wear me!” If my memory serves me correctly, this store is the biggest in the UK outside of London so it’s no surprise that it boasts the full selection of accessories, clothing, shoes and more – if it ain’t in here then it ain’t Topshop. No longer will I be gazing at that jacket in Grazia just wishing for it to turn up in my store – IT WILL DEFINITELY BE HERE, ITS AMAZING.

I was kindly invited down by the Topshop Press Office and given a tour of the new store, including the Personal Shopping service. Away from the madness of the shop floor sits a tranquil, spa-like area, filled with the most stylish of ladies and offering 3 extra large fitting rooms to cater for the bespoke (and complimentary!) shopping service that Trinity Topshop provides. If you’re in a rush but you need a new pair of jeans, or if you’re looking for the perfect holiday wardrobe, all you need to do is call for an appointment, give a few deets and the team will pull outfits for you which will be ready to try on your arrival. I, for one, cannot wait to try this service and word on the street is that I may be able to trial it and write it up for you guys, so watch for that over the coming months – I’m thinking it’s the perfect idea to help compile a stylish honeymoon wardrobe!

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted just thinking about it. I think I’m going to hide my plastic every time I’m within 50 metres of the store front, just to be on the safe side. Whilst this store is amazing and is sure to become a shopping Mecca for fashionistas all over the North, I’d advise never going near this place on a Saturday. It’s bound be an absolute hell-hole, packed full of teens trying on their Night Out hot-pants and that’s not a good shopping environment for anyone! It is however open until 7pm on Thursdays and Fridays so that might be a good time to hit the rails.

Seriously though, what I love most about this store is that it genuinely seems very fashion forward, very cool. It sounds silly, but the mannequins are styled in a different way which really caught my eye as soon as I walked into store and there are so many – perfect for inspiration. I know that to some the outfits on display in store might not be particularly wearable day-to-day but just seeing what’s on offer has made me feel a lot more experimental with my choices and I’m excited to try some new ideas. That’s partially why I’m so looking forward to trying the Personal Shopping service – the girls behind the counter look so effortlessly stylish and original, which can be hard when you shop on the high street. Whatever our personal gripes may be with Topshop (price, “trendiness”, even quality) for a lot of us it is still the safest place to shop when we want results and it rarely fails to deliver. I for one know I’ll be a loyal customer of this new mega-store!

What’s your favourite high street haunt? What store near you needs a major overhaul?