Fashion: Sign up with city’s style high club

Published on 02/04/2012 12:00

Its uniqueness is envied the world over. From our high-end boutiques to high street chains there is nothing you can’t find to quench your fashion thirst.

The city demands such a high level of shopping exclusivity that it is home to labels and brands you can’t find anywhere else in the country.

So the Evening News style squad felt it was time to turn the spotlight on the fashion ambassadors flying the flag for Auld Reekie style.

In terms of iconic Edinburgh boutiques, you’d be hard pushed to find a place that could topple Jane Davidson. Steeped in fashion history, store owner Sarah Murray took over her mother’s shop, set up in the late 1960s, and has secured it as one of the most sought-after stores in the world.

They hold brand exclusives in Scotland for Jenny Packham and Erdem so the style squad thought it only fitting to show off the beauty of this floaty, floral, full-length Erdem maxi. It screams of classic elegance and femininity, a bit like Sarah herself.

Miss Dixiebelle caters to all retro junkies out there. Combining clothing with a vintage beauty parlour, its fun and cheeky fashion choices combine old and new perfectly. Emma Dixon has taken her store and made it into a place you’d be happy to hang out in for hours. We styled her figure-hugging little black dress with some killer heels and dressed down the leopard print pencil skirt for easy daytime wearing.

Carolyn Baxter is the city’s resident fashion mini mogul. Clocking up more than a million YouTube hits showing how to make your own dresses, the designer has loyal fans buying her glamourous get-ups. We took her studded mini dress, called Moonbeam, and gave it a rock chic makeover by adding ripped denim and chunky studded boots.

Frontiers boutique is tucked up Stafford Street. It has the perfect blend of stock, making it a one-stop shop for all ages. The mum and daughter duo have a great yin and yang balance that is echoed throughout the store. They are the only stockists in the city of Samantha Sung (you’ll also find her dresses in Liberty London so Frontiers is in very good company).

We decided to dress this 1950s-looking frock with chunky wooden heels, letting the swallow motif printed on the dress do all the talking. This classic full skirt and synched waist works on most shapes and age ranges, making it a dress you can keep in the wardrobe for a lifetime.

Sam Brown in William Street plays host to chic casual wear. The style squad was squabbling over what to do with this blue and beige stripe T-shirt dress. Should it be glammed or casualed? Leopard print trainers won on the day but it proved that this number can be spruced up or dressed down. Summer wardrobes are not complete without a good quality T-shirt dress in them.