Atelier

This is truly the most beautiful shop– ever! The stiff in here really is one of a kind and I believe the dresses can be tailor made for your special occasion. How cool! Prices are a little higher here, about £60 to maybe £200 or so, but you really are paying for top quality and can be safe and secure in the knowledge that your dress will fit and fit well! Wow! Plus, no one else will have the same one! Sigh of relief! The accessories in here too, must be mentioned as they are so cute and girlie and really quite something. From handbags to broaches and jewellery it really does have it all!

Being a female outfitters/​dressmakers I ended up in here at the insistence of my better half. Initial feeling like a ‘fish out of water’ I soon rose to the challenge of amusing myself for the next 15 minutes.
The shop itself is about a third of the way down Queens’s arcade if you enter from the Fountain Place side and is an absolute eye-​catching beauty. There are a couple of very chic dresses hanging up in the window and the ground floor has the main counter and a few more racked dresses and a couple of display mannequins dotted around. There is also a ton of jewellery and underwear which of course I didn’t get too close to.
I’d been well briefed by my partner as to the nature of the shop with dresses being designed and hand made in house so it was hard not to admire the craftsmanship that had gone into the garments. This was seriously detailed work.
We squeezed up the little spiral staircase where there was a dressing/​fitting area and quite a few more racks of gear. The missus was in 7^th heaven as she examined dresses of every colour and style.
No purchase today but I fear there will be a more costly return visit soon. Definitely one for the ladies.
Pros: Good selection, unique designs.
Cons: Small shop. Busy.

Atelier — (for those who –like me — didn’t know, this is defined as ‘an artists studio or workroom’ I didn’t think much of this name until I discovered this!)
Stop press! Wow! Wow! Wow! How have I never known of this shop before? It’s so elegant and beautiful. There are three lovely girls who work in the shop and they design all the items they sell. Lizzie makes the dresses, Ursula makes the accessories, handbags and head wear, then the other (I’m so sorry I’ve forgotten her name, I’ll repost it) creates the jewellery. This whole process just makes me smile. I love it! I will definitely be back here. It’s such a little gem of a shop hidden away in this arcade. The store is beautifully laid out and they sell some amazing items (see ‘The Good Book’ a hollowed out book with a mini flask hidden inside!) The dress maker, Lizzie Agnew, is famous by name. Her dresses have featured in Tatler, The Wedding Journal, and The Guardian. She creates beautiful vintage inspired silk gowns designed and made to order. I’ve seen some of these both in the shop and on her website and OH WOW! If I ever have the funds/​occasion/​need to get a tailor made dress it will be here. They’re simply heavenly! Ladies, get yourself down here now. Don’t miss out any longer!

I’m a big fan of this place. It’s just great (and a little unusual in the city centre) to have an independent boutique to break up the sameyness (it’s a word!) of the high street. Not that I don’t like the big high street shops, I’m just saying…
Anyway, Atelier is completely tiny, but is full of loveliness. If I had to criticise it (and believe me, I don’t want to) I would say that the stock doesn’t change often enough, so you end up shopping the same clothes every week. It’s probably a little unfair to criticise them for that though, small boutiques can’t be expected to have the turnaround that the big boys have.
A lot of the clothes are higher end than you’ll find on the high street too, so it’s nice for a special occasion. A friend of mine recently got the most beautiful dress for her graduation from Atelier, and honestly, she looked stunning in it.
Apart from stocking random brands from all over, there’s also representation from the NI contingent, and you’re likely to find the designers hanging out there on a Saturday, on hand to dish out style advice (not that I need it, you understand), but it gives the place a good atmosphere.
The only problem I have is that I always want to buy from it — whether I have the money or not!

This gorgeous boutique is situated in Queen’s Arcade, and is a tiny but perfectly formed shop which sells the most beautiful dresses. Every possible colour, shape and style is avaliable, as well as numerous delightfully kitsch gifts, making this an excellent place if you’re shopping for a special occasion.
It is pricey enough, with the dresses ranging in price from £60-£200, but you would be guaranteed that no-​one else would be wearing the same one (such a disaster when that happens!). When my sister and I took a peek at these exquisite dresses, her cries of «oooh» and «ahhh» reflected the level of wonderment at such lovely garments, and for me, this is what really makes Atelier.
The girl who was ‘on duty’, so to speak, was lovely and helpful, and didn’t mind us hunting through the rails. Even if you go just to window shop, definitely pay this lovely wee place a visit.

This place is total girlie paradise — and NOT in a pornographic way… men reading this, please give yourselves a big fat slap. I wandered in here when I was looking for a special gift for a friend of mine, and I bought the cutest little gift for her of a sparkly brooch of the Ruby Slippers from the Wizard of Oz, which she absolutely loved. It’s the place to go for special little items and thoughtful, unusual gifts. I also bought this amazing scented body cream that is so sweet smelling I would actually be tempted to eat it… don’t worry I’ve not gone that far yet. They sell little underwear sets and accessories and makeup and shoes — it’s all to die for. Get yourself down there for a wee treat.