It's Clothes Show Live time again!

I'm really looking forward to going to the Clothes Show Live again on Saturday for the seventh year running! If you haven’t been before, then you must go it’s amazing and has everything you can need under one roof, especially getting bargains for Christmas presents. Plus this year they are introducing an all new craft area, Sknitch, and The Dance Show! It is very busy and always hectic so if you can, go on a weekday but if you work Monday-Friday like me then Sunday is definitely a better day (sadly I can’t get there on a Sunday).

I’ve put together a few tips from my years of visiting the Clothes Show if this is your first time!

1) Wear comfy clothes and shoes as you will be walking A LOT! Particularly if you park in the car park and have to walk to the entrance! The show is also massive so you will be walking around all day!

2) Bring a suitable bag to carry your purchases in. The best thing I ever did was buy a granny trolley and pull it around! It saves my neck from crippling with all the bags, especially when it’s busy and you are trying to buy things!! Saves a lot of stress and pain!

3) Bring lots of cash with you. There are always huge queues for cashpoints and they charge you for withdrawing cash. Unlike the Excel Arena where the London Show is hosted, which has lots of cashpoints and don’t charge, NEC isn’t as modern and convenient sadly! 

4) Allow enough time for queuing. Stands like Juicy Couture always have a massive queue and you can waste an hour just stood in the queue – how frustrating! There are also sometimes large queues for the toilets as well.

5) When you start shopping in the morning, head for the opposite end of the show which will be less busy! If you can get there as early as possible, then again there will be less people.

6) Take food and water with you, as the food is expensive in the show and outside the show only offers places like Subway. Plus you waste precious shopping time walking around for food! 

Tickets purchased between the 3-5 December for Clothes Show Live and The Dance Show include entrance to both shows and include a dedicated seat in the Fashion Theatre. Tickets are on sale now. Call 0844 581 1256 or visit www.clothesshowlive.com for more information on Clothes Show Live. 

Let me know if you are going and if you have any more tips I have missed out! I might be running a competition tomorrow so keep your eyes peeled! 

The Clothes Show Live Birmingham

Last Saturday I went to the Clothes Show Live in Birmingham, which was amazing but very busy as you can see from my photos! As you may have heard on Twitter I have broken my fingers playing netball so am finding it really hard to type and write at the moment so it will be a brief review and lots of photos instead!

The show was excellent (despite a very rude steward who worked at the NEC making us move seats mid-show!) and was set to a Winter Wonderland theme, which included a lot of half-naked, yummy men to the delight of the screaming girls in the crowd. My favourite area of the show was the Pink Zone, which was where all the beauty stands where. I particularly enjoyed seeing Tara Smith styling a competition winner's hair and offering her expert tips. Jeff Brazier was also there for Reveal Magazine, although they were not giving away or selling copies of the magazine… weird! I also love the Jelly Pong Pong goodie bag that were £12, which is a great way to try out new products at a much cheaper price! I was gutted that All Saints weren’t there as I got some good bargains last time, maybe they will be back next year! I got some really nice clothes in the Purple Zone, which was so busy all day with people everywhere – I think that they let too many people into the show as I don’t remember previous years being so busy. The Clothes Show in London was so much nicer and quieter, cooler and in an excellent venue unlike the NEC which I dislike more and more every year!

Anyway I managed to get some nice, individual presents for Christmas and recommend anyone who loves bargain fashion and beauty buys to visit in London next year (4^th – 6^th June 2010) or Birmingham (3^rd – 8^th December 2010).