Grin

Grin, having come to exist here once evicted from the Corn Exchange, is an old time favourite place of mine to browse. Being one of the original alternative places to shop in Leeds, supplying all the old school goth kids who amassed outside the Corn Exchange with their garments, I am really glad that it survived the relocation. There’s definitely a hint of nostalgia in it for me, it was one of the first places that I’d regularly shop at, but having been in Leeds a while it is now more than loyalty that draws me within its doors.
I don’t usually shop here for many of the clothes, being that I prefer a different style, but for accessories and shoes I love this place. A while back I bought my ‘non-​converse’ trainer boots here and I literally wore them to death. It was only once the backs had entirely ripped away from the heel that I had to give up the ghost with those. They lasted me a year or so, of virtually constant wear, and for forty pounds I think that’s no bad thing. They also supply me with a great collection of arm warmer things, cool gloves and interesting tights with which to lift a more standard outfit!
Even if you aren’t sure what you like, Grin will twist your arm. There is a cool about this shop that just can’t help but find its way to you. Contagious style. Just go and have a look — I’m sure you’ll enjoy!

Super pleased to find Grin again after it being evacuated like all the other outlets that existed there in the Corn Exchange. Personally I’m a sucker for novelty type t-​shirts, I don’t care if look a tool in them or if others believe me to look like a tool, I like them. Some of my other friends aren’t quite as comfortable with my slogan tees, but that’s their issue, I’m not entirely comfortable with their penchant for gothic style tops and t shirts, complete with safety pins holding the sleeves to the body, but it’s an each to their own world.
My point is floating around in here somewhere, ahh yess, both of us can find what we want in Grin, she the corsets and punk style gear she enjoys, me and my hoodies. With the lines of fashion blurring, the contents of Grin aren’t as shocking or out of place as they once were, but you won’t find most of this stuff in Topshop, well not unless there’s a special line that super hot celebs are exploring, and it’s not all shades of black either, the contents are surprisingly colourful, and the über bonus is it’s cheap.
The quality may not be brilliant, but for items of novelty value, duration can be irrelevant, considering if the price is right of course. Definitely worth a wander off the beaten track for a good olé poke at.

The ‘alternative’ clothing provided by Grin when I was a teenager no longer seems particularly alternative, their products having remained very similar for over ten years and having seen a huge growth then slight decline in popularity in that time. Though providing some of the lacier, buckle adorned, PVC coated items and tiny black and red tutus popular among goths, much of their products now have similar incarnations in the likes of H&M and Tammy at BHS. Oh well. Grin still appears to be Grinning!
Despite the seemingly tiny size of this shop I had a bit of an explore and discovered a basement dungeon full of Nintendo and comedy Banksy-​inspired hoodies and band T-​shirts. While upstairs there is a rather disorganised fancy dress section with a good wing selection, some pretty cool giant comedy glasses and some ‘Part Animal’ all-​in-​ones, including a cow, a bear and a bee — a rather hilarious antidote to the pandemic of ‘sexy’ nurses infecting the nation.
My favourite products from Grin are their Stargazer vegan makeup range and La Riche hair dyes, both available in bright and unusual colours.
Prices at Grin are pretty cheap — £15 for a tutu and £10-£20 for a hoodie. Not necessarily a good thing as it rather makes you wonder where and how they were made…

While not quite the alternative clothing behemoth it was when it appeared to take up at least half of the Corn Exchange, reaching black lace and tartan tendrils out to ensnare unsuspecting shoppers, the new Grin shop on Call Lane is still a hefty addition to Leeds’ independent clothing scene. A lot bigger inside than it looks from the out, the shelves contains no surprises for those who knew Grin in its previous incarnation. For those who didn’t, it’s a fairly average mix of punky and gothic ranging from the timid (hippy looking skirts that are a bit ripped and frayed) to the full-​on (corsets and bondage-​inspired gear aplenty), worth noting mainly for the sheer amount and choice of clothing on offer. Prices are average, with some cheap and cheerful accessories that ensure a steady stream of pocket-​money spending schoolkids, and the clientele seem to use the shop as a place to socialise more than somewhere to actually buy things — which no doubt explains the eagerness with which the staff pounce on anyone who looks like they might have money to spend. If it’s your scene, you’ll love it, if not… didn’t the window displays give it away?