Soho’s

Since moving to their new shop they have got so much better, with more space for more stock spaced out so it doesn’t feel cramped and like your going to knock stuff off.
On the very rare occasion payday comes around and I have a bit of spare money you can bet I will be heading here to see if there’s anything that takes my fancy and normally there is.
The staff are really friendly and down to earth if something doesn’t suit you they will tell you with complete brutal honesty which at the end of the day is what you want not someone that just sees you as a a wallet full of money.
As alternative shops are becoming few and far between because most people buy stuff from ebay these days I really hope they do well and continue tradeing for many years to come as I’m sure that like me a lot of people prefer to go into shops and actually see what they are buying rather than look at a picture.

I get the distinct feeling that I am the odd one out here when it comes to this shop. It just goes to show that a person’s taste can really affect their opinion of a business. I have no problem what so ever with alternative clothing, nor the people who wear such garments, and so I do not dislike this shop. Simple as that really. I’m not suggesting that the items inside are of my taste, but I don’t dislike them on the basis that I wouldn’t wear them — on the contrary, I think some of the clothes in here are really interesting and cool.
My particular favourites, as you’ll see from the pictures, are what I have dubbed (in my mind) the ‘Beetlejuice trousers’. I think if I actually saw someone walking down the street in those I would not only be rally excited, but also a tad jealous that they had the stuff to wear them! I love seeing anything that escapes the bromidic zeitgeist items that are paraded about town, and this place is certainly somewhere that you can rely on to be alternative.
From vampiric dresses, to sergeant pepper jackets, to neon day-​glo doc martins and more, this shop has plenty going on. It is definitely one guilty of supplying Leeds’ emo-​goth-​teen reactionaries with their status gear, but once you see past that element you can really browse with intrigue. Not all the items in their are for me, I am not keen on some of their gear, but I love having a browse. Maybe one day I’ll muster the bravery to put on one of their fantastic vampire corset dresses, but for now I’ll stick with my vintage clobber!
Prices, as expected, range but err on the higher side of a twenty pound note. The lady in there can come across as aggressive, but give her a chance as you might anyone, and she’s got some pretty decent banter. I mean come on, she was playing Bjork for goodness sake. Anyone who plays Bjork is right on with me. I don’t care who knows it! Give it a chance, you might be surprised.

Hmm… what I can say for Soho is that its exterior and interior match nicely. With a rather imposing and ominous-​looking shop front painted entirely in black, it’s hard to miss. The staff are as friendly as strictly necessary and the shop is somewhat cramped.
Product-​wise, Soho is very similar to Grin but without the humour. They sell a similar range of goth-​esque tutus in dark hues only, various items of clothing with bondage-​style straps and buckles, proper baggy jeans (that I must admit I have a sense of nostalgia for), lacy corsets, trench coats and Nu Rock boots that seem to replicate the aesthetic of the shop front in boot form! The limited range of products in bright colours include some pretty cool neon coloured Doc-​Martens and some stripy rainbow braces. Prices are similar to Grin again, on the cheap side.
So, I guess it’s a pretty niche market, but I’m sure they have some loyal customers.

Soho’s is a clothing store opposite the entrance to Leeds Kirkgate Market. It is unmissable, unless black is invisible to you. The outside is painted black and the windows are full of very OTT emo/​goth style clothing. They describe themselves as ‘Punk, Gothic and Emo’.
The shop doesn’t feel very welcoming, and the people inside like to give you a once over with their eyes.
Saying that they do a pair of amazing shoes (see photo) which are colorful and silly and fun and I would buy if they weren’t so expensive. I have attached a photo of such shoes, and also some of their clothing pieces that I found on their website.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t tend to dress up as a prisoner from Alcatraz too often. If you do, then go to Soho. They do a fine line in Alcatraz branded shirts. In all shapes and sizes. Weird? Am I the only one?
I guess this is a shop for a very niche market. It must sell some of these shirts, or else why would they dominate the entrance area? Do you have one? Please, message me reasons why you’ve got one. And I might alter this rating. If you convince me.
Thinking about it, Soho is a good place to go for fancy dress. Or maybe fancy dress ideas. As these not-​novelty-​but-​should-​be garments don’t come cheap. Maybe I’m being too harsh, just because I’m not in this alternative niche. Perhaps it’s because I’m left out. And I can’t afford an Alcatraz tee.
Go if you’re a signed, sealed, delivered emo/​goth. If not, steer clear. Unless you’ve got a fancy dress bash coming up.