Well known for its colourful and eclectic culture, collection of forward thinking boutiques in the North Laines and reames of talented, creative designers, the city of Brighton has become established as the epicenter of unique and diverse fashion.

In this city, making the most of your wardrobe is not just about being on trend, it’s all about getting creative and spotting those key pieces that transform an everyday clothing into the Brightonian-chic we’ve all fallen in love with down here.

Even though the most of us are pinching our pennies at the moment and trimming down the luxuries, the recession doesn’t just have to be about about cutting back, it can also be the opportune time to get a little bit inventive and look fabulous without necessarily melting your credit card.

For instance, let me draw your attention to fashion charity Traid on the Duke Street in the South Lanes, which celebrates it’s 10th anniversary this week. Set up in 1999 and putting ethical fashion firmly on the map, Traid raises money for the world’s poorest regions by selling unwanted fashion gems through it’s 10 UK stores.

Perfect for the ultra-cool crowd in a city with some originality, Traid Brighton specialises in vintage items (Traid Vintage) and fun label Traidremade, which sees old clothing, fabrics and prints metamorphasise into cute, quirky, original pieces.

Full of designer and brand name bargains, Traid is a fashion junkie’s heaven without the after-guilt, plus the Traid designers and sorters constantly refresh the stock so you can always find something new to look at. A word of advice though, if you spy something you like, snap it up immediately.