What: CMYK

Where: 181, Orchard Road, Orchard Central, #05-10

When: Noon to 9pm every day

History: This store moved into Orchard Central barely two months ago. Its clothes come from places like Hong Kong, China and Korea.

High-street fashion without the high prices - that's what tiny boutique CMYK seems to promise at its Orchard Central store.

This secret shopper finds out if CMYK's service, variety and ambience are worth more than the prices it commands.

Signature Style

The items at CMYK are aimed at the young - and the young at heart. The shop is brimming with streetwear that's a little onthe wild side.

Forget pencil skirts and conservative cardigans. Think neon pink shorts and a denim jacket with lime-coloured spikes.

You'll also find quirky accessories such as heart-shaped, retro-looking handbags and necklaces which look like bibs and collars.

The bottom line? Don't expect to blend in with the crowd when you put on something from this shop.

My companion and I were drawn by the bright floral prints. And our browsing turned up a surprising find - a wonderful sleeveless top with tribal print.

But if you plan to cobble together an outfit from the pieces available, you'd better have a keen eye or risk being a walking fashion disaster.

Price Point

The rock-bottom prices here are CMYK's biggest selling point. For $20, you can bag many clothing items and several bags.

The quality of the goods isn't something to boast about, but it isn't terrible either.

I'm looking forward to the shop's "white label premium items", which, according to its Facebook page, are on their way.

This range apparently includes "buttery soft" bags and "runway-inspired pieces". Yum.

Store Layout

CMYK is quite the hole in the wall. This boutique (if you can call it that) doesn't even have doors. You can step directly into the shop from the public walkway.

The changing room is functional and I had to wait about 15 minutes to try on my choices since there is only one room, separated from the display racks by a thick white curtain.

While I didn't expect to be pampered, the stray pieces of lint which littered the ground were annoying.

CMYK's address indicates that it is on the fifth level of Orchard Central, but reaching it requires you to mount two flights of stairs to an elevated platform of sorts.

Service

I didn't get a warm greeting when I walked in. Then again, the sales assistant wasn't rude.

We exchanged the necessary info - I asked if I could try on something; she asked which size I wanted.

I would have appreciated a little more attention - perhaps an introduction on the style of the pieces I picked out or suggestions on how to match them.

Size Matters

The general rule of thumb when shopping is that affordable clothes don't come in a wide range of sizes. This boutique's offerings are no exception.

From what I saw, anyone bigger than a UK10 can give this shop a miss. Some of the "free-size" pieces look to be UK6-8 or smaller.

Verdict

If, like me, you are susceptible to bouts of retail binges after a bad day at work, this place provides the dope without busting your budget.

Pick up any three items at random and I'm pretty sure you'll end up with a bill of under $100.

The shop does have issues, but it provides an affordable retail fix.