They say a change is as good as a rest and while a few days in London certainly isn’t much of a rest, it was quite a welcome change! A change of pace, a change of scene, and of course what interests me the most: STYLE. People watching has always been a favorite hobby of mine, a fascination if you like, and this is definitely one of best places for it. I grew up just outside London and lived in the city itself for a year and a half, but having not been there for a few years I was able to appreciate the city’s style once again. The diversity seen in personal style is immense. There is a sense of freedom of expression which I love, it really encourages individuals to develop their own unique style and to not be afraid to bold or different. Of course there’s fantastic inspiration to be taken from this, simply from observing the details that make someone’s style unique. And in the end, this is what we try to encourage in our clients, we are all unique after all.
Here are a few of the things I enjoyed on my recent trip:
The Choice
This photo was taken in the Kurt Geiger store in Covent Garden, it was like walking into a sweet shop with all the prettiness and sugary shades. I couldn’t help but notice these pointy toed pumps and mules which are very similar to the styles worn on the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2012 catwalk. Shoe shopping can be a tricky business and I often end up going online for choice, but you can’t beat the experience of going into a beautiful store. Just browsing the choice on offer was a treat!
The Boutiques
So many shops, so little time! However I did enjoy popping into this very pretty boutique near Spitalfields called Chica Boutique chicaboutiqueonline.com, which funnily enough has it’s primary store in Dublin.
Markets
Markets are so much fun to peruse, and the joy of finding something special and individual can make the rummaging worthwhile. This photo was taken in Spitalfields Market (near Liverpool St. tube) which can be a great place to find one off, hand made pieces.
Unique finds
And that’s just what I found. I fell in love with these crotchet collars and neck pieces by Eliza Joan http://www.elizajoan.co.uk who was just starting out in her business. Of course I had to have one, such a pretty accessory, perfect for styling up with high necked tops and dresses to create a different look (perfect with my midnight blue knit sweater -see pic).
Vintage Shopping
If vintage is your thing London has a huge amount to offer, maybe too much, you really do have to wade through the good the bad and the downright ugly to find those hidden gems at the right price. In my search I came across Nordic Poetry, a vintage stall in Spitalfields run by a Scandinavian girl nordicpoetry.com. She had some very special pieces (see above) which caught me eye. The boat print dress is just gorgeous, an authentic vintage “gem”. The floral dress is by Suzy Perette- a New York based manufacturing company that made affordable versions of Parisian designs in the 1950s, the shape in beautiful, not surprising really as this dress was inspired by Christian Dior’s famous “New Look”.
For a real rummage, Beyond Retro in east London has a massive selection of men’s and women’s vintage and retro clothing, perfect for quirky finds and fancy dress shopping… a real Aladdin’s cave!
Uniqlo
And back to the new! Having only visited this Japanese chain online, it was great to visit their newish (well since 2007 but new to me) flagship store on Oxford Street. Frequently favored by fashion editors and those “in the know” as great for basics, I was keen to see what the quality was like for myself. Not the place to head to for stand out pieces, think of it as the Japanese “Gap”, great for quality basics at an affordable price. I picked up a couple of pieces- in the name of research of course! Firstly a soft tailored jacket in navy for only £39.90. Made in a stretch jersey, it’s extremely comfortable and fits like a glove. Then from their Heattech range, a long sleeve scoop neck T-shirt for only £9.90, which I’ve already worn about five times! The fabric is fine knit, with great stretch and very warm, perfect for layering. Having a slight obsession with fine knit long sleeve T-shirts (it runs in the family!) I wish I’d bought a few more… but there’s always online http://www.uniqlo.com/uk/