Like other large cities, there are plenty of places to shop in London. There are places like Marks & Spencers and Harrods, and of course, TopShop, but what about other places?
Next is one of the stores that many people from North America have never heard of. Not quite Wal-Mart (much better, actually) and not exactly a proper department store, this place targets the professional crowd and their families. I’d like to say that it’s J.Crew mixed with Crate and Barrel, but the clothing sold at the store aren’t always as close to being fashionable. And though there’s quite a decent petite selection on their website, what’s available at the flagship store is absolutely dismal. In fact, I”ve never seen a flagship store of any brand with such a tiny petite department (the same can be said for TopShop on Oxford Street, but that’s for another day).
On the slightly higher end, there’s Karen Millen. Targeting a slightly more mature crowd, this brand seems to be for professional women in their 30s and older. If you’re looking for something more funky and fun, this is certainly not the place for you.
There are, of course, brands that are familiar to people from North America as well. And, there are also concepts of known brands that do not have stores on the other side of the Atlantic. While walking to lunch on Tuesday, we passed by Zara Home. This is the Spanish clothing brand’s home decor store, selling sheets, home accessories and so forth.
I’ve onlyspent one day shopping so far. Though the city has tons of internationally-based stores, I”m trying to stay away from anything that exists in Canada, especially non-European brands. Things from, say, the US are just much, much more expensive in the UK. For example, a pair of Marc by Marc Jacobs shoes costs about 270 GBP, compared to $275 in the US and $328 in Canadian dollars. It’s not JUST hiked up, it’s hiked WAAAAAYYYY up. It’s actually quite scary!
More on shopping coming soon!
