For genuine London chic, you should head to Bond Street. Price levels on this street rise from north to south. You may find the signs of famous firms like Tiffany, Chanel, Gucci in other capitals, but the jewelry store Asprey, which sells items available only to millionaires, is purely British. English gentlemen, who never betray their traditions, even come to the numerous little shops on Jermyn Street for January sales. Almost each of them has the honor of being called a “supplier to the Royal Court.” It is impossible to pass by one of London’s main shopping streets, Oxford Street, without succumbing to temptation. It is literally packed with shops, small shops, stalls, and little stalls. It is here that the famous multi-story department store Selfridge’s is located, which occupies an entire block. It is unlikely that London has another shopping street where such a fierce price war rages on all counters. The international, not very expensive department stores located there, C&A, H&M, Marks&Spencer, are subjected to real looting during winter sales, after which only empty shelves and items fallen to the floor remain, which will be picked up after closing.
Besides Oxford Street, another ideal place for shopping is Regent Street, where the largest toy store Hamleys is located. Whatever gift your child dreams of seeing, it will certainly be found in this kingdom of toys. On the same street are the famous department stores Liberty with ancient interiors of stained oak and Levi’s Store, where famous jeans will be made to order for you.
Another area of London worth attention is fashionable and prestigious Chelsea. The object of any woman’s desire is shoes by Manolo Blahnik, which can be bought here in the eponymous store. There is also a magnificent selection of various leather goods - wallets, clutches, organizers - up to huge suitcases and holdalls. Another shoe store can be found under the sign of Emma Hope. Its exquisite models of soft leather are surprisingly comfortable. Regardless of the season, you can buy everything here - both summer sandals and winter boots, which saves time but not money. On King’s Road in the heart of Chelsea there are many shops selling things on the brink of decency. Punk youth willingly buy here erotic shorts, leather corsets, T-shirts with pornographic pictures and knit tops with the image of Queen Elizabeth II, with a huge pin stuck through her lips. About things bought here, you certainly cannot say that they will outlive several generations.
London is a mecca of youth fashion. Here is the most extravagant public. And the craziest ideas are also born here. If you are close to the youth style, go to 400 Oxford Street to the Selfridge’s department store, or to 309 Brompton Road, where the Tokio store features new designs from fashion designers from Martin Kidman to Stella McCartney. Advanced youth are delighted with the Koh Samui store, where originals who prefer a futuristic direction buy clothes for themselves.
In London, you will have a real chance to change not only your entire wardrobe, but even your style. For example, to a purely English one, which cannot be considered complete without an appropriate headgear. On such an occasion, it is worth going to the Philip Treacy store, where real English ladies usually buy hats while preparing for social events. For example, for the annual Royal Ascot horse races. In the Lulu Guinness boutique in the Notting Hill area, ladies purchase elegant handcrafted handbags that complement evening wear. And the livery footmen attached to the store help them get home with all conveniences.
The Main Catch
Clothing with the Vivienne Westwood label is always incredibly feminine and sexy. The first lady of British fashion, Vivienne Westwood, dresses the fair half of humanity in fluffy skirts and provocative shorts, puts them on huge platforms and breathtaking stiletto heels, makes striking necklines that open the chest, and emphasizes hips. The trendsetter of the most feminine and extravagant fashion creates an irresistible sensual frame for feminine charms with elements of romanticism and purely British madness. In Westwood’s outfits, a woman seems bold, seductive, an angel and a demon in one person. Almost all British film and pop stars and advanced aristocracy wear clothes with the Vivienne Westwood brand.
The Best Position
The most celebrated London store, Harrods, lives by its own laws and in its own time. It has long ceased to be just a brand, turning into a symbol of the city in which it is located. Its facade is magnificent. The interiors are luxurious. And the slogan is excellent - “Everything, for everyone, and absolutely everything.” In this temple of commerce, you really can buy everything. The selection is simply amazing - 300 departments and more than one million product items, some of which exist in a single copy. Buying a hairpin or, say, a yacht here is only a matter of time. Harrods amazes not only with its assortment - from a pair of men’s shoes by Stuart Weitzman for a million dollars to a live monkey in the pet department - but also with its magnificent interior. The famous tea rooms of the department store make you forget that outside its walls it is already the 21st century. The rules of behavior are corresponding. Once, Harrods security did not let Mick Jagger himself inside because he violated the store rules, which state: “Entry to the store is not allowed for persons wearing torn jeans, short bermuda shorts, swimsuits, very open tops, bicycle shorts, as well as those who come barefoot or in flip-flops, in dirty or defiant-looking clothes.”
Harrods is famous not only for its fantastic assortment, a huge list of services (from tuning pianos to making custom wedding cakes). It is also famous for its promotional campaigns. Perestroika began in the Union - and the wine department was replenished with Crimean port wine of the 1940s vintage. The TV show "Big Brother" (in our version "Behind the Glass") aired, and an average English family was invited to live in a shop window furnished with modern furniture and the latest household appliances.
Even the tragic love story of Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed became an occasion for advertising. For a long time, a ring with a huge blue diamond, which Dodi was going to present to Diana as a wedding gift, was displayed in the shop window.
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