Absolute Vintage
Hidden away in the very chaotic Berwick Street, more known for its fabrics than its vintage, Absolute Vintage is definitely a lil treasure but this is vintage with a twist. Gone is the chaos, replaced with neatly presented well maintained stock, it could almost be mistaken for a boutique. With its piles of leather bags and fashionable clothing, I will definitely be coming here more often!
Acne
The upscale boutique located on the quiet Dover Street is impeccably presented and shows the expense of the clothes. The piano in the middle with books on top is a unique touch creating a serene feel to the shop and gives the shopper something else to do. The shop assistants were very nice and helpful and its a shop which despite the fact I cannot afford anything, I would go to visit again.
Beyond Retro
Bursting at the seam with wacky vintage clothes, a good bargain is to be had here. Its erratic surroundings strongly contrasts with the quiet street behind Oxford Circus where the shop is located. Amongst the clutter, there are some quality pieces and is why this is a shop I always make a note of visiting every time I am in the area.
Bluebird Cafe
This is definitely where the elite would dine. There’s mix of a casual cafe, bakery, restaurant and fashion store - a lot to choose from but ideal for the leisurely shopper. The fashion store in particular, has a strange mix of clothing and appears to have no target market. A mix of minimalism, office wear, quirky stuff for the older market with mixes of home products. I am not sure where they are going with this.
Browns and Browns Focus
Situated as two stores, the quiet and a tad cluttered store does not resemble the typical boutique. The difference in shopping experience between the two stores is probably one of the biggest differences. Browns focus as I went in was quite dark and gloomy, adding to the cluttered feel of the store. Staff were clueless and rude and I would not go in there again. Browns though was a lot brighter and had a more airy feel to it and staff were willing to help. Browns focus tends to target the younger market, displaying up and coming contemporary designers.
Diverse
Down the quiet end of Angel away from the hustle and bustle of the Design Museum this store is not the most stand out store but when you look closely you can see the quirky infusions to an otherwise quite plain clothing aimed for the mid 20s market. My personal favourite is the window display with its quirky mannequins, clashing prints and fun accessories look cool and fun and would draw in a more younger market.
Dover Street Market
This is quite an unusual store as it resembles a mix between a modern warehouse and an office block - not what you expect when you hear market. From homeware to high end avant garde clothing with a particular focus on Comme des Garcon. But to be honest the tone of the building is very quiet and staff are snobby at times making the shopping experience not such a pleasant one.
Liberty
A historical exterior which carries through into the interior, this store screams traditional. Its carefully laid out high end stock includes the likes of Marc by Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen and Paul Smith. This store is for the elite shopper, however, with all the cleanness and low customer foot flow it creates a dead atmosphere, which are boring
Matches
Tucked away in the elite area around Portobello Road. Matches is split into two stores along the same road. One dedicates itself to womenswear the other mixes it up with womens and menswear and also includes accessories like shoes and bags. The womenswear boutique is smaller and dainty which holds a lot of minimal clothing with a few stand out pieces in particular a striking leather waistcoat. Staff were friendly and willing to help and even held the door open for me as I left. I felt truly looked after.
Other
A small almost missable store on the back streets of Regents street, this store looks almost untouched. As you go in you could hear a pin drop! The sales assistant was very nice and almost glad to see me come in. The clothes are not my style but were nicely presented. Not much of an atmosphere.
Oxfam
Never in a million years would I have thought I would have to check the price tag of a charity store. Gone is the charming clutter and friendly atmosphere of a normal charity store and is replaced by the coldness and well presented aspects of a boutique. I am not sure whether I like these changes but through the rails of designer clothes there is a bargain to be had, but I cannot afford that bargain!
Present
A quirky little find infuses a small cafe with contemporary feel. Light and airy using the small space well, I could quite happily sit there for hours with a cup of tea and take in the surroundings. Though staff were quick to jump on me to have a seat and eat there, which was slightly awkward as I did not have any money.
Start
Based as three stores along Rivington Street in the Shoreditch area, Start already earns some trendy points. All three of the stores are set out differently so that each is a different experience. One is set as a modern take of a tailoring store with neatly folded shirts and bespoke suits hanging from the ceiling. The other, a more urban layout mens store, with hooded jackets and casual blazers, this is more for the younger market, with glimmers of accessories in the basement. The third is the most boutique like, focusing on womenswear. To be honest this is not my style and out of my price range but is good to look at. Though my personal favourite of the stores was the tailoring one, as it stuck to traditional bespoke with a modern twist which I found interesting.
Rokit
Known for its well chosen pieces, and one of the very few chain vintage stores, Rokit has a big following. The dimly lit surroundings creates an underground tone, and its well presented, clearly labelled shop floor makes it easier for the shopper to browse. It stock ranges from the old and dated to the new and modified.
Selfridges
The historical and traditional exterior bares no resemblance to the modern interior set like any other department store, but what sets Selfridges apart is the elegance and regal tone it has. Filled with polka dots, its tribute to its collaboration with artist Yayoi Kusarma and her further collaboration with Louis Vuitton, you can tell why this store is a landmark
Topshop
Neatly presented despite the busy turnout, full of students looking for a bargain, today it is more civilised than its prime time saturday afternoon. The three floors Topshop owns are stocked to the tip of their own clothing, vintage and boutique pieces, plus franchises of shoe stores like Office and eating places like Eat ensuring that this place is not just a shop but a shopping experience I could quite happily stay here for a few hours!
Urban Outfitters
From the outside it seems like any other Urban Outfitters store, but as you go in you see that there is something different. Its freaking HUGE! Really interesting layout which includes high ceilings making you feel lost in the atmosphere. It is stocked full with the sort of clothes you come to expect of Urban Outfitters which is quirky clothing with edge. This is a flagship store with a difference.
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ONLINE STORES
Oki-ni.com
Seems like a very urban website, mixing top avant-garde brands like Comme des Garcon and Alexander McQueen to more common brands like Nike and Adidas. They have gone for a very simple layout with a big slideshow of advertisements to show the viewer a taster of the website.
Farfetch.com
Very minimalistic website, keeps everything simple and easy to navigate, The high end contemporary designers shows that the website is aimed for the young, wealthy and fashion conscious.
net-a-porter.com
Very visual first impression, a personal favourite website of mine, it mixes the established designers with up and coming ones, creating a spectrum of styles to choose from.
Not Just Another Label
Very full and photographic. "Discovering and supporting pioneers in contemporary fashion" this quote is aimed to summarise the website. Aimed for a young market and the editorial market. Includes lots of very different designers.
Independent Boutique
Trendy, indie site focusing on british designers who are up and coming. Includes profiles on all brands so the viewer can get to know the history and inspiration of the pieces and also so they can get familiar with the brand.
Labour of Love
Preppy, neat, well laid out. Very simplistic layout, can't say it is my style of clothes but the presentation is appealing. It is quite hard to navigate to what you want.
Sefton
A menswear specific website, sefton has a very standard layout, with generic headers and small slideshows of the clothes. very preppy with bits of urban mix, i like the style.
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