Venture south of London's Oxford Street to a land where beautiful boutiques are abundant.
When friends return from the UK and say they found some great shopping, too often I hear the words “Oxford” and “Street”. Yes, Oxford Street is good. Yes, it has a lot of shops. It also has pretty much everyone in London crammed together with their Prêt wraps and lattes, toting the same Top Shop and Urban Outfitters bags, yours truly included. Want to return from your journey with some pieces that no one else will have?
Head over to Victoria Station (London Bridge and Waterloo may do the route as well, you’ll have to check) and hop on a train down to (sometimes) sunny, seaside Brighton. If you get an express, it shouldn’t take longer than 40 minutes.
Upon arrival, find your way to the historic quarter called the Lanes. While also busy, the atmosphere and finds here are unsurpassed.
The main arteries are North Laine and North Street, but make sure to venture into other territories as well. Hit up Jell-o on Gardner Street for lingerie from local designers and cool pieces from international street labels like Japan’s Hysteric Glamour. Ditto, on Kensington Gardens, is great for fabrics and has some unique handbags. Velvet has amazing homewares/furniture and is generally an inspirational place to stroll through (its
website is a pretty good resource for budding decorators).
If vintage is your thing, welcome home. Hippy Rose, a new edition to Bond Street, offers hand-picked clothes, accessories and homewares stretching back to the early 19th century (and also has a good and sufficiently girly
website). Gentlemen: while the ladies are drooling over one-off frocks, stroll down the street to
Gresham Blake, where the silk ties are legendary. If you've got the time, a bespoke suit would be a wise investment.
Please don’t let these suggestions restrict you though; they are only intended as starting points. Arm yourself with a soy chai latte, an open mind (and, if you're up for it, an uber-trendy haircut) and you’ll get on just fine in the Lanes.