I’m pleased to announce that Kristin Duffy is joining this little blog as a co-author. I’m so excited for her fresh energy & enthusiasm for moving to the UK. Kristin lives in NYC now (how cool is that?! Yes, it is very cool. I agree) but she’s moving to London in a few weeks to join her husband there. She’s already been to London heaps, and while there she tends to shop to her heart’s content. You can read more about Kristin here.
Here’s Kristin’s very first blog post for “Canadians & Americans in the UK” blog:
Shopping in London
If you’ve recently relocated to London, chances are you won’t be shopping with much of a budget to speak of (if you’re lucky enough to have a “quid” to your name at all). Even if budget is limited, London has great shopping options- and even better browsing. Of course, shopping isn’t limited to just clothing- London is also home to amazing food markets, furniture stores, and any other category imaginable!
One of the most fun places to explore is Borough Market. This food market is home to excellent fresh seafood, meats, produce, artisan-crafted prepared foods, and even cheap lunch! A couple of tips: try the fire-melted raclette with pickle for a decadent lunch and go at Christmas time- it’s positively a page out of Dickens!
Different neighborhoods in London offer very different shopping vibes. Join the well-heeled shoppers of Chelsea on Kings Road for a variety of shops including names familiar to Americans (Anthropologie and Gap) and those with a distinctly British flair (Cath Kidson and Jigsaw). Recommended shops of interest are Bluebird (trend-right mix of designer clothing, tasty restaurant, and spa) and Designer Guild (the print-mixing interiors store filled with modern furniture, wallpaper and bed and bath decor designed by Tricia Guild). These might fall into the “just browsing” category for most of us, but they are great fun nonetheless!
In Notting Hill, the famous Portobello Road antiques market might be more tourist fun than an antiques- lover’s dream. Regardless, it’s still a cool place to stroll away a Saturday and perhaps pick up a bargain in the meantime. Most vendors, selling anything from jewelry to vintage fly-fishing treasures are willing to haggle… Portobello Road is also lined with storefronts that offer anything from sewing and craft supplies to edgy fashion to home goods. Definitely worth a visit.
It would be easy to go on forever about different neighborhoods that are great in London (Brick Lane in the East End- so cool!), but you know that London is cool- that’s probably why you’re here in the first place. So what about just some recommended stores?
- M & S (Marks and Spencer)- what you’d expect from a department store, but hipper (is “hipper” a word?), with a great food department. Sticky toffee pudding… Sublime.
- Urban Outfitters- yes, UO exists in Canada and the US, but in London it’s even cooler. They do a great job mixing the funky Urban labels with “boutique labels”… labels like Paul and Joe Sister and Anglomania by Vivienne Westwood, well-selected to compliment the Urban collection.
- Topshop and Topman- this uber-trendy shop has made it’s way to the US, but again, the British version just seems better. Count on having to spend time weeding through the racks- some pieces are cheap (read: trashy) looking, without a cheap price tag. Others are extremely well-priced, spot-on trend, and beautiful. Topshop also boasts a supermodel Kate Moss-designed line.
To even scratch the surface of shopping in London it would take a lifetime of entries, so stayed tuned for more shopping posts. In the meantime, let me know your questions, I’m glad to keep shopping in the name of “research”!
