My office is close to Oxford Circus and so sometimes the lure is just too great. I know that, thanks to Philip Green, Topshop is now seen as a bit of a beacon of corporate evil, but in my teenage years that store was the reason we came to London. I spent many a happy Saturday getting the train to Marylebone with friends, then the tube to Oxford Circus and not leaving Topshop until we’d spent all our money. The excitement is still there when I walk in the door and my gaze is drawn by the designer-inspired clothing and wonderfully creative interpretation of the latest trends. The day I fail to find anything I like in Topshop will be a very sad day indeed.
The best bit about it these days is often the basement. With shoes, boutique brands, vintage clothing and even food, it’s an entire lunch time shopping trip in one place! I keep noticing interesting new brands all the time when I pop in, and there’s a fair few who have been stocked there for years too. Yesterday I spotted an eye catching bodycon dress from tfnc, a cute frock from Love Struck with cats on it, interesting collars on garments from Sister Jane, a beautiful postage stamp print dress from Isy & Peeps, and an amazing embroidered floral skull jumper from Illustrated People. And that was before I’d had a rummage through the Peekaboo Vintage items, tried to tear myself away from the Vivienne Westwood for Melissa pom pom shoes, and then had a wander through KG, Carvella, Bertie, Dune and Office! After all that, I needed to find food fast, so I headed to the instore EAT and watched some rather uncomfortable looking parents sip coffee whilst they waited for their teenagers to spend.
Next time you’re near Oxford Street and have a yearning for some smaller brands and very little walking, I suggest you head straight for the lowest floor in Topshop. Sadly it’s not always a bargain basement, but they do occasionally have a sale on.
Image from isyandpeeps.com.
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