You knew I’d get there sooner or later. Topshop.
The Oxford Circus Topshop has left me with two words, and two words only to describe it: sensory overload. I think—I’m not sure—but I think that it was amazing. There was just so much to see, so much to hear, so much to touch, so much going on that I ended up focusing a little more on not getting trampled or pickpocketed than shopping. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not necessarily a bad review. I mean, it speaks well of them that they’re so damn popular, right? And four floors amazing clothes? Wow. Actually, the clothes, I expected; the homewares, the café, and the candy shop, I did not. That all came as a surprise.
Other than the fact that it left me slightly deaf and claustrophobic (my own fault for going on a Saturday afternoon), the big disappointment was that, with our exchange rate (sorry that my blog has become a constant stream of “Exchange rate, exchange rate, exchange rate”), everything was SO expensive. I mean, Topshop is known for it’s reasonably priced trendy clothing and runway interpretations. An adorable dress at $54 wouldn’t upset me (though that’s not exactly Target or H&M pricing), but £54 is $108, and I could get a real designer dress for that kind of money at Century 21 or off eBay. There was a fair selection of £12 tops and £30 sweaters, and I guess that is pretty reasonable, but still, I definitely suffered from a little sticker shock. I think that the price of my apartment here has made me a little tight-fisted, but Topshop was, I suppose, pretty amazing, even if only because of its staggering popularity. Ok, I’ll admit it—the clothing had its amazing points, too. I loved that it had a (small) organic, planet-friendly line, the selection was incredible, and I probably will break down and buy one of those gorgeous £54 silk dresses. I bought a pair of navy patent flats today, and at £25, they weren’t cheap (because $50 is a lot for ballets!) but they’re so flattering on my feet that I think they were worth it.
Still, I’d like to know, do any of my UK readers know when things in London tend to go on sale?
posted by La Principessa at 10:35 AM
2 Comments:
Did you try the fitting rooms? They're enough to put my off that shop altogether. I'm amazed you find Topshop expensive, their prices tend to be at a below average price for the UK. As for the sales, if you're here any time after Christmas, you'll be wanting to stay away from Oxford Street altogether. As my Mother says, "sharpen your elbows." :)
Oh, I didn't go anywhere near the fitting rooms---WAY too much traffic.
I mostly found the prices expensive for two reasons, the first being the obvious: the exchange rate. Everything essentially costs double the price to me, considering what I'm getting for my dollar. The second reason is that Topshop is supposed to be notoriously cheap--H&M prices would have been more what I was expecting.
Thanks for the advice about the sales--it sounds like I might want to stay away, though!
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