London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [177]
Apart from bankrupting yourself, the only problem you may encounter is exhaustion. London’s shopping districts are spread out all over the city, so do like the locals do. Plan your excursion with military precision, taking in only one or two areas in a day, and stop for a hearty English lunch with a glass of wine or a pint at a pub.
SHOPPING OVERVIEW
ANTIQUES
Investment-quality items or lovable junk—London has loads. For the best range of merchandise, and plenty of character, try the markets first. Some argue that Portobello Road in Notting Hill has become a bit of a tourist trap, but if you acknowledge that it’s a circus and get into the spirit, it’s a lot of fun, if expensive. Kensington Church Street and the shops along the King’s Road have some of the best antiques in the city, but the prices are high, unless you’re willing to wake up early and try your luck at the Lots Road Auction, near the swanky Chelsea Design Centre. Also stop by Alfie’s Antique Market in Marylebone; the small shops lining Church Street sell everything from large-scale 19th-century English and European furniture to Art Deco ceramics and vintage shop fittings.
Listed below is a selection of stores in which to whet your appetite. TIP Opening times vary: many places that are open on the weekend are closed Monday or Tuesday.
APPLIED ARTS AND HANDICRAFTS
London, with its prestigious design colleges, multiple design fairs, and myriad galleries, is a magnet for artisans and craftspeople in glass, textiles, jewelry making, ceramics, metal, leather, and woodwork. Open-studio weekends (usually late May/early June and late November/early December) allow you to buy direct from makers. Two of the most convenient are Craft Central (www.craftcentral.org.uk), formerly the Clerkenwell Green Association, and Cockpit Arts (www.cockpitarts.com).
BEAUTY
Skin-care junkies and perfume fans will be hard-pressed to walk away empty-handed from some of London’s best beauty emporiums. Visitors should try to visit at least one of London’s most venerable perfumeries—the old-school favorites Floris or Penhaligon, as well as relative newcomers like Miller Harris or Jo Malone. London’s organic pioneer, Neal’s Yard Remedies, is still going strong but has plenty of competition from brands like Cowshed or Space NK.
BOOKS AND PRINTS
Charing Cross Road has long been a center of London bookselling, but books are big business in London and the trade spreads into many corners of the city. Every decent London High street has its Waterstone’s, Borders, or local independent, some complete with coffee shops and, in some cases, even cocktail bars. Bloomsbury, around London University and the British Museum, is good territory for used books and eccentric specialists.
London, of course, has a vast array of specialist book shops, from art to travel. The English gentleman’s library, with its glass-front cabinets full of rare leather-bound books, may be a film and literary cliché, but there’s no denying that London is also one of the world’s great centers for rare-book collectors. There’s still quite a concentration of used bookstores on Charing Cross Road, with additional book and print specialists tucked away in Cecil Court, a pedestrian alley linking it with St. Martin’s Lane. (See | www.cecilcourt.co.uk for a full list of the shops in this unique enclave.) Other well-respected specialists reside in Mayfair.
CLOTHING
London has joined Paris and New York as one of the world’s fashion capitals, and every designer you’ve ever heard of is available. But it’s the city’s eccentric street style that gives fashion here its special edge. London women may not look as chic as French or Italian women, but many are daring and colorful fashion risk-takers. This is where the trends that show up on the European catwalks really begin. What makes London clothes shopping so much fun—for both men and women—is that you can buy high-quality traditional British clothing, bespoke