Angels Fancy Dress - Covent Garden

The day before Halloween, the lines are out the door at Angels Fancy Dress in Covent Garden. Angels specializes in costumes for rent offering a vast selection, but the store also carries a good selection of wigs and accessories for sale.

119 Shaftesbury Avenue
Covent Garden, London
WC2H 8AE

020 7836 5678

Fashion Statement or Soviet Kitch?

Perhaps something could be both? When I lived in the US, I used to occasionally wear Union-Jack themed clothing, but it's not something I would do in England, even if is was constructed in non-traditional colours, or designed by Fake of London. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it just seems too patriotic.

It's no surprise that Soviet Kitch is becoming chic. In Russia, It's obvious why this somewhat irreverent fashion was not allowed, during the Soviet regime, but are Russians far enough removed from the history for it to take off now? This article in the NY Times says it is so.

Gap - Canterbury

Yet another chain store in a cute, historic building.

1-3 The Parade
Canterbury
Kent CT1 2JL

The Apple Store - Regent Street

The Apple Store glows like a beacon in the night. Earlier this month people queued all night in the rain and the cold for the iPhone. It's supposedly cheaper in France, but does that mean you have to buy your phone service in France too?

235 Regent Street
London, W1B 2EL
020 7153 9000

House of Fraser - Cheltenham

Cavendish House is the oldest department store in Cheltenham, dating back to 1823 when the town was a close rival to Bath as a holiday spa destination. Because it did not suffer the widespread destruction to housing during WW2 that London did, Cheltenham is said to have the most intact Regency period buildings in the UK. Unfortunately Cavendish House, now owned by The House of Frasier, does not reflect this.

The quality and selection of merchandise is good, though, exactly what you would expect to see at the House of Frasier.

Promenade
Cheltenham, GL50 1HP
0870 160 7233

Shutting Up Shop - National Portrait Gallery

Shutting up Shop is currently exhibited in the basement of the National Portrait gallery. Lush photos, shot on a large format camera, from a book of the same title show small shops when they were in business and after. Perhaps because it was raining outside, perhaps because a gallery attendant reprimanded me for taking this picture, it left me a bit melancholy.

The National Portrait Gallery
2 St. Martin's Pl
London, WC2H 0HE
020 73122490

Space NK Men - Soho

The only Space NK exclusively for men. It's in Soho, of course

10 Broadwick Street
Soho, London, W1F 8HW
020 7734 3734

Mulberry - Greenwich Village

One of the nice things about Mulberry is that they're not offensively branded with a logo visible from across the street, like so many bags are today. Perhaps this is the reason there don't seem to be many fakes around. Not trendy, but stylish and beautifully made, these bags could worn for a few years, which makes their cost-per-use quite sensible. That is, unless you decide to by the studded leather model, complete with attached cat-o-nine-tails.

387 Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10014O