SECTION: LONDON'S ESSENTIAL SHOPPING GUIDE

London's Essential Shopping Guide

Find out where the best of London's shopping streets are with LondonTown.com's snapshot guide to the best shops by area. Wherever you are, whatever you want, our shopping guide will help you find it.

LONDON'S ESSENTIAL SHOPPING GUIDE

Bond Street
For serious fashionistas, Bond Street and its environs are the place to be seen in and shop! New Bond Street boasts one of the biggest and best concentrations of designer shops in the world, including Donna Karan, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Nicole Farhi, Armani, Jimmy Choo and Ralph Lauren. Quintessentially English style can be found at the Mulberry and Burberry stores. Bond Street also plays host to Sotheby's auction house and a number of antique stores and markets have popped up in the area. If you or your other half has a thing for diamonds, you should know that Cartier, Tiffany and Asprey are among the jewellers on this exclusive, expensive street. NearestStation: Bond Street Tube

LONDON'S ESSENTIAL SHOPPING GUIDE

Carnaby Street
The name Carnaby Street is synonymous with 1960s "Swinging London" - a phrase coined by Time magazine. Nowadays the area has gone through something of a revival and is once again boasting cutting edge designer talents and trendy street ware. With over 140 shops, bars and restaurants to

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choose from in the area, it's definitely worth a visit. Shoppers will find rich pickings at urban streetwear shops like Replay, Diesel, howies, American Apparel and Puma. There are also a number of streets in the immediate area around Carnaby Street - notably Newburgh Street which runs parallel, Foubert's Place, and Kingly Court which has three floors of one-off 'concept' shops, cafes and restaurants set around an open courtyard. Carnaby Street is a fantstic place to buy sports, urban and footwear, but there's also a number of fine cosmetics shops - seek out the Cowshed and MAC Cosmetics - as well as a few boutiques selling vintage mod clothing. Altogether very stylish. NearestStation: Oxford Circus Tube

LONDON'S ESSENTIAL SHOPPING GUIDE

The King's Road

The King's Road takes its name from the seventeenth-century when it was King Charles II's private thoroughfare between Whitehall and Hampton Court Palace. The area was made famous by a lively local scene during the 'swinging '60s' and punk fuelled seventies. The doyenne of punk fashion, Vivienne Westwood, still runs her first ever store at the so-called 'World's End' end of The King's Road. Although the area has none of the character of that time, it is still full of famous faces and is one of the best and most varied places to shop and eat in London. For fashion, The King's Road offers high street regulars such as Jigsaw, French Connection and Gap but if you're looking for something more original American Classics sell vintage Levi's and tuxedos. At the Sloane Square end of the road, crowned by Peter Jones, there's the pedestrianised Duke of York Square - full of modern looking shops and cafes. From there you can head down Sloane Street to find Lulu Guiness's highly collectible and novel handbags (on Ellis Street), and the nearby Jo Malone where you can splash out on chic skincare and scents. Meanwhile, almost sitting on the square and next

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to Oriel's is Emma Hope who designs exquisite women's footwear and for those in the know. NearestStation: Sloane Square Tube

LONDON'S ESSENTIAL SHOPPING GUIDE

Covent Garden
A visit to Covent Garden is a must, whether you intend to shop, sightsee or soak up the carnival atmosphere watching the street entertainers. The focal point of Covent Garden, the market, has dominated the area ever since the Middle Ages when monks tended their market garden here. Since the nineteenth-century the market has expanded. Where the market takes place there is also an open-air cobbled area where miming and juggling acts can often be found. Classical music and opera singing often fills the air - not from the Royal Opera House but from street performers who often stage impromptu concerts in the courtyards below street level. Covent Garden is a mecca for shoppers because of the variety available here. High Street outlets include Marks andamp; Spencer, Oasis, French Connection, Next and Monsoon. Menswear is available at Diesel, Replay, Oakley and for the smarter guy, Paul Smith. There are a huge number of women's fashion stores and Neal Street, which runs to the north west of the Piazza, has more in the way of urbanwear including as well as trendy trainer shops including Office and Size? as well as the Natural Shoe Store and Terra Plana 'ethical shoes'. If (perish the thought!) you tire of clothes shopping there are scores of excellent places to stop off for a coffee. NearestStation: Covent Garden Tube

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LONDON'S ESSENTIAL SHOPPING GUIDE

Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is one of the most unchanged, attractive areas of central London, with little in the way of offices nearby but plenty of shops and restaurants to serve the needs of local residents. There are plenty of ways to spend money in this beguiling corner of the capital. Harrods is the most famous of the local shops, a huge tourist attraction employing over 3,000 staff in more than 300 departments. However, locals turn their nose up at this garish overcrowded place and much prefer Harvey Nichols, a chicer alternative with three floors of designer wear, a huge beauty department and delectable delicacies on the fifth floor, all at extremely high prices. If you have the money to spend and want some designer clothes, look no further than Sloane Street. Christian Dior, Chanel, Prada, Gucci, Armani, Fendi and Dolce andamp; Gabbana are all within easy walking distance of each other - even in heels. There are also a number of exquisite specialist lingerie stores including Rigby andamp; Peller on Hans Road and La Perla on Sloane Street itself. NearestStation: Knightsbridge Tube

LONDON'S ESSENTIAL SHOPPING GUIDE

Oxford Street
With over 200 million visitors a year, more than 300 shops and 5 million square feet of retail space, Oxford Street lays claim to being London's busiest street. The opening of Debenhams and Selfridges in 1909 marked the beginning of the street's dominance as a shopping centre. Amongst the chaos and bustle, retail therapists will find an oasis of calm in the area's unrivalled collection of department stores. Debenhams has a great line in designer garments at more affordable prices - look out for diffusion lines by designers like Jasper Conran

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and Lulu Guinness. Less intimidating than Harvey Nicks and more down to earth than Harrods, Selfridges is the department store of Londoners. There's an incredible selection of British and international designers available and plenty of great restaurants and cafes to chill out in if you get a bit tired. And who doesn't love John Lewis? From fabric to feather boas, children's toys to cutlery this store stocks the lot. They have a 'lowest price' guarantee so you can buy with confidence and the simple lay out means you won't spend hours searching for it either! Oxford Street also offers some of the best choice in terms of high street fashion, if you can fight your way through the crowds. Among the best shops are inexpensive but stylish Spanish favourites Zara and Mango; up to the minute trends at Topshop's flagship Oxford Circus store and it's male counterpart Topman, or cheap and chic Swedish store H andamp; M (Hennes) opposite. Hot on their heels is Niketown - several floors dedicated to sports wear in every conceivable guise and colour. NearestStation: Oxford Circus Tube

LONDON'S ESSENTIAL SHOPPING GUIDE

Regent Street
Don't be put off by the fact that Nash's sweeping design for Regent Street was inspired as a means of separating the riff-raff (Soho) from the well to do (Mayfair) back in the 1800s. Regent Street is home to a number of large outlets offering everything from toys and trench coats to fabrics and food. A great place to window shop if nothing else. Perhaps the street's most famous resident is Liberty's. Founded in 1875 the owner was so inspired by the musical The Mikado that he sought to bring Oriental goods to the capital. Beyond the store's mock Tudor faade, this influence can still be felt in designer labels like Mui Mui, Anya Hindmarch and Yohji Yamamoto, the famous Liberty fabrics and the bags, leather goods and accessories which dominate the ground floor. Many of the shops along Regent Street (and especially Saville Row,

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running parrallel) are extremely expensive and suitable only for a very special occassion. However, if you have children, the world's best toy shop should give them something to remember! Hamleys is a London institution, a huge, well-run emporium stacked from floor to ceiling with excellent toys. It is a wonderful place to take a child, and fun for adults as well. NearestStation: Piccadilly Circus or Oxford Circus Tube

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