Cross-Continental Shopping: What To Love In London

Posted by Styloko

Former Sunday Times Style Features Editor Ruby Warrington recently relocated to New York, where she’s now based as a US correspondent for the paper.

In her weekly Styloko column, Ny-loko, she dissects NY style through British eyes – will she ever dress like one of them?

A reformed shopaholic, her wardrobe mantra these days is ‘quality over quantity’ (check out her Lust List), while her idea of shopping heaven is her new West Village apartment, complete with walk-in wardrobe.

Carrie Bradshaw, eat your heart out.
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Preparing to traverse the continents as I head back to New York from Ibiza this week, it’s dawned on me that I’ll have three hours to kill in the W1 area before boarding the Heathrow Express on Tuesday. And suddenly, 10 weeks into my new ex-pat life, I’m reminded of all the things there are to miss about shopping in London.

Selfridges, for starters. There’s almost too much choice in Manhattan’s department stores. So many cool labels, so little time. Such hefty price tags on anything that began life in London, Paris or Milan. Give me 20 minutes in Selfridges and I know I’ll have found the perfect thing (which I didn’t even know I was looking for in the first place).

Then there’s Topshop. Obviously. But mainly for the jeans. A pair of trusty Jaime high-waisted’s will set me back $80 stateside, so I really should stock up. But wait, what about Whistles? Oh, Whistles. There goes at least an hour’s worth of trying on before I’ve even got through the door (have you seen the Cecil wedge sandal? And what if the store I choose doesn’t have my size?).

Which is not even taking into account that I’ll be lugging a great big suitcase. And it’ll probably be chucking it down. I realise it’s times like this that Terminal 5, with its snazzy shopping concourse, should come into its own. Shame I can’t quite afford to spend those last few hours in Chanel.