luckykat

ooh oohh...and get your hair done at Stuart Phillips (er...also on monmouth) Ask for Sharon. She is a genius. They also give you a lovely shiatsu massage on these reclining chair (no neck breaking) when you get a hair cut.

OK, 'nuff said!

cmcfong

Mkingdom2 suggested booking the Personal Shopper at Harrods or Harvey Nick's. I think that is a great idea. I had never done it, feeling like I might be obliged to buy that which I didn't want or couldn't afford. Eventually I got past that feeling and used the Personal Shopper at Nordstroms. What I learned is she had suggestions which I would never have considered, but when I tried them on I was convinced. It was a great experience and the service was free. I did buy a number of the things she suggested and I am very glad indeed. Like many people in my age group (over 50) I was too certain I already knew what looks flatter me and I shopped with too many preconceived notions and too little sense of adventure.

Countrymouse

You are a great bunch, you just keep them coming!
Dear
G Steed : Paris or Rodeo drive ,theres a thought! Whoops Mr Mouse has gone quite pale! He can feel that hole in his wallet getting bigger!
Luckycat : As usual you are full of 'good stuff'. Can i mention your name in Tomcat? Is Mango the spanish brand? If so I can get that cheaper in Spain (where we go quite regularly) but they dont really do winter wedding clothes. I like the stables camden idea. That would cause quite a stir if i turned up in goth or flourescent club gear! My son thinks I'm crazy already, I dont want him to lock me away forever. dont let that put you off making suggestions youre my hero fancy having all those shops to go in every day, you are lucky. However if i still lived in London (we did many years ago but I had a single womans salary to spend then!) I'd be bankrupt! how do you manage to stay solvent?
CMCFong : I know exactly what you mean. Since a lot of todays designers are in their twentys it is hard these days not to look like mutton dressed as lamb! How long did you spend with the personal shopper? It may not be an option for me as we will only be in London two days and we will have a lot of ground to cover as there will be three of us looking for outfits, but it is a good thought if we have time, in fact thinking on it might just save us time in the long run.
Once again many thanks to you all, keep up the good work.
CM

cmcfong

My best friend and I made an appointment with the Personal Shopper together. We called ahead and gave her size, height, weight, budget limitations and general life style information. She asked what we needed. For me, it was casual clothes which didn't look like I was shlepping to the grocery store. My friend was turning 50 and felt she needed a total look update. When we arrived the Personal Shopper had already selected a variety of outfits for us. Some were quickly eliminated and others were added. It took less than two hours and those were two very well spent hours. Alterations were free on everything we bought that day, the items were shipped to our homes (those we did not take with us), and we had plenty of time to go have a great lunch. She not only had clothing for us to consider, but accessories, shoes, hats, scarves and jewelry. Like you I live in a sleepy village and shopping in the big city is a rare treat. I want to use my time wisely. I would have been very angry indeed had this proved to be wasted time, but it did not. The lessons I learned that day (a kinder version of What Not to Wear) have paid off for me subsequently. Have fun. I would love to tag along for a day in London shopping.

Countrymouse

Dear cmfong
Thanks for that info. I think it's a good idea. Will let you know how we get on.
regards CM

Clark55

I would also have a look at Bridal shops they always have special outfits for the bride & grooms family.

Countrymouse

Thanks clark
thats a good suggestion.
CM

BTilke

On Thursday, I saw some lovely dresses at Karen Millen's Kings Road shop. Several looked just right for a "posh frock" occasion.

There were a few very attractive party dresses at Nicole Farhi's shop on Bond Street, including a beautifully made lace (three-quarter length sleeves) over slip dress in a light chocolate color. One woman who was trying it on came out of the dressing room and modeled it for her significant other--he seemed mightily impressed. There is a picture of it on the www.nicolefarhi.com web site...click on the images in the womenswear collections and it's the middle dress in the second row (click on the photo to see an enlarged version).
They also had a few silk dresses that were quite appealing but since they were sleeveless, I don't think they'd do for winter wear unless the wedding and reception venue are well heated.

Are you looking for shoes as well? Big thumbs up for Emma Hope.

All the sales will be on, so I guess you'll get some good prices, but the selection may be picked over.

Please let us know how the shopping trip turns out!

luckykat

CM,

You've inspired me to commit my knowledge to the internet. You can now find a burgeoning section on my web site dedicated to unique places to shop! It's pretty small at the time of writing this but I have masses of posts to add!

http://www.mcdougalladventures.com/c...places-to-shop

Enjoy!