I understand Kent and Curwen were acquired by a Japanese company that was attracted to the value of the lucrative Wimbledon clothing trade mark, but I dont know where their shop is now. The bankers tie is a variation on the famous Manufacturers Hanover Bank tie with about 20 currency symbols on a blue background. Much nicer I think than the anchor motif with a W above it on a blue background !!! You should get one m_kingdom2. Oh and why dont Churches sell Masterclass shoes anymore-how some of the good things are disappearing.

Why would I want a tie with banker's motifs on it?

For sartorial elegance of course when one walks toward the East End. Otherwise try the other tie.

I really liked Monsoon, not for clothes but they have a shop on Kings Road that has things for the home, and neat gifts. Had some really pretty stationary, journals, pillows, candle holders and a zillion other things. The people were really nice and I just had a lot of fun shopping there. Things were reasonably priced also..but then the pound was 1.40....sigh......my neice who was 19 and living and working in London at the time, really liked the Top Shop and Lush. There is also a chain of stores that sell nothing but sox...Can't remember the name, but they are all over. Have really fun inexpensive socks...got some for gifts. Loved the fabrics at Peter Jones but there is lots of other things there and it's really a nice store. Any guy that wears ties would just go nuts in their mens department. The ties were wonderful. I found it was just too many stores, too little time, and not enough money!!! Just a great city for shopping...have fun exploring.

Unless you're a rock star or google bene, and paying in USDs, stay home or visit "old Colonial Mexico".
M

Regarding clothes:
I usually am able to pick up some clothes from Jigsaw. Basic clothes, but more exciting than the JCrew/Banana Republic uniform.
I also got a few pairs of pants from Joseph a few years ago during a sale.

Great ballet flats at French Sole. It is just a bit past Sloane Square headed towards Harvey Nich's. There is a fabulous French chocolatier on the very end of Sloane St.

So many wonderful replys! They will all be of good use when in London in 11 days!
One more question; after finishing my training I am thinking of buying something special. Has anyone heard something about the Jimmy Choo bags? I have heard the company is based in London?

skip harrods. this place is no longer a top dept store like liberty, fortum, selfridges or nichols. it has fallen out of this league as it now caters to Bob and Sue Normal from Lansing, MI who go there to see diamond studded dog collars (i.e. how the "other half" lives) then buy a golf shirt bearing the harrods logo (and probably ask for extra harrods plastic bags at the till - as most of their "high-class" clientel do).

I'm not a store snob and i don't care to shop at any of these places but any suggestion that harrods represents the ultimate in taste, high fashion and "class" could not be further from the truth. if you want the fun of seeing a real top class store (which is why most people go to harrods), then go to a real top notch store and not one that is now just a mockery of what it used to be.

"this place is no longer a top dept store like liberty, fortum, selfridges or nichols"

It is the only dept. store to have Prada concessions (both mainline and sport), Jil Sander concessions, and the only one to stock Raf Simons, Clements Ribeiro, etcetera. It has a fabulously large range from designers' collections. The fine jewellery for a store is unsurpassed, as are the food halls. Selfridges and Harvey Nichols are smaller and claustrophobic with less professional staff and poorly advised buyers. Quite simply you are trying to be clever, but sadly have no idea or experience in this field. So please, if you want to be negative and make a point get your facts right first dear.

it's a disney-like incarnation of a luxury store. americans go there to oohh and ahhh about the prices of everything. you here all the tales about how they saw this or that for 10,000, 50,000 or whatever. The more rediculously priced silly things the better. they love to see it. it's just fun for them. then they go buy a souvenir bearing the harrods logo. may be fun for them and entertainment, but a serious store, no way.

My dear, someone who "here(s)" things can never be taken seriously in my book either!

criticising typos...your manufactured well-bred-lady-of-the-manor caricature has more flaws than madonna's!

We're not here (or perhaps as you might put it "hear") for petty squabbles, we're here to give and receive advice. Quite simply, you have no idea what you're talking about. You have no links or even passing interest in the fashion industry, so before you criticise Harrods get your facts in place my dear.

To be honest, besides the food halls at Harrods, it's no more impressive than the upscale department stores here in the major US cities. Yes it's very large, but at the end of the day, it's a department store that sells nice things - just like the upscale department stores in the US.

I have never seen/heard such squabbling over a department store!
I find it amazing that some people have such strong feelings about stores!..this is the second thread that certain posters feel the need to make a fuss about Harrods.
I hate to think how they would act if one were to force them to choose between, say Barneys and Takashimaya or Bloomingdales and Saks or would deciding how they feel about Neimans and Nordstroms send them into a fainting spell :D

I'm a Brown, Moulton and Neal's yard londonsole fan. Penhaligan is now owned by Americans but I love the ambiance that Trumper retains but I miss the old places when Ossie Clark was top dog, Like Annacat.Quorum, Biba, granny takes a trip, Shopping was fun back then.

TOP SHOP!!

Time Out makes an excellent shopping guide, updated regularly. You can get it at Waterstone's, for instance.

My favorite name for a store, ever, is

eatmyhandbagbitch

www.eatmyhandbagbitch.co.uk

Londonholly; there's a Jimmy Choo shop in Harvey Nichols where they sell the bags. Also in Jimmy Choo at Brompton Cross, just opposite Daphne's.
What complete nonsense is written about Harrods. It's an excellent store, and apart from the somewhat over the top Egyptian escalators, Fayed has done quite a good job updating the place. You really can buy anything there.