Going to be in London for a few days and would like some suggestions for shopping for women's clothes. I would like to buy some clothes for the office - nice professional looking dresses, skirts & tops... nothing too matronly. Any suggestions?

Assuming your credit card can handle the pressure - Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, Liberty, Selfridges are some good places to start.

When did Fortnum & Mason start carrying clothes?

If your budget doesn't stretch to the luxury department stores there are some good chains with numourous London branches which are worth a vist for office wear. I wear suits for work and buy most of my stuff at the following. Think all their websites have store locators on there so you should be able to find one near where you're staying.

Next: www.next.co.uk
Zara: www.zara.com (Spanish chain I believe but with a few stores in London)
Dorothy Perkins: www.dorothyperkins.co.uk
Oasis: www.oasis-stores.com

For really formal shirts, try

www.tmlewin.co.uk (always seem to have offer on) and www.thomaspink.co.uk

Have fun!

esm: Fortnum &amp; Mason is a <u>department store</u>. If you ever ventured off the ground floor you would know they sell (expensive) clothing.

But it really isn't a place I'd go for just general clothes shopping. Nor Harrods for that matter. Selfridge for sure though. And Liberty is just such a great old bldg - I go there if only to pick up a beautiful scarf.

Thanks Janisj. I don't remember the last time I went there (it was quite a while ago!) and I never ventured off the ground floor!

Just about anytime I've visited UK, I've done my shopping outside London which is much easier. I like Jigsaw which is not really what the OP is looking for.

My dear, Fortnums have been selling clothes ever since they became a department store. It has several floors you know?

Their womens is more accessories rather than clothes, the few outfits they carry are more suited to a certain type of woman of a certain age. However, their underwear/nightwear is superb.

However, you ask a very vague question. Do you want to spend thousands or under an hundred?

Get the Tube to Oxford Circus and within a few hundred yards you'll ave more choice of women's clothing than you know what to do with

Try Marks &amp; Spencer in Oxford St at Oxford Circus. It is the British staple for clothing. No British womens wardrobe is complete without a pair of M&amp;S underwear. Wish there was one here. Most prices are reasonable and it sells very edible food as well if you need a sandwich or drink for a lunch or picnic.

Karen Millen's a cool place to find not-too-matronly clothes.

You would get A LOT more replies if next time you put the name of the city in your heading ie &quot;London&quot;. Mike

This kind of reminds me ofthe reverse--the British boy we talked to in the Frankfurt airport. He was very excited about going to the States for a week, as he had some money and wanted to buy clothes in America because they were so much cehaper.

That last word is supposed to be &quot;cheaper.&quot;

He can't have much taste as the clothes that are cheaper in America i.e. Polo by Ralph Lauren (made in China) really aren't worth having.

My favourite store is Principles - if it helps, they have a good selection for petite women.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm busy writing them all down. I'll definitely give Harrod's a browse as we'll be going there. I've also heard a lot of good things about Selfridges which I think is not far from my hotel (Marble Arch) and Marks and Spencer.
We've scheduled time to go to at least 3 shopping areas so whatever other stores we go by that are on this list I'll stop in. As for budget it doesn't really matter as I like to browse a variety of price ranges - sometimes I have more to spend and sometimes I have to economise so I shop both ends of the spectrum!

A lot of good places mentioned already; Zara, Oasis, Karen Millen, Jigsaw. I also like Whistles (not so much work clothes generally, but I've bought a great trouser suit there). Emporio Armani would be good for non-matronly office clothes.
A very nice shopping area is in Notting Hill; Westbourne Grove, Kensington Park Road, Ledbury Road. There's Laundry Industry (also available at Selfridges) who do trousers that have a great fit. Often with jackets (there's one in a very light fabric grey, with a matching jacket). Nicole Farhi is there as well (with a nice restaurant in the store).
For blouses look for Anne Fontaine; particularly for a huge range of white blouses. Can't remember where the London shop is.
Oh, and Joseph of course! several shops in London, and sold at the large department stores as well.

Isn't Fortnum and Mason going to be refurbished? The clothing section could certainly do with an update. Although they always did have good hats.

The basement of Fortnum's is being redeveloped. The clothes are for a certain sort of woman, and it suits Fortnum's. I personally like the fact that it's behind the times and doesn't follow fashions. That said, they're expanding the foodhall into the basement, as well as creating a new wine bar to sit alongisde their other restaurants, which are undoubtedly the finest instore dining in London, and are reminiscent of old fashioned hotel ones.

Selfridges has about 236 places to eat, a million different sections, and is a complete mess of a store. Shopping there is most unpleasant, and the buyers are very amateurish. Harrods is utterly superior, as is Harvey Nichols (although it needs a total refurb..which won't happen). Selfridges is for wannabes.

Mango is the best store ever! Beautiful clothes--very stylish! I still don't understand why the U.S. doesn't have any!! Whenever I travel, I always go to Mango.com to find out the stores locations in that country! Happy shopping!