Top of the Shops

I don't know the actual figures, but I would confidently say that Topshop is probably the top high street shop in the UK. It does make you wonder about the power of names; if you call your baby Belle, are they guaranteed to be beautiful? Because calling the high street brand 'Topshop' certainly worked for whoever set it up back when it was new and untrendy. There is probably not a single female in between the ages of 15 and 50 who does not own an item of clothing from Topshop in the whole of London.

Despite all this, the top shop is conspicuously missing from popular and beautiful shopping destination Covent Garden. I'm planning to hit Covent Garden for some nice old retail therapy come Saturday, and browsing the Covent Garden Shops directory (my memory isn't what it used to be...), Topshop's absence was noticeable.

I do like Topshop as much as the next person, but at the same time there's something refreshing about having to work a little harder to find what you want. When you entire Topshop OC (flagship on Oxford St) so many appealing things jump at you, most overpriced. After a while, everything becomes so samey. The huge size is overwhelming, almost monotonous.

I wrote about the shopping experience long ago, and I still think the same. 'Retail therapy' for me is just as much about the search, the uniqueness as the product - same as anything really. I haven't bought anything frivolous for a few months now, but looking back at the past two items I can think of, they were both bought in interesting shopping locations not Oxford Street. So I'm going to skip Westfield and I'm thinking that the beautiful backdrop of Covent Garden will be the perfect occasion to drop my cash. Somewhere other than Topshop.