A couple of weeks ago the opportunity finally presented itself for me to take a good wander around & Other Stories in London. A sister company of H&M and Cos, it was so different from what I had expected I can't even begin to explain it.
I don't know why but for some reason I imagined it to be dark, foreboding and full of gothic pieces. My mis-conceptions must have sprung, I think, from a few of the pieces that I had seen in the press when it launched last year. However if I'd thought about it a little more, logic would have dictated that, being Swedish, it would be sleek, chic and bright.
I suppose it's a little dangerous to over-egg the pudding because just in the same way that I was pleasantly surprised by what I found, if I rave too much people may be disappointed on visiting.
Anyway, so here are some snaps that I took as I wandered around (sorry for the lack of links to these pieces) together with images, plus links, to some others that I like. So here goes:
& Other Stories had a really large range of shoes, boots and trainers from the classic to the quirky so if you're on the hunt for some footwear, it's worth adding to your list. I liked these because of their rich colour and the fact that they were a little different but still very "do-able".
There was definitely more colour than I expected to find. I loved the vibrant coral colour of this bag.
Silver boots for anyone who fancies anything a little futuristic. I think that these are very cool in a pixie boot kind of way!
Textured jumpers are a huge trend this season and the light and pretty colours on this jumper make a nice change from black or navy. It has a slight 80's look about it but as lots of things are just a re-hash of what has gone before, if we were put off by anything that we had seen before we would soon reach the stage where we didn't wear anything - or everything that we did wear would be very boring.
Hmmm, I'm not entirely sure about the neoprene look (it reminds me slightly of a kids' Superman dressing up outfit with the extra six pack padding) but variety is a good thing...
I love the print on these shoes, which is similar to the jumper. The appeal lies in the fact that the shoes have different prints on them. These would update a plain navy or purple dress really well and would look equally good with rolled up boyfriend jeans.
I know I've featured a lot of quilting recently....but here's some more. This jumper also comes in grey and a taupe colour. This navy one is hanging in my wardrobe, patiently waiting for a chilly day.
I love the print on this pretty handbag/purse. & Other Stories is a treasure trove for little bits and bobs like this, plus make-up, jewellery and smellies. In fact it would be quite easy to get lost in there for a few hours - it's a great place for Christmas shopping.
I tried these mid calf boots (£95) in the navy - and they also come in black and brown. I loved the stack heel, together with the lighter coloured heel and sole. Definitely one for the list!
This long sweater (£55) is beautifully thick and chunky with a huge roll neck. There was also a lovely, oversized cardigan in the store with rounded shoulders - massively huge and warm which I loved but which would have been too heavy to carry, which was probably a good thing really!
Due to its structure, this triangle pleat skirt (£45) reminded me of a Cos piece. It's just a little different from the norm without being inaccessible.
And finally I could be very tempted by this wool bomber jacket (£125). I didn't particularly like them in the summer and the varsity ones are definitely too much of a statement but this one is quite understated. Plus it's navy which is always a winner.
The fact that the store was new helped with the whole shopping experience, which reminded me more of Anthropologie than it did Cos or H&M. In fact it definitely wasn't H&M like at all, which is a good thing because although there are some gems in there, it definitely doesn't offer a shopping "experience". Well perhaps it does - but just not the kind we might like, especially when a collaboration with a new designer has just been launched (hold on to your hats (and everything else) for the stampede that will ensue during the Isabel Marant November launch). It's also a little less stark than Cos - more colour and print and softer around the edges. So anyway, in a nutshell, if you're in London and have a while to spare, I'd definitely recommend taking a trip there.
