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Mainstream - Clothes Shops - Specialist
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House of Fraser Army and Navy Store
101 Victoria Street SW l. Map Ref 16.
If you are thinking of rough, tough army supplies like military boots, even Navy hats, do not be misled. The Army
and Navy Store is nothing like that, and why the House of Fraser gave this department store that name is a mystery
to me. It is not filled with burly strapping Army Commandos or Navy Seals. It is actually a very inoffensive, but
immensely helpful store selling anything and everything, depending on your requirements.
The Army and Navy Store embodies a contemporary department store, and its huge complex of around four floors sells silverware, sofas, curtains, rugs, television sets, stereos, double-poster beds, even baths. It possesses everything your house could possibly need, filled in with every type of commercial and entertainment device. They have suitcases, rucksacks, even tents all ready and available. They even have fashion clothing at their fingertips. The store is hard to miss because it will loom above you on Victoria Street. Nonetheless, it has every type of supply you could possibly need. There is no more to say about this branch of the House of Fraser except to say that they should satisfy your every requirement. You can contact them on 0207 834 1234.
Dorothy Perkins Retail Ltd
Unit 7, Victoria Place Centre SW1. Map Ref 17.
The Victoria Place Centre, which is inside the same complex as Victoria Station, holds some very useful cafes,
restaurants, stores, and clothes shops. It is a mini version of a shopping mall, but it possesses one of London's
most stylish leisure shops, Dorothy Perkins. As you can imagine, it is a store for women customers who are looking
for breezy, summery skirts and leisure wear. It is targeted towards fairly well-to-do thirty-somethings who like
to look sophisticated.
Their catchphrase is, rather misguided: You can afford to look smart. Well, you can if you have £100 to spend on a suit. The quality of the clothes compliment their prices, however, and there was a very svelte long black dress, the norm in Dorothy Perkins, for £45. They do not only have smart, respectable clothes, though, and there are some impressive casual and high-heeled shoes which would look good on the ambitious career woman. Dorothy Perkins are also useful in that they sell sleek, understated holdalls and handbags. To sum this store up, they are safe, inoffensive, and subtly versatile. You can contact this particular branch on 0207 931 7605.
McCombie Bros.
89 Victoria Street SW1 . Map Ref 18.
Although
The City of London is densely populated with suit shops and tailors of every kind, McCombie Bros. is a very useful
place to visit if you are looking for less seriously-minded suits and shirts. They call themselves The Original
Suit Shop but I am sure they would have to contest that with many of the City's ancient shops. Of course the suits
are very expensive, even when they are on a supposed sale. Super Value shirts at £99, and two for £
169, sound horrifically expensive, no matter what the discount is.
The suits are, however, made to last, and they are
of such high quality that they would probably last you forever. If you are looking for a suit that will never let
you down, it is worth investing heavily in one here. They will not become shabby, added to which you are provided
with an excellent choice of 900 suits in McCombie Bros., so you will be fairly dramatically spoilt for choice.
I feel as though the store possesses the last word in suits, because it is so utterly comprehensive. Their Van
Heusen shirts, of which I own a couple, may look at first glance as though they are made out of a reasonably smart
type of white cloth. However, they do grow on you, and are very durable, as you will find out when they become
everpresent in your wardrobe. You can contact McCombie Bros. on 0207
222 6404.
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Thorntons PLC.
Victoria Street SW1. Map
Ref 19.
Just to prove that Victoria Street is probably the most versatile street In London in that it has basically every
type of shop in existence, I am going to mention Thornton's, a chocolate shop that surpasses any other in taste
and quality. They have chocolates of every size and flavour that tempt you into little indiscretions whilst you
march through the streets of London. On the other hand, they provide you with the chance to buy some truly delicious
boxes or packages of their delicacies for you to present to an acquaintance as a gift.
Their range of chocolates is vast, and a lot of them are made in the style of chocolates from around the world, whether it be South America or Europe. They are not cheap, but then with mouth-watering titbits such as these, the idea of money should not even enter your head. I bought a very small package of Belgian Continental milk and white chocolates filled with nuts and cocoa, and they cost me £3.50p.
Yet Thornton's chocolates line the wall in the most
bright and entertaining fashion, and it is hard to pass them by if you are feeling peckish or indulgent. Thornton's
are located all over London, so you will never have any problems seeking them out. Their authenticity is proven
by the fact that they have been London's leading chocolate shop for almost a century.
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