The beauty of Bicester
What do you do if you like shopping but your fashion funds have been ravaged by the recession? Go to Bicester Village of course! Which is exactly what I did last Friday. God I love it there. Brilliant shopping, genteel setting, nice eateries, oh and a pleasant loo experience (always important, no?).
At a cost of 25-odd quid for the train ride and shuttle bus, there’s really no excuse not to ‘do Bicester’ on a regular basis. For those who don’t know, it’s a shopaholic’s paradise, a purpose-built outlet village stocked with major international brands. How’s this for a taster: Bulgari, Vivienne Westwood, Marni, Alexander McQueen, Celine, Smythson, Dior, Burberry, Mulberry. See what I mean? Plus there’s Bon Point for kids, The Cosmetics Company Store for make-up (MAC, Clinique, Prescriptives, Bobbi Brown) and The White Company, Le Creuset and Bose for the home. Over and above the amazing bargains, the shopping experience is just so relaxed. No traffic for starters, and despite the 125 brands, you can easily shop the entire village in an afternoon, although a day is preferable – you know, just so you don’t miss anything.
I started at MaxMara as I wanted to stock up on some basics and MaxMara is always good for a nice bit of cashmere, isn’t it? Little did I expect to find a pair of Comme-esque brothel creepers calling my name. They didn’t quite fit so I let them go, only to go back for them later – well they were £60 and why else did God invent insoles? The other brilliant thing about Bicester Village which I can never get my head around is there are often further discounts on top of the discounts. So you think you’re getting a deal and then you get an even better price at the till. Talk about feel-good shopping, it’s bloody fantastic! It must be some sort of tactic because (if you’re anything like me), you immediately realise you’ve made more of a saving than you thought and feel compelled to spend it. Clever.
I made a bee-line for Ralph Lauren because in the past I have always lucked out with basic cardigans and jumpers there clocking in at about £30. Nothing doing this time but could I leave empty handed? No I could not. So with me came a perfect-size tote bag, although it did have a horrid oversized polo-player logo on one side. Who cares, I’ll wear it turned round and no-one need ever see it. I didn’t realise there was a Luella at Bicester, but there it was in all its Pepto-Bismol pink glory next door to Smythson. In I went, marvelling at the sequin Crombies and twisted-classic knits. Out I came with said twisted-classic knit and a smile on my face. £37.50 – sorted.
One of the funnest parts of Bicester Village for me is checking out shops I’d normally bypass.This I recommend. For example, I really don’t see myself as a D&G girl but I found myself stroking their plastic jackets and ogling the shoes. It’s the Bicester effect, I tell you!
Because all the stores still carry their brands’ signatures – merchandising, carrier bags, store design – you don’t feel like your getting a lesser product, even though the discounts are obviously huge. This is possibly the nicest thing about Bicester because, as I always maintain, the experience of shopping is as important to me as the item I’m taking home. The lack of argy bargy and sale signs keeps everything luxe and lovely at non guilt-inducing prices. Yes, you’re getting past-season’s merchandise but that doesn’t bother me and it can in fact be a good thing if you missed something from a previous season. Some of the brands at Bicester are precious about advertising that they ‘do outlet’. Oh please. If I was them, I’d be shouting it from the rooftops. If it’s good enough for Marni, Bulgari and Gucci (opening soon), then what’s the problem?
CHURCH’S
MULBERRY
MULBERRY Hero piece alert – it’s the Giles studded clutch!
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
FERRAGAMO
SMYTHSON
THE COSMETICS COMPANY STORE
MARNI
MARNI – remember these?!
What I didn’t buy:
Ralph Lauren mannish coat – perfect fit apart from slightly-too-long sleeves. Couldn’t decide on the colour either.
Valentino coat – not one in particular but all of them. I would go to Bicester for the Valentino shop alone. Couture-quality dresses and coats for £200 (£200!) and sumptuous but simple knits.
Make-up – I was sorely tempted by the Bobbi Brown blushers but knew if I bought one I’d buy them all. An excellent option for gifts though.
A yellow Smythson cardholder-purse-thingy on a keyring which is good for looping on a lanyard and keeping in my back pocket for money and travelcard. Unforch, I’d exceeded my budget and decided yellow was too impractical. Of course, I’m wishing I’d bought it now…
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Sister Wolf
10 August, 2009 @ 8:50 am
But did you buy the Church's???????
Intrinsically Florrie
10 August, 2009 @ 8:52 am
Gosh you made some fantastic finds!
Hooray for Luella! =]
Rollergirl
10 August, 2009 @ 9:08 am
No Sister Wolf, I didn't buy the Church's because I have one pair already although I did have a prolonged ponder ;)
Looking Fab in your forties
10 August, 2009 @ 10:06 am
I want to go, bit far from Kent though. What station do you leave London from?
Rollergirl
10 August, 2009 @ 10:09 am
Looking Fab… you must go, you'd love it. I left from Marylebone station. Maybe you could make a weekend of it!?
Allure
10 August, 2009 @ 10:10 am
I'm drooling over my screen. Most things look good, and that doesn't happen normally in outlet stores.
That Girl
10 August, 2009 @ 10:12 am
Oooh… I want to go… in fact I still can't believe I haven't been yet. Always one to be a bit a bit slow on the uptake, Im finally getting to Westfield at the end of this month! Perhaps I'll make Bicester my next expedition. It sounds a bit like Woodbury Common in New York… all very calm and stress free – my kinda shopping!
atelier
10 August, 2009 @ 10:39 am
I need to go there!! is it 25 pounds from London?? thanks for sharing!!
disconaplondon
10 August, 2009 @ 10:56 am
a) I have that Luella jumper and I love it. Excellent choice.
b) Ferragamo pumps! How much were they? I am miffed to see they are being adopted by It girls because they could easily ruin my old-lady love for them before I actually manage to get any.
S Disconap
verity appleton
10 August, 2009 @ 11:19 am
Bicester has a Luella?! When did this happen? I must make a prompt return to this little haven. Also people can definitely make a weekend of Oxfordshire. Bicester is extremely close to Oxford and various other picturesque villages for quaint weekends away from the big smoke.
My New Favourite Thing
10 August, 2009 @ 11:33 am
I don't remember Bicester being this good! V excited about Luella & Church's…
A
10 August, 2009 @ 11:52 am
As I'm not shopping much at the moment, this post was perfect shopping p*rn.
Thank you. And what a lovely Luella jumper, if I may say so.
Kb
10 August, 2009 @ 1:47 pm
Ahhhhh in the words of Rachel Zoe, I DIE. Am hoping to get myself down there soon for a birthday treat, hoping there's lots of Luella left for me.
Kay
10 August, 2009 @ 4:37 pm
oo i never knew there was vivienne westwood and luella there!?! are they knew??
Kay @ 6inch-heels.blogspot.com
xx
Vanessa Jackman (Street+Style = StreetStyle)
10 August, 2009 @ 5:25 pm
OMG- outstanding post, Ms Rollergirl! I had heard about this Bicester Village but have an aversion to outlet shopping after too many disappointing excursions: the one in Florence was particularly fruitless. However your post has definitely changed my mind- I shall be making my way there soon.
Yellow? impractical colour? Pah!!;)
Fabi Pina
10 August, 2009 @ 6:25 pm
Bicester Village sounds like paradise. great finds!!!
xoxo
waitmrrabbit
11 August, 2009 @ 8:43 am
Wish we had those types of outlets in Spain, but, unfortunately, we don´t even have thrift shops :(:( ahrg!! it must be SUCH fun! lucky you! i loved everything!!
waitmrrabbit
11 August, 2009 @ 1:28 pm
hi! I used the Vivienne Westwood shop pic on my last post, I hope you don´t mind, I loved the picture. xo
John
12 August, 2009 @ 8:18 am
That mac is pretty cool, I saw a girl wearing it outside the Bank of England and she looked absolutely jaw-dropping. Like she had been beamed from Blade Runner in to the bizarre suit-scape of the City.
selinaoolala
12 August, 2009 @ 6:12 pm
ohhh it's what student loans are made for! recently i've never had a time where i had any totally disposable cash to buy anything that took my fancy but i'll try to get down here after christmas, the luella shop looks better than the london one! thanks for sharing, looks well worth a trip
Madelene
14 August, 2009 @ 6:05 pm
Fantastic sweater! I'd never heard of Bicester before, will remember it for my next stay in London.. I'm actually planning on taking a short course at CSM next spring so I need all the shopping tips I can get ;)
Anonymous
23 August, 2009 @ 9:30 pm
does any one know when the gucci store is opening…God knows I have to be there!!!!!!!