Anthropologie

The arrival of this US-based store was a sunny bolt from the heavens through the heart of London’s traditionally hip but stiff retail experience. Unlike virtually any other store in the city, the company gives free reign to its visual merchandisers (the guys who design the store) and it shows – it looks like the perfect marriage between a series of beautiful art installations and a gorgeous retail experience. The Regent Street store is spread over three floors and features a living wall of plants, with esoteric chintz and old props enhancing the vintage and antique feel of the store’s collections.

As for the stock? Those who have been to Anthropologie veer between mild passion and stark raving lunacy. The store has accumulated many a female into its cult of prettiness. The aesthetic is very much Miss Pillsbury from the TV show Glee – colourful, super feminine and cute, and very much on-trend. Collections from the likes of Missoni and Anna Sui line the racks of the store, and customer service is outstanding – unfailingly friendly and democratic, it’s assistants are some of the best in the city. The home furnishings are excellent as well, offering the requisite tools for homeowner nirvana, ranging from the drop-dead gorgeous to the affordably pretty.

Opening Hours - Monday - Wednesday, Friday - Saturday 10:00 - 190:0, Thursday 10:00 - 20:00, Sunday: 12:00 - 18:00.

Nearest Tube: Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus