Fenwick

Small department store but outstanding service! I spent most of my time in the hosiery department. What a vast selection! They have so many styles and patterns it’s overwhelming! The sales associate was adorable and we must have talked for 20 minutes. She was so patient and helpful, explaining the size charts and advising me how to wear socks with heels/​sandals-​really! And the look is really cool– we will see this look in the US in a matter of time. The other departments were smaller compared to the big stores but well-​edited merchandise. This will be a regular stop on future trips to London!

What’s happened here?! Fenwick’s used to be my favourite department store, mainly because it didn’t have the look and feel of a department store. It used to have just the right balance between old-​fashioned, British understatement and hip, in that the layout and décor were plain and simple in a place filled with interesting and surprising brands alongside more predictable stuff. There was a time I bought most of my shoes here, lingerie, work outfits — actually, I must have spent thousands here over the years.
Oh well, I couldn’t find anything interesting on my most recent visit. The ground floor has been taken over by bling perfume counters — this could as easily be a small Harvey Nichols or Selfridges. The Bond Street entrance is dominated by MAC and you can’t see beyond the massive structure — what is wrong with counters and a view of the rest of the store?!
As I had some time to kill I took the escalator down to the basement for the heavily advertised Christmas section. All the generic overpriced stuff you find in shops at this time of year: novelty smellies, overpriced sweeties, techie toys for boys. Nothing new or exciting here.
No pleasant surprises on the other floors either, all the money seems to have gone into the ground floor. The top floor was genuinely shocking. They removed the ceiling to reveal the pipes and hung up some massive disco balls to make the denim section more appealing to younger shoppers … really?
A big disappointment overall, I left empty-​handed — a first …

Fenwicks, Bond street has undergone a period of refurbishment and had a dramatic face lift. Not instantly noticebale from the ground floor, however as you drift through the four floors you will notice the chic, light and modern feel to the store. The best thing for fashionistas is that this department store hasnt given in to the mass high street brands, it has British and European designers that are hard to find elsewhere and provide an original alternative to the rest of Bond street.
There are great places to eat and take the weight of your feet with a coffee or a glass of champagne.
It feels nice to shop here it feels that it has kept an element of tradition with the modern influeneces too.