Joy

Joy is, as the name suggests, full of joy! So many cute, quirky, funny and unusual gifts and books and some really lovely clothes. I love browsing the shop and often pick up a little present for someone. I really love it when there’s a sale on their dresses as they have a great style, especially their summer dresses.
It’s also quite a good shop for greetings cards. Many of them are humorous and rude so not really the place for a birthday card for your Gran (unless you have a really cool Gran who’s down with the kids) but good fun for friends.
I gave Joy 4 stars instead of 5 just because of the price. It is a little expensive generally. When they have a sale it’s great value though.

I first became acquainted with Joy on my Journey to work several years ago, as one of the stores is located in Clapham Junction railway station. Every day, without fail, I’d find myself lured into the boutique by some new item in the shop window.
I love the concept of this place: every surface and rail is jam-​packed with eclectic choices of gifts and unique clothing: a paradise for both the female and male gift-​shopper as the buyer for Joy has taken the pain out of looking for that something different by filling the whole room with that something different. It’s like Topshop’s quirky little sister. It fits a budget too, clothes are between £20 to £60 generally and the gifts start at a few pounds, but it is really for the 18 – 35 demographic I’d say.

Joy is a cute little ‘everything’ shop. The clothing selection is one of those wacky situations that happens in certain stores (rack your brain, you know them!) where you walk in and everything SEEMS fabulous, but after having a closer look, or trying some items on, nothing seems to take your fancy. And it happens every time you go in there. This is Joy for me.
But I don’t blame it — well, I guess I do blame it, but maybe it’s just not for me. For random, useless gift ideas though, it’s pretty great — photo frames, quirky gift cards and ‘cool’ things you’d buy someone but they would never use, Joy is the place to find it.

Merriam Websters tell me that Joy is «A: the emotion evoked by well-​being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires. B: the expression or exhibition of such emotion,» but for our purposes in this here lesson, Joy is a shop. If Joy is delight and if Joy is a shop, is Joy the shop, by the law of syllogism a delight?
This shop is great for little gifties. From the boyfriend/​girlfriend remote control with options such as ‘talk about emotions’ and ‘shut up’ respectively, to a book about chocolate to retro mugs, you’re sure to find something fun to buy. You can also buy clothes if you happen to go to the shop in your birthday suit. The prices aren’t inexpensive, but you’re normal ‘I’m located behind the Tate Modern’ kind of prices.
This Joy is not the ultimate embodiment of M-W’s joy, but it captures a small bit of that delighted feeling.

Joy is such a cool shop, I love taking my friends here when they come to visit me. It is really like Urban Outfitters except the stock is different so you’re not wearing the same stuff as everyone you know! It sells an assortment of cool things, pretty dresses for about £45, hats for £10, random gifts and joke presents, cards and coffee table books.
It is a really big shop for an independent and plays music I like; rolling stones and the likes. It is really laid back and you can spend hours browsing the store for gift ideas without being hounded by sales assistants.

I like Joy. I don’t love it, but it scratches the itch. I always have high hopes when I walk in as the clothes look so inviting and gorgeous. As I approach the first rack I think ‘how am I going to decide what to buy, I won’t be able to choose!’, but then when I have a look more closely the clothes sometimes disappoint — whether its a bit to fluffy or fussy, or too short/​long/​-​I hate to say it, but sometimes the clothes look better from afar then they do up close.
I saw a tartan mini dress in Joy the other day. I tried it on and the hem line ended just after my hips and the bust looked like it would fall down the moment you moved your arms. It didn’t look like that on the model!
When I had taken off the most ill-​fitting dress ever, I headed over to the gift section. I quite like the whole kitchy, ironic –Elvis cup kind of thing, and I ear marked a couple of things that will make some good Christmas pressies. I guess this place is like a cheaper Urban Outfitters; providing the accruements needed for the girl with the urban lifestyle. I just wish that I had the figure to fit into that tartan dress. Can I still have the urban lifestyle even if I don’t have the measurements?

Working in the SE1 area is great but severely lacks any scope for a bit of retail therapy. That is why Joy now provides us shopaholics with a refreshing change from spending our hard earned cash in the endless surrounding food establishments.
Full of quirky and trendy clothes, accessories, shoes, books and general nic nacs, Joy is a fun store perfect for finding that last minute Friday night top or birthday gift. The clothes are inspired by the latest styles from the UK, Paris and Copenhagen and are bold, bright and über trendy. The stock is regularly updated and the pieces are a unique step beyond your average high street ranges. Joy is slightly more expensive than average at around £45 for a dress but you will definitely find something individual. It is also great for cute home-​wares and fashion books.
Definitely my favourite after work indulgence!