Oxford and Bond Streets - Wed 19 May, 2010

Oxford Street

After that intense day of walking yesterday, I’m not even sure I can make it out today, but I’m suddenly struck with the desire to go shopping. Not for myself, so much, but for little gifts to bring back. London has a number of famous shopping areas, and department stores, and I want to see them.

I leave around noon, and head to Oxford Street.  I’d read about it in the guide books, and had made a plan to walk from Oxford Circus station to Marble Arch station (passing the Bond Street station on the way). I don’t really know how long that will take me. It’s very hard to tell from the maps, even if they have a scale. Somehow the British seem to like maps that are regular and even, but when you get to the place, it’s really not like that at all. You might see a large street on the map with a diagonal street intersecting it at what looks like about a block away from a normal, 90º corner, but instead the diagonal street is just next to the cross street, and often it ends just before the intersection, so it’s easy to walk right past it. Or the opposite might be true: the Tube map, for instance, makes each stop look very close to the same distance from the others, but in reality you’ll wish you’d found a seat, because even if you’re only on for one stop, it might take a while to get there. So I don’t know whether Oxford Street will take me all day or the proverbial “just five minutes.”

I get there and manage to figure out which direction to walk, mainly because it’s marked with a sign for tourists (thank you, whoever did that).  The street was so packed with traffic that one of my first thoughts was that I hope an ambulance never has to make it through that street.

Crowded Oxford Street

There are lots of high-end chain stores around, many of which we have at home: Abercrombie & Fitch, the Gap, H&M, etc.

It reminded me a lot of Union Square, with lovely old buildings, the chain stores, and the occasional expensive boutique, except instead of a square it’s all along one major street.

Oxford Street Across Near the Oxford Circus Tube Station

It was fun to see what the current hip fashions are.  As everywhere else, all the stores had basically the same thing. There were two or three major looks for women, with certain variations and individual takes on them. Men, of course, only had two looks: businessman suits and casual. So here’s my take on it. Young women are wearing short, short pants or skirts, intricately designed tights, with longish, lightweight tops (sometimes even multiple, tissue layers) with belts on waists or hips. These are white, pale or bright salmon, greens or blues, or Laura Ashley-type flowered prints. Over these tops hang long chains with pendants, reaching down past the breasts. The 70s-style maxi dress is back in, too, and sandals with multiple straps coming up to over the ankle length.  Older women’s clothing is mostly boxy, and either too bright or too dull, with that same salmon, green, or blue color scheme. (Try finding purple or rust or even red—no go.)  Every men’s department or store had exactly the same look: t-shirts underneath open button-down shirts, most of which are plaid or striped. The t-shirts varied from skulls & graffiti prints to Manchester United to solid plain ones for the less adventurous. That’s it. In the whole of Oxford Street, that was the look, unless you want your striped shirt to go with a tie in a suit.

I took this photo for Horizon, because I thought he might gag at the styles advertised in this particular store. I laughed out loud on the street thinking about it.

Fairly Foppish Fashion on Oxford Street

Bond Street 
Just off of Oxford Street is Bond Street. Now this is an extremely upscale area, full of exclusive boutiques touting their newest designs that are just in. I go in one store in which everything has the logo of a little Scottie dog. Most things are leather. It’s all very whimsical, bordering on being kids’ stuff, and it all costs more than $60, even the smallest item.

One place that’s really fun is called Lush. It’s a store that makes its own bubble bath, soaps, shampoos, etc. The cool thing is that all of these are in fun shapes or materials.

Bright Colors and Fun Shapes at Lush

The bubble bath is more like an enormous, brightly colored alka-seltzer ball. The nice American (exotic in London) salesperson demonstrated how to make the water fizz.

Fizz Demonstration at Lush on Bond Street

They even have soap made from seaweed gel, and let you squish it around in your hands. It has the feeling of the stuff you put in covered bowls on Halloween to scare kids. I had a blast messing with that stuff.

Seaweed Gel Soap in Lush Store

There are baby elephant statues on Bond Street, so in keeping with my mission to capture them all, I photograph them.

Baby Elephants on Bond Street

Selfridges Department Store

Further down on Oxford Street is Selfridges Department Store. This massive building takes up one huge block, and looks a bit like a Classical Greek temple.

Selfridges Department Store, Corner View

Selfridges Department Store, Front (at the very top) View

The inside is just as gorgeous as the outside, with gilt trim and beautiful lighting.

Selfridges Department Store, Inside View

I look around for a while, but I guess I’m really done with shopping. There’s nothing much that calls out to me here. It’s more conservative than the other stores on Oxford Street. Selfridges does have a baby elephant statue inside, though, so now I have a picture of that one, too:

Baby Elephant Statue in Selfridges Department Store

I didn’t find the food halls, but I’m thinking it’s time to head back toward the Tube and go home.  It was a short day, but after yesterday, I'm proud that I was still able to walk around for 3 solid hours.


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