Harvey Nichols, dear Harvey Nichols, how piddled off you marketing and branding big wigs must be at the constant reference to your beloved snob shop as Harvey Nicks. Unfairly I suppose, it isn't the content of these shops that I take umbrage with, but the contrived attitudes of the staff that work there. On two separate occasions I have entered via the smartly dressed doorman, in a pair of jeans and a hoody (the dreaded hoody, heaven forbid) and the other a suit, shirt and overcoat. Can you all guess which occasion I was treated better and which worse? Doesn't take a genius. The day I walked in wearing jeans and a hoody, the doorman was still chivalrous, tipping his hat and offering platitudes however the feeling of judgment was in the air. Mooching around the handbag department and daring to lay hands, lest I be unable to pay for one of these coveted items I was tracked solidly for 10 minutes by a sales assistant, wearing only a hoody I doubt I was going to be able to stash a Marc Jacobs tote bag up it, but she ploughed on nonetheless. Restraining myself from barking "back off" at the sales bod I decided maybe a nice jacket perusal would elevate my mood. Holy Hell, no, no it did not. At first I wasn't sure if it was a clone or an entirely different person, but yet again I was stalked like a deer around all the lovely designer brands, again, as if my intent was to stuff a 3/4 length jacket up my jumper. After wending around the floors with what seemed like 100 pairs of eyes and temperature boiling I left. The next time I went in, I was in the suit combo mentioned earlier, and the reaction from door to mooch to leaving was entirely different. Doorman was still pleasant, in fact he had a little more gusto with his salutations and I was both pleased and peeved off at this all at the same time. My mooching and poking didn't result in deer stalkings, and when a sales assistant did approach me, I was preparing to bark at this point, she totally surprised me in asking if there was anything she could help me with, was there anything I would like to see, any style or designer I was particularly interested in. I dismissed an offer for help, smirking and seething over the difference in treatment a set of clothes make. Insert small rant about how my money or needs were any different depending on what clothes I had on. GRRR! This behaviour continued throughout my loop of the store and I was even offered a goodbye from the doorman. As a department store, Harvey Nichols is grand, it's beautiful, the window displays are all beautifully crafted, and it is the retail version of a divine box of chocolates, just begging you forward to indulge. Depending on what you look like, this box of chocolates is armed with barbed wire or welcoming arms. With regards to choice of brand and style, the numbers fail me, there are too many to list off the top of the head, but if you're up on your fashion, you'll know what to look for and who it is you are looking for and there's a good chance it's here. Men and women are covered in the clothing departments, handbags are extensive, make up is in a large supply to compliment all shades, tones, sensitivities etc, the café provides a nice place to sit and recuperate whilst you power up to tackle the rest of the floors. It's a haven for the decadent. I love and hate this place in equal measure. read more