This shop is England at it's most upmarket and quintessential. Winchester is a small market town 12…read moremiles north of Southampton and has an idyllic, relaxed atmosphere as you walk around the cobbled streets, through the cathederal grounds and along the river side. And the feel of Winchester life is encapsulated, bottled and gift-wrapped in this shop. It sells designer furniture, coffee table books, clothes, baby paraphenalia, very posh toiletries and things for the home. You might struggle to find anything you need in here and will have no trouble at all finding everything that you want. The innocent looking white swing tags pack quite a punch to the wallet and match the affluent clientele to a tee You never see men in here, you just see them waiting outside with a nervous look on their face!
The upstairs is entirely dedicated to providing the beautiful Winchester ladies with suitable attire for their many social arrangements. The value of their clothes stock would probably pay for the entire relief effort needed to get Burma back on it's feet. The menswear is equally, effortlessly cool. The clothes hang by very contemporary banksy-style wall art. They have mixed this very modern style with the very much desired homely, rustic, family-orientated feel that Winchester oozes from every pore. The outcome is utterly irresistable.
There is no average in here, in fact they are noticably aiming to be anything but average. The womenswear ranges from £50(t-shirts)-~£600(dresses, jackets, bags), with some affordable middleground. I have bought a few dresses from here - a butterfly print halterneck (£75) and a black wrap dress (£80). Menswear £30 (ubercool T-shirts)-£300 (jackets, suits).
A fantastic place for stationary and little gifts.
At Christmas time the whole of the town comes into it's own, doing the traditional Christmas with spectacular charm. The Hambledon becomes a heavenly Christmas wonderland, just make sure you bring your flexible friend along.
Once every season (twice a year) the owners sell off all their designer clothing to make room for the new stock and just recently this has happened in a smaller shop a few minutes away, rented for 3 days or so and rammed to the rafters with designer bargains. Arrive early, the queues reached the 1 hour wait mark within 10 minutes of opening. And beware - these Winchester ladies don't hold back. And you need cash or cheque, they are open to a bit of bartering, so be prepared to strike a deal. Check out their website for details or to join their mailing list.
I love this place, but it's extravagant, designer, way-too-cool image always leaves me feeling slightly uneasy and thinking about foreign aid crises So it's a comfortable 4 stars. It is, after all, in the south, you wouldn't find a place like this up north, not even in York :)
