Aye aye captain!
Raise the anchor! Splice the main brace! Swab the deck! OK, we might not be fully up on our sailor speak (could you tell?!), but that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate the finely crafted boating style wear from Henri Lloyd.
The British sailing heritage brand has been churning out super smart and durable clothing since 1963, and its mix of casual t-shirts, hoodies and swimwear will fit in perfectly with anyone’s holiday wardrobe (even if you haven’t got sea legs).
Unfortunately, we can’t quite afford our own yacht like the gorgeous models in these pics, but at least we can pick up some of the fab Riviera chic clothing at great prices.
Left to right:
Swimsuit – RRP £40, outlet £25
Classic men’s shirt – RRP £60, outlet £25
T-shirt – RRP £30, outlet £18; Coat – RRP £150, outlet £40
Zip up jumper – RRP £50, outlet £25
Best of British
When quintessential British label Aquascutum opened the doors to its new outlet store last week, we were first in line to snap up some classic pieces at amazing prices. And we couldn’t believe our luck when we got inside – we were surrounded on every side by fabulous last-a-lifetime clothing that you just know you’ll want to wear again and again: it’s every girl’s dream!
Who hasn’t lusted after an Aquascutum trench at some point? With its classic check lining and streamline silhouette, you feel like a glamorous 60s movie star the minute you slip into one of these babies. And now you can pick up this beauty (see below) with over 70% off, ensuring a million dollar look for a more purse-friendly price.
To celebrate their arrival, Aquascutum is running a sale with up to 80% off many items – get down their quick to bag yourself a best of British bargain.
Queensbury raincoat - RRP £550, outlet £162.50
Tunic - RRP £250, outlet £75
Kurt Geiger gets fella friendly
Unsurprisingly, our Kurt Geiger store has always been a destination for ladies who love their shoes, and we’re pleased to report that our favourite guilty pleasure is now stocking a great range of men’s footwear too.
We’re just smitten with the uncompromising quality and timelessness of Kurt Geiger. With a fab range of brands including Solea, KG by Kurt Geiger, Carvela, Nine West, and Miss KG (plus the occasional pair of Marc Jacobs if you’re very quick off the mark), we’ve lusted after everything from simple day shoes to all-singing stilettos on our many a shopping trip there.
The range from Kurt Geiger men’s is equally as eclectic, and, if the shoe was on the other foot, we’ve no doubt that these are the styles we’d be slipping our size 9’s into…
Grey suede shoes - RRP £90, outlet £45
Navy deck shoes - RRP £90, outlet £65
Purple suede shoes - RRP £185, outlet £129
Suede desert boots - RRP £180, outlet £125
All that glitters….
It’s an old saying, but it still rings true – diamonds really ARE a girl’s best friend. Rings, necklaces, bracelets… It doesn’t matter as long as it twinkles.
That said, we’ve selected a couple of beautiful buys from the centre’s jewellery specialist Goldsmiths that pack some serious sparkle. And with up to 60% off the RRP, your money can stretch even further – giving you the perfect excuse to buy a new outfit to wear with your precious new purchase.
This stunning emerald necklace is a real show stopper and is half price at £474.50. Or for an unbeatable classic this diamond and yellow gold ring, which has £500 off at just £1099, will never go out of fashion.
If you still have money to spare and are feeling generous, these gorgeous cufflinks, which at £12 have a whopping 85% off, would make a thoughtful gift for any male acquaintance. You could always stash them away for a special occasion, be it birthday, Christmas or otherwise. Once he gets sight of these sparkling beauties you can guarantee any future present he gets you will have a lot more added value.
Cufflinks - RRP £95, outlet £12
Emerald necklace - RRP £949, outlet £474.50
Diamond ring - RRP £1599, outlet £1099
Suits You Sir
We’re in the thick of the wedding season, which has always traditionally provided an excuse for us ladies to splash out on a fabulous new outfit (or two….).
But what about the other halves in our lives? Nothing drags a good dress down then a badly-dressed date. Fortunately our recently re-launched Suits You store has a huge range of designers including Limehaus, Ted Baker and Ben Sherman, as well as in house brands such as Racing Green, Tom English and Big & Tall for the larger sized man.
There’s also a selection of shirts and ties in a variety of colours making it easy to co-ordinate his clothes to compliment your look, thus ensuring you come up trumps in all the unavoidable wedding snaps.
Suit hire is also available from just £35, with special offers for wedding parties. So if you’re heading down the aisle, head in-store to see how they can help.
School’s out for summer
Kids all over the country are celebrating the fact that the summer holidays have arrived at last, but with six weeks of spare time to fill, some of you parents out there might not be quite so excited.
Never fear – help is at hand. The centre will be hosting a free Happy Kids Club every day between Monday 2 August and Friday 27 August. Drop the kids off with our fully qualified staff and they’ll enjoy a special arts and crafts workshop, leaving you to enjoy some solo shopping time.
If you’d like to reward your brood with a gift for good behaviour, check out some of the top buys below; they’ll look cute as a button in these gorgeous combos, even if they don’t always act as angelic as they appear!
Left:
Gap jeans £14.99 (outlet exclusive)
Gap t-shirt £6.99 (outlet exclusive)
Right:
Mexx butterfly dress – RRP £42.95, outlet £14.95
Mexx butterfly hat – RRP £9.95, outlet £5.95
Mexx purple dress – RRP £7.95, outlet £4.95
Mexx purple shoes – RRP £9.95, outlet £5.95
Left:
Tommy Hilfiger red jumper – RRP £32.50, outlet £22
Tommy Hilfiger white t-shirt – RRP £17.50, outlet £12
Tommy Hilfiger hat – RRP £10, outlet £7
Right:
Ralph Lauren blue shirt – RRP £53, outlet £24.99
Ralph Lauren stripy shirt – RRP £62, outlet £12.97
Ralph Lauren polo t-shirt – RRP £43, outlet £9.99
How suite it is…
Our personal shopper Deborah has been doing a fantastic job, keeping us all up to speed with the latest great buys at the centre and now we’re pleased to report that she has a fab new style suite (see pics below), where she can show off her fashion prowess to even fuller effect.
To celebrate its launch, we’re inviting our shoppers to come and try out a mini one-to-one session with Deborah – a chance to get some quick fire advice on picking up some gorgeous clothes, take a sneak peak at the style suite and receive a 10% discount card. Saving time AND saving money? That’s what we like to hear…
Pop along to the centre every Thursday in July between 11am and 6pm or on Saturday 10 July if you fancy trying it out. And, don’t forget, if you like your taster session, then you can then book in for a full, free two-hour appointment with Deborah. Happy shopping!
Life’s a beach
We’ve all enjoyed a weekend of glorious sunshine (hooray!) and a lucky few may even have made it to the seaside to soak up some rays.
But who wants to lounge in last year’s bikini and less than fab sunnies? With only a handful of beach-worthy weekends in the calendar all the more reason to ensure your swimwear makes a statement.
For true surfer babe style we recommend this eye-catching Animal bikini and shorts combo teamed with comfy but cool Birkenstocks. Complete the look with this colourful Rip Curl bag & towel-dried tousled hair. We can feel the sand between out toes already…
Animal bikini – RRP £29.99, our price £12.99
Rip Curl wild flower bag – RRP £25, our price £19
Dior sunglasses from Sunglass Time – RRP £160, our price £50
Birkenstocks from Sole Trader – RRP £34.99, our price £24.99
Rip Curl big tin necklace – RRP £6, our price £3
Animal shorts - RRP £29.99, our price £8
Stylish staff sport top trends
When we’re cruising the outlet for the best buys, we often find ourselves admiring the fashion kudos of the stylish men and women who work in our stores. Neil, Amy, Tuesday and Chris (see below) are fab examples – they’ve all managed to put together fashionable, individual looks just by picking up a few key pieces from the brands that they work for.
Of course, these guys are really in the know when it comes to the latest and greatest stock (all part of the job…), so it’s no surprise that you’ll regularly find them dressed in the very finest from their stores. So next time you’re out shopping, make sure you sneak in a sideways glance at your friendly sales advisor; after all, they’ve gone to the effort to look this good – they deserve a little adulation.
Amy Laker
Chris Nash
Neil Allen
Tuesday Hogarth
- Neil Allen from Fred Perry wears classic twin tip small collar polo (RRP £50, outlet £35)
- Amy Lake from Fat Face wears Isaac silk cardie (RRP £65, outlet £23.50), vest (RRP £17.50, outlet £12.50), butterfly Diana skirt (RRP £45, outlet £22.50) and charm bead tassel necklace (RRP £17,50, outlet £12)
- Tuesday Hogarth from Bench wears Plain mole tracksuit top (RRP £40, outlet £20), Corp racer vest (RRP £12, outlet £8) and Yorba jeans (RRP £55, outlet £25)
- Chris Nash from Animal wears t-shirt (RRP £21,99, outlet £10) and shorts (RRP £39.99, outlet £25)
Bags of style at Kathy Van Zeeland
Let it be said, we’re all about the arm candy. As every girl knows a gorgeous bag can brighten up an outfit no end so imagine our delight when we found out that fab international handbag and accessory brand Kathy Van Zeeland was opening its first ever UK outlet store at Ashford!!!
Since opening its doors last week, eager shoppers have been swarming all over the sweet treats contained within and coming away armed with bagfuls of designer look accessories at affordable prices. A girl can never have too many handbags, belts, purses or scarves, right?
Whether you’re looking to pick up a practical day bag or a statement piece to offset your Friday night outfit, our girl Kathy has thought of just about everything.
Brown saddle bag - RRP £109, our price £74.99
Orchid bag - RRP £94, our price £64.99
White bag - RRP £94, our price £64.99
