Top Shop

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon in London, and with nothing pressing to do Kayla and I decided to get some shopping done. What we thought would be a quick jaunt down to Oxford Street turned into a marathon of huge stores and terrifying crowds. After stopping at Ben's Cookies (honestly the best cookie I have ever had) for "lunch" on the way, we made our way into the first store. I was on a mission for pants considering one of the two pairs that I brought lost a zipper within the first week of being here, and Kayla was looking for a purse. We thought that this would be a simple trip consisting of one or two stops and then back home...how wrong we were.

The first store was impressive with three stories, but it was relatively normal. The next store, however, was the strangest thing I have ever seen. It is called Top Shop and we had heard that it gives student discounts, so we were eager to visit. I wish someone could have taken a picture of our faces as we entered because I guarantee you that our jaws hit the floor. This store is MASSIVE with four floors each about as large as an entire Target back home. Imagine a Macy's or Dillards...now add a frozen yogurt parlor in between two clothes racks. Walk around the corner to look at jewelry and while you're at it you can get your fill of any type of candy you can imagine. I had a moment of nostalgia as I stood (in the middle of a department store) and looked at types of candy that I haven't seen since we lived in Waterloo, Belgium. We went down the escalator and were met with the smell of food cooking, but all we could see was dresses. No worries, they have an entire restaurant inside their clothing section. It would be like plopping a Panera in the middle of the casual wear section in JC Penny. But if you don't feel like eating, you could get your hair done, your eyebrows waxed, or your nails manicured all at different stations throughout the store. Oh and you can shop, too. It's easy to forget that in the midst of the craziness. This store was like nothing I have ever seen before with clothes for sale that would only be acceptable on the Red Carpet in the states...

We were overwhelmed to say the least. We left and decided that our shopping could be done somewhere that didn't have a cupcake bakery inside. Lucky for us (but not for my wallet) there are five H&M's on Oxford Street to choose from. Mom and Dad, you would be so proud of me I didn't buy a single thing, though we were tempted by the bright UT orange satin pants. And we felt right at home when we found an American flag jean jacket that was absolutely atrocious... God Bless America.

All in all, shopping here is terrifying... I think I'll stick to Target.