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Boxing Day sales

Wednesday 28 December 2011
Two years ago, I attended my first ever Boxing Day sale in London. It was absolutely freezing with temperature hovering around 0 degree Celcius. The streets were heaving with shoppers with maniacal gleam in their eyes which scared the hell out of me. Lil L was 3 at the time and had to be strapped in her stroller at all times to avoid being crushed by the pandemonium that descended upon Oxford St. 10 hours and a lousy top from Gap (don't ask) later which I promptly discarded a few months later, I never attempted to join the crowd on Boxing Day ever again. By the way, this is not to be mistaken with my yearly pilgrimage to the insane Hermes sales in Paris which I thoroughly enjoy when I'm accompanied by my girlfriends who were brave enough to be dragged into the fanfare.

Just as well the trains and tube were on strike this year so I happily waited till the 27th before trying my luck. I avoided Selfridges during the day which I was informed by friends that it was pretty chaotic and utter mayhem but was far more pleasant after 6pm. There was a couple of stabbings which resulted in death just minutes from the departmental store on Boxing Day. Harrods was a no go territory for me. Packed to the gills and claustrophobic.

I went in search of discounted Isabel Marant clothes. There were plenty of stock at Liberty's with printed jeans including navajo (Renells) ones reduced by 50%. At Selfridges, the jumper which has enough holes to rival that of Swiss cheese was heavily reduced along transparent lurex dresses. 



sloane St
Can you imagine this is Sloane St where all the top designers reside? There were hardly anyone on the pavement.



tiffany ring

I enjoy gazing at the ostentatious window displays and admire the architecture more than the act of shopping itself. I adore these Tiffany & Co props.



sloan st2



tiffany carousel



wreath

You're absolutely right. I'm still rather obsessed with wreaths.


wreath2




smythson
I've never truly appreciated quality stationery until recently. You can't get any better than Smythson.



zanotti

I would love to see anyone attempt to wear AND walk in these Zanotti heels.



prada

The only queues I saw were outside Prada and Gucci.


gucci




BV

I adore these candles made in the shape of Bottega Veneta Intrecciato bags.


liberty




regent st




boots

The lights at Foot Locker adjacent to Boots were dimmed as the store is shut for police investigation after a youth was stabbed to death on Boxing Day.

24 comments:

  1. i am absolutely OBSESSED with tiffany and co. yellow diamonds! they are so breathtaking! i can't believe there were lines outside of prada and gucci!!! do they heavily discount during boxing day?? because if so i will need to plan future shopping trips hahah.

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  2. Lisa, I adore that yellow Tiffany ring too! I didn't bother to check the sales at Prada and Gucci. Generally, they start off with 30% off followed by 50% and so forth. Nothing compared to the amazing sales you get in the US. Have you ever been to the Gucci and Prada outlet stores just outside of Florence? There are bargains to be had there.

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  3. Beautiful photos. I love those rings from Tiffany such a pretty yellow. Can't believe the long was that long for Prada and Gucci!

    Hope you had a great holiday ;)

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  4. I love your photos! I have to get to the UK one day! :) Did you pick up any items from the Boxing day sales in the end?

    katatatck2000.wordpress.com

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  5. So did you managed to score any Isabel Marant's clothes? It's difficult (and not cheap) to get Isabel Marant's clothes where I stay. Unless I want to get it on the net...

    I have a business trip to US in Apr/May, thinking of visiting London too. Is that a period for sales?

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  6. London must be beautiful around Christmas. I went earlier this spring, and got so lucky with warm weather!

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  7. Glad you had a good Christmas. Your photos look gorgeous. The windows at Tiffany & Co. are always my favorite. I have such wonderful memories of shopping for my moms Christmas present there. EEK! Those yellow diamonds are unreal:)

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  8. What beautiful pics, I could look at photos of London houses/doors for days and never became bored! I saw the pics outside Harrods in the papers, oh I would have had such a panic attack in that crowd but I'm amazed that just around the corner, Sloane St is empty.

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  9. @Thu, you should've seen the queue at Selfridges a few years back. The queue for Gucci was all the way down the street and round the corner.

    @katattack200, thank you. So glad you like them. I picked up a few items which i'll do a reveal tomorrow.

    @Cecelia, no, there wasn't anything that caught my eye. I'd already picked out a few pieces from autumn/winter collection. As for the rest, I'll just wait until the price drops further. The summer sale usually starts in June or July and runs till August.

    @Mai, I adore London during the Christmas season. The lights and decorations just make the city look more magical. The weather has been rather mild this year but then again, summer was cold too.

    @Lindsay, thank you. Your mom is such a lucky woman. I love the yellow stoned rings. I'm not sure if they're yellow diamond but they're stunning.

    @Victoria, thank you!

    @Tabitha, the architecture on its own is a sight to behold. I barely survived Harrods on a normal day. There was no way I was going to attempt their sales. Sloane St was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

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  10. I've not been to the sales , as my overfull wardrobe groans at the thought of more 'stuff' .

    It's so awful to hear of stabbings, and in a store in Central London doubly so . Sad and very very scary .
    I'm finishing end of year paperwork, but any thoughts of a trip to Bond Street tomorrow, by
    way of reward have been damped by that news.
    I love Isabel Marant and wondered what you think of any jackets you may have seen

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  11. Wow - beautiful, exciting and scary at the same time! Can't wait to see what you scored!

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  12. Thank you for sharing these beautiful sights and scenes. The buildings and architectures are just stunning, not to mention what they sell. I want them all!!

    I love sale, i really do but I am definitely not the one who is willing to shop alongside hundred other shoppers even they give out items for free. I hate crowded malls most, it makes me dizzy.

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  13. @Francesca, thank you.

    @Estrella, I shudder at the thought of adding more stuff to my small closet. As for the horrible stabbing, you wouldn't have known it walking down Oxford St as the cordon has been removed. There were quite a lot of IM coats on sale at Liberty but they're very oversized. I saw the fringe dresses for 40-50% and Renells in larger size there but nothing in the way of tailored jackets that I had my eye on.

    @Laura, I'll be showing my haul tomorrow. It is pretty insane out there but I've learned my lesson and avoided all the chaos.

    @Nelah, like you, I avoid the malls. The crowds give me a migraine - which is why I adore shopping online. The same price but without the craziness that surrounds a sale. Too bad department stores here have pretty abysmal online presence.

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  14. These photos are gorgeous! I am in awe over those candles.

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  15. The window displays are quite consuming aren't they? So cute! I doubt even I could walk in those Zanotti's and you know how much I love my killer heels! I'm going to miss being a 'semi local' with you xx

    www.findmeamuse.com

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  16. LV, hahaha....I was more in awe of the candles than the bags they were trying to sell!

    Mandi, I'm so going to miss you. (sniff) Come back soon, you hear. I still don't know how you can walk in those needle like heels. Amazing!

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  17. I'll keep my comment about those Zanotti heels to myself. LOL Baddd Kimmy! I'm loving that carousel, those wreaths and candle shaped bags. How exquisite! I find everything so charming. The only thing that's disturbing are the stabbings. I know guns are not allowed, but I think I would prefer to be shot over stabbed. Ugggh! Was it over those Michael Jordan tennis shoes they brought back? There was a big ruckus and several shootings over those things here in the states. I think it's crazy for people to get worked up so over sneakers.
    http://sassyuptownchic.blogspot.com/

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  18. Kim, I vaguely remember that it was to do with shoplifting loots by the different gang members.

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  19. i wish the sales were like that here. sydney was madhouse on boxing day, dept stores were open at 5am and queues everywhere. also, i wish they had isabel marant in sydney at 50% ! so jealous :) hope you had a lovely christmas and a great year ahead!

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  20. Steph, seriously??! 5am?! I don't think that'll happen here unless the tubes and trains run earlier. Boy, there must be some SERIOUS shoppers around! Happy New Year to you too!

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  21. I know right :) Every year it gets a bit crazier. I remember it used to be 8am! I think eventually they will probably start the sale at midnight :P

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  22. when i see posts like these, i am so jealous of you people living in london and i curse myself for living in athens.
    our stores here not only suck (we mainly have h&m, bershka and zara and almost all our malls feature nothing more than bershka and zara) but our designer stores rarely to not say never go more than %50 and if they say %70 nahhhhhhh it's a big fat lie.
    i am so dissapointed.
    i wish i was there being drugged by hundreds of fashion crazed girls rather than being thrown down in zara from girls that want to buy a dress that has been stepped down by dirty feet and costs 70 euros when it should 30.
    big fat dissapointment.
    lureofthedarkside.blogspot.com

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