Boutiques and scandi/German fashion

[SuperFlyHigh]

I was shopping locally at a Christmas market with a few boutiques (including phase eight) and one shop that has a few branches had really nice stuff, eg Part Two, Ilse Jacobsen etc.

They also had some bloody expensive cashmere gloves (£55!) and scarves and leather very expensive but the clothes were lovely so much so my size 18 friend got into a size 16 (she was delighted!) and found an Ilse Jacobsen tunic dress but clingy with sequinned neck and cuffs (very flattering). Their jewellery was also gorgeous.

Anyway my point is, we (friend and I) were talking about shops etc and came to the conclusion that boutiques or smaller shops can have some good hidden gems and well made. I know scandi and German designs I find to be better made, fabric etc and stepdad used to when in business buy us clothes in German/Dutch etc markets and shops that were far better than in UK.

Anyway those are my questions? Are foreign brands better (not talking about Zara etc!) and do you prefer boutiques to high street shops and if so why?

As an aside strangely enough one of my ex boss' clients was responsible for I think bringing Noa Noa etc into UK a few years back, he's Danish. Just a coincidence.

[lasttimeround]

Problem for ages for me was not realising that the standard Swedish colour palette doesn't work on me. Neither do the standard cuts and silhouettes. Lovely stuff but lots of it not good an a dark round person.

[OCSockOrphanage]

Scandi and German brands are often fab, but tend to be priced a bit above the UK high street, if not the "designer" names. But for well made, well cut clothes that are not fixated on this year's look, they are perfect, so probably more appealing to those of us no longer in the first flush of youth!