Bicester Village - any good?

[Fairyliz]

A friend has invited me for a day out at Bicester village, as I've never been before I have accepted.
However looking at the web site it looks like its all really expensive brands and unfortunately I can't afford £300 for a dress even if it is reduced from £800!
Are there any cheaper brands or brilliant bargains or should I just have a window shopping day and plan what to buy if I win the lottery?

The skin care and fragrance side of things is brilliant if you're after a bargain, but unfortunately most of the clothes are still waaaay out of my price range. It's a nice place to have a wander and a coffee though

It was really good years ago, but now eBay fashion gallery and online outlets have made it a bit redundant.

Take a flask, the queues for the cafes are long. There's a tesco next door though.

The last two times we've been and come away empty handed.

There are some cheaper places too.

It's very busy and full of tourists: lots of Chinese tourists in particular.

Make time for Bicester Avenue over the way: far, far nicer - big Wyevale garden centre and some normal, nice shops like Laura Ashley and Cotswold Outdoir.

I used to go there for the Monsoon and Coast if I needed a posh frock - got some gorgeous silk dresses for £15.

Have also bought a fair amount in the North Face and Superdry shops.

There's also a big Clarks if you need new shoes.

If you're military you can go to the tourist information place and get a discount card that works in most of the shops.

But yeah, a lot of the shops are designer so still very expensive. Good for a giggle sometimes though.

We don't live in Oxfordshire anymore, I quite miss Bicester Village!

I have been a lot as we had friends who lives in Bicester (have now moved) so i haven't been in a while sadly. i have bought so much from there it's not funny... DH bought his wedding suit from Versace, i have loads of bally shoes.. Jumpers from ted baker, shorts from karen millen, boots and vests from jigsaw, jeans from ralph lauren, i bought a versace dress reduced from £700 to £50!!!
We buy most of our bedding and linen from white company. de champs had a store that closed down and we caught the sale- bought an amazing quilt for £70 (reduced from like £400) I absolutely love quality things without the heavy price tag so Bicester is good for that but don't rule out any of the stores for a bargain. I bought a gorgeous broderie anglais skirt from dkny for like £10! You just have to get your bargain hunting nose ready

Just to say that the Clarks has been downsized (the powers that be want them out as apparently it doesn't suit their image) and Monsoon was closed a year or so ago.

That Clarks is now the only shoe shop in Bicester and if that goes there will be nothing for the actual people to go to the Village for (apart to actually work there).

We live 20mins away but avoid it at the weekends it's heaving with tourists. Haven't been for a while though. I'm not a brand girl, would only probably go once a year tops, during the week. Nice environment for a lunch at Pret though.

No, waste of time unless you want a size 6 dress or size 20 trousers for £500.

Much prefer Bicester Avenue too.

Its not a place for a cheap bargain... sorry. I go a few times a year, sometimes buy loads sometimes nothing. Cheaper brands are Karen Millen, Jack Wills, Superdry, Coast. Other than those its £££.

Any good for handbags?

I've got a nice Anya Hindmarch bag in the past for about £300.

I tend to buy a candle in the white co and have coffee in Carluccios and just a nice wander round.

Great for bags! Prada, Burberry, gucci, etc, etc will all have bags

Don't forget mulberry!

I live in a village outside of Bicester, and I only ever go to Bicester Village for kids shoes since the Clarks in the town shut down. I also bought my wedding shoes from LK Bennett 5 years ago. Apart from that I never go and I hate its location for buggering up the traffic most weekends.

Bicester Avenue, on the other hand, is somewhere I go very often! Definitely see if you can go there; its a few minutes away from BV and much nicer, although they're changing the layout of Wyevale so there is some disruption going at the moment.

Ooh a Mulberry?! I live in Oxford about 20 mins drive away but haven't been for ages, busy at weekends and don't really fancy dragging my three year old around there in the week ... May have to try and fit in a spring visit for bag shopping though!