High street shopping

[FizzyLemons]

I’m soon back in the Uk from NZ for the first time in 9 years and am looking forward to doing some shopping. I hear the high street experience has changed a lot. I’ll be in central London - what shops would be a good option for a mid to high end chain store shopper (hope that’s the right description, I don’t want/understand designer stuff). I’m 50, tall, average build, looking for mostly casual clothes (not sports wear casual) and some nicer going out stuff. Twenty years ago, I’d have shopped at Next, Oasis, Warehouse. Is Oxford St still the place to go or would I be better heading to a mall somewhere?

&OtherStories

Mint Velvet.
They offer personal styling appointments too.

Uniqlo, Cos, Zara? Personally I avoid Oxford Street now. I like High Street Kensington or Covent Garden (although this can get busy especially at weekends)

For high end high street I would head to Marylebone High Street, where you have the likes of Sezanne, Me & Em, many of the French brands. Could also pop to John Lewis.

I love Marylebone High Street but I am really not sure if any of the shops there fall into a “high street budget”. Having said that, I do occasionally buy things there even though I don’t have a “designer” budget. I like Bobbies and Sezane. Me and Em would be good for someone tall - not cheap though.

I hate Oxford Street but I do like John Lewis, &other stories and the large Uniqlo store.

Awesome thank you. There are a few brands I’ve never heard of, and a couple of areas I wouldn’t have thought about looking.

Oxford Street is not all that bad for mid high street, there’s Mango, plenty of Zaras, Massimo Dutti, various Uniqlos, Reserved, &OtherStories, Arket (both top of Regent Street), small Gap, large M&S. John Lewis is good for variety, Dune, Clarks, Schuh and Office for shoes. Agree for higher end somewhere like Marylebone or the Kings Road suits better. With Marylebone you can do both as they are so close.

&otherstories is great for nice high st and good for tall people too. There’s on on regent st and also good online offerings.

NZ has Zara, Cos and H&M but weird and poor selection. So it’s worth checking them out here.

Also:
Massimo Dutti (Zara’s grown up more expensive sister)
Uniqlo. 100% must. Fantastic fur quality basics and a few quirky bits. The store in Le Marais in aisrus has queues
Arket

Covent Garden via Leicester Square underground. Lots of shops on Long Acre (Arket,Muji etc) then Floral Street (Paul Smith, Agnes B) and Covent Garden, then on to Seven Dials.

Then Regent St. (Uniqlo etc).

Thanks, yes I agree those shops aren’t really worth bothering with in NZ. I was quite excited when I saw there was a Cos in Auckland but haven’t managed to find anything to buy there yet. I will take a look in London thanks. And thanks for the other suggestions too.