Warehouse

Surprisingly for a brand as familiar and established as Warehouse, this is the London label's first proper flagship in the capital, and very nice it is too. The interior has a stripped back urban loft feel, with exposed brickwork and poured concrete throughout – it's certainly a lot cooler looking than their other shops, which could be swapped with many other retailers on the high street without changing too much in the process. Happily for Londoners, it’s not just the shop that has had a makeover, with a raft of exclusive clothing with a much sharper, cleaner look to it debuting in this store only. This chicer product- think pristine blouses and chic culottes – gets prime position at the forefront of the store, setting the tone for the place and instantly marking it out as something a little plusher than your average Warehouse. Merchandisers have wisely tucked the glitzy dresses and club wear, which had come to embody the brand, upstairs on the second floor, so more demure shoppers aren't put off at the doorway. That said, the upstairs area is a pleasure to browse in - the light and airy changing area feels a bit like a New Yorker’s living room, with swish sofas and a glass table, replete with the customary coffee table books, but its real draw is that you can jump the queue by paying in there as soon as you’ve finished trying on, with a set of iPads provided in each cubicle. Is this a gimmick? We're not sure how much easier it is to enter your card details online rather than let someone at the till swipe your cards, but we appreciate the gesture. Whether Morrissey will appreciate the use of his words on the wall of the high street fashion store ("I would go out tonight, but I haven't got a stitch to wear") is another matter.