Shopping

Start

Start
Best for jeans
Start’s his ’n’ hers boutiques are the joint venture of Philip Start (the founder of Woodhouse) and his wife Brix Smith (once guitarist in The Fall). In the men’s shop (No 59), you’ll find casual separates upstairs from the likes of Helmut Lang, Miu Miu, Belstaff and Rykiel Homme. Downstairs the focus is more on smarter, tailored clothes, including Start’s own Rivington Street label. Denim is a speciality here for both men and women with a choice of high-end labels, including Radcliffe, Earnest Sewn and Rogan. Womenswear is across the road at
Nos 42-44. More casual daywear, denim, beauty and accessories are all on the ground level, while downstairs are carefully selected pieces by a strong line-up of designers, from Miu Miu and Sonia Rykiel to Issa and Alice McCall.
Start, 59 Rivington St, EC2 (020 7739 3636/www.start-london.com) Old St tube/rail. Open Mon-Fri 10.30am-6.30pm, Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 1-5pm. Feature continues

Twentyone the Green
This shop’s pleasant hilltop location on the corner of the Green couldn’t be further from the heaving throngs of Oxford Street. The tasteful mix of casualwear caters to the local crowd without delving into the ‘something flash for Saturday night’ curse that afflicts so many suburban boutiques. A thoughtfully chosen handful of mainstream labels appears to have struck a winning formula. A sizeable range of Nigel Hall sits alongside CP Company, Hugo Boss, Emporio Armani denim and limited-edition Puma and Oliver Sweeney footwear.
Twentyone the Green, 21 The Green, Winchmore Hill, N21 (020 8882 4298/www.twentyonethegreen.co.uk) Winchmore Hill rail. Open Mon-Sat 10am-6.30pm, Sun 11am-1.30pm.

The World According To, W1

The World According To…
Best for quirky streetwear
When Max Karie and Pippa Brooks opened their aptly named Shop here in 1995, its pop-boutique style was a hit with savvy Londoners. In 2004 they reworked the formula, with the focus on contemporary women’s designer sportswear. For autumn/winter 2006/7, the well-chosen collection includes Eley Kishimoto, Martin Margiela’s affordable urban line MM6, Vivienne Westwood Red Label and Sonia by Sonia Rykiel. Nearby Shop at Maison Bertaux (from the same stable), in the basement of 27 Greek Street (www.shopatmaisonb.com), showcases Eley Kishimoto (archive pieces as well as the new collection) alongside denim, accessories and T-shirts from APC.
The World According To…, 4 Brewer St, W1 (020 7437 1259/www.theworldaccordingto.co.uk) Leicester Square/Piccadilly Circus tube. Open Mon-Sat 11am-6.30pm.