Shopping

It must be glove: A Butcher of Distinction

A Butcher of Distinction
This is a haven of traditional fashion sense. The clean-lined butcher theme (complete with meat hooks) offsets the clothes to perfection. Highlights of the stock on offer include checked shirts (£90) from new British label Rushmoor and Milkcrate Athletic printed T-shirts (from £18), in keeping with the shop’s preppy-cool vibe.
A Butcher of Distinction, 11 Dray Walk, Old Truman Brewery, E1 (020 7770 6111/www.butcherofdistinction.com) Liverpool St tube/rail. Open daily 10am-7pm. Feature continues

CA4LA
Best for hats
Pronounced ‘ca-shi-la’ and representing the word ‘kashira’ which means ‘head’ in Japanese, this Hoxton shop is dedicated to hats. The brand is big in Japan, and the formula of its success is clear. Thirteen designers tempt customers with stand-out-from-the-crowd headwear. Stock is replenished every two-three weeks, so there’s always a new topper to woo even the most fickle fashionista. Styles include cashmere and mohair beanies and inventive trilbies. Prices begin at around £30.
CA4LA, 23 Pitfield St, N1 (020 7490 0055/www.weavetoshi.co.jp) Old St tube/rail. Open Mon-Sat 12noon-8pm.

Cochinechine
Eftychia Georgilis’s airy boutique brings an interesting selection of designer labels to Hampstead. Spread over two floors are cool, wearable clothes by hard-to-find designers, such as dresses by Dutch brand Spijkers & Spijkers and Brazilian designer Maria Bonita’s Extra diffusion line, along with current boutique favourites Sharon Wauchob, 3.1 Phillip Lim, 12th Street by Cynthia Vincent and Vanessa Bruno. The store is also the only UK stockist of American designer Rachel Roy’s precisely pleated, draped or voluminous dresses and tailored separates.
Cochinechine, 74 Heath St, NW3 (020 7435 9377/www.cochinechine.com) Hampstead tube. Open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12noon-6pm.

Coco Ribbon
Although their Sloane Street branch has closed, Alison Chow and Sophie Oliver’s original Notting Hill store remains a shabby-chic paean to femininity, with bespoke printed fabrics and a newly launched bath and body range.
Coco Ribbon, 21 Kensington Park Road, W11 (0845 456 8880/www.cocoribbon.com) Notting Hill Gate tube. Open Mon-Fri 10.30am-6.30pm,, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12.30-5.30pm

Comfort & Joy
Best for bargain womenswear
Bored with identikit brands but lack the funds for niche designer gear? Comfort & Joy is a great source of unusual, good-quality clothes at high-street prices. Most of the unique garments sold here are made by partners Ruth and Anthony Wilson, supplemented by items from other independent designers, such as Blue Stone, Dress Up, Lumi and Korean label ODD.
Comfort & Joy, 109 Essex Rd, N1 (020 7359 3898) Angel tube. Open Tue-Sat 10.30am-6pm.