Boutiques and brands - Lumina and Senas

The anonymity of department store and high-street shopping has its appeals.  On days when you just don't want to talk to another human being, when you just want to browse, try on clothes without enduring the fake encouragements of a commission-based sales assistant or the haughty neglect of the bored teenager on duty, department stores and high-street shops are just the ticket. Go in, grab an armful of clothes, head for the changing rooms and make a fool of yourself without witnesses or attention. That approach suits me for the usually undignified mission of finding a new swimsuit or new underwear. For such duties, I tend to head for Selfridges and go home with something reasonably suitable and even affordable when I go during the sales. Whilst their shop windows are amazing, Selfridges' website is rather confusing but here it is: http://www.selfridges.com/index.cfm?page=1153
I used to enjoy nipping to Harvey Nichols and mostly Liberty to check out the new styles and try them out without interference, but those shopping trips are becoming rarer, although I still pay them a visit during the sales.

I realise that most of what I buy, beyond basics, now comes from boutiques. I enjoy boutique shopping for a variety of reasons, from personal service and keenly priced pieces to the opportunity of finding more original styles. It is usually in boutiques that I discover new and interesting designers whilst department stores tend to stick to big names and big prices. Since I have no interest in wearing "the" iconic piece of the minute, I like the feeling of unearthing a new creator - new to me at least.  That is what happened recently when I stepped inside Lumina, a tiny boutique in a small street behind High-Street Kensington.  A sign posted to the door had caught my eye, boldly stating to target "non-followers of fashion", a rare endeavour in our age focused on the "new and improved" rather than the timeless. Set-up a year ago, it is run by Janis who explained that their buyer tends to source their stock from Italy, Spain and Germany and revolve around timeless classics. With an emphasis on quality, natural fibres and durability, they are definitely at the more classic end of the fashion scale. Whilst I am probably more adventurous in my own choices, I picked out a brand that I liked: Senas. A German brand which started with natural-fibre scarves, they now offer a full range of clothing in muted colours but interesting cuts modeled on their website by grown-women, including a model with grey hair and womanly proportions. http://www.senas-mo.de/senatex_en/senatex_en.htm
The clothes have clever details such as small elasticated strips at the waist of a skirt, offering comfort without ruining the sharp tayloring.

In tough economic times, boutiques also tend to try harder, give their customers individual attention and more honest feedback as they understand the value of return business better than anonymous chains with uncommitted staff with high-turnover.
I should mention that I have no connection, financial or otherwise with either Lumina nor Senas!