MacCulloch and Wallis

Ok, hands up - who already knew about the divine haberdashers MacCulloch and Wallis? I accidently stumbled upon it today, while walking along London's Oxford Street. There was some construction work going on, and there was a sign saying 'MacCulloch and Wallis are open as normal.' Well, I never knew they were there in the first place, on a side street just off Oxford Street. Not once in the ten years I've lived here have I even heard a peep about their existence, although once, in the dim and distant past, I do recall someone telling me about a fantastic haberdashers out there somewhere...

But, obviously other people knew about it, and just didn't tell. Every clothes and shoes shop I went into was quiet, with normally reticent British salespeople practically assaulting me as soon as I stepped inside. Obviously the credit crunch is affecting the British High Street (although personally I didn't see much worth buying.) However, when I stepped inside MacCulloch and Wallis, obscured by scaffold and on an upstairs floor, it was thriving. Thriving with an old Indian man with a walking stick looking for poppers, a chic French lady with beret (I didn't think they actually did that!) looking for pinking shears, and throngs of students from nearby London College of Fashion both behind the counter and as customers.

It may just be that I haven't had much need for a haberdashers in my rather undomesticated life. But recently I've had a slight yearning to create a little more. Heck, I even trod round the streets of Paris looking for silk flowers, with the aim of creating a stylish floral necklace like the one here. And here they were, all along...



These beautiful silk flowers are available online, along with lots of buttons, trims and buckles. Does anyone know anywhere else that sells them cheaper? All the flowers I have seen everywhere have been quite expensive. I would just get them anyway, if it wasn't the fact that I am completely lacking in any kind of sewing talent and I'm concerned that my attempt at stringing them all together may actually end up being an expensive disaster.

Still, I loved this shop. I even bought a plain navy cardigan straight afterwards. I'm intending to go back to the shop and buy some interesting buttons to jazz it up. I even found myself lusting after a button box tin I saw in John Lewis.

I'm sure this feeling will soon pass.