Go on, Accessorize yourself! (Accessorize)

Member Name: KLockwood75

Product:	Accessorize
Date:	17/03/09 (108 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of choice, good range of colours, great for browsing

Disadvantages: Some issues with quality, especially bags

Accessorize, as it's name suggests, is the accessories arm of Monsoon. Some of the stores are standalone, and some are part of larger Monsoon stores but, either way, it is a very familiar name on the UK high street. It stocks a vast array of different accessories and is one of the first places I look if I need something to accessorise a particular outfit.

Probably because of the variety of things that they stock, this is one of my favourite shops for browsing - I often spend part of my lunch break just looking all the different handbags, scarves, belts, jewellery and shoes, wondering what pieces would liven up a boring outfit and make me feel better about the fact that I don't have much disposable income for clothes shopping anymore. Of course, when I wander into the Monsoon part of the shop and see all the clothes I'd love but can't afford, I just get frustrated by it all over again.

The main products stocked by Accessorize are bags, jewellery, scarves, hats, belts, casual shoes and other bits and pieces like that. The stock is seasonal - so in summer they have a fabulous range of flip-flops and beach accessories, whereas in winter they have some lovely hats, scarves and gloves. Most of the products they sell will complement the range of clothes available in the Monsoon stores, so the colours of the bags are likely to reflect the colours that Monsoon are focusing on that particular season.

Bags
One of my favourite things about Accessorize is the sheer volume of choice that they have - the bags are predominately priced at a mid-range high street level, although sometimes they have bags designed by celebrities which tend to be a lot more expensive. Non-leather shoulder bags are priced at between £25 and £40, and the leather ones are still less than £75. For a clutch type bag, you would probably expect to pay about £20-£30. They have traditionally favoured a very embellished style with lots of detailing such as sequins and beads, but I have noticed a move toward more classic styles of bags in the last couple of years.

Jewellery
The range of jewellery is very extensive and set out according to colour, so you should be able to easily identify pieces that complement each other. The items vary from simple silver jewellery to dramatic ethnic style pieces. Much of the jewellery is priced at under £10, and even the large statement items tend to be under £20 - this is obviously more than you would pay in Primark but is comparable with average mid-range high street prices and makes it an affordable treat.

Other Accessories
As previously mentioned, a lot of the range in-store is seasonal so at the moment all the scarves and woolly hats have been replaced by row upon row of beaded flip-flops, beach bags, sunglasses and sarongs. I love browsing the summer holiday items and dreaming about lazy days on a beach sipping cocktails. I love Accessorize flip-flops - I have three pairs which were about £15 each and they are so comfortable. They also have a basic range of shoes - I've just bought some satin ballet pumps for £15 which seem comfortable so far (although I tend to have a love hate relationship with ballet pumps in general, so who knows how long that will last!), and they also do canvas shoes and sandals. Some of the larger stores have a range of more expensive shoes as well - but these are Monsoon shoes rather than Accessorize shoes.

Quality
The one issue I would have with Accessorize is that the bags don't tend to be fantastic quality. I know I have a tendency to carry half my life around with me, but the bags that I've bought from Accessorize have all fallen apart eventually- sometimes it's just been a strap that I've been able to stitch back on, but I honestly don't believe that the quality is as good as it should be. I've not had an issue with the quality of anything else from there though - my scarves have lasted well, and I've already mentioned how much I love the flip-flops.

Overall, I would say that Accessorize is one of my favourite shops for browsing and for finding reasonably priced accessories to complement particular outfits. It's invariably my first port of call when I need a clutch bag, or a hair accessory, to go with a dress for a wedding or party, but it isn't somewhere that I would buy things that I'd expect to last a long time. I've stopped buying any bags apart from casual summer bags there now, because it's just too frustrating when they break. I still love browsing through their stock though!

Summary: An enjoyable place to browse and buy the occasional item