An antidote to the rain (Monsoon)

Member Name: jojoegypt2008

Product:	Monsoon
Date:	03/03/09 (242 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gorgeous clothes, beautiful fit, amazing colours

Disadvantages: I haven't got enough money to buy one of everything!

Ahhhh Monsoon. It's like slipping on the perfect pair of shoes, or drinking a hot chocolate in winter, sitting in a squishy sofa, whilst others slog past your window in the rain....
Ahem. Excuse me, I've just got back from my latest Monsoon treat, and I may need a moment.

Monsoon is a clothing shop, primarily aimed at women, although they cater to men and children as well. Their sister store, Accessorize, sells all the Accessories you could imagine to complement the clothes in Monsoon - bags, shoes, jewellery, hats, bikinis, hair clips, oh everything....

The experience of walking into Monsoon is rather like finding a treasure chest in an attic, and opening it up to find the most beautiful jewels, all for you. The shops are (in my experience), well lit, airy, and full of gorgeous clothes. They can be a little pushed for space in some areas, but i guess that way they can offer a larger range.

The clothes are aimed at women from their late teens up to early seventies - there really is something here for everyone. The shop's origins, as a stall on Portobello Road Market, selling ethnic clothes imported from Rajasthan, shows in the details and the bright peacock colours which have become a trademark. As you would expect, Monsoon sell all kinds of clothes, trousers, skirts, tops, dresses, jackets, coats, and shoes; I usually end up trying on/buying their dresses, which are phenomenal.

If you have a wedding to go to, or a party where it's not black tie, but it is pretty fancy, but you don't want to go full-length or OTT, or you have a job interview (for which you don't want to wear a plain suit), or any kind of special occasion (graduation, christening, anniversary), I can guarantee you will find a dress to suit. From prom-style dresses with beautiful embroidery, to peasant-style smocks, to elegant swishy silk numbers that are timeless, there is a dress in Monsoon for you.

Best of all, in my humble, curvy opinion, is the fact that the clothes are well-cut. Got a bust, hips, and arms that aren't as toned as Madonna's? Monsoon understands that you want a capped sleeve, a bias cut, and a cleavage worthy of Catherine Zeta Jones rather than Jodie Marsh. Maybe you'd like a perfectly toned, adorable cardigan, which doesn't spoil the line of the dress, but keeps you warm in these less than balmy climes? Well, here you are then, conveniently placed next to the dress. They stock sizes 08-22, which seems a reasonable range to me.

Monsoon really try to give you an outfit, and an outfit that makes you look good. Their staff are (to a woman) pleasant, friendly, and usually incredibly helpful - the lady in the fitting rooms today actually suggested a skirt for me to try based on what I had already chosen.

They aren't the cheapest place to shop, this is not Primark, where you cannot spend more than £30 unless you bring a van to cart it all away in. No, these are items you'll think about buying for a while, save up for, or justify, then wear until they fall apart. Which will be a long time - I've always found their clothes to be well-made and excellent quality.

The Monsoon Fusion range is a relatively new addition to the family, selling even more adorable clothes, with a slightly higher price tag, but in fairness, these clothes are usually even more beautifully detailed.

There is a bridal range which has a really good selection, and would satisfy all but the most designer-conscious bride-to-be (I'd buy my wedding dress there in a second, and I'd know everyone would coo over it too).

The Originals (Limited Edition) range, are more deisgner -led, and therefore more fashionable and more expensive. Not so much to my taste, this range is like a diffusion couture line, at an affordable price.

They also do a petite range, and have launched some products made entirely of Fairtrade cotton, in keeping with the ethnic feel of the shop.

The accessories, which are to be found in the Monsoon stores, or gathered in one place in the Accessorize stores (often next door to Monsoon, and connected internally, so that you can browse both parts) usually arrange the jewellery, hats, scarves, bags etc by colour so you can easily find what you're looking for. Most of the jewellery is not precious metals or stones, but costume, but it is very very pretty and striking, and priced so that you can afford to add a necklace to the shopping basket without breaking the bank (manager's heart). The range is superb, and they tend to do various things seasonally, so in winter there are woolly hats and gloves, in summer flip-flops and sarongs.

Monsoon also sell online, with a standard delivery charge of £3.95, unless you spend over £100, when it is free. The online shop suggests items to go with your purchase - a bag with that lovely dress madam? - much as the shop assistants do, there is a size guide, zoomable images (often more than one for items such as dresses) and a good returns policy (in store, or by post, where they will refund your return postage costs, unless you are Republic of Ireland).

Their sales are often excellent - usually a lot of the clothes go down to 70% off, and there is significantly less tat in the sales than in other stores, which wheel out the same brown cardigans in size 26 that they have every year....

One last tip before I make a cup of tea and hang up my beautiful new dress to sigh over (we haven't got a tv at the moment, I'm not that mad, honestly...) - search ebay with the key word Monsoon, you'll often find this season's pieces there. Much as I love a bargain, I do like going into their stores though, but your credit card may thank you... Don't tell them I told you..... (-;

Summary: If you haven't Monsooned...why not??