Written by Lyn Knight; first published in The Warminster Digest, May 1997:
Warminster as a fashion centre? I can hear you laughing at the idea – but when was the last time you really had a good look at what is available? Let me take you by the hand and lead you on a little tour of Warminster looking through the shop windows . . .
The fashion conscious teenager is well catered for with New Look and fortunately for harassed mothers this store offers low prices.
Crossing the road finds Dorothy Perkins which now caters for the very young females as well as teenagers and the “twenty to thirty somethings.’ Even the mature ones amongst us can find items of interest here with the prices being moderate remembering that you do pay a higher price for “disposable’ fashion.
Back across the road is Edinburgh Woollen Mill which mainly caters for the mature ladies but any age group that is looking for smart blouses and jackets or pure wool for the winter can find bargains here – especially in the frequent promotions. Well worth popping into and browsing around no matter what your age. (My daughter was surprised to find a “trendy’ wool tunic at the same price as an acrylic one elsewhere).
Just a few steps along the road the Factory Shop is worth a quick browse while turning into Chinns Yard takes you to AnnaRkai who specialise in evening and wedding gowns made to measure with some stock available to buy off the peg. The gowns are exquisite with a wide price range plus you can find all your accessories for that special day.
Across the road at Paul’s Hairdressers there is a select, elegant range to choose from, aimed at the higher spending budget but at least with items purchased here you can be confident that no one else will turn up in the same outfit. Prices reflect the quality.
Walk on through the town to George Street and here you’ll find Sewansew, the fabric shop. I wonder if you realise that half the floor space is devoted to fashion.
Looking for reasonable prices for good quality, George Street and Silver Street offer two dress agencies, where you will discover that the fashion needs of all ages and events can be met.
Encore in George Street caters for all ages or needs from wedding ball gowns to jeans or blouses from ranges produced by Jaeger through to M&S. They have recently added a range of hats from Hat Trix.
Josephines at Craven House is home to two marvellous opportunities to enjoy fashion. Apart from being an agency for designer wear they also have new evening gowns in the delightful setting that this private house provides. Here you can relax with a cup of coffee and browse through the designer wear to your heart’s content. Meanwhile, upstairs, Sybille Bosquet carries out her design and production of wedding gowns which was so spectacular at the Lions Ladies Fashion Show.
So – I hope that you now realise just what Warminster has on offer. I haven’t mentioned the shopping mall or all the outlets but this little bit of window shopping in words really shows how spoilt we are for choice. With free car parking leaving us with plenty of time to browse around and “shop until we drop’, think again about Warminster – the Fashion Centre.