Posh Girl
It is not the type of shop I normally would dare to set foot in, Hawes and Curtis. But I have been looking in their windows quite often, because I love their shirts, both on men (especially when worn under a suit) and for women. They had sale now, all women shirts for half price, and so, while feeling as awkward as Julia Roberts shopping on Rodeo Drive in Pretty Woman, I stepped inside. Because I secretly love posh shirts like this. Because I need some nice clothes for planned future theatre visits. Because I can’t always walk around in t shirts and sneakers. Or yes I can, but I don’t want to. Because I might become a bit more of a Londoner wearing a Hawes and Curtis shirt. Because I think they are funky. Because I felt like it. Because I am worth… Oh, come on.
Right. There was the sales lady.
Size?
Easy, I knew that.
Fit?
Huh?
City fitted, semi fit, hipster, slim fit ?
Goodness, ehrm …
Three quarter sleeve or long?
Pfff. Ehrm, uhh ehrm, long?
Holy s.., this is a whole new world !
I tried semi fit, hipster, slim fit and city fitted, and liked the last one best. Of course. City girls wear city fitted.
Colours was quite easy, a classic black with tiny winy white lines one, and one a bit more colourful. Cool, I was happy, and paid at the counter.
The counter guy was sharp dressed. That was one thing. He also looked like a model, which I don’t find particularly attractive by the way, those typical model heads. And after my Pretty Woman association, I got my Love Actually association. Remember the scene where Rowan Atkinson is gift wrapping the gift Alan Rickman is secretly buying in this big mall? (If not watch the film!). Well the experience I had was close. Richard Curtis probably had a buy-shirts-at-Hawes-&-Curtis experience, and decided to use it in that scene in Love Actually.
He, modelman, found a big fancy Light Blue Paper Bag with Hawes & Curtis logo discretely printed on it. And put my 2 shirts in it. Fine.
What was he doing now? He was fiddling with the receipt. He was folding it very precisely, and I was about to tell him that he didn’t need to do this, he could just give it to me and I could stuff it in my wallet.
But he was so busy with it that I decided to wait and see what was going on here. I, in contrary to Alan Rickman, had all the time in the world, and if he wanted to fold a paper jet out of my receipt, well he could go ahead.
He didn’t fold a paper jet. He had folded the receipt neatly two times double. Was now looking for something under the counter, and found it, it was a cute, very little light blue mini envelope thingy, yes, the same colour as the bag, and with the same discreet Hawes & Curtis logo printed in it. He put the neatly folded receipt carefully in this mini envelope. Smiled at me, and casually with a certain nonchalance, he dropped the envelope in the bag.
He was cracking me up already. And he wasn’t finished yet, he was looking for something else. The roll with Hawes & Curtis labels. He carefully removed the paper, and put the self adhesive label on the top of my bag, which was now carefully closed, and well prepared, and ready to leave. With me.
When I came home I unpacked the shirts, and to my amazement : no bloody buttons at the end of the sleeves ! Which about puts me back where I belong, I am just a wannabe posh girl, and don’t know if I ever am going to be a real one. A bit of googling on “missing buttons on women shirt?” learned me a new word : Cuff link. And by golly is there a whole new world out there, I didn’t know existed before today.
I don’t know where things went wrong, but I want to have some!
Cuff links rock. Kinda. I had some which were annoying. Then I lost them. Then I started using paperclips, unfolded and folded back differently. Then my best friend’s girlfriend got me cuff links in the shape of paperclips for Christmas. I have endeavoured, successfully so far, not to lose those gems.
Girl in the Cafe becomes business woman! Great story. :-)
Love the gift wrapping story!
Oooooiiiiii!
Hi Posh, I’m pleased that you enjoyed your shopping experience with Hawes and Curtis. You now obviously need help in the cufflink department, can I suggest that you check out our website where we have a fine selection. These too will come gift wrapped. Regards Antony
@Ant : If you really are from Hawes & Curtis, and even have taken the time to comment here after reading my positive words about your shirts, well then it is a bit disappointing that your comment doesn’t include something like “come by in the shop for a pair of free cufflinks” …
Please note that the sales at Hawes & Curtis are of the eternal variety – always promotions on multiple purchases. I doubt anybody ever buys a single shirt (?70, as opposed to ?90/?100 for 3/4…
Back again after just a year. Yes I do work for Hawes and Curtis and would love to be able to give away items but it just isn’t profitable. In answer to J’s comments he is correct that we do have offers promoting multi buys. However, many of our customers choose the one shirt as the prices are still very good value. We are now increasing the range on our website and you will also see a new-look site in November. We have great product and are now building the site to match. Posh-girl let me know if you are buying any more shirts.
@Antony – I regularly buy shirts, Living in London has turned me into a shirt-o-holic. But I will be honest with you, most of the shirts I have bought lately are from T.M. Lewin. There are good reasons for that: they have a much wider range of choice women shirts, and their shirt design colours are more interesting and fresh. I have been to H & C often, but often walk out again because : there is nothing to choose from, and the shirts available are always the same.
Sorry about that, but it’s the truth!
Hi Ingrid, I obviously can’t talk about our competitors as this would be unethical. What I can tell you is that the H&C range of ladies shirts is actually very varied and we receive new colours and styles every week.
We only create small runs of each design so that the customer isn’t likely to see anyone else wearing the same shirt. The number of styles, designs and sizes is very large with a massive selection to choose from.
We do repeat our core lines which include the plain whites, blacks, red etc. Hawes and Curtis has literally 1,000’s of ladies designs and this range is growing as the company expands. I hope that you keep visiting us and that one day you are tempted into buying.
Finally, I would like to add that the quality is excellent, representing great value.
Thanks for your comments, I will pass them onto the Brand Manager.
HI Antony,
I have no complaints about the quality whatsoever. But truly the choice of shirt in both shops on Regent St. and the one in Jermyn St. is very limited, and there are very seldomly any new styles to spot there. I come there regularly! And I don’t really understand why.