Hot or not - fashion round-up

If you are someone who likes to run, swim, bend, ski or stretch, pop in and you can expect a shopping experience that far surpasses many other sports stores on the high street
10 April 2012

A boutique selling women's sports attire, Sweaty Betty is not a shop likely to set all hearts aflutter with excitement.

But if you are someone who likes to run, swim, bend, ski or stretch, pop in and you can expect a shopping experience that far surpasses many other sports stores on the high street.

On a recent visit to the Kensington branch I was immediately taken by the relaxed atmosphere: the store is quiet, elegantly laid-out and free from the head-banging tunes familiar to those trainer-filled sportswear meccas on Oxford Street.

A vast stock package containing Sweaty Betty's own label as well as a selection of interesting sportswear brands filled the small two-level store.

A pair of super-soft three-quarter-length tracksuit bottoms in pistachio green from Stella McCartney's Adidas range (£55) caught my eye, as did the multicoloured collection of high-quality yoga shorts and vest tops which featured clever hidden-support features (£30).

Helpful and experienced staff were invaluable when it came to trying things on, offering advice on fit and style.

They made sure I had exactly the pair of shorts I was after without forcing me into a purchase. If a slobby T-shirt to hit the treadmill in is all you want, Sweaty Betty may be a tad on the pricey side — running tops start at £30 — but if you don't care to leave your eye for well-designed clothes in the locker room, this is the shop for you.

Excellent product and faultless customer service: the rest of the high street would do well to take a leaf out of Sweaty Betty's book.

Staff: knowledgeable and attentive.
Changing rooms: clean and smart, perhaps a little dark.
Quality: very good.
Our pick: seamless yoga vest, £40. KAREN DACRE

This week we're loving

Fringe benefit
Clearly mastering this season's trend for texture, Whistles has created an exquisite soft-fringed dress. Available on its new, improved website which relaunches on Thursday, the perfect little party number features beautiful sheer panels and an exposed zip. We adore. £250 (www.whistles.co.uk) KD

Yuletide furry friend
From his Hugh Hefner robe to his Russian drawl, we're smitten with Compare The Meerkat's Aleksandr Orlov. So imagine our excitement on hearing that Harrods will be selling our furry friend from early December. The bad news: stock is limited and a waiting list is already forming. In fact, so in demand is Mr Orlov that we had to fight tooth and nail to get him to visit our office for just a few hours. Forget those Balmain boots: Christmas's most covetable item is Aleksandr. £19.95 (020 7730 1234) KD

Shaped to a tee
Our quest for the perfect basic
T-shirt is finally over. Alexander Wang's are amazingly soft, perfectly cut and neither hug nor hang off the body in the way reams of not-so-perfect T-shirts do. While the price of one of his finest basics may seem a little steep — a classic tee will set you back £75 — they really are by far the best around. Take it from us; we've spent years searching. Available at Browns (www.browns-fashion.com) KD

It cost how much?

Fans of Milanese boutique 10 Corso Como are in for a treat this week as founder Carla Sozzani brings her cut-price wares to the net.

Launching today, as part of a collaboration with net-a-porter's sister website, the outnet.com, customers will be able to bag 10 of Corso Como's most baffling bargains with only an effortless click of a mouse.

The stars of the show include a stunning Prada dress, which has more than £2,000 off its original price-tag, and these Balenciaga boots, which were £635 when they first hit the runway but are now £381. www.theoutnet.com

The IT bag
Mulberry is taking "geek chic" to a whole new level this week with the launch of its first collection of laptop cases. Designed in collaboration with Mac (the computer of choice for creatives, darling), the range includes bags to carry MacBook and MacPro laptops as well as leather pouches to shield your iPhone and iPod Touch from the bumps and grumps of city life. Styles include a vibrant fuchsia pink option as well as a smudged leopard-print one that's certain to turn a few heads on the Central line. Depressingly dull canvas cases: RIP. £350 (01761 234 200) KD

Micheline Star
The grande dame of aromatherapy, Micheline Arcier, has been mixing and developing her own essential oils since the early Sixties. She has just started selling her own bath, body and face oils exclusively through the Shop at Bluebird, whose spa also offers a range of treatments using her oils. Based on closely guarded formulas, these really are the Rolls-Royce of aromatherapy products, far removed from the cheap imposters that flood the market today. Prices start at £9 for a bath oil. For treatments, contact the Spa at Bluebird, 350 King's Road, SW3, 020 7349 5090. Laura Craik

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in