The Cross

A cult store in the ‘80s, The Cross is making a comeback. The store is stocked with clothes, accessories and bits of home décor pieces every season and often featured in local magazines.
The top floor of the shop wasn’t very appealing to me. I like funky décor, but personally wouldn’t use anything they were selling, so I largely ignored the section. There are many dresses upstairs, which were cute. The big table in the entrance was stocked with quirky little note-​paper and cards that you can also see on their website (I just found it today).
Downstairs is, in my opinion, where the best things are. This is where the sales rack was. There were shoes, accessories and clothes down there, as well. There were lots of appealing shirts and sweaters, a solid selection of colored and blue jeans and some great shoes. They stock my favorite booties by Penelope Chilvers — shoes that always get me a ton of compliments, but also require a full day’s trek around London to find — and English Weather cashmere — sturdy, cosy and delightfully stylish.
The store is a bit expensive — 350 pounds for a sweater — but everything is great quality, the salespeople incredibly helpful and you’ll look so good that it is all worth it. They also allow dogs in, so I didn’t have to shop without my best critic!

This shop is definately aimed at West Londoon yummy mummies and their ‘mini me’s’. The Cross used to be one of London best designer boutiques and the prices reflect this. This is not somewhere to seek out a bargain– the rails are full of goodies from Betty Jackson, Bella Freud and gorgeous UK designer Jenny Dwyer. I think there are now a lot of edgier, more on trend shops that The CRoss are competing with. however whenever I have dropped in or passed by the shop is usually busy.

I like The Cross best for their clothes/​bags/​accessories downstairs — usually an interesting mix of newish designers with a slight boho slant. Perhaps a bit too crowded to feel completely comfortable, the floor is still fun to browse around.
I do think the boutique, one of the oldest of its kind in West London, is starting to feel tired… With a more recent crop of great little fashion shops around the city, it needs to keep up with the competition and could use some edge. And — most obvious on the upstairs level (which houses a hodge-​podge of junky kids’ toys, home accessories, jewelry and who knows what else) — it needs to rein itself in and figure out its «raison d’etre».