Peter WilsonEst. 1875
Located on Regent Street in London’s West End shopping district, Liberty has been one of the capital’s most cherished department stores since its establishment over 135 years ago. In all its Tudor glory, it sells a wide range of luxury goods from women’s, men’s and children’s fashion, homeware, and is mostly famous for its iconic floral and graphic prints. The third floor’s central atrium is home to the Liberty Haberdashery department which is dedicated to introducing avant garde designs as well as heritage patterns and prints.
Throughout its time, Liberty has been seen to have had a long-standing tradition of collaborative projects during the 19th (William Morris), 20th (YSL, Vivienne Westwood) and 21st (Barbour, Manolo Blahnik) centuries. Across its departments, the store has also showcased diverse household names like Nike and Emma Bridgewater to in-style designers such as Kenzo and House of Hackney; the latter, a similar, albeit newer (est. 2010), luxury British fashion brand known also for its bold and graphic prints.
2013 – Shirts, Shirts, Shirts
As we mentioned before, when we think of Liberty we think of bold prints. And this is certainly true for their current line. From teals and emeralds (Pantone’s colour of the year, see also Paul Smith AW13, Burberry SS14) to burgundies and jewel purples, there is no colour untouched in this selection. We think that a Liberty print is eternally stylish and is a great statement piece for any man’s wardrobe. If you’re lucky enough to get one, the timeless style(s) can easily transcend into varying seasons whether it’s the more traditional or modern designs you like.
However, if you’re still unsure about the greatness of these prints, and prefer sticking to what you do best, Liberty also offers a range of plainer, albeit equally stylish, shirts. And what is more, you can search and shop online by colour or by fabric, so just click on your favourite and enjoy the endless joys that the store has to offer. What could be better?
Liberty et al.
Its range of prints, you’ll be glad to know, doesn’t stop at shirts, but extends to encompass ties (long and bow, alike), pocket squares and scarves for a unique, albeit classically British, look. These designs are globally recognised and yet can be found right here in London, England.
This season, the department store is teaming up with a number of high end designers to produce a range of autumnal styles from neutral hues to audacious patterns and prints. The array of sweaters stems from this cute bear jumper (Ami) to bolder prints like Alexander McQueen (who else?) and Our Legacy’s blue painter jumper; should you feel the chill this winter. And while some of you may not be quite saying Je suis Américaine, you’ll definitely be putting the Gant in très elégant with this informal, but stylish varsity piece.
Accessories
Many of us at MFM this year have been discussing the importance of finishing touches. As Liberty is a high end retailer, known as you’ve guessed by now for its iconic patterns, there is nothing quite like finishing off an outfit with some more unusual and not often worn pieces. The preppy look has been everywhere this year from SS13 collections to Back to School wardrobes up and down the country. However, while other designers tend to go for more subdued colours, Liberty, in true fashion, takes the ‘go big or go home’ slogan to heart with these eye-catching prints; just be careful not to wear one of these stunning bowties with a heavily-printed shirt as we think that you can have too much of a good thing! What is more, while it might not be the season for silk, we implore you to treat yourself to one of these gorgeous scarves for the upcoming spring. But for now, it’s time to brighten up your black and blue blazers with these stunning pocket squares for a touch of class that will most certainly finish off your outfit.
Finally, when I think of hats, I instantly think of my favourite film – You’ve Got Mail:
Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today, I saw one! It got on at 42nd and off at 59th, where, I assume, it was going to Bloomingdales to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake, as almost all hats are.
And while it’s safe to say that I don’t completely agree with this, this is certainly true for some of us mere mortals who simply cannot wear hats atop our heads. But for those of you who are fond of headwear, or are just fortunate enough to look at least semi-presentable in hats, Liberty is also showcasing a range of Christys’ hats (my favourite is the tweed one!) Perhaps this ideology is just a flashback from last season where, unlike AW13, hats were a lot more adventurous with regard to shape and colour – other designers this year, like Topman, YMC and Richard Nicholl, however have opted for more conservative looks (with good reason, I believe). So keep your head stylish and warm this winter with one of these great hats!
Final Thoughts
Liberty is one of the last great emporiums for innovative and eclectic design. But don’t just listen to us, get yourself down to Regent Street, London (type W1B 5AH into your search engines – it’s pretty central and not too much of a liberty to find!) today to get your hands on the latest and greatest AW13 trends.