Sun or Snow?

So it is around this time of year when people make the decision to either embrace the cold and snow and head for the slopes or book a week of soaking up some much needed sun in hotter climates.  Whichever you may choose, or if you are lucky enough to be doing both, then Attic will be able to help with your footwear requirements - whatever your chosen destination!  For a minute then I think successfully combined my previous career in the travel industry with my passion for fabulous shoes -  I could continue to write about sun drenched beaches and glistening alpine scenes but I shall focus on the more important issue of SHOES!

We do still have some snow boots in stock, despite the threat of snow, so do hurry and be one of the last lucky ones to be ready for this weekend or a forthcoming skiing holiday.  They start at £75 and the Rubber Duck snowjoggers really are fantastic in both the snow or just as an every day alternative to the Ugg boot.

For those off to enjoy the sun then our spring/summer 2013 collections start arriving in the next week or two and we will continue to have lovely new arrivals up till the end of March.  There is much to look forward to with gorgeous little spring ankle boots from Hudson, glamorous flats from French Sole and amazing heels from Lola Cruz and Chinese Laundry that are perefect for summer evenings.  We also have found a fabulous new Scandinavian handbag supplier plus we have some super Tommy Hilfiger bags coming in.

This summer one of my favoutrite items of clothing is making a come back - boyfriend jeans!  These are the perfect item, when rolled to just above the ankle, to show off an amazing pair of heels or cute ankle boots and really let the shoes stand out.

Don't forget our sale continues online and in store and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Vx


                

BOOTYLICIOUS!

Tall, short, knee high, over the knee, ankle, leather, suede, flat, wedge, heel, fleece, waterproof, day, evening.... and I could go on! Boots of all shapes and sizes have been flying out of Attic over the past few weeks and some styles have been so popular we have not only sold out but we have people on a wating list in the hope we can get more delivered.  For me one of the best things about winter is the boots and big jumpers that can be thrown on for almost any occassion and this season we have some superb boots by Lola Cruz that look amazing with simple pencil skirts or capri trousers and a cashmere knit.  This season has also seen the return of the block heel and these grey leather and suede Lola Cruz boots, £155,  have nailed this on trend look.

Autumn / Winter '12  has also seen the introduction of the new look Tommy Hilfiger collection at Attic and as expected the response has been fantastic.  Following a recent transformation the brand has stayed true to their 'preppy' roots but has also managed to add a more sophisticated approach to it's branding.  This has been very popular and the prices are all very competitive with boots priced between £130 and £165.

Finally as we all start to think about Christmas we have been delighted with another new brand for us, Ruby + Ed. The perfect gift ideas that we have in stock include their snuggle boot slippers, so popular we have just placed another order, and their vintage inspired faux fur neckwarmers from just £28 - perfect for some winter glamour.

Look forward to seeing you in Attic soon!

Vx

Attic's Media Attention

So it has been almost two months now since our victory at the Drapers Footwear Awards and the phone has not stopped ringing! Many fabulous well known designers want to be stocked in Attic, magazines have been wanting to feature and interview us and our opinions are being asked when it comes to industry issues.  It is a great feeling for both Gabriella and I to feel that our hard work over the past few years is now paying off and not only are we increasing our numbers of repeat customers but we are gaining recognition from a very competitive industry, that is still relativiely new to us.

So having appeared on the Style Council of last weeks Drapers we are now set to appear in the August edition of FE Magazine (Footwear and Fashion Extras).

FE is the UK number one trade magazine for the fashion industry and keeps readers in touch with news stories and features affecting the industry - we will provide a link to the interview when the magazine comes out next month.

Now on to our sale! In previous years we have preferred to keep to traditional sale times and go on sale towards the end of July but with more and more stores going on sale earlier than ever and many of the big multiples almost having year round sales we have made the decision to join them.  We do feel that this year everyone has started earlier due to the rubbish summer weather and hopefully this is not a sign of things to come.

So in case you are not yet aware do come in to the store as soon as you can and pick up many of our bargains as styles are flying out fast - next week further items will be added to the sale shelves.

We have also started to have a few styles arrive for autumn/winter - another good reason to come and see us as our new things are also proving to be very popular aready, especially our fabulous french belts by Maison Boinet (as worn by Victoria Beckham).

I shall leave you with one final thought......................

See you soon.
Vx

There's No Business Like Shoe Business!

So I did warn you that if Attic won anything at last Thursdays Drapers Footwear and Accessories awards, at the Grosvenor House Hotel, that I might mention it a little bit! Well having got over the shock of being nominated as finalists in two categories both Gabriella and I put on our posh frocks and some fabulous new heels and headed up to town to experience our first fashion awards ceremony.  Not expecting to win anything we were looking forward to a night out and a chance to meet some interesting people working in our industry. 

The Best Accessories category that we were in, together with Debenhams and Marks and Spencer, was won by another small boutique and we were delighted that it was a fellow indpendent that rightly got the recognition for it's selection of accessories and took the award.  When we got to the Best Footwear Offer in an Independent category we were a bit more nervous as this was the one we most wanted and we were up against some great independent retailers........but yes, you guessed it, we were chosen as the winners!

The judging panel was made up of 21 key figures from across the industry, including retailers, etailers, designers, buyers and brands and they chose us for our determination to provide an experience that is different to anything the UK high street offers, our product mix and our excellent customer service.

Feel free to come into the shop and see the magnificent trophy in all its glory!  Gabriella and I would like to thank all our wonderful customers who have supported us over the past 3 1/2 years and we hope to continue to provide you with an ongoing supply of fabulous shoes and accessories, for your every need and desire, for many more years.

Now on to May and what we have in the shop - the recent weather has ofcourse meant that our old favourite, Hunter, has proven popular as well as the Spring ankle boots that we have in from Hudson.  All our great summer sandals have started to go as people begin their overseas holidays so it is important to come in quick so you are ready for when the summer finally arrives here.

The Aspiga wedges and sandals we have in are beautifully embellished and although designed in the UK they are hand-made in Africa and India.  They use small work forces and not large factories to keep jobs local and create revenue for local communities.  A percentage of profits are also donated to an orphanage just outside Nairobi.  We are very proud to stock Aspiga as they not only sell amazing pieces but also help to fight poverty through trade.

Finally our second delivery is due any day of the Wishlist London jewellery.  This sold out in record time and so we have ordered a much larger quantity second time round due to its popularity.

Thank you again for your continuing support of Attic Boutique.

Vivx

Time to Dispel the Myths!

So we are probably all at one time or another guilty of 'judging a book by its cover' or writing things off before even trying them or giving them a chance - for me it was olives, then I actually tried them and now I can't get enough of the things!  Anyway in November Attic will have been open for 4 years and we are still amazed how many people are pleasantly surprised when they step inside the store for the first time as we are often not what they expected us to be.  So based on this I have decided it is time to correct these misconceptions and dispel the myths.

1. "Attic is that expensive shoe shop" - the shop may look expensive in appearance but in fact our shoes start at £30.  This summer we have many sandals that range from £30 to £65 and also wedges that start from £60, so not only cheaper than a lot of high street shops but also our fellow footwear retailer located next door to us.  Ofcourse we like to offer a wide range of both styles and price points and so we do have more expensive styles but never anything at top end designer prices and we are also always lower than shops such as LK Bennett and Russell & Bromley.

Holster from £30

2. "Attic only sells high heels" - it is true we do sell high heels and our Lola Cruz evening shoes are one of our best sellers.  They are certainly 'Wow' shoes and perhaps people remember them more because they are so amazing and therefore forget we also sell French Sole and Bloch ballet flats, J-shoes and H by Hudson mid heel styles and flats and ofcourse for summer the Aspiga beaded flip flops and the Kato espadrilles, also only £30. So high heels are actually only a small percentage of our styles on offer.

3. "Attic is too young for me" - when we first opened we thought our market would be smaller than it is.  We have found that we sell shoes to 18 year olds as well as 65 plus women.  Anyone who is after good quality, different, stylish, elegant and reasonably priced footwear comes to Attic. Bored with the high street and don't want to look like everyone else then Attic has the answer.

Although there may be more misconceptions out there the above are the opinions that are usually quickly changed once customers have stepped inside Attic.  Ofcourse I haven't even mentioned the friendly staff and the excellent customer service!

Vx

Award Finalists!

Yes, you are right I am still going on about our 2 nominations for the Drapers Footwear and Accessories Awards.....that's right 2!  The winners will be announced at the beginning of May at an awards ceremony so imagine how much more I shall be mentioning it if we win!!  Somehow considering we are up against people like John Lewis and some great London boutiques this is not very likely.

Anyway on to the new season up date and some fantastic new deliveries that we have had in so far for summer, and we still have so much more to come.

H by Hudson has delivered again with a second delivery of stunning wedges and summer flats.  J-Shoes have also started to come in together with Feud and Chinese Laundry.  These are all already flying off the shelves and we may have to top up at this rate so hurry and get your summer wardrobe head on......or rather summer shoes on!

We also have in stock lots more of the fabulous Mirabelle Jewellery which we love even more as they have selected us as their 'shop of the month' for March! All the Mirabelle jewellery is produced by fair trade suppliers using sterling silver, 22k gold plated metals, brass and semi precious stones in their workshop in Indonesia.

I shall keep you posted with the remaining summer deliveries of both footwear and accessories.  We are also still on the hunt for more gorgeous handbags to stock.....so if anyone has any suggestions then do let us know.

Thank you all for your continuing support of Attic and we are looking forward to our best summer season in 2012.

Vivx

PS. We do have a few last sale items in the shop including some snow boots if any of you are skiing over Easter.

Weather and Footwear Go Together Like Gin and Tonic!

Weather! As a nation we are obsessed by it and as a retailer of footwear and fashion we are even more so.  It effects our buying, our window displays and most importantly what our customers want.  So you can imagine how much the industry has been talking about it and trying to predict it over the past few winter months.  Back in October I 'tweeted' that everyone on the high street was enjoying the pleasant surprise of an Indian Summer with their summer sandals gettting one last outing while I was busy unpacking the first of our very big delivery of snowboots! And so today I find myself in the same situation with the forecasters telling us all that snow is finally on its way and temperatures reaching -12...... and what am I doing............yes, ofcourse, making room on our shelves for our summer sandals!

So weather aside, I can say that our Spring/Summer collection is going to be fantastic and I am very excited by all our deliveries that are now starting to come in.  As usual Hudson have arrived first and we have a great selection of Spring boots and brogues - perfect for the transition between fleece lined boots and sandals.

At £130 these H by Hudson Inigo tan brogues are a perfect Spring staple, leather lined, leather sole and the tassle detail can be removed.  We also have the popular Keira boot in beige and tan, back by request, and is already selling fast in store.  The below Pipet and Mirar ankle boots are great for now with jeans and then for summer with little dresses and jumpsuits - I love them both but can't decide which will be my summer boot of 2012!

We have a new Italian footwear brand, Francesca, showcasing at Attic this season.  The softest leather, mixed with comfort and at incredibly reasonable prices we have a selection of their wedges coming at the end of this month. 

Our scarves from Bindya New York are also arriving any day and due to the impressive following they now have we have had no choice than to quadruple our order.  If you have not yet had the chance to catch them in store then make sure next time you are in you have a look as they are so soft, with most being a mix of wool and cashmere or silk and cashmere.  They are all hand printed in India and so all unique with the most stunning mix of colours and patterns. 

I promise to include some more pics in my next blog and hopefully some of our lovely customers will be happy to model the shoes and accessories for you!

I will also update you with more of our new stock when it arrives......still to come.......Aspiga sandals, Bloch, Lola Cruz, Feud, more H by Hudson and Chinese Laundry.

Ooh, and how could I forget the new delivery of delicious Wilbur & Gussie clutch bags. Here is just one to tempt you with........more in store!


Finally for anyone unable to think about summer footwear yet we do still have a few snow boots available in store and online! Enjoy the snow this weekend!

Vivx