Wandering out of Oxford Circus tube station this morning, as you do on a Saturday morning if it’s freezing cold and you’re daft, I just happened to pass French Connection at the top of Regent Street.
I always think of French Connection as young and fun with a sophisticated edge, at the upper end of high street price-wise, but having seen a red dress I quite liked online I ventured in and had six dresses over my arm from the Spring collection, heading for the fitting room, before you could blink. Which surprised even me.
There are plenty of glamorous fitted little black dresses in different lengths and with high or scoop necklines, and also some charming weekend dresses with spots and stripes in bold reds and blues - and more to come no doubt - with the price level for the latter making them totally collectible.
The brand identity for French Connection is ‘sexy, stylish and has attitude’, and there’s plenty of that in store (and online, although my favourite little number doesn’t appear to have arrived there yet), but what comes over more than anything else is that although the prices are definitely not inexpensive, the glamour quotient has risen a great deal, and anyone who loves fitted, body-con(ish) dresses, smart workwear that doesn’t break the bank and original weekend separates should take a good look.
Many of the dresses are on the short side and won’t do if you like knee length and you’re over 5’5” (note I say many, not all). However for those who can’t or won’t pay out for high priced designer duds and who want something sexy sophisticated and just that little bit different for this spring, this may well be your place.
