Hello again and welcome along after a little blogging break to have the wedding of my dreams and the most beautiful and relaxing honeymoon! I’m finally back in the real world and for me of course that means…shopping!
Last weekend The Canadian and I headed out on a little day trip to Clarks Village Outlet in Street, Somerset. I can’t believe that after living in Bristol for 6 years now I’ve never made the quick hour trip to this pretty little shopping village! I was invited along as part of Clarks Village’s birthday celebrations to take part in the £25 challenge! Did you know that it was 25 years ago that they opened their doors as the UK’s first outlet shopping centre? Today it’s home to over 90 designer and high street brands such as Barbour, Crew Clothing, Coast, Gap, Hobbs M&S and Next – there really is something for everyone and for once the Hubby was keen to shop and explore the bargains on offer too!
At Clarks Village all of the shops offer discounts of up to 60% off the RRP as well as adding seasonal promotions and special offers daily. There’s quite the array of shops covering clothing, homeware, beauty, accessories and gifts along with a selection restaurants for food and drink options. What I loved about Clarks Village compared to other outlet malls I have visited was the outdoorsy atmosphere created by it’s attractive landscaped gardens and paved walkways. You really feel as though you are wandering through a quaint British village street rather than a busy shopping centre. With canopies overhead you’re even covered on a rainy day (we visited on one of the hottest day’s of the year but thankfully there’s lots of shade and seating to be found too!).
I made a beeline for a few of my favourite brands and kept my eyes peeled for some bargains. Clarks Village had kindly gifted me £25 and the challenge of finding the best deals on a fashion foraging mission – I had my eyes on the prize! First stop Marks and Spencer – in here I was tempted by some gorgeous half price underwear from the Rosie for Autograph collection (her designs are always so feminine and pretty!). Soon after I spotted a fair few home bargains – stylish crockery at £3.50 a piece and cotton bath towels at £6 (being the owner of M&S towels I can attest to their quality!).
Next we took a look in Barbour (so many discounted classic tailored jackets) and Jack Wills. I was super tempted by their dresses – all £18 – and spotted a trench coat very similar to one I already own at the amazing price of £59! We also had a wander around Suit Direct (suits from £49!) and Crew Clothing (there was an extra discount off their already generous 50% off sale!).
Next stop was Sugarhill Boutique – after admiring this brand online so many times it was really great to have the opportunity to look at their jazzy prints and pretty dresses in person. I loved this flamingo print dress in particular a steal at £30!
Joules was next on the list (and one of my personal favourite brands…I really had to hold back from spending too much in here!). Anyone who follows my Instagram will know I’m a sucker for a striped Breton and I couldn’t resist adding a pretty pink number to my collection – reduced to £15.95! The Canadian also picked up a lovely lilac shirt here for the same price – fabulous bargains for tried and tested Joules quality! I loved that Joules even create their own special ‘outlet’ collection so there was an array of sizes and styles (I found this consistently through the village actually, the myth of outlet shopping meaning limited choices really didn’t apply here thankfully!).
Before stopping off for lunch we also spent a good while in White Stuff where there was a 3 for 2 offer across the store. We came away with a linen shirt and moleskin trousers for him plus a gorgeous pair of d’orsay style lace up flats for me all for £63! We had well and truly worked up an appetite and decided to treat ourselves to burgers at Gourmet Burger Kitchen as a reward for all that hard work hunting out bargains. There’s a good range of eateries at Clarks Village including The Cornish Bakery, Frankie & Benny’s, Prezzo and Pizza Express plus Costa and Caffé Nero to cater for your caffeine needs!
We had the most enjoyable day at Clarks Village and I’ll definitely be making a return visit in the future to snap up some discounted fashion bargains. If you fancy taking a trip to forage for your own outlet deals you’ll find Clarks Village is open every day of the year apart from Christmas Day and offers late night shopping until 8pm on a Thursday (ideal for after-work splurges!). You can also find out more about their special activities and entertainment schedule during school holidays on their website.
Do you love outlet shopping? Have you visited Clarks Village and picked up any hidden gems? I’d love to hear your experience in the comments!
The Blonde
*This is a collaborative post with the lovely folks at Clarks Village but as always all opinions are my own and I only feature products or events that are fitting and in keeping with the tone and content of my blog or Instagram page.