Homage to Liberty
Like everyone I’ve missed many things this year – friends, family, eating out, holidays – you know the list – but, like others, I’ve adapted and accepted the Prime Minister’s rules and regulations like a good little girl. But, if I get the chance to sit on Santa’s lap this year I’m going to use one of my wishes to ask that restrictions are lifted in time to do a teeny, tiny bit of Christmas shopping in London. Yes; First World problems and I’m joking of course but I’d be very sad not to be able to make my annual pilgrimage to town this year.
I think for me this is less about consumerism and more about nostalgia because regular train trips into the West End were a happy part of my childhood. Far and away the best of all these were at Christmas to see the windows, lights and Christmas departments. Unlike now, these didn’t appear just before Halloween so Christmas was truly something we built towards and by the time I stepped over the mock Tudor threshold of my very favourite – Liberty – the excitement had been brewing for weeks and I was ready to burst.
Liberty is at once both ordinary and unique: a department store – nothing unusual there – but in a setting like no other. Its wooden beams, creaky floors and carved, winding staircases give the whole shop a fairy tale quality; if Narnia were a department store, Liberty is what it would no doubt look like. If you’re lucky enough to visit at Christmas, this feeling is magnified by a factor of approximately 2000. I imagine if you ask most people to name a department store it might be John Lewis, Debenhams or Selfridges and Liberty would be low on the list but in fact, it’s better stocked than most with everything from vintage jewellery to art supplies, Arts & Crafts furniture and dressmaking fabric. There really is not much you can’t get there. It is a forgotten gem just sitting there waiting to be found and adored.
Their traditional advent calendar alone is always enchanting and then there’s their signature beauty advent calendar which sells out at lightning speed which, considering it retails at over £200, is pretty remarkable. I have to say, I’d be happy with the regular paper one although sadly they don’t appear to be doing it online this year. Fingers crossed they’ll have them in store IF they reopen in time.
If you’re looking for swanky presents, there’s no end of those here. They have a lovely range of hampers which incorporate their signature Liberty Print designs in the packaging so you can reuse them after you’ve eaten everything inside. The tote is probably the most usable of these and, fortuitously, the cheapest too.
I think what I love about a hamper as a gift is, it’s not the sort of thing you’d buy for yourself so if you get given one as a present, it’s a genuine indulgence.
And then there’s the jewellery. They have a beautiful, ever changing range of vintage jewellery as well as much more affordable costume and modern designs. I remember seeing their cabinet full of Art Deco cocktail watches years ago and trying to imagine the women who’d worn them and the evenings they must have had: the past perfectly encapsulated in one, tiny object. I’ve put their World Traveller Gold Charm Necklace on my ‘In My Dreams’ wish list.
At £3950 I can confidently say that dream will never come true but I will happily settle for the almost equally lovely Kenneth Jay Lane gold chain bracelet instead which is a much more palatable £45
Lots of you have asked me where I got my coffee coloured cashmere scarf which is an old, old favourite that I’d be very sad to lose. Unfortunately, that particular one came from Pakistan but Liberty have a beautiful (though totally exorbitant) one which is similar if you really want to go berserk get this. A bit more affordable is their pocketed scarf which is a totally different look but equally lovely :
The one upside to a potentially smaller Christmas guest list is the chance to do something a bit nicer for a smaller number of people. They do a really lovely range of upmarket crackers which are beautifully packaged and would look fantastic on the table. At £14 each I think they’re a good substitute for a ‘proper’ present whilst still looking pretty swanky. If you’ve got a hard-to-buy-for bloke knocking around, there’s a men’s one too.
Liberty have a long history in fabric and their haberdashery department is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon if you’re a crafty sort. I haven’t sewn anything since my last Home Economics class in 1975 but even I can see their range of buttons, embroidery wools, ribbons and trimmings are a thing of beauty and enough to inspire you on any number of projects you had no idea you needed to embark upon. They now stock Merchant & Mills too who are known by those ‘in the know’ for their beautiful linen and patterns so if you’re looking for something a bit more unusual as a gift, this is a great place to start. I’ve earmarked their exquisite leather scissor wrap for the WI types on my Christmas list.
So many more people have been drawn to traditional crafts during lockdown and I think their sewing bible would make a really practical gift for anyone embarking on this path to dive into.
I’ve been trying to think of more imaginative gifts too this year, especially for my friends who already seemingly have everything they want and I really love the idea of giving a dress making pattern for Christmas. Liberty have a beautiful one for a boho sleeve blouse which is only £17. I don’t like the material they’ve chosen but that’s easily remedied with ten minutes in their dressmaking fabric department. I like the idea of a gift whose pleasure goes beyond the initial moment it’s opened and goes on to give the recipient a more lasting enjoyment. So some of my friends will definitely be getting one of these this year :
If you’re strapped for cash, one of the loveliest things I’ve just discovered is a Liberty gift coin. This is effectively just a gift card but comes in the form of a specially commissioned coin produced at the Royal Mint. I’ve only met one other person who knows about these and I think they really are a hidden treasure. They range up to £100 but in fact the £10 coin is actually the nicest; rose gold like a lovely, shiny new two penny piece. They come in a signature Liberty purple velvet pouch so make a really lovely treat for someone. Plus, they have no expiration date. Even better.
Last, I have a real penchant for Christmas decorations so this department is a particularly dangerous area for me. A friend of mine has a tradition of choosing a new bauble each year with her daughter so that their tree is a kind of record of their Christmases over the years. I could actually write a separate blog on Christmas decorations alone but, in the meantime, I’ve managed to whittle my choices down to about twenty but must admit to feeling horribly restricted even doing that.
So, I am really hoping I’m getting on that train to Victoria soon but if not, they are currently running their ‘Event Before Christmas’ with up to 30% off so it’s still worth a look online.
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