Jewellery & Fashion

Blog

  • Retail set to reopen next month but will it be back to normal?

    The government have announced that from the 12th April 2021, non-essential retail can start to reopen. This will include all shops that sell items that have not been classed as essential and therefore have been closed since just after Christmas.

    This news is great for many retailers that have suffered a huge financial loss and have had to try and find other ways of selling their items. There have been many high street retailers that unfortunately have not made it through these tough times and have closed their doors for the last time. There have also been a huge number of independent retails who have really struggled, often as they have not had a website to enable the to continue trading online.

    The shops are going to be able to open again shorty, but will it be totally back to normal? It is unlikely that shopping will be the experience it used to be as changing rooms will probably remain closed in most shops and social distancing measures are likely to still be in place until at least later in the summer.

  • Will the fashion industry bounce back?

    The clothing and fashion industry has taken. massive hit over the past 12 months. Many retailers have spent much of the year closed due to the Covid lockdown restrictions and even the few times they were allowed to open, were very different. Changing rooms were closed and long queues to get in and out of shops started to form, putting many people off.

    Some retailers have still been able to trade online but with delays to the postal service and not being able to see items before you buy them, online shopping is certainly not for everyone. Much of the public have tried to be careful with their money and not spend unnecessarily. Also many of us have had nowhere to go, so thought it was pointless buying more clothes when we had no opportunity to wear them.

    Retail is look to open up again from the middle to end of April, and many shops are hoping that this will start and influx of shoppers once again. It is likely that after being cooped up for so long, lots of people will want to go on a shopping spree. It has not been decided yet as to whether shops will fully open changing rooms etc, but many are hoping for a quick return to normality.

  • Have you ever considered jewellery making?

    If you are after a new hobby to do at home then why not turn your hand to jewellery making. So many of us are finding ourselves stuck in our homes day in day out that it is important to try and find a hobby or something you can do to keep busy.

    Jewellery making has been around for some time now and the beauty of it is that anyone can have ago, even young children. If you want to get your child in to jewellery making then Mellisa and Doug make some beautiful necklace making sets using wooden beads. These are very easy to tread and are suitable for children 4 and upwards.

    If you are an adult wanting to make jewellery then places such as Hobbycraft and The Range will be the perfect place to pick up your supplies. As all none essential shops are currently closed you may be better ordering items online to be delivered to your home. A quick search online will tell you everything you need to get started and there are some fabulous books out there filled with ideas for you to try out. If you find that you really enjoy it you may even decide to turn it in to a career and start to sell some of the jewellery you have made.

  • Jewellery for Christmas… is it still a good gift?

    Buying someone a jewellery gift for Christmas was often a firm favourite for many. Often husbands would buy their wives a new ring, set of earrings or a necklace to exchange on Christmas day. Is jewellery still an acceptable gift for Christmas or should we be thinking along the lines of something a little different?

    Whenever you buy anyone jewellery, it is important you know their taste. For example, some people will only wear gold or only wear silver or it may be that they do not like wearing dangly earrings only studs. If you are unsure then you need to either ask someone that will know or maybe find a new idea for a gift. If the person you are buying for has a charm bracelet or a Pandora bracelet then why not buy them a charm for it. You can often get ones for mum, wife, sister etc or Disney characters along with decorated silver or rose gold ones. These items often mean more than just a necklace or set of earrings as you can pick one that is personal to them.

    Lockets are another lovely idea for Christmas as they can have pictures of loved ones inside which again can be very touching.

  • Interested in vintage clothing-visit a charity shop

    There is a growing interest amongst some shoppers for genuine vintage clothing and some independent shops are specialising in selling new items that look vintage but also truly old items. If you want to buy vintage clothing the price that you will have to pay can be high but there are other ways of sourcing specific pieces for a lot less money.

    Online auction sites and pre loved sites are a good place to look for vintage clothing items and bargains can be found, but a downside with purchasing in this way is that the item cannot be seen and tried on so there is always the danger that it will not be as described, be in poor condition or just does not fit resulting in disappointment and frustration.

    A much better way to find vintage clothing is to pay a visit to local charity shops. Here you can pick up a bargain and enjoy hunting for a really special piece. Being able to try items on may be restricted at the moment but is usually not an issue. When you are searching for vintage clothes it is important to know the labels that show genuine vintage items especially if you are buying clothing to sell on.