women

The better-endowed at Daily Info can recommend Bravissimo (8 Broad Street, 01865 790023), for a free fitting that may revolutionise your shape, comfort and posture. They estimate that 40% of UK women are wearing the wrong bra size. It's a very girly but quite nice place to go and choose pretty bras in larger sizes.

For classic clothes, try Jaeger (13-15 Magdalen Street) or the designer sections in Debenhams ( on Magdalen Street ). Both sell high quality dresses, separates, knitwear and outdoor wear and correspondingly high prices.

The following are also worth a look for high quality fashion:

Monsoon, 35 Queen Street
Tel 240685
Good quality day and evening wear with an ethnic tendency. Some beautiful prints and designs, which you won't find anywhere else. The only trouble with originality is that it costs rather a lot ....

Next, 20-21 Cornmarket St
Tel 0870 3865315
Definitely a cut above the other chain stores, if more expensive. Classic and up-to-date fashion, including separates, dresses, coats, lingerie, shoes and knitwear.

And, below, some other clothes shops about which we know little beyond that they existed as of recently. Do tell us more. We're a scruffy bunch and slightly ignorant of fashion matters.

Hobbs Ltd 115 High St, Oxford, OX1 4BX - 01865 249437
Kaliko 114 High Street, Oxford, OX1 4DB - 01865 244453
Next to Nothing Avenue 4 The Covered Market, Oxford, OX1 3DZ - 01865 246919

bridal

The Bridal Box, 198 Banbury Road, Summertown, Oxford, OX2 7BY
Tel 01865 559272, e-mail info@thebridalbox-oxford.co.uk
The BRIDAL BOX provides the discerning bride with a beautiful collection of wedding gowns, bridesmaids dresses and accessories. Our range includes a variety of designs to suit each bride.

men

For traditional menswear and service (ie, they call you 'sir'), we recommend the following:

Austin Reed (Cornmarket, tel 244510); Shephard and Woodward (109-113 High Street, tel 249491) sell academic dress, college scarves, ties etc and do evening and academic dress hire (they also have have a school outfit shop in Summertown. Tel: 554559) ; David Clark (19 Broad Street, tel 247773) who do made-to-measure suits and will undertake alterations; and Walter's (Turl Street, tel 241848) who do evening dress hire, upmarket shirts and are good for large sizes which you might be hard pressed to find anywhere else, also made-to-measure suits.