Every time I go to Kildare Village Outlet, I notice the number of tourists increasing with each visit. I know that whenever I go somewhere foreign for shopping, I want reviews. So, I wrote a review. Go figure.
Enjoy!
Shops;You can view the brand directory
here;I'm just going to review the ones I frequent.
7 For All Mankind;Not my kind of place considering I'm not really someone who wears jeans all that often. There doesn't seem to be much of a discount, but I could be wrong seeing as I'm not in the market for that sort of thing. If you like jeans and like having a designer name on your back pocket, 7 For All Mankind is the holy grail of denim.
The shop itself isn't really anything to write home about, and at times it can be full to the brim with women who are far too old for pink skinny jeans but still insist on trying them on and parading around the shop in them. And then not buying them.
All Saints;Hands down my favourite shop in the place. All Saints is a great brand and I'd say this shop is the most up to date in the outlet. It strikes the perfect balance between grungy, glamorous and wearable. The bedazzled dresses are amazing and will only set you back around 100 euro- not bad for something with so much work in it. The knitwear is so good- distressed, knitted shredded shirts that could give Alexander Wang a run for his money start at about 30 euro and don't exceed 70. . Cardigans with a washed out quality could be Rick Owens. Everything is made of beautiful material and everything looks expensive. There's serious discounts going on here. There's also a lot of men's stuff. The only disappointing thing is the shoes, they don't have any of the beautiful biker boots they're famed for. Other than that, it's a fabulous shop with great savings.
Anya Hindmarch;Very small shop. There's not much in it really and the bags are not something that would catch my eye. There's a small selection of nice clothes, running from 80 euro and not exceeding 120. The shop assistant (s) are good and do not try to bombard you which is unusual for a small high end shop. Bags are expensive but that's expecting from Anya Hindmarch.
Bally;
Gorgeous shoes, gorgeous jackets but not so gorgeous price tags. Obviously you're not going to really get any bargains in Bally. But it's worth going into just to smell the leather. If you're in the market for high end stuff, I'm sure the markdowns are good.
Calvin Klein Jeans;Going into that shop kind of puts me asleep. So, so boring. I am all for simple and I love what
Francisco Costa has done for Calin Klein womenswear, but his genius doesn't trickle down into the everyday wear.
Cath Kidston;
The best shop to drop money on useless stuff that you don't need. A 30 euro apron? Oh but it's floral!! It's one of those shops that you buy gifts in for people that you don't really know, so you buy them something like a box or a manicure set. The patterns they're famous for are very cute but the products they produce are mostly useless.
CorsoItalia;It says they stock Valentino but all I see is weird dresses. And the atmosphere is also weird, the man who works there doesn't even acknowledge you and acts like he's shopping. I'm not asking to have my hand held, but a hello or even a smile would be nice. I'm assuming there's men's Valentino suits so if that's what you want then you know where to find it.
Desigual;Umm... I'm crazy for unusual designs but sometimes I think this shops takes it too far. It's like they took a random saying and picture generator, turned it on and let it loose on everything in the shop. The words they print on the shirts make very little sense. The prices just aren't good enough to say 'well, if I don't wear it it's not the end of the world.' The cuts of the clothes are nice but it's all a little bit Art Teacher Meets Cat Lady for me. Worn in small proportions I'm sure it can look good. The coats are very beautiful.
DKNY;Nice. The prices are good, in fact they are as cheap as the American DKNY outlets. The clothes are not really for me, but my mum loves it. You could definitely stock up on some well made basics in here. Everything is discounted and it's rare for anything to exceed 100 euro.
Elizabeth Hurley Beach;Cannot figure out the point of this shop. Everything is very boring and overpriced, and there's only about 3 different types of bikini which all look like they came from Penneys.
Jaeger;Not bad. Some of the shoes are very nice. The clothes are not my thing and the bags are ridiculously overpriced for what is basically a Chanel rip off. Prices are okay.
Juicy Couture;I'm sorry but I will never be able to understand the logic behind Juicy Couture. Why oh why would you pay 100 euro for a velour tracksuit that looks like it came straight out of Jersey Shore? There's not really any other clothes apart from the tracksuits, and what they have is incredibly overpriced and boring. The jewellery is nice but again expensive, as are the bags. It's worth a look inside just for the interior, it's pretty cool.
Karen Millen;One of the best shops in the outlet. Some great discounts on items that are still in the main shops. You really have to be a size 12 or under to find anything good. It's ideal for me but I don't really have anywhere to wear most of the clothes. I almost bought an amazing navy blue maxi dress for 25 euro but I couldn't make myself pay it because it was just too formal. You need to rummage but you can find some amazing things. The people working in the shop are very friendly and helpful without smothering you.
L.K Bennett;Wow. Some seriously good deals here too. There's a nice selection of shoes, a lot of dresses, skirts and jackets are 50 euro. Some are 30. Honestly the style is a little bit Ladies who Lunch for me but if you're looking for some nice semi-formal wear it's worth a look. The people who work there are also nice.
Levis;The clothes are not anything special, and it's mainly for men. The jeans are okay, as I said I'm not a jean person and the washes are too dark for me anyway. I saw a deal on that was 2 for 60 on jeans which is pretty good.
Monsoon;It's okay. The prices are not great and it's very hard to find anything without a single sequin on it. Seriously.
Everything is bedazzled. The little girl's stuff is very cute.
Polo Ralph Lauren;Ugh. Everything about this shop is so obnoxious. The shirts are all bright with huge 'Polo Ralph Lauren' crests printed all over it. Honestly it's just a step up from Ed Hardy. The Ralph Lauren Blue Label is very nice and there's some fabulous and flattering little black dresses running from 100 to 150. The shop is big and always full. Also, if people pronouncing Ralph Lauren like 'Ralph Lauh RENN' then is one of your pet peeves then avoid this shop at all costs or you'll end up pulling your (or someone else's) hair out.
Radley;Cute bags. I have a change purse from there that I've had it for about 4 years and it still looks new. They had a wall behind the desk with tonnes of bags for under 99 euro, and they're not just crap that no one would want either. They're decently sized and made with good leather.
The Style Gallery;Amazing. Full of Irish designers with most dresses costing 40 euro. You'll have to cram into a tiny shop and fight for space with women who go to Lady's Day races, but it's worth it to get a stunning sequined dress for 40 euro.
The Verdict;Not a bad place. There is bargains to be had and it's nice way to pass a day window shopping. Plus you get exercise and fresh air. The scenery is beautiful in the surrounding area, and if you get tired of shopping there's a walkway more or less in the Outlet, near the restaurant. There's a Starbucks and their own restaurant. I've never been to the restaurant but it seems to be busy so it must be nice. Parking is free and there's a lot of parking spots.
Tips;Avoid the weekends if possible. If you have to go on a weekend, get there more or less as soon as it opens because within two hours there will be no parking left. Be prepared to put up with obnoxious women and bratty kids.
(oh, and the toe marks are part of the design, not from wear. No idea why you would put them on a shoe, but oh well.)
I got this vintage snakeskin clutch from Ebay too. I managed to trace it back to the 1940's with the help of various vintage websites. It's gorgeous.
