Summer, we all know what that means - Getting out of the house and enjoying the sunshine. Typically too we are all have extremely full schedules with garden parties, barbecues, weddings, and other special occasions that require us to get all glammed up. But shopping and fighting the crowds can be hard,  let alone if the shops you are going to aren’t accessible, or if they don’t understand the specific needs of the disabled fashionista. So we’ve contacted the main department stores in Edinburgh to see how accessible and aware they are when it comes to disabled friendly fashion.

Debenhams

a. 109 Princes St, Edinburgh, EH2 3AA
t. 0844 561 6161

Click here for the personal shopper website!

Debenhams have gone a long way in recent years to create an inclusive shopping experience. They employ diverse models for their clothing range as well as well-trained personal shoppers. Their personal shoppers learn about everything from how to help style the sighted and partially sighted by showing them how are garment will wear through texture and feel. They are also educated on fastening types and footwear fits, thus they know what works for whom depending on the wearers specific abilities. It truly is a fantastic and inclusive service. Also we are lucky enough to have this service right here in the Edinburgh store on Princes Street! To book an appointment, simply give them a call or book online and let the team do the rest. The service really is the Rolls Royce of accessible shopping experiences and a must for the savvy shopper! Oh, did I not mention the best part…? Its FREE!

Following on from this, the store itself is fully accessible with a series of lifts and off the street access. They have a stunning range of clothing for every single occasion – and right now a beautiful range of sundresses for those summery outdoor events.

John Lewis

a. St James Centre, Edinburgh, EH1 3SP

t. 0844 693 174

Click here for John Lewis's Fashion advice service!

John Lewis is great for accessible shopping, all exits and entrances can be accessed from street level. The only issue is that the rugs and sporting goods entrance will only give you access to the rest of the store via escalators, however if you enter through the main mall you shouldn’t have any issues. They have a larger fitting room in each of the men’s, women’s and children’s areas which are not only fitted with a call button so an attendant can easily grab you different size, but also an emergency pull cord. They also have accessible toilets so you don’t have to leave your shopping trip to visit the central mall loo’s – always a plus!

Although the personal shoppers at John Lewis are not specifically trained in fashion specific needs of people with disabilities, they are trained to be sensitive and caring as they have a lot of clients coming in who are perhaps not confident in how they look or with certain aspects of their bodies. They are well trained to be able to find solutions to maximise our best assets and minimise the things that may bother us. They also have lingerie fitters that are trained especially to help women who have had a mastectomy to find bras that not only fit well but make them feel sexy and feminine post-surgery. They can also adapt bras to fit inserts in these cases if they are desired. The shoe department as well, while not having any orthopaedic or specialist shoes, are able to advise you on the best shoes to buy for fitting issues and are very knowledgeable. What does all this add up to? A great shopping experience!

Jenners

a. 48 Princes St, Edinburgh, EH2 2YJ

t. 0131 225 2442

Click here for the Jenners Website!

Jenners is available on all levels to people with accessibility issues or have trouble using stairs, however it is an absolute maze and you really need to know which lift to use to get to the floor you need. This can sometimes involve taking a lift at one end of the store then crossing across to the other side to get in another lift but you do eventually to get to where you need to go. There are also a lot of split level floors to navigate. This is mainly due to the buildings historical nature and the restrictions that come along with this. They do however have a great range of high end goods and would be a great place to look for special occasion clothes – and lets not forget they are one of Edinburgh’s oldest and most loved shopping landmarks.

When contacted in regards to whether or not they had a specific personal shopping for people with disabilities they said they didn’t but they do have a great personal shopping service. They also said they don’t really have a service to help people navigate the accessibility of their store apart from the personal shoppers but they reiterated that you can access all the floors.

Marks and Spencers

a. 54 Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2DQ

t. 0131 225 2301

Check out the M&S website by clicking here!

Marks and Spencers is one of the quintessential British occasional wear providers and the Edinburgh store is no different. They have a great range of clothing from sportswear and smart casual wear, all the way up to party and formal wear. The Princes Street store in Edinburgh has two entrances one from Princes Street and one from Rose Street. While the store is split level in some places considerable effort has been made in order to make every part of the building accessible, however as it’s a listed building there are restrictions on this so it sometimes the layout out may seem slightly illogical.

While there is no personal shopping service anymore, the staff assured me that if you give them a quick call and a wee bit of notice (a day or so) they will definitely be able to help out those of us that have specific shopping and access needs. So if you have that wedding coming up and you need that perfect dress, don’t hesitate to call them! They already have some regular disabled customers that come in and get some great help and advice for the knowledgeable staff. Also feel free to pop in anytime to browse as the staff are friendly, accommodating, and willing to lend a hand anytime.

Top Shop - Edinburgh Princes Street

a. 30 Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2BY

t. 01315 560151

Top Shopping Personal shopping - click here!

If you’re looking for a younger, fun, and funky look why not check out Top Shop on Princes Street? They have street level and lift access to all parts of the store plus they have their same great range of chic and trendy summer clothes as they do in all their stores nationwide in a range, sizes, and styles to suit everyone.

They have a very thorough personal shopping service. You can either book an appointment online or over the phone, when you do you give your shopper a brief so they know how to help you shop. This means they get to know a little about you, about your preferences and needs, so they research and pull some clothes that they think will work for you. So if you need clothes with easy to access zips and clasps they can save you hours of hunting through the busy store, leaving you to just relax and check out the colours and styles rather than having to worry too much about functionality. Although they have no specific training on clothing for people with disabilities, this approach to shopping means that you are assisted on a fully individual basis, so it’s all about you and not about boxes or labels. The staff are really friendly, helpful, and definitely worth checking out!

I hope you found this helpful guys - nothing left to do now but get out there and get shopping!

Margie Fletcher