I had heard about Elle Morgan. There were rumours down the Manilva end of the coast that there was finally a place where after years of guessing shoe sizes, concerned mothers could prevent further damage from Spanish foot binding. So after a morning run along the Estepona paseo, children safely in school, my nose got the better of me and I decided to investigate the said place.
For those of you that don’t know, this children’s shop is located in the unlikely location of Laguna Village on the N-340 just five minutes after Estepona. At first I found it strange but in retrospect it is actually the ideal location, especially for those like me that live at this end of the coast where shopping opportunities are thin on the ground and the forty five minute drive all the way to Marbella is just too inconvenient to fit into an already activity packed week or to embark upon on a Saturday when there are 101 other things that your children would rather do.
But before I focus too much on the logistics, let me talk shop. Starting with the most important, my initial reaction upon entering. The first thing you notice is the two friendly faces behind the counter, one of them belonging to the owner Elle. You are made to feel welcome but free to browse at the same time. The next thing that you first notice is the logical organisation of the shop. The displays are bright and attractive and everything looks as though it is has just been removed from its packaging. They have something for all tastes, boys and girls alike, from babies to fourteen. There is a vast variety of quality brands. For the surfy types there are brands such as Roxy, Ripcurl, Animal and Quiksilver which is ideal for hanging around the house or playing outside in the summer. Personally I am a big fan of these brands because they are colourful but relaxed and throughout the summer they are worn to the maximum because of the durability and the fact that they wash so well.
On the subject of summer, the range of beachwear is irresistible. Summer days lead to summer nights and some of the smarter brands on offer which makes perfect evening wear to go out to eat or have an ice cream include Monnalisa, Mim-Pi, Phard, Kookai, Jean Bourget and Gas Kids.
Surprisingly, prices are reasonable; in fact what you pay for a Roxy dress is what you would pay for a top and skirt in a high street store such as Zara. However, unlike the Zara outfit, the Roxy dress will enjoy a couple of summers and will then be passed onto a younger sister in the same condition as the day that it was bought.
As for shoes, well this one stop shop boasts the coast’s only foot measuring service, both length and width and they hold plenty of stock of our favourite Start-rite shoes. You can choose any shoe from the whole catalogue: pre-walkers, first walkers, canvas, summer sandals, school shoes and trainers; so if the style you like is not in stock they will order it for you and it is in within a week! They have even started working in conjunction with the school uniform shops within some of the International Schools to provide an ‘in-school’ service. They also stock other well-known footwear brands; Buckle-my-shoe, Birkenstock and Replay&Sons. There is also a bright and colourful ‘wall of Crocs’ with the favourite cayman in all colours as well as other new styles such as alice, mary-jane, Disney princess crocling and branded Disney Caymans including mickey mouse, batman, superman and much, much more….. of course there are the jibbitz to personalise the Crocs – they have over 100 different ones to choose from.
The baby ranges are cuts, contemporary and fun – O’Baby London (a celebs favourite), Toby Tiger and a superb Australian range of products by Sunproof including sun protection suits, sunglasses, hats, umbrellas and tents.
With the countless number of birthday invites that children bring home from school, sometimes we lack inspiration for original presents. Well, the store has a funky range of games and gadgets, a kid’s jewellery collection, Fashion Angels, Hello Kitty, remote controlled helicopters and iPods with all add-ons and accessories. They can gift wrap it too and if you get caught out for a Sunday birthday party don’t panic because they are open! They are open all day, every day including high days and holidays!!
The fact that they are open seven days a week is enough for me. As far as I am concerned Sunday is the perfect day for trying on shoes and clothes, especially since they have a 42 inch plasma screen paying all the latest films to distract the children whilst you browse at your leisure. It makes perfect sense, easy to park, everything you need from casual everyday wear to school shoes to party wear and all under one roof without having to trawl shopping centres or town centres on a hot busy Saturday. Life has suddenly got a whole lot easier!
www.ellemorgan.com
info@ellemorgan.com
Tel: 647 869 831