The Robe

Great service from a lady who knows fashion and fitting! Lovely gift ideas. Beautiful quality pieces, some hand made accessories, love the scarves and wraps! Fresh colours and fine fabrics, small ranges, perfect additions to a trans seasonal wardrobe! This visit I spied some funky mix ‘n not so «matchy» lingere, new Oz brands perfumed candles, and room sprays, and 2 for my «lust list», Swedish Sea Salt Candle, and Sea Salt or Seaweed Soaps. Light and Sunny, we had fun! Thanks.

The Robe is just another women’s apparel and home-​wares boutique located in the Barracks. Although it is quite pretty and neat, I honestly do not find it to be anything amazing.
I have visited the store a few times when passing through the Barracks but have never spend more than 5 minutes in the store. I believe this is because the store looks more impressive from the outside than the inside– they visual merchandising at the front of the store is very welcoming and often makes me want to walk into the store. When I actually enter the store, I notice a bunch of clothes that just are not right for me and home-​wares that would not look right in my home.
Overall, this is not a bad store and I am sure some women (probably those who are older than myself) would really like this store. If you are into home-​ware boutiques and are passing through the Barracks, you might as well check out The Robe.

The Robe is another in a strip of boutique-​y, Ascot-​ish shops aimed at some of the older ‘Ladies who Lunch’ style women who often frequent The Barracks. I would probably find these stores less bland if I came across them individually, but with three of them in a row at Barracks, their sameness is amplified and a little depressing. It’s like you could knock down the walls that separate them and no one would even realise they’d once been individual stores. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for healthy competition and options for consumers, but how many of these stores does Barracks need. I sometimes wish they’d lease to a more varied group of tenants. I suppose it’s not fair to blame the shops themselves for their proximity to similar stores, but it doesn’t really inspire me to go in to each one very often.
Looking at The Robe in its own context, it’s a neat, pleasant little nook and is more wardrobe-​heavy than its contemporaries so that at least sets it apart somewhat. Lots of wicker baskets, handbags, sticks in vases etc. A perfectly friendly, standard boutique. They don’t have a huge variety of stuff, and what they do have all fits into a specific style (think Ascot Mum, House and Garden magazine type stuff), but at least they’ve figured out their niche and go with it. It’s a pity their neighbours have too, though.