Hobbs - final score: 29/40

Address: 47-48 South Molton Street   

Map: Click here to find this store

Score last year: N/A

Verdict: Hobbs has seamlessly blended fashion elements with classic product for an improved spring offer.

Looks - 7

Hobbs has taken a more contemporary slant to its classic product this season, focusing on incorporating trend-led elements to enliven its offering. Florals are an easy one to opt for, and Hobbs has featured them as embroidered detailing, patterns on belts and as prints on sheer dresses.

There are some tie dye cardigans, and also some references to nautical, including a pair of wide leg navy linen trousers and a tomato red cotton knit cardigan.

Colour comes through strongly, with yellow, raspberry and electric blue standing out. For those looking for suiting, there are both linen and wool options.  

Mix - 8

The product is largely merchandised by colour, and 80% of the store is dedicated to smart daywear, ideally suited to its well turned-out customer.

A quarter of the ground floor is made up of footwear and accessories, which include some on-trend tan wide belts and two-tone Mary Jane shoes.

Linen is a key fabric this season on jackets and trousers, and there are a couple of wool suits hanging over from winter. Basic pieces are dotted around the store dependent on colours. 

Store - 7

A well thought-out store arrangement sees some sensible sectioning, with casual product in the first half of the upstairs floor, eveningwear together in a small section at the back, and footwear grouped well with accessories in a spacious browsing area.

When Drapers visited staff were discussing why the manager didn't change the window displays more often, showing a keenness to boost business.

Big leather couches in the downstairs section of the store give a nice feeling of being looked after, but shoes dotted around the edges of the room look a little messy. 

Value - 7

Prices start at £29 for a button-down vest, while a cotton knit cardigan is £59 – add an extra £10 for a similar knit with beading detail – and a linen daisy print blouse is an interesting piece for £69.

A linen smock with intricate embroidery on the hem is a good £89 and a green linen swing jacket is a key piece and just £99. Day dresses include a ruffle-fronted polka-dot sleeveless shift for £149, and eveningwear is very reasonably pitched with a lime green crinkle silk dress with heavily jewelled straps coming in at £159. 

Vox pop: Mary McIntyre, 47, marketing director of an architect's firm in Canada

• Are you a regular shopper here? 
I come in here whenever I'm in town.

• What does this shop mean to you?
It has a very elegant, pulled-together style, good for the working woman who wants to look fashionable but classic.

• How impressed are you with this season's offerings?  
I was very impressed. I liked the colours. There was a beautiful green trench. The yellow had a certain amount of punch without being too acid. I liked the snakeskin platforms, which were sculptural and not too aggressively ugly.

• What is it they're doing well?
There's a real range, which women need to see when they're shopping. The suits are good, as are the separates, which you can add to, season after season, and mix and match. For instance, I saw a patterned skirt I really liked, which I would wear with a smart shirt to work and a dressy top in the evening. You could have your entire wardrobe from Hobbs.

• What have they missed out that you would have liked to have seen? 
There was too much black. And there were too many wide belts, which don't suit the hourglass figure. I would have preferred to have seen some narrower belts, which are more flattering, and can be worn either on the hips or round the waist.