By Sophia Harris / Columnist
It’s a gorgeous day in London. The leaves are just beginning to change colors in St. James Park, and flecks of golden yellow and soft orange dot the trees. Birds harmonize sweetly in the weeping willow branches that gently drape themselves on the lush carpet of grass. Swans glide gracefully across the lake, towards the elegant Buckingham Palace. It is a perfect day to take a stroll through the park and take in the scenery.
However, as beautiful as the landscape is, the people catch my eye as well. The locals amplify the old Disney themed nostalgia that I feel as I walk. I am instantly drawn to their clothing, which somehow seems as classic as this park.
Recently, it has become a trend for people to try and look as though they just rolled out of bed while simultaneously looking perfect. Specifically, it seems like everyone in American society participates in an unmentioned competition: who can most effortlessly look the best.
On the other hand, most English people are less afraid to look like they tried with their appearance. While in London, I noticed a general absence of sweatpants and hoodies. Additionally, people tended to only wear athleisure for its intended purpose, working out. This is not to say that I did not see people sporting these pieces, it is to highlight that many comfortable staples of American style were less common in London.
In general, it seems like the way the English dress is more timeless, whereas American fashion typically revolves around trends. For example, many locals embrace a very classic fall look. I observed many long coats, wide leg pants, long skirts, and puffers as opposed to windbreakers.
Furthermore, the color scheme was relatively muted, which not only added to the coordination of their individual ensembles, but also made the overall London style more cohesive. Some key colors were black, navy blue, tan, and cream, all of which are versatile, and evoke feelings of quiet luxury.
One of my favorite outfits was a long, cream, waistless, wool coat, with a navy blue satin pleated skirt, cashmere cream sweater, and black, heeled boots. I also adored seeing a woman wear a woven Channel cardigan with a black pencil skirt.
However, although many locals look incredibly chic while they go about their daily lives, the overall fashion is not drastically different from America’s. Most people did not dress up as much as these two women. The average Londoner wore jeans and a sweater with a coat or puffer jacket, very similar to what we see in the States.
It was the small things that made British fashion stand out to me, because in every city, there are people who dress fabulously alongside people who could not care less about what they wear. Eventually, I noticed a pattern; even if a person’s outfit did not appear remarkable at first, after looking more closely, I discovered a subtle touch that made the ensemble seem just a bit more elegant.
As an example, a person may have put on a nice scarf that ties together the rest of their rather drab outfit. Or, that the material of what would be a bland ensemble was higher quality, making it appear more luxurious. Maybe, their jacket simply matched the color of their rainboots.
It appeared to me that the average London resident put in about 10 percent more effort than the average American, a small change that made 100 percent of a difference.