Can you tell a Londoner by the way s/he dresses? I think I can. I might not be able to put my finger on it exactly, but there’s just something about the way London folk get dudded up that distinguishes them from the rest of the globe’s urban dwelling lot. Compared to world fashion capitals such as New York (where I lived before moving to London), Paris and Milan, people here in London don’t seem to be nearly as afraid to take a few sartorial chances, to show a bit of colour and to use what they wear as a means of expression. So often in big cities, black and grey uniforms of whatever are the popular designers/trends/brands dominate how people present themselves. There’s definitely a bit of that going on here, but just a lot less than in other places I’ve visited.
Watching the world go by from the window of a cafe off Oxford Street on this drab November morning, it’s certainly discernible who’s the local and who’s the visitor (but one thing’s for sure: both like to shop). Individual clothing preferences obviously vary to a great extent. Still beyond class, income and lifestyle, there seems to be a common thread. From the City worker in the pinstripe suit, loud(ish) shirt and clashing tie to the Shoreditch hipster trying to squeeze everything 80s into a primly messed up mélange, London clothing seems to be about taking risks and not taking oneself too seriously.
