One of my all-time favorite things to do living in New York City is people-watch. It’s for the interactions sometimes, but mostly, it’s for the outfits. There’s simply no better way to know which trends, brands, and specific items are making waves in a particular fashion city than to spy on the locals and note the sartorial moments you spot most.
Knowing that, when I was in London for a week earlier this month, I spent the majority of the trip eyeing up the looks I passed on the street. From my perch at tiny bistro tables outside of Notting Hill cafés, on benches in Hyde Park, and atop pub stools in Shoreditch, I had the perfect view for discovering every last fashion item worn by London’s finest dressers. For my detailed report, get scrolling.
If I learned one thing from my trip to London, it was to always be prepared for torrential rain. Obviously, a raincoat, an umbrella, and waterproof shoes are great for that. But if you want to hide your soggy hair in a chic, effortless way, it appears that baseball caps are the locals’ go-to.
I swear I saw more oversize button-down shirts in London than I did Tudor-style buildings or pubs with the name Shakespeare in the title—combined. Paired with puddle pants, tucked-in maxi skirts, long slip dresses, and relaxed denim, this easy and often affordable basic is certainly a frequented option for lazy dressers who still want to look posh.
From Notting Hill, where I stayed the first two nights of my trip, to Bicester, the tiny town an hour outside of London where I spent a day shopping at outlets, cargo pants followed. Let’s just say the utility-style pants are just as ubiquitous in London as they are on my social feeds.
If I had jetted off to London a year ago, I’m sure all I would’ve been met with were micro miniskirts that looked more like wide belts than actual garments. But since I went in 2022, it was maxi skirts that dominated on the streets, paired with everything from Mary Jane flats to knee-high boots.
Londoners certainly aren’t the only ones frequenting the tailored-suiting trend. Though, they are some of the best at it—period. Styling the pieces with basic tees and retro sneakers, they have a unique ability to make suiting look cool and easy rather than overly styled.
Shop the matching Dress Pants ($40).
Shop the matching Wool Suit Pants ($120) and Check Wool-Blend Suit Waistcoat ($80).
Shop the matching Wide Leg Suit Trousers ($59).
I’m as shocked as you probably are at the recent passion for overalls, the one-pieces that I would’ve never considered to be a chic alternative to dresses or separates a year ago. These days, though, they’re everywhere, especially in London, where I saw at least 10 variations during my first weekend there alone.
Londoners and trench coats are inseparable, so it’s no wonder that I saw practically every one of the city’s more than nine million people wearing one in some form during my weeklong stay. Because of how popular they are, though, skilled dressers have had to learn a thing or two about styling transitional-weather outerwear in ways that feel unique. Think: pairing them with slip dresses and boots or throwing a cozy knit over top like a scarf.
Though Adidas’s classic indoor-soccer cleats, the Sambas, are now practically everywhere, the style’s comeback really originated in the UK, so I wasn’t surprised to see them while I was there, often paired with slouchy jeans and a chic coat or styled alongside a maxi skirt and a sweater.
They don’t celebrate Labor Day in September in the UK like we do in the States, which means that outdated “no white after Labor Day” rule is 1000% debunked. Because of that (and their overall stylish appeal), white jeans are a hit all year long in its capital city.
The growing metallic-shoe trend has absolutely made its way to London, where I was practically drooling over all the high-shine boots, pumps, and sandals I spotted on the streets, in stores (yes, the F/W 22 Bottega Veneta silver boots were available at Dover Street Market), and inside the city’s newest, buzziest restaurants.
When the weather becomes too chilly in London for trench coats, it seems the entire fashion community trades them in for cozy, wrapped-up blanket coats, many of which come courtesy of Totême. The brand’s many scarf-detailed coats were a dime a dozen in the UK style capital, only feeding my desire to add one to my already full coat closet.
