Having New York City as my unofficial “backyard”, I have been bred into being a city girl, hence one of the reasons why I went to college in the middle of Pittsburgh. I love everything about being in the middle of a city, especially the fashion that you get to experience. Combine my love of cities, fashion, and travel and that can very well explain the past year for me. I have had the privilege of traveling to magical places – London, Paris, Los Angeles, Chicago, and of course, New York City. I got to see and experience some of the most “out-of-this-world” culture and fashion.
My first stop was London. The cobblestone streets and the impending Olympic atmosphere was enough to melt my heart and that was even before I had the chance to look around at the amazing clothes passing me by on either side of the street. Everyone in London is dressed impeccably – everyday. I couldn’t even imagine the looks I would have gotten had I walked out the door in yoga pants or sneakers. Since London always has a chill in the air, jackets are a big must. Trench coats in all colors with big, bold buttons define every woman’s look. In the picture, we can see a typical rainy day in London and what better way to accessorize a gloomy day than with a great hat. Boots are also a must. From ankle booties to thigh-high boots, they have the ability to bring your outfit to another level. As I walked the streets of London, I realized that you didn’t need some extravagant outfit to stand out; some of the simplest outfits were the ones that caught my eye.
From London, I hopped on a train and arrived in Paris a mere two hours later. If I felt like I had the slightest chance of “fitting in” in London, I knew there was no chance of that in Paris. Everyone walking around is fabulous and has an air about them. Yes, I could have gone to the Champs-Élysées to see the likes of Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci walking around, but I decided to get as far away from that as possible to see the “real” Paris. While there, I stayed in a neighborhood right near the Eiffel Tower. Late in the afternoon, I would leave my hotel and walk around all the side streets that I could find. There, I found some of the most fashionably dressed people head to toe, with baguettes in hand of course. Every woman wore heels – regardless of half the streets being cobblestone. I was there in the late winter and so everyone was bundled up because of the cold weather. Long jackets and scarves were stable items I saw on almost everyone. Skinny pants were also a big deal. Every woman wore tight pants that tucked into their boots or ankle booties. And black – if anyone loves neutral tones and colors, Paris is the best place for you. Paris was like a fairytale land when it came to the fashion scene. To sum it up, it seemed like Paris was five years ahead of the fashion curve.
Going into New York City is one of my favorite things to do. And one of the reasons for that is because New York is a hub for fashion collected from all around the world. There is no one way to dress or one style that seems to overwhelm all the others. Everyone has their own way of putting their outfits together. This picture is the epitome of New York street fashion to me. The girl was able to put together two very different aesthetics to create one cohesive look. What I love about New York is that you can walk around in high-waisted jean shorts and a graphic tee or a maxi dress and wedges and look like you fit in with any style. Fashion is what you make of it and that really shows in New York.
Summer brings change and for me, that also means change of location. This summer I traveled across the country to the sunny land of California where I spent a lot of time in Los Angeles. Street fashion in L.A. was very new for me. Hippie-chic was the go-to style and maxi skirts and head wraps stole the show. The reason I love what the girl in this picture is wearing is because it shows how different L.A. style is. Hippie-chic was the majority but the more I toured around and went into nicer areas of L.A., I saw how much the street style radically changed. Very quickly, I saw women dressed head to toe in major labels. Unlike Paris, where the fashion was the same no matter where you went, I could tell when I was in nicer areas of Los Angeles based on the way people were dressed. It was a radical difference but that really showed how people in L.A. live their daily lives.
This Columbus Day weekend I took my travels to Chicago and I was very excited to be in the Windy City because I had never been before. And I knew right away that I was going to get a traditional Chicago experience when the weather dropped below 50 degrees. All up and down Michigan Avenue, I could see that everyone had traded in fall attire for something more winter appropriate. Fur vests were a central theme and I loved when I saw people get creative and pair it with colored pants as the girl does in this picture. I saw her browsing through Zara and I loved how she paired such simple separates together to make an extremely stylish outfit. Another central theme I saw were trench coats. Long, beige coats and boots were also another must. Chicago was very trendy and everyone was up on the latest styles for an easy transition from fall into winter.
Street fashion definitely differs from every major city but that’s one of the things that make every city unique. It’s important for me to keep up with the latest trends going on around the world because I like to keep up with what is in style in a specific city. But because I can’t be in London or Paris or even New York City on any given day I have had to search for other ways to stay informed. One of my favorites is www.lookbook.nu. This website allows people to upload pictures of defining styles going on in any given place in the world. I like it because everyone is unique and some of the outfits are so unique, I would have never thought to put it together on my own. A new update is their app for smart phones so you can even stay connected on the go. Another great find is www.streetpeeper.com. On this website, you can click on any of the major cities listed and there are pages upon pages of amazing street styles. Street fashion can happen anywhere and some of the most unusual outfits make for the best find. My point is to be creative with what you wear because you never know who can be looking to you for inspiration.
Sources (Pictures):
www.streetpeeper.com or my own pictures