What brands do posh people wear in London

[MrsDeadlock]

I am northern, and not posh. However I do have a fancy job that usually requires a level of travel.

There is a dress code that I'm not very good at reading for my London based contemporaries. Think Meg and Julia in Motherland types.

What brands do these types wear? I can spot a Mulberry handbag at ten paces usually but the rest is baffling and I'm genuinely intrigued. They always look so well dressed!

Please help me, I can't ask in real life!

I have 2 lovely bags ( rucksack and satchel) by Ally Capellino bought at the Tate Museum shop.

Just having a mooch through the Theory sale now. What is their sizing like? I'm a standard 12 in most places but looks like that is an 8 there?

Depends on your industry. I work for a company which insists on smart dress and heels and the amount of times I've been to meetings with clients wearing converse and denim. I feel an over dressed loser. Where is your office? Mayfair/wear end, City or shoreditch all have different dress codes

Thanka for starting this thread OP, it's fantastic!
Have you had a look at Baukjen? Quite simple/classic style, but everything has a bit of a twist. Good quality and the prices are reasonable, especially in the sale. I'm a Londoner with small children and a busy professional job, and their stuff ticks all the stylish/practical/eco conscious boxes. Effortlessly throw on kind of stuff for every day, looks put together without too try hard.

Separately, and I think a PP said this further upthread, I think one of the big markers of London fashion is the blend of new/high end with vintage/second hand. A solid 50% of my wardrobe is from charity shops, and depending which part of London I go to, I find a different look. For example Blackheath, Chiswick, Islington all have some beautiful higher end stuff like cashmere, Hobby, Jaegar, Joseph, sometime even designer like Chanel and Prada
Whereas the less "posh" but no less fashionable areas such as Peckham and Dalston also have some fantastic finds - often very urban, creative, multicultural.

I think its the mix of all these things that give well dressed London women the London "look". That and beautiful yet practical shoes - PPs have mentioned lots of good brands upthread but personally I'm a big fan of Camper for their ankle boots. Stylish and incredibly comfortable.

Just looked at Sophie S
It’s certainly a look but not one I’d recognise in any professional or cool sense
She would be laughed about behind her back by almost everyone I know
in work

Well that's pretty horrible on such a lovely thread.

OP well wear on your new stuff!

Quite agree HeyGirl. No need for that tone.

And yet - whilst the fashion and ideas on here have all been appropriate, rather lovely and cool
The Ista influencer was a weird reference point - there is nothing wrong with pointing that out or the obvious, which she is and there in lies the issue

@RonaldMcDonald what issue? I think you’ve got the issue with a group of grown women sniggering at another person for how they dress. And SS may not fit the bill of this fashion ouevre she dresses perfectly well.

I bought a lovely pair of black wide leg trousers from whistles and they look great with a plain v neck liner t shirt and my new wrap cardigan- cardigan is from Baukjen.

I agree 're the comments about the Insta blogger. I took a look and while her look is not my look nor perhaps is it the look being discussed here I really can't see why people would be sniggering about it. Or sniggering about anyone's style tbh. Not nice.

@Atalune which whistles trousers did you buy? I bought wide legged cropped black trousers from whistles a few months back on a whim & I have worn them so much since. I love them. I bought the Whistles Delilah heeled boots in plum & have worn them with the trousers & they look great but I also bought the Whistles Asha flat leather boots & they look good for more casual wear with the trousers.

It really does depend on budget so much too. Some of my London clients are very very wealthy and they all shop at Browns London www.brownsfashion.com/uk/woman

Tailoring suits me (and as a legal professional it's necessary for work still) so I go to Max Mara for that. I have more trouble styling myself for casual wear to be honest.

@Atalune - people constantly judge sneer or snigger at others
This isn’t my problem or my mo
However suggesting that this insta person is how a smart Londoner dresses is and would be laughable for many

Can't imagine any grown women I know sniggering or judging someone else's clothes, really. To say it's a reflection of them is an understatement.

@RonaldMcDonald then I dare say you are living an unfortunate life surrounded by arses. I have never heard nor seen anything like it as a woman in my 40s having lived in both London and NY for some time in my 20s and 30s.

My friends and I would never dream of sniggering at another’s appearance or attire.

The mind boggles.

Dear lord, this has escalated. How sad. Ronald for someone of your intellectual achievements and capabilities, you disappoint me.

Enough of this. It’s time to stop and to move back to tailored clothes.

American 8 is a UK 12. Theory are fairly true to size but certainly not large. They have quite a lot on The Outnet as well
Good luck!

When I think of London style I think of Sharon Horgan on Catastrophe - I love her look! Not sure where I would go for those clothes though ...

It hasn’t escalated - I’ve simply been very clear that many many of the women I have worked with have been incredibly judgey about other women’s style and clothing. Sometimes crucifyingly to their face some, perhaps more poisonously, behind their backs
Pretending this does not take place or that I am lesser for noting or highlighting it means we are not all being very honest.
Tribes are alive and well and are very clear on who is or is not ‘in’
Education and status does not change this - simply am extension of social identity theory perhaps

As I stated earlier some of the fashion and recommendations here have been great but the insta person would cause hilarity for many I know.
This may make you uncomfortable but I bet there is also a part of you which acknowledges this as true.
In the same was as women dressed in a similar way to the Insta person who recoil in horror at Margaret Howell and have plenty to say after the fact

I am a Londoner and have a job where I speak with a lot of high profile type people. I would recommend looking at Baukjen. The clothes are boring as hell but that is what I base my work wardrobe look on. Good quality though. I usually buy in the sale.

Thankfully I work in an industry where women barely ever talk about each other like that @RonaldMcDonald so let's just leave it there hey. Sorry that's your reality, it must be unpleasant.

Thanks everyone for the most recent additions. I've looked at them all and followed many on IG for inspo.

these are my whistles wide leg trousers

The are really lovely to wear and I’ve been wearing them with white trainers (natch) or grey suede buckle boots from mint velvet.

I've lurked on this thread, as it has been so interesting, thank you MrsDeadlock.
I also appreciate the 'tone'; something similar to the long running Royal threads.

I disagree Ronald-> "the insta person would cause hilarity for many I know." I find this unpleasant.
I googled the person mentioned; never in a month of Sundays will I dress or look like her.
I applaud her style, I admire it, I dont covet or wish to emulate it. That doesn't take away from my appreciation.

I know of people who dress similarly in their private lives, but who change to something more appropriate for work.
I admire them, not laugh at them.
"Hilarity" would imply something unpleasant about me, not SS or people who dress like her.

Agreed. The idea that it would be expected and something to care about is pretty depressing. People that behave like that are not happy people.

OP will you share who you're following now? I like those ally cappelino bags also. I am going to treat myself come June when I finish my studies, so will be watching closely! Also love Sharon Horgan on Catastrophe, don't know Motherland.

I also love SHs wardrobe in Catastrophe I think she wears colours and prints really well, it’s bold but not whacky. She does have a fantastic figure which helps!

My sister just retired from a senior job in newspapers where she worked with a lot of younger, stylish types and was expected to dress well. She also a bit of a clothes horse so has loads of stuff. Her preferred brands were Whistles, Joseph, Jigsaw and Hush. She spent so much at Whistles last year they sent her a free shirt.

She is very thin though and her brands tend not to fit me that well. When I had a senior job in London (law) my go to brands were were Hobbs and Boden.

For bags my preference would be Radley. And Jones Bootmakers for shoes. I have wide feet and they didnt pinch my toes like other brands.