How to look 'cool' London Look

[DotCottonsFag]

I dont know whether thats the term ... but how does anyone replicate the 'look' of some of the women who take the tube?

Their hair looks uncombed but stylish
They wear either black and white, maybe grey
White trainers or black boots
They look done but without being done IYKWIM
Where do they get it from? I want it!!

I think your post tells you how to do this. Ideally get a good haircut and be under 25, though I look like this and I’m nearly 70. A long tiresome train journey beforehand helps with the dishevelled look.

Oh i try to do this...... and it looks like i just stepped out of the wash basket

When I left London, where I lived centrally and walked or took public transport everywhere, to live in a village in the Midlands that only had an infrequent bus service and so was very car-dependent, the things that struck me most about differences in self-presentation were related to that — Londoners of my generation by and large wore clothes/shoes/haircuts/bags that had to work for getting around by walking/tube/bus, the workplace and going out afterwards (as no one was going to schlep home first), so they needed to be functional, adaptable and cool. If you go everywhere by car and drive to the door, then you don’t use outerwear in the same way, except if you’re actually going for a walk, and can, if you want, wear heels and specific ‘going out’ clothes and a big, glossy blow dry, which wouldn’t hold up to walking to the tube and several changes.

I think working in London forces you to up your game because (depending on job!) you see all these super cool women all day and steal ideas - and confidence - off them.

I moved from London two years ago and realise now that I was constantly getting style inspiration without knowing it! I don’t follow blogs/Instagram or read fashion magazines and have noticed a decline in my style..:

I live in a village but I work in London....

I want to be chic and it's not happening

Any anyone I should be following?

A lot of it is 'don't care how people perceive you'. There is a confidence from living and working in London. I had it in the early 00s when I lived and worked there. Now I look like a middle aged rural mum when I go back in.

But PP was right - clothes have to be portable and comfy for travel and walking and also no-one goes 'out out' really, it's less of a thing.

A neutral colour palette
A good coat and plain bag
Dedicated tote or canvas bag for shopping or overspill so you don’t look like a bag lady
Sleek trainers for walking like stan smiths, sambas or gazelles. Or a heeled Chelsea boot if that’s manageable for their travelling.
Practical clothes- jersey pencil skirts, paper bag trousers, oversized shirts, sweaters and jumpers.

Ultimately- you want to look practical and ready for anything. Teetering onto the tube in court shoes and bodycon is very dated. Being ‘done up’ is now pretty unstylish unless you are at a wedding or function.

I was a teenager in London the 2010s and there was very much a shift between what you wear out-out around that time. One day we were all in mini dresses and platform heels- then it became competitive underdressing: jeans and a crop top, dress, but with chunky trainers. You’ll only wear Missguided mini dressers with heels now if you are a wannabe Instagram influencer or love island contestant.

I think this has fed into the workplace where there is a smart casual dress code too. Women dress more androgynously, there’s a bit of tailoring, maybe there is a pussybow or a silk shirt if you wanted to look a bit sexier- but ultimately, it’s more practical.

People are no longer trussed up in tight bodycon workdresses or satin pencil skirts on the tube. It looks very dated now.

I think what PPs have said; I've lived, studied and worked in London for 20 years and theres been a definite paradigm shift in women's dressing and office attire. I think the look you want to aspire to is natural and expensive. Personally, I only brush my hair before washing it - then leave it to dry naturally with some leave-in conditioner and light hair oil. I just ruffle it up daily. Simple clothes which are practical and a good bag. And a bit of attitude

Sounds like you need to be following londonersinlondon_ on Instagram :)

Have a look at Jess Fashion Style Edit. She is on instagram but more on you tube.

Im In! @BlairWaldorfLovesShopping @BringMeTea

It is so big that no one gives a shit what you wear, which gives you the freedom to experiment. Even in other cities in the UK there is much more of a uniform, especially students who all seem to stick to the same formula.

I would say don't try too hard to be smart or match stuff. Wear what you feel comfortable in.

This is not me but I’ve lived in London a LONG time and it’s as pps say:

• simple palette
• nothing too wacky
• nothing even slightly wacky actually, simple and understated including jewellery. No florals, bright colours
• sort of Cos aesthetic, maybe a bit oversized, nothing too overtly sexy
• practical but not dowdy, very thin line sometimes
• fashionable shoes, eg suddenly everyone has Vejas or stompers, not sure how they find out

It’s easier if you are under 35. Insouciance can transform into ‘lost my way’ later in life.

You're all in a very different London to the one I know. You could literally wear anything and no one would bat an eyelid. If there is a place to wear wacky, it's there.

I think this only works if you are slim. I'm an apple and can never pull off 'chic'.

@therespectablecardigan

I think this only works if you are slim. I'm an apple and can never pull off 'chic'.

There is gate-keeping at the top of fashion - most high-end fashion houses design for slim women, many not even making sizes above a L. The majority high-street shops construct garments in the cheapest way, rather than the most flattering or 'correct' way. It is easier for slim women because the industry it set-up for them, but all sizes and shapes of women have a place in fashion and are fashionable.

I encourage you to check out jaimmykoroma on Instagram - she began a series of taking Pinterest "what I'll wear when I'm skinny" boards and styling the looks on herself, proving they look just as good on a bigger body. This has inspired YouTube videos of the same theme

@mewkins

You're all in a very different London to the one I know. You could literally wear anything and no one would bat an eyelid. If there is a place to wear wacky, it's there.

I agree with this — there are people wearing crazy looks all the time.

@mewkins

You're all in a very different London to the one I know. You could literally wear anything and no one would bat an eyelid. If there is a place to wear wacky, it's there.

I was thinking the same. Neutral colours, nothing wacky…completely different to the London I know.

This youTuber stops random Londoners and asks them what they’re wearing. None are like described in this thread:

You can try and deconstruct it but I'm from London living in the North and honestly everybody overdresses up here.

Just immerse yourself in London life. Shop in London, hang out with Londoners and once you've done 5 days a week on the tube for a year you'll get the look, the black bogies and the aloofness.

I Totally disagree with the nothing whacky comment ! That’s the thing I miss, seeing people wear things that I wouldn’t have considered

@CommanderBurnham

You can try and deconstruct it but I'm from London living in the North and honestly everybody overdresses up here.

Just immerse yourself in London life. Shop in London, hang out with Londoners and once you've done 5 days a week on the tube for a year you'll get the look, the black bogies and the aloofness.

I no longer live there and I kind of miss the black snot.

I don’t recognise this London! I get the tube everyday and I see every type of style under the sun. Today I was admiring a young woman in a black catsuit and biker boots with a gloriously shiny copper bob, a teenager with the most amazing Egyptian style necklace, waist length braids and beautiful eye make up, and an older woman in a very cool men’s trousers suit and patent ox blood brogues (I wish I’d asked where she got them).

The beauty of London is that people tend to dress for themselves, not for some identikit idea if what’s in fashion.

The only common denominator is comfy shoes. Very rarely see anyone in heels on public transport. Trainers or flat boots all the way.

Comfy/practical shoes you can run in. Literally anything else goes IME (lifelong Londoner here!)