Fashion observations from a day people watching in London

[Unicornsaregreat]

• Lots of different styles of jeans. Still lots of skinnies, with oversized tops
• Lots of bags like this picture
• A very large proportion of trainers were New Balance
• Those not in trainers mainly wore chunky flat or low heeled boots (no one in heels)

Thank goodness I live in a small village deep in the countryside when you can wear whatever you like without being criticised or told the middle aged women look shit
Here it’s practical clothing all the way; jeans, fleeces, waterproof coats, wellies and dog walking gear.

@JingsMahBucket yes! when I was in the 90s I had a very different wardrobe to my mum, aunts etc but somewhere it became normal for everyone to dress the same. It's not necessarily a bad thing but I do find it a bit boring. The shops are to blame too though, we used to have an amazing high street where shops would interpret trends in their own individual handwriting & there was more choice.

Not too matchy matchy, too contrived, it's best to put your own spin/identity/fun on your outfits.
If you're too identikit....it's naff

this is true

Perhaps before this fabulous thing called social media

social media is responsible for much of the homogeneity I think, everything becomes ubiquitous. I can't remember the last time I went into a house without a load of house plants or encaustic style bathroom tiles. I have plants too just not great at keeping them alive.

I can't remember the last time I went into a house without a load of house plants

Nor can I, people have had houseplants since I was born 38 years ago and, I hear, long before. What's wrong with houseplants?

if your very well off london young gal you also wear those soft touch but very brand or expensive comfort wear.so the high end trackie bottoms and tops.
seeing alot more fur line coats too.
deff sqaure backpacks.
instead of just skinny jeans everywehre i think people are trying to find "their fit" in the jeans again.so bf,high waist,flare options.
combat trousers coming back but in more blooom materia. so they are like hareem combats.

also the big fleece only seem to look ok if they are of the expensive variety.i dont no,like somehow they are still making a fitted fleece! my fleece in the cupbaord for dog walking is not going to cut it.

deff young girls doing the whole half top with puffa wasit length jacket thing.
the legging and big socks.
patent shoes.

That's right, @JackieDaws - I think we should infer that those of us in the North try too hard, yet get a wrong!

With social media and the fact most stuff is bought online, or at least available online, the difference between north and south has pretty much flatlined.

I used to work in buying for a big brand. There were definite trends in different parts of the country & we would tailor the amount of stock which went where. For example Liverpool would sell going out clothes, dressy shoes really well whereas Brighton it was more about flat shoes & casual clothes.

The trend where I am atm is those extra long length gillets with hoodies underneath them.

I was away at half term & say a lot of these. I bloody hate them but I suppose they make the puffa landscape a bit more diverse!

So to be clear... If we don't follow the latest trends then we look frumpy and boring?

Not in my book, individual style is better. Ideally you incorporate the trends into your own style. I'm wearing black trousers more when going out & I have that NF fleece upthread in another colour but I'm not doing crop tops & white sports socks with leggings.

Ok. What "cool brands" have we never heard of, up here in the Land of Beyond?

Nor can I, people have had houseplants since I was born 38 years ago and, I hear, long before. What's wrong with houseplants?

who said there was anything wrong with them? And of course house plants existed before just as the colour grey did. I just made the point they are more on trend in recent years then they were 10 years ago. You can disagree.

I love that dress!

It's a problem fashion wise then, if you can't wear leggings, trainers or jeans to work.

Yesterday, the popular attire was rain coats, muddy walking trousers, hiking boots and winter hats. I fit right in. (Lake district)

I've also ordered the Patagonia fleece jacket, think it was linked up tread. It's expensive though!

@RhadamanthNemes I want to see "German avant garde magazine editor"! I like the sound of that.

Same but this is a fashion thread. And even in those clothes, there’s frumpy and not so frumpy!

I thought I had seen people wearing bum bags sideways over shoulders. Seemed a bit odd!

Going into central London today so will also report back but will I be classed as unfashionable (early 40s) wearing skinny jeans , jumper and Clarks trainers ???? I'm going somewhere where there will be 1000s of young people as well as my age will be interesting to see how many of the leggings hoodie and long puffas there will be (which is what I see in south London).

I was at a London shopping centre yesterday and the must have fashion accessory appeared to be an angry looking small dog with the occasional larger one. Several were eyeing each other up prior to a barking and snarling fest but were dragged away before the fun could ensue. I love dogs and thought it seemed a miserable way for them to get their daily exercise.

There weren’t any standout fashion icons seen, most were in thick jackets, leggings and trainers.

Forget the north south fashion divide. As a Londoner growing up in the 1960s and 70s I can remember visiting relatives in south Wales and being sure they had barely invented the wheel they were so far behind London fashion wise.

I always have a backpack when I go out but that’s because I put my shopping in it and it’s easier to carry than lugging carrier bags about. I don’t wear walking boots though.

Urgh I hate my body so wear what i feel comfortable in then we have bitchy people judging from afar because we aren't fashionable 🤣 wow didn't think people actually cared about other's lives but apparently so.

I’m 42 and blame the fashion in the shops for the lack of style to be honest- flattering trousers and dresses seem to be missing at the moment, and why are bootcut jeans a thing of the past? More things suit younger people although I feel sorry for younger people who like muted or understated fashion. I find everything very 80s and 90s

And yes I know it's a fashion thread and most of it is nice to read. Only a couple of judgy people. Would love to see their fashionable outfits 🤣

I was in east london for a week in late Jan. I noticed short jeans (so they don’t cover the tops of trainers) and then chunky trainers.

Really, don't worry. Style threads are fantasy threads. We're playing Barbies in our heads. Not one of us is going to be on the cover of Vogue for our forward-looking, artistic style.

I have reached the time of my life where I don’t give a fuck any more. I dress for comfort and to please myself and don’t give a monkeys what other people think. I do like seeing what the ‘young things’ are wearing these days though.

It’s the black leggings with white sports socks pulled up over them and crocs that gets me 🙄🤣