Observations from the capital

[Ridingaroundonbuses]

I’ve yet to see anyone with one of those Uniqlo bags that have gone viral.

Longchamp Le Pliage bags are very popular and I have seen numerous people with them.

I have not seen many of anyone decked out in obvious designer gear. I’ve seen plenty of people with designer bags.

People dress how they want and I have not seen any noticeable trends other than to say people are dressing for comfort ( trainers).

I’m in central London and commute west to east. My 24 year old daughter has the Uniqlo bag. I didn’t realise they are so popular! I think it looks like a bum bag.

I see loads of MK bags, a few designer laptop bags, the occasional Longchamps,but a whole variety really. I have a Stubble backpack for work or an Aspinal cross body bag for other journeys (I only bought it because it has a large letter ‘A’ , my initial on it!).

I am not for a moment saying it does. I’m just saying it’s not necessarily reflective of how actual residents of the capital dress 🤷🏻‍♀️

I live in London and mostly I see long dresses worn with denim jackets and trainers. It's actually become boring!

I bought DD a Uniqlo bag but don't wear one myself.

Yes - it was a thread of London fashion observations- if it’s tourist that’s different.

DH was back in the London office last week - he commented how many are back in suits. He doesn’t need to wear a suit for his job and London office returns post covid he’d commented how few people were in suits, but it’s creeping back up to more people walking about in suits /smart office wear than not (His London office is between Cannon Street and bank stations - about similar walk from both, so pretty central for “city observation”).

he was no use for noticing what bags woman were carrying or shoe styles.

>>(I dress differently for a day sightseeing and visiting art galleries as I would going to meet a friend for lunch.)

am intrigued. can you say more? Or do you just mean that you're a messy eater?

My DM says that most younger women she knows dresses the same.

Ex colleague of mine, mid 20s, likes maxi dresses, floral or plain. With trainers. Ex colleague who worked with us, early 30s, works out a lot, petite, wore green body con ribbed dress and black leather Supergas trainers. Another ex colleague guessing mid 20s, high sort of Victoriana black ruffled blouse and black/stone trousers, or ruffled midi dress blank. Sometimes an olive green blouse satin with eg cheetahs on it.

I live in SE London but work centrally. Big difference between tourist wear and locals wear. Varies from area to area. I favour vintage plus casual for day or night plus more dressy sequins too.

Last night at Noel Gallagher concert it was a mix of floral sweatshirt with trendy earrings (cream round graphic, think Bunka), long black and pink short sleeved midi dress, both with trainers, one had Stan Smiths other had white pastel. One woman her hair looked ok but bleached blonde bob, dry, roots. Other woman had lovely brown low lights or balayage hair which was put up but then released to give waves. Browns eyeshadows on darker woman. Normal makeup on other.

😂 I'm a Londoner, living and working in London, and I use a Le Pliage bag. I'm not a tourist or Day tripper - it's just handy, fits all my crap in it 🤷‍♀️

I work in a street full of designer shops, expensive delis, cigar shops and the like, and I haven't seen one of those Uniqlo bags yet.

Or that you’re in Chelsea

Ha! Not messy (well a bit!) but more a day sightseeing in a city like London can be a bit hard work. So if I was doing a day out sightseeing, I’d wear trainers, comfy clothes that allow for layers to go on and off. Going for lunch with a friend i might wear trainers but more likely in summer some flat sandals/shoes or loafers - fine for a short walk from public transport to restaurant door, not really for full day on feet.

if the weather was a bit “British summer 2023”, to meet a friend I might put on a trench, or just carry a brolly, but if I was going to be outside for a lot of the day walking from one place to another even in light rain, I’d stick on a rain coat.

if I’m just meeting a friend and not being out all day, then I’d carry a small bag that would fit phone, purse, keys, kindle for train/tube. If I was going to be out all day, probably a big bag like a Longchamp or a rucksack.

I do find this interesting though, do others not dress for endurance if they are going sightseeing for a day?! Last time I went to another city to go sightseeing for the day was a trip to Bath, I did 20,000 steps that day, surely even those who don’t wear trainers every day are putting them on for that?!

I can't see anything in the OP that says, 'I only care what actual real people who live in London are wearing.'

I observed many outfits, good and bad. I didn't give a fuck if the person whose outfit I was looking at was a tourist or not. Tourists and actual Londoners can all look great or not great.

Surely residents of the capital don't all dress the same, just as all tourists don't dress the same? Trying to distinguish between the two is as ridiculous as it is futile.

I noticed the same last week when I was in the City of London, lots of suits, smart brogues, no ties though. Definitely a shift from more casual office wear for men.

I live in London and I mostly see floral dresses and white trainers, more skinny than non-skinny jeans, gym wear and lots of leggings. Not a scooby what a Uniqlo or Pliage bag is.

But I guess you're not talking about the Zone 3 school run.

I was in London yesterday and I noticed quite a lot Lonchchamp le pliage bags, mostly boring dark coloured.
I have few myself but I don’t wear any as I know the corners are get frayed very soon.
Also I saw a few strange bags, which I now know it’s the Uniqlo bag, lots in green..

I live in sort of London and I haven’t seen the Uniqlo bags either!

I carry any bag but it’s more for matching to outfits. Recently I’ve used my black LV Neverfull but I also use high street bags.

Not keen on Le Pliage but do have one somewhere.

To add it was in Central London, tourists zone only..

In Victoria and central London yes suits are back in vogue for men.

My last boss liked a suit and we had 2 events in Oxford Circus and Shoreditch this spring and he wore suits, as did other central gov director and deputy director types.

I was in central London this past week and I was not in Primark leggings but two very nice SeaSalt wide legged trousers.

Live in London (user name a give away). Round here most of the mums are in dryrobes due to the weather and use a uniqlo type bag to store poo bags etc in for dog walking. Quite a few also use them when cycling. Going out is usually a midaxi dress (pattered or plain depending on taste) white trainers or espadrilles and cardigan. The rest of the time its suddenly become combat trousers (wide legged for the walkers, slimmer legged for the cyclists) and non white trainers. (Six months ago everyone was still in various repetitions of the Me & Em side stripe trousers.)

I've noticed that all the women at choir practice from the 20 somethings to the long retired has a pliage - usually navy or black. I use mine all the time as its waterproof and I can get all my gym kit in it. My daughter and her friends all have them in a range of colours - the baby pink is popular. DD was extra delighted to score one in a local charity shop recently. DD and her friends live in gym kit or whatever they see on Vinted that takes their fancy - they don't seem to have a homogeneous "look"

Oh that Uniqlo bag is a bit of a let down. The amount of posts about it I was expecting something nice 🤦🏻‍♀️

I quite like the yellow one! I'm glad somebody posted a link because I've never seen one either (nor a Pliage, whatever one might be).

I can confirm that suits (without ties) are definitely back for the men of the Square Mile though; the proper shoes are taking longer to filter back in but I've seen more of them and fewer trainers/Converse these last few months 😀

Women just wear what they want, in my experience - that includes me. I might get one of those yellow bags for nipping out to the cinema and whatnot, since they're only fifteen quid.

I'm in London and I've seen the Uniqlo bag a lot - including on DD, one of her mates, and one of my mates.

I’m in London and bought the Uniqlo bag as I’m desperate for something roomy that doesn’t hurt my back. I’m a sucker. It’s not big enough for a handbag and I still need a tote, it’s ugly and it’s uncomfortable. I’ve got similar beautiful leather bags from the 00s that are better, but not quite right.

I’ve noticed the Rains backpack really dominating recently.

Probably because, you know, rain…