What to wear in london

[GiBlues]

Please help!
I’m due to go to London for the day/evening at the end of the month.
I’d like to dress up as we are going for cocktails through the day and a meal in the evening.
However I have no idea what to wear on my feet, I’ll probably wear wide leg trousers and a nice top and we’ll be doing a fair bit of walking so I need something that’s comfortable and warm but also look dressy and not frumpy.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
TIA

Trainers

Everyone wears trainers or Dr Martens here anyway so I would go with that unless you have a nice pair that you want to wear

Or brogues and socks.

Agree trainers and DMs everywhere. London is more casual than most of the rest of the country. You can still dress up if you want though. Literally anything and everything goes here, that's the joy of the place. You're always going to be surrounded by people from somewhere else, doing something else.

This is what I’m looking at wearing, as you can see she has sling backs on which are neither warm or comfortable for all day

Can you wear a long skirt/dress and some impressive boots instead?

Jeans and trainers - my normal dress style for London (and any other large city in winter).

I could go dress and boots yes

Boots / Chelsea boots.

That’s lovely but quite a glammed up look for London. Wouldn’t look out of place in a ‘Brunch’ style roof top bar, a hotel bar, Docklands or a ‘Sexy Fish’ type place. Would probably look quite different to many women in the bars of Soho or Brixton on a Saturday night.

Where are you headed - London is a series of villages with tribes! We might be able to give a better steer if we know.

*edited to add - her hair and make up add to the Glam Squad look. The top and trousers would look great with dressed down hair and a pair of boots / trainers.

I agree that’s quite a smart outfit for London which tends to be very casual. I would keep the camel coat but wear it with jeans/cords and trainers or a pair of chunky boots.

London is so casual, I am always, always over dressed.

We’re drinking in The Ritz and a couple cocktail bars in Mayfair so that’s why I thought the outfit above would be a good choice.

This is a gorgeous outfit - dressy, but I wouldn’t consider it overdressed for cocktails and dinner in London.

Have you got any mid-heel black boots that could work?

Enjoy your trip! 🍸

Edited to clarify: I am a Londoner, too!

Agree it’s very dressy but then I don’t drink at the Ritz! That outfit would look a bit incongruous with trainers I think (too … glam). I’d rethink the outfit like PP said and work around shoes you can walk round in + the camel coat.

I’ve not been to The Ritz but for Mayfair I’d just wear more tailored jeans and up the ante on the quality of materials eg a cashmere jumper rather than my usual M&S Supersoft. And make sure my blow dry was extra bouncy.

Flat knee-high boots? I have some very old but gorgeous Italian black leather boots with a tan band around the top, and a buckle - they're slightly circus ringmaster (which I'm fine with).

Love the outfit, you look great! Perfect for Day to Evening and the Ritz. I’d go with some kind of low heeled boot.

I'm assuming the people you are going with are dressing up to a similar level? It is glam for London but I'm sure you won't be the only one in there putting the effort in. If you want to them go for it.

I can't think of walkable shoes to go with that tbh. It's more of a dressy shoe or heeled boots outfit.

Like pp I think I'd start with some smart but comfy boots and find a beautiful dress.

When I've been in the position of spending the day out with drinks and dinner later, I put a fancy pair of heels, a nice top and clutch in a backpack, then amend my outfit on arrival at the cocktail place and leave my backpack in the cloakroom.

Your outfit is perfectly fine, one that you can wear during the day and then swap shoes and bag in the evening. It just depends on if you want to stow the extra items? On occasion, I opt for a tote but generally, find backpacks are easier.

No one really wears heels though anymore do they? Or possess a clutch bag?

Is this rhetorical? I mean...there certainly still seem to be thousands of paris of heeled shoes for sale on the high st/online, and I haven't yet seen anyone clutch (hah) their pearls at my occasional use of a clutch bag on a night out.

A good boot does, and not even a heeled one. Flats are acceptable. Think DMs, Lanx, Solovair. Or as pp said, clean, good quality trainers. As long as you are clean & tidy you are good.

The last time I went to the ritz we weren't allowed in as someone in our group had (very fancy) trainers on! Just a word of warning! Zara often have nice flat sling backs ?

Everyone says that London is so casual and dressed down on these threads. However, that’s not my experience at all. It depends where you go and what you want to wear.
The venues that you mention are smart and people will be well dressed for the occasion. I’d go with the outfits that you mentioned at the start of the thread.
Have a great time!

You are right to wear that to The Ritz.
That's not a place to 'dress down'!