Dressing for London is always tricky. With its strong fashion tradition and sassy subculture, contemporary London encourages creativity and celebrates individuality. But, let’s face it, when you’re out and about the entire day, you have to be practical. Your outfit often also has to see you through lunch, shopping and and clubbing, presenting a challenging conundrum. High heels and flouncy dresses get excruciatingly annoying after an hour of walking. At the same time, this city revels in edgy-cool, making it an ideal space to experiment with new looks: wear klutzy sneakers and sweat pants and you may as well just stay on the couch with bags of potato chips.
Fortunately, it’s still cold right now, and fashionistas are in that relaxed grey space between winter and spring dressing. Which means I can get away with visiting everything from elegant Tate Modern to grungy-chic Soho bars in a pair of knee-high Italian leather boots and classic Audrey Hepburn-inspired black coat accessorised with cocktail rings and scarves. It’s not cold enough for layers of cashmere, not warm enough for shorts. Hence, the resulting style on the streets is a quirky patchwork of mini skirts worn with geometric print tights; long dresses teamed with imaginative stockings; carefully ripped designer jeans paired with biker-chic, metal-studded boots.
Here are the lessons learnt:
Boldly Burlesque Once proudly grungy, Camden is now the abode of hipsters. Much to the annoyance of the Goths, who used to congregate here earlier, defiantly flaunting their exaggerated black eyeliner and profusion of body piercings. Even boutiques like darkly quirky Fairy Gothmother don’t limit themselves to black Victorian corsets and skull jewellery anymore. Cheeky burlesque is making inroads everywhere. Influenced by pin-up girls like Dita Von Teese, the result is a colourful infusion of fish net tights, frilly skirts and bright lipstick. An intriguing blend of sinister, sexy and fun. A bit of Madonna, a bit of Lady Gaga, and – yes – a bit of Katy Perry too. The bad news? Get used to strapping yourself into a tight corset – the style seems to be here to stay.
T-shirts forever
Don’t get too excited. There’s a rider. This doesn’t include your super-comfy plain cotton tees. Not unless you jazz them up, that is. As we move into summer, expect to see a flood of bright colours, textures and shapes. Also T-shirts that have been ripped into interesting silhouettes, shredded at the back or sliced at the neckline. Stock up on classic tees as well, pairing them with blazers and high heels. Or just adding boldly chunky jewellery.
A love affair with vintage I adore Portobello market in Notting Hill with its rows of wobbly tables piled high with dusty mismatched antiques: knobbly crystal decanters, beat-up old compasses and flamboyant cocktail rings.
My best buy here so far has been a glittering 1940 pink crystal necklace which makes me feel like an extra on the Downton Abbey cast.
This time, however, I investigate the vintage stores around Notting Hill famous for their ‘pre-loved’ designer wear. Quickly passing Prada, Bottega and Helmut Lang, I zero in on a sign announcing Christian Louboutin shoes. I charging into the store excitedly, bumping right into the salesgirl, who is busy trying to help a giggly customer pull off an overly tight pair of knee-length boots. “The Louboutins?” I gasp. “Just sold,” she sighs. We all look at the floor sadly for a moment. Knowing I’ll regret it, I ask the price anyway. “Just 180 pounds,” she says, patting my back kindly. (To put this in perspective, a new pair costs about a lakh.) So near, and yet so far.
I cheer myself up by browsing through the rest of the collection, which includes everything from striking Alexander McQueen gowns to niche Japanese designers. When wearing vintage, the trick is to pick a strong piece, and then work around it. If you’re squeamish about second-hand clothes and shoes, experiment with deliberately washed-out prints, retro tee shirts, and military jackets.
Or just pick a funky accessory — John Lennon glasses seem all the rage this season.
Keeping it under your hat: I’m fascinated by dapper Colin Rosie at Spitalfields, with his gleaming top hat, impeccably tailored suit and solitaire diamond earrings. As he strides past the café I’m at, I abandon my cappuccino and follow him: a true Alice in Wonderland moment. We end at his enchanting stall, piled high with hats. The top hats seem too ambitious to carry home, so I settle on a sleek black fedora. Rosie says black and grey are the easiest to wear: just make sure you never jam a hat down on your head. He shows me how the distance from my nose to the brim should be the same as the height of the hat. Too complicated? Try a beret.
Return of the midi
Crop tops were bad enough. Now they’re paired with unforgiving midis. In my opinion, only a super model can look glamorous in a midi — it seems like such an awkward, dowdy length for a skirt. The shop assistants on Oxford Street don’t agree. All the high street brands from Zara to Topshop now boast what they call the ‘tea length’ skirt (which sounds considerably more glamorous than ‘midi’). They claim anyone can carry it off with the right accessories. Apparently, these include a Chanel bag and Jimmy Choo stilettos. If you’re less swish, wear ballerinas, a head scarf and try to look ironic. The ‘bohemian’ label is very forgiving.
