Call me bias, but I've always said that London's street style scene is one of the best in the world. And now, I'm here to show you that this isn't just pure conjecture on my part, but solid fact, as our latest street style shoot, which took place this September in our nation's glorious capital, is one of the best on Who What Wear record.
The start of September is always an excellent time for fashion in London as a summer of (very) changeable weather can lead to a lot of outfit confusion. Sundresses are often worn with rain macs in fear that there may be a sudden downpour and sandals are paired with cosy knits and jeans in an attempt to embrace the season, all resulting in a bit of a mishmash of looks. Then September rolls around and everything falls into a pleasant and cohesive style rhythm.
Early autumn presents the opportunity to once again experiment with chic layering combinations without the primary need of keeping you warm, the focus being more on how things look when worn together. It's a time where wearing jeans is a novelty again after prioritising other items like skirts and shorts for so long. That said, while most shorts seem to have fled London's streets, 2024's appreciation of the skirt endures for September, with several people thinking up fun and new seasonally-appropriate ways to wear theirs now. A moment, too, for the eternally chic trench coat—an emblem of true London style that we spotted being worn in a multitude of ways on our days-long scout.
So, if you're looking for some new-season wardrobe inspiration or simply fancy having a nosy at what people are wearing right now, scroll below to see the 16 London street style outfits we really rated on our September 2024 shoot.
16 London Street Style Outfits That Wowed Us in September 2024
1. Suede Trench Coat + White Jeans
Style Notes: Suede outerwear is proving to be a key buy this season, with both boxy blazers and trench coat styles coming through as the need-to-know silhouettes. A tan or brown iteration worn with white denim makes for one of the freshest combinations.
Key Buy:
I just know this ASOS style will fly.
2. Puffball Skirt + Slingbacks
Style Notes: One of the biggest overarching trends of the season has been that of the skirt and, naturally, we've seen many offshoots of it since it started peaking in popularity. My favourite? The playful mini puffball, which looks especially cute styled with '80s-harking slingback shoes (also another major 2024 trend player).
Key Buy:
From the colour to the bow, these shoes are almost too cute for words.
3. Statement Knit + Trainers
Style Notes: One discernible difference between this street style shoot and our last is knitwear, specifically how much more of it we saw while we were out and about. This look, featuring an American flag sweater and green Adidas kicks stood out for all the right reasons.
Key Buy:
This sweater also comes in a creamy colourway.
4. White Dress + Distressed Leather Jacket
Style Notes: Londoners are excellent transseasonal dressers because, well, they have to be. Seasons tend to blur here and, if you want to get decent wear out of your summer items, you're going to have to get creative. This pairing of a distressed leather jacket and a white dress is precisely the sort of creativity I'm talking about.
Key Buy:
The drop waistline creates such a beautiful silhouette.
5. Rain Jacket + Jeans
Style Notes: Wearing a rain jacket and jeans has to be the most British-looking September outfit I've seen. However, choose a jacket with a honed shape and in a chic colour, and you'll find it can elevate even the simplest of jeans looks.
Key Buy:
The drawstring waist makes this jacket look all the more premium.
6. Blue Striped Shirt + Jeans
Style Notes: One pairing you're guaranteed to see on every major London street is that of a blue striped shirt and jeans. That's no bad thing, however, especially when you choose to style yours with personality pieces such as a tan suede belt, stacked jewellery and a bag in trending leopard print.
Key Buy:
Zara does a great striped shirt that comes in so many colours.
7. Maxi Skirt + Tote Bag
Style Notes: Another excellent skirt outfit which is made all the more unique with the addition of a secondhand Guess canvas tote, which I've interestingly seen a few of this season on London's streets.
Key Buy:
Thrifting these sorts of bags only adds to their charm.
8. Graphic Top + Denim Skirt
Style Notes: The best thing about London is that you can never predict the outfits you'll find during each shoot, and this one set the bar in terms of originality and rizz. Everything from the statement flame-print top to selecting a denim skirt with a different silhouette to the standard pencil makes this look all the more unique.
Key Buy:
Fishtail denim skirts are going to be big this season—mark my words.
9. Sports Top + Printed Trousers
Style Notes: Between the Euros, the Olympics and now the Paralympics, sporting has certainly had an influence on our style this year, but the thing that makes this particular look stand out is how it's been styled with trending python trousers.
Key Buy:
These won't hang around for long, let me tell you.
10. Full Skirt + Trainers
Style Notes: As we've already talked about, skirts have dominated the trend agenda for 2024, and this entire shoot effectively serves as a testament to that. Here, the pretty colour of this skirt drew our eye, as did the equally pretty orange blossom-hued trainers.
Key Buy:
This looks so much more expensive than it is.
11. Hourglass Jacket + Statement Earrings
Style Notes: Of all the jewellery options out there, nothing can add quite as much personality to a look as that of a large, statement earring. The cameos feel very fresh and something I reckon we'll see a whole lot more of this season. The addition of a skirt and a fitted, short sleev jacket make this look feel incredibly demure.
Key Buy:
An earring style I haven't considered before.
12. Graphic Tee + Horseshoe Jeans
Style Notes: While there's a lot to be said about the choice of top, bag and sunglasses here, another interesting attribute of this look is the horseshoe jean; a shape we keep seeing crop up on the coolest outfits this season (much like the above).
Key Buy:
These come in so many washes, but the dark blue denim feels especially on-trend.
13. Trench Coat + Wide-Leg Trousers
Style Notes: The moment September rolls around, trench coats come back into the mainstream, making London looks chicer in the process. And yet, there's still a whole lot of chicness going on underneath this trench—the wide-leg trousers, pointed-toe heels and logo-trimmed sunglasses all feel elegant in their own right.
Key Buy:
14. Cardigan + Slip Dress
Style Notes: Who knew we'd see an outfit as French-looking as this in central London? The polkadots nod to the overarching spotty trend that's only going to ramp up this season but in a way that feels utterly timeless and polished. The cute cardigan and heeled ballet shoes are the perfect finishing touches.
Key Buy:
I own this Ghost dress in other colours, and it's so easy to style.
15. Tiered Dress + Cowboy Boots
Style Notes: Another stylish way to make your summertime pieces work for autumn in London? Adding a cowboy boot into the equation not only ups the overall warmth of your outfit, but it makes it look incredibly trendy in the process.
Key Buy:
Ganni's western boots are a fashion-person favourite.
16. Kilt + Loafers
Style Notes: As a Scot, my patriotism bubbles to the surface whenever I see someone wearing tartan and, in this instance, so fashionably! Loafers make for a great shoe option for a kilt, and the yellow hue of this pair is a welcome curveball from classic black.
Key Buy:
The only kilt I want in my north-of-the-border wardrobe.
