What London Girls Have Really Been Wearing This Month
London street style isn't a new phenomenon. The pavements of our capital city have long been dotted with photographers capturing the fashion zeitgeist, from i-D magazine's era-defining straight-ups in the '80s through to documentary snaps of Carnaby Street's '60s mods and rockers. You'll even be able to dig up a Victorian-style snap here and there—even if the focus was probably on the automobiles and industry backdrop, we won't pass up any chance to see a bustle in action.
Today you may be likely to find less of the extremely diverse underground tribes that this cultural hub has always been famed for, but there are still style factions present (and many that we draw great inspiration from). London's a place where you can wear your wackiest outfit to breakfast and no one will bat an eyelid. However, it's also a place where you can be ultra-chic and businesslike one day and trend-led the next. Your style can be whatever it wants to be at any given time. And it's true—Brits really do give good outfit inspiration 24/7.
That's why we're bringing a new instalment each month of true London street style to Who What Wear UK. We've just seen the tail-end of what feels like the last burst of heat, and as such, there's a definite swing toward winter styling, with statement boots and where-did-you-get-that jackers.
Keep reading to see great outfit ideas from the sidewalks of this fair city.
Style Notes: Fashion designer Melissa Eskin paired her vinyl I.Am.Gia trousers with a cosy teddy bear jacket from Uniqlo—in our books this is the perfect autumn ensemble.
Style Notes: Art curator Angeliki Jonsson didn't just make a statement with her glittery Chanel boots—she customised her Topshop bag with flowers from artist Takashi Murakami. Oh, and that amazing jacket? It's from Zara.
Style Notes: Jessica works on partnerships for the Frieze and paired her vintage YSL top and skirt with boots from The Row.
Style Notes: When we saw this outfit we were convinced those were boots with a very high price point—but they are actually from Zara.
Style Notes: Fashion student Sabrina is making us want to buy a pair of Dr Martens immediately—we love how they look with her cropped & Other Stories trousers.
Style Notes: Art gallery owner Polina Askeri played with prints at Frieze, wearing a Self-Portrait floral dress with an orange Hermès bag and Paris Texas zebra boots.
Style Notes: We love how Ainhoa layered a crop top over her checked & Other Stories suit.
Style Notes: Shermmaine is a print designer and stylist, and her Travis Scott Tour jumper certainly shows her love of bold prints. The sunnies are Ray-Ban before you go searching for them.
Style Notes: Katya wears a Balenciaga checked suit with lace-up boots and a double-cross Chanel bag.
Style Notes: Julia gave us Olsen vibes in her long black coat, BA&SH Paris printed dress and chunky boots.
Style Notes: Statement boots are certainly taking over London this month—and these boots are from Reserved.
SEE MORE LONDON STREET STYLE
Style Notes: Fashion consultant Susan can come and advise us any time! We love how she's accessorised this outfit up to the max.
Style Notes: Yoonhee's belted checked blazer, chunky bovver boots and pleated skirt are three key items that all going to be big for autumn 2019.
Style Notes: Stylist Rachel has already received autumn's hot-pink memo, choosing Balenciaga sneaks and a matching bag to set against her orange dress from & Other Stories.
Style Notes: We dare you not to smile at this outfit. Influencer and designer Sara Brown wears a yellow checked suit that she designed for ASOS with matching Teva sandals and a white beaded bag by Skinny Dip.
Style Notes: White dresses (especially from Zara) are clearly having a moment in London. Jewellery designer and talent manager Lauralee adds classic Converse, a jumbo tote and cute headscarf to hers.
Style Notes: Embracing the last heatwave hurrah with her daisy-embroidered For Love & Lemons dress, Amy's moved into the new season with her monogrammed Dior bag and white Sigerson Morrison cowboy boots.
Style Notes: It's the Zara dress we've all been raving mad about! Worn with Teva sandals, this combo couldn't be more aligned to what our team is choosing to wear right now.
Style Notes: Wearing the breeziest, coolest, most understated jumpsuit from Finery, fashion buyer Verity also has the new sandal brand we're mad about: Suicoke.
Style Notes: This candy-coloured ensemble isn't going to work for everyone, but that's the joy of personal style. We truly admire designer Ploy's Barbie-esque approach to streetwear—both the trousers and jacket come from her line, P's Material.
Style Notes: A cycling-shorts look the Hadids would be proud of. Helena makes it work with an oversized Zadig & Voltaire shirt, chunky Dr Martens boots and this summer's all-important accessory: a mini bag.
Style Notes: Your plain white dresses can be styled up a thousand and one ways, as Gemma (the co-founder of This Is Mothership) knows all too well. Her pink Prada bag, black Chanel sandals, Embellish Studio headband and Ray-Ban sunnies are quite the pick 'n' mix.
Style Notes: We're big fans of a short suit in the Who What Wear UK office and appreciate the stylings of PhD student Anya's one from Reiss. A little trunk bag from Goyard, ballet pumps from Charlotte Olympia and visor sunnies from Dita.
Style Notes: Easy, breezy dresses are where it's at right now, and we'd like to snap up this one from H&M, which Olivia will have found before us because she works in marketing for the brand.
Style Notes: Student Iris has all of the '90s best bits combined into one outfit here. Because she threw in a Chanel bag for good measure, we couldn't not photograph her!
Style Notes: Entrepreneur Sofia (the founder of Mealz) knows the #1 rule when it comes to choosing accessories to go with florals: Pick a colour out from the print and run with it. Her Zara jumpsuit and Louis Vuitton bag match perfectly.
Style Notes: We all know London girls love Zara, but they particularly adore its dresses. This is yet another winner from the store, and we like how Georgia's kept everything else simple to allow the bold pattern some room to breathe.
Style Notes: Not all of us could pull off this motocross-inspired look, but it's nice to see someone like Kayla pushing the boundaries of streetwear and trying something different.
Style Notes: This makes us so happy! From her literally sunshine Mira Mikati dress to her shiny red Birkenstocks, designer Maria has truly embraced the heatwave.
Style Notes: Samantha (the other co-founder of This Is Mothership) has managed to find a loose-fitting red dress that is so simple but so effective. Her luxe accessories (Gucci bag and Hermès sandals) take it to the next level.
Style Notes: Georgia Brinklow is the founder of bakery Sugar Tit$ and looks just as colourful as her signature rainbow cakes in her ASOS orange-and-pink dress, which she pairs with pink sunglasses she found on Ebay.
Style Notes: Model Mia Separovic wears a pair of high-waisted Tommy Hilfiger jeans with a darker seam down each leg, paired with a black roll-neck from a Topshop and a leather jacket. The to-go coffee in hand really completes the model off-duty look.
Style Notes: You've got to admire a woman who can wear navy blue lipstick and pull it off. Fashion student Susan Daniel wears paper-bag waist jeans by Diesel with an oversized slouchy navy shirt and strappy heel sandals by Zara.
Style Notes: Calf-length skirts and chunky trainers are a popular combo with London women right now. We love how fashion student Roxanne Hoare makes her statement House of Holland midi look more relaxed with a COS baseball cap and Stella McCartney trainers.
Style Notes: Maty Ndiaye, we are quite simply obsessed with this outfit. The model and student wears the denim midi skirt from Topshop that keeps selling out with a red denim jacket by Pull and Bear and ankle boots by ATP Atelier. Baseball caps are clearly having a moment in London this month.
Style Notes: Fashion intern Rachel Guy dresses perfect for a creative office, wearing a linen suit by H&M with white trainers by Veja and Celine sunglasses.
Style Notes: Stylist Rachael Barry toughens up her & Other Stories leopard midi with a pair of Dr Martens and a cropped denim jacket by All Saints.
Style Notes: We're not at all surprised that Velcro sandals feature prominently in this month's London street style, and here PR director Bianca Presto wears a beaded pair by Cecilie Bahnsen with beige Topshop jeans and an Acne Musubi bag.
Style Notes: Hailey Wood's outfit is exactly what we want to wear to the park this weekend. She wears a red floral midi by Topshop with high-top Converse and a bag big enough for all your picnic supplies.
Style Notes: Wearing head-to-toe white in London is always a brave move, but influencer Anisa Sojka makes it more London appropriate with her Ksenia Schnaider trench coat and Balenciaga trainers.
Style Notes: Okay, Aziya, you are winning at life! Everything about this ensemble is so effective: from the combination of body-con with the oversized bomber to her perfectly London accessories (bucket hat, bum bag, chunky boots—done). And get this: It's all from the high street.
Style Notes: This green House of Sunny coat has been a trending item on our Instagram feeds, so it's always nice to see something IRL. Student Ella has paired hers with a boilersuit from & Other Stories and sunshine-yellow Converse.
Style Notes: If you're into a trend—like plissé pleats—why not wear them head to toe? Kay's Issey Miyake outfit is timeless, especially when worn with a pair of go-with-everything white boots.
Style Notes: If you worked at Self-Portrait, you'd have a great supply of party dresses too! But we adore how Laurie has taken such a fancy piece and made it right for the day with a tee, blazer and black ankle boots. Genius.
Style Notes: Photographer Sara taps into spring's palette of neutrals, pastels and browns, but gives it that true Brit spin with socks and flatform loafers.
Style Notes: The most work-appropriate way to do smart-casual right now, Anna's silky slip worn with a blazer, sneaks and a classic designer bag from Chloé is a look that can be easily emulated.
Style Notes: Just when we'd seen every possible jeans + trainers combo, along comes this retro look from Lauren. Her running sneaks with wide-leg jeans and tee feels so Farah Fawcett, but it's the quirky sunnies and leather blazer that bring the whole thing into 2019.
Style Notes: You won't believe where journalist Selina found that cracking boilersuit. Primark! Yes, really. The juxtaposition of casual Nikes with decorative earrings feels offbeat and a great way to make this omnipresent jumpsuit trend unique.
Style Notes: Yellow python-print trousers sound mad, but nanny Nandi makes them look casual and easy with her oversized denim and Dr Martens boots.
Style Notes: Picking up a bag from Mexico and a top from Australia, Molly (the founder of fashion brand Desmond & Dempsey) makes her outfit all the more unique.
Style Notes: You can wear your party dress while out shopping. Mai proves it by layering up with a shearling jacket and wearing her slip with Converse.
Related: Is It Just Us, or Is Everyone in London Wearing One of These 9 Buys?
Style Notes: The eagle-eyed out there will recognise Tora's Maison Margiela Tabi boots (they're a cult item). And they look great with the writer's emerald green trousers and this blazer/sweatshirt slouchiness.
Style Notes: Graphic designer Sophie has the Rejina Pyo shoes and colour palette of our dreams. Her vintage leather jacket, Lindex bag, jeans and roll-neck all work so beautifully and easily together.
Style Notes: Is it just us, or are Converse really popular again? Sales manager Lea has worn hers in a completely different way with white jeans, a silver puffa, purple sweater and cute mini bag. Versatile sneaks.
Style Notes: If Karlie got any cuter, or had any more Rejina Pyo pieces to share, we might just burst. She tops and tails her Rejina look with a Celine bag and Gucci shoes. The dream.
Style Notes: Neon is already trending way ahead of its big trend moment for spring 2019, but Alexandra makes her green Zara roll-neck work so well for autumn with a trench (H&M), jeans (& Other Stories) and chunky sneakers.
Style Notes: Like the coolest girl from outer space just landed on Carnaby Street, singer Daisy is Prada-tastic and impressing us no end with her unique stylings.
Style Notes: Teddybear coats are back once again this winter, and still looking just as good. Alexandra's is vintage (who says you have to buy new to have a new trend?). Cute Balenciaga kicks and Hermès bag, too.
Style Notes: Can you tell Nathalie is a fashion journalist? Maybe it's the fact she's managed to get her hands on a Shrimps Antonia bag or the expert leather shirt layering (Leon & Harper), the great boots (Jimmy Choo), fab dress (Ganni) or amazing sunnies (Le Specs)?
Style Notes: Yes, we managed to find Italian It girl Patricia on the streets of London, and her sporty ensemble didn't disappoint. From her Nike Cortez sneakers to her teeny tiny Chanel bag and Oakley sunnies, this is a comfortable and incredibly cool get-up.
Style Notes: The excellent plaid skirt, Chanel bag, hiking trainers and jazzy socks are bold, but Nicola's diffused it all with her excellent J.W. Anderson Uniqlo trench.
Style Notes: Iman's studying to be a lawyer but we'd hire her as a fashion expert any day—just look at that awesome pinstripe Topshop suit and the way she's styled it up. It's still available in the sale for £95.
Style Notes: You'll notice throughout this gallery that white sneaks are key for any London-based girl. Eneria's no exception, as she's paired her chunky Nikes with the cutest dress from Zara.
Style Notes: The coolest way to wear a scrunhie? Loose and low to fasten a ponytail.
Style Notes: Hannah's Borgo de Nor dress is truly wonderful as is, but throw in an Hermès bag with a scarf-wrapped handle, Saint Laurent's Lou Lou heart shades, beaded hoops and sweet sandals, and, well, we're obsessed.
Style Notes: Student Rumbie has definitely persuaded us to ditch skinny jeans some time soon—her baggy Levis look so good with a knotted H&M blouse, Nike sneakers and hoops.
Style Notes: Alex's minimalist ensemble is the stuff of dreams: Her Maison Margiela mac, Theory crop top, Chloé bag and Paul Smith skirt are forever pieces, but we appreciate that she loves Zara shoes just like the rest of us.
Style Notes: Jo's a personal shopper, which explains how she's managed to find the coolest Topshop polka-dot dress and wear it in the most London way going—with sneaks and socks.
Style Notes: Khari is a writer with a wardrobe full of vintage finds—everything she's wearing here has been thrifted and assembled in a unique fashion.
Style Notes: How weird is it that we literally just started following Ornella on Instagram before we photographed her by chance on the streets of London? She's a co-ord enthusiast, and this one is from Missy Empire.
Style Notes: Student and blogger Tasmine knows the one way to beat depressing weather: colour! Her striped faux-fur Jakke coat is fun as she is, but throw in a red roll-neck, military hat, studded Topshop boots and a Gucci Soho bag, and you'll really impress us.
Style Notes: Ekabh got the 2018 memo: Purple is going to be big this year.
Style Notes: Model and blogger Maddie Close has made us rethink our party-outfit plans. Her velvet Topshop blazer, baggy jeans and satin boots formula isn't one we'd ever thought of before, but man, it works.
Style Notes: Georgia may be a social media consultant, but we'd quite like her to consult on our wardrobes. How great is this black boot (Topshop) + checked jacket (Zara) + denim shorts (Levi's) combo?
Style Notes: Claudia works in fashion marketing at Net-a-Porter, so her killer look makes a great deal of sense. Her monochrome pieces (Ellery blouse, Frame jeans and J.W.Anderson bag) look even more effective when set against hot-pink and red Maureen Mules (£435) from Malone Souliers. Jealous.
Style Notes: Stylist Barbara has complemented her new-but-retro Gucci sunnies with a host of vintage goodies. Her concise colour palette keeps an adventurous look together.
Style Notes: Sophia is a 24-year-old student with a truly creative outlook on fashion. Few of us would think to pair royal-blue socks with tan shoes or a smartly tailored jacket shrugged off to reveal a little shoulder. Also, that Ann Demeulemeester neck scarf is just darling.
Style Notes: Pattawee, a student, exemplifies the London fashion spirit: a bit of designer action (hello, Gucci bag), a dash of vintage (her trousers are secondhand) and a little sprinkling of a hot new label (the tee is by Gosha Rubchinskiy).
Style Notes: Desislava, a journalist, knows a good trend when she sees one. We're into her double-dose of vinyl. Her trousers (and jacket) are from Acne Studios while the bag is a recognisable number from Christopher Kane. The muted colour palette makes this adventurous fabric combination look easy.
Style Notes: Not only has Inês proved it's a great idea to mix 'n' match your frayed denim (Marques'Almeida top and Uniqlo jeans), but she's also proved that it's a good idea to invest in this season's pouch bag trend. The mini-grab style adds a certain cuteness to any grunge look.
Style Notes: Sometimes the most random pieces can work beautifully together, as proven by Annabelle, a PR assistant for River Island. How does she ensure the River Island jacket, ASOS jeans, Topshop shoes and 3.1 Phillip Lim bag all work together? It's down to little highlights of colour tying every piece into a unified concept.
Style Notes: It's Fenn's concise all-American stars-and-stripes vibe that we dig here. Her Sandro jacket is such a head-turner that really makes the look shine.
Style Notes: If you're ever searching for a transitional summer-to-autumn outfit idea, look to communications director Audrey. With her chunky Maiyet sweater set against a leg-baring thigh-slit Céline skirt and knee-high boots from Acne Studios, this ensemble has it going on. Plus, a cognac bag (also from Céline) does a nice job of pepping up the neutrals.
Next up, the London trends that never die.
This piece was published at an earlier time and has since been updated.
Hannah Almassi is the Editor in Chief of Who What Wear UK. Hannah has been part of the the Who What Wear brand since 2015, when she was headhunted to launch the UK sister site and social channels, implement a localised content strategy and build out the editorial team. She joined following a seven-year tenure at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news and features editor. With experience in both print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 16 years in the field as a journalist, editor, content strategist and brand consultant. Hannah has interviewed industry heavyweights such as designers including Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Anderson through to arbiters of taste including Katie Grand and Anna Dello Russo. A skilled moderator and lecturer specialising in the shift to digital media and e-commerce, Hannah’s opinion and work has been sought by the likes of CNBC, BBC, The Sunday Times Style, The Times, The Telegraph and MatchesFashion.com, among many others. Hannah is often called upon for her take on trends, becoming known as a person with their finger of the pulse of what’s happening in the fashion space for stylish Brits. Hannah currently resides in Eastbourne with her photographer husband, incredibly busy son and highly Instagrammable cat.
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