I would have easily made this mistake. Let's just say I'm a huge fan of the color pink.... some might think I am a walking reminder of breast-cancer awareness month (with all the pink I wear). In London, I'll wear a lot of black, navy, brown and creme. This means more playing with make-up, shoes and accessories.
2. Comfortable shoes are a MUST! However, tennis shoes are a no-no!
Not a problem, I am a total boots-whore, and I plan to get some cute oxfords this winter to wear with tights/dresses! Which ones?
3. Bring my favorite American foods!
I will definitely be bringing Orbit Gum. I'm not sure if they have that there!?? What else?
4. Rain gear!
Should I bring rain boots or buy them there? And for some reason, I don't think a plastic poncho will fly in London. Maybe I will get a belted raincoat like the one on the left? The tan, peacoat style of this waterproof wonder is very Burberry-esque... but about $200 cheaper!
5. NO t-shirts and jeans!
Oh, dear! Well, it's a good thing I love dresses and skirts. How many pairs of jeans should I even pack? 1-2 or more like 3-4? Also, what is the status on leggings in the U.K? I feel like American women have been depleting the trend for the past couple of years. Is it going strong in London? Or are leggings the equivalent of rolling out of bed in your pajamas?
6. Hit up Primark, Topshop, Monsoon, New Look, and Zara.
I heard Oxford street was fabulous. I wonder how it compares to the Mall of America?! Are there any other shopping places or flea markets I should find? What is the equivalent to Forever21 in the U.K (aka cheap and trendy)?
7. A great piece of traveling advice:
"GET AN OYSTER CARD and learn the tube as quickly as possible. If you do this, you will avoid looking like a tourist, which should be your ultimate goal in life. Nothing is more annoying than a hoard of people standing in the middle of a tube station, staring at a map, holding up lines by fumbling with unfamiliar currency, standing on the wrong side of the escalator, and talking loudly for the duration of their journey."
-Shelby, University of Puget Sound '13
Thank you for all of the advice so far! Any additional tips for living and dressing in London would be GREATLY appreciated.
Stay Precious,
Dylan
Oh I love TopShop and Zara! I miss those stores here in the states so much!
ReplyDeleteThese are cool tips, thank you for posting!:D
ReplyDeleteAn Oyster Card would be something my husband and I will learn first.:D
***** Marie *****
allthingsmarie.com
London is my dream city and it is really beautiful and fabulous city. You have covered so nice and beautiful information over here. I always like to know about the latest fashion and like to collect accessories of latest trend.
ReplyDeletePrimark = forever21 its soooo cheap! and you can get pretty much any knock off item that is in all the super expensive stores. and trendy! When I was there in 2006 leggings were in, so I'm thinking they might still be in. Bring all your fave jeans, they do where them.
ReplyDeleteId wait to buy wellies there, because you can get them in a million different styles and patterns, http://funkywellyboots.com/ is a great place to look!
Also, you need to eat at a Wagamama's when you are there. it's so wonderful! yummy noodles! for a decent price. http://www.wagamama.co.uk/
this is rachel. charlotte russe has oxfords for thirty that i bought like 2 years ago...google it there are cheaper ones
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice!!! And Rachel, I'll see about those. The only thing that I'm thinking is that real leather breathes better. And a lot of walking means ... well... you want shoes that breathe. haha
ReplyDeleteI'm in London now and I have been since the beginning of this semester. I was wondering the same thing about rainboots so I just decided to buy them here. After buying them I realized I NEVER wore them so I took them back to the store. It hasn't rained as much as they like to say it does, and when it does rain its definitely not a downpour, so I stick with my leather boots and I'm good to go! Also, I wear jeans all the time, as do most people here! But not like the normal saggy flared jeans. Nice, tailored straight legs are the usual, with cute flats or boots.
ReplyDeleterainbooots might be a little extreme. if you find you might need them, (let's say you want to go hiking somehwere in the countryside and it's raining), then buy a pair at primark. you can get them super cheap!
ReplyDeleteJeans are totally okay to wear. you will notice clothing is a lot more fitted over in the UK. Don't overthink your clothing, but don't underdo it either...particularly in London.
Raincoat...um, I wouldn't BRING a raincoat. the weather is so wonky there! it could be raining for a few hours, then sunny, then rain again. it can be silly! you'd be better off purchasing an umbrella!
you actually CAN get away with t-shirts...but i recommend if you DO wear t-shirts, find something from a store that people in your age group go to and pair it with a light cardigan, light sweater, or some kind of accessory. depending on the weather of course!!
basically. if you don't want to be mistaken fora tourist...then just pay attention to waht people are wearing. BUYING some british brands over there and mixing and matching with your own helps. I mean, i was never mistaken as being 'british' while i was over there, but adapting to the style never hurt!
there is an english swagger. girls walk gracefully...unless they are 'tarts'. jus tkidding. there is a certain way americans and english walk, and mannerisms, but trust me, they LOVE AMERICANS if you are open minded, accepting of their culture, and show interest. they will be fascinated at why you are so interested in them, and they will be interested in you. they will even ask if you have met MILEY CYRUS!
ANYWAYS! MISS YOU DYLAN!
PAUL M.