How to Dress to Impress in London

“How to Dress to Impress in London” is a collaborative post.

One thing I like about London is that nobody seems to have agreed on one way to dress.

Walk through the City before lunch and it’s suits everywhere. Ten minutes later you’re in Soho wondering how someone managed to make an old denim jacket look that good. Then you end up in Mayfair and it changes again.

So if you’re trying to “dress like a Londoner”, good luck.

There isn’t really one version.

What people do seem to have in common is knowing where they’re going. That’s probably the bigger difference.

Wear Clothes That Actually Fit

This sounds boring. It kind of is, but…

Simple usually wins.

Especially in London. Really all you need is something that fits well and you’re already ahead of the game.

Don’t Try Too Hard

Everything is brand new.

Everything matches.

Every logo is facing forwards.

It ends up looking less natural somehow, and Londoners so can tell.

The people who look genuinely stylish often aren’t wearing anything particularly flashy. Nice shoes. Well-fitted trousers. Maybe a decent coat because, let’s be honest, you’ll probably need one at some point.

It doesn’t feel forced.

That’s the difference.

Shoes Matter More Than People Think

Tired shoes have killed many a great outfit.

It’s just a fact.

London is a walking city. You will walk more than you thought you would. Even if you don’t end up doing so. Decent shoes that can actually survive a full day are a must.

If it survives a day on your feet without making you miserable, you’re golden.

Layers Usually Beat One Heavy Jacket

The weather has a habit of changing its mind.

Cold in the morning.

Warm after lunch.

Bit of rain.

Then sunshine again.

After a while you stop taking the forecast too seriously.

It’s been wrong often enough.

Layers make life easier.

Think About Where You’re Going

This gets forgotten surprisingly often.

People spend ages choosing an outfit without thinking about what they’re actually doing.

A museum in the afternoon isn’t the same way you’d dress for a club in London.

A long day walking around Central London probably calls for something different than meeting clients over lunch.

You don’t need a completely new wardrobe for each occasion.

Just a bit of common sense.

Confidence Helps, But…

People love saying confidence is all that matters.

Words that sound nice, but technically meaningless.

Confidence doesn’t matter if you just feel like trash. You’re human. It will show. Doesn’t matter how confident you think you are.

The best outfits are usually the ones you stop thinking about five minutes after leaving the hotel.

That’s usually a better sign.

You Don’t Need To Copy Anyone

Social media has convinced people there are rules now.

There aren’t.

You don’t have to buy exactly what somebody else is wearing just because it got a million views online.

Half the time those outfits don’t even look practical once you leave the camera behind.

That’s probably my favourite thing about dressing in London.

You can see three completely different styles on the same street and none of them look out of place. Nobody seems too interested in whether everyone else approves.

Some people are dressed almost formally just to grab a coffee.

Somebody else is wearing old jeans and a jacket they’ve had for years and somehow they still look great.

Bit difficult to explain.

London isn’t starved for people with a good sense of style. Interesting is now the goal. The interesting ones usually aren’t the ones trying hardest.

Shoes you can actually walk in.

Clothes that fit.

After that, the details are up to you.

You’ll see every style imaginable once you’re out there anyway, which is probably why London has never really settled on just one look.

And honestly, that’s part of the appeal.