What They Are Wearing In Paris And London

Long time readers will know that people-watching is one of my very favourite pastimes. And I especially love watching the world go by when I’m travelling.

While I’m always on the lookout for all sorts of human behaviour, no one reading this will be surprised to learn that I pay special attention to the street style that I see all around me.

I find it fascinating on so many levels. And I use my ‘research’ not only to share here on Distant Francophile but also to inspire my own style. I can’t tell you how many looks I’ve ‘borrowed’ after seeing it wander by on some stylish local somewhere.

Naturally, during our latest trip, both of the key cities we visited provided me with quite the passing parade and I was absolutely intrigued by what they are wearing in Paris and London. Interestingly, I noted a stack of similarities, perhaps more than I’ve ever picked up on during previous visits.

What They Are Wearing In Paris And London

Short skirts

In London in particular, I noticed short frocks on the younger and the more mature alike. And in Paris, the sunny days also brought out the shorter skirt lengths on all ages. However I’d have to say that in Paris, I also saw alternative skirt lengths as well – mid length skirts also seemed quite popular.

Raw Hemlines/Fringing

Fraying, primarily on the hems of jeans legs, was big in both cities. And it popped up now and again on the bottom of those short skirts as well. This look has been emerging for a couple of seasons and now appears firmly entrenched in Paris and London.

Taupe Trousers

This ‘new’ neutral seemed like the perfect spring shade and was far more prevalent than white jeans or pants. I saw it many, many times – especially in London – looking smart with black or white or both. Leg lengths in this colour were generally cropped.

Sneakers

Fashionable sneakers – as opposed to the sporty type – are still well and truly popular in Paris, however loafers, ballet flats and even sandals were getting quite the run while we were there. This could have been due to the very warm weather we experienced during our visit.

This was in contrast to London where every type of sneaker – sports or otherwise – was worn by everyone with just about everything. If I’m being honest though, I saw several would be fabulous outfits let down by a shoe that would have looked more at home in the gym. And no, not just on travellers as I thought may have been the case – locals too seemed to be caught out in this space.

Trench Coats

Short, mostly beige trenches were all over London, which was unsurprising given the drizzly skies. What was surprising were the number of trench coats I also saw in Paris, especially in light of the heat.  Just goes to show how much of staple the trench coat truly is in Paris. Field jackets – as highlighted recently by Vicki Archer – were also seen regularly in both London and Paris.

Oversized earrings

I’d spotted a few extra large earrings here and there while I was in London, but seriously, they were everywhere in Paris. Super-sized hoops were popular, but so were various extra large drop earrings – think drops that skimmed the shoulders.

So, with so many similarities between these two fabulous style destinations I’m sure you are wondering which city ‘wore’ it better. I know I’m biased, but I have to say Paris. To my mind, there were just more head-turning outfits and creative combinations. There is no doubt about it, Paris is just one stylish place, no matter what the weather is doing.

Have you been to paying attention to what they are wearing in Paris and London recently? Have you noticed any popular pieces I missed? Or perhaps you’ve seen these trends in other parts of the world. As always, I’d love for you to share your observations in the comments section below.

And until next time – au revoir.