What To Wear for Study Abroad in London

Okay, I'll admit this is not a Fashion blog. Even though I would love to talk about fashion more often, this is a food blog and I'm proud of it. But after spending my Spring 2012 semester in London, I understand the need for a good check list for things to bring. Fall Semester is coming up and hopefully this will help a few of you out there.

Since I was there from Winter to Spring, it might be less helpful for those of you who will be living in London fro your Fall Semester. But hopefully this helps you both.

 Fashion here is as unique as the people, you never know what you may see on the street. And trust me there will be days you feel as if you ran into a fashion show on the tube or on your way to Uni!

There are many ways to survive living in London. Fashion ranges from posh to edgy, girly to femme fatale and every thing in between. Don't get lost!


As a half Brit with an English Aunt who in the 60's looked like Twiggy I really got into the fashion here. 

Here's my London look:

Preparing like crazy, I brought several items from home and supplemented my existing wardrobe throughout the semester. My roommate who didn't bring as much instead bought the majority of her clothing and looked a lot more the part than me. But you must also think within your budget. With shopping havens such as High Street Kensington, Spitalfields Market, and Oxford Street is so easy to overspend. But you don't have to! Shop around, invest in quality pieces and spend less on trendy items you won't wear as often.

Most of these pictures are of true London fashion so don't worry you DO NOT have to measure up to this but it is something to examine as popular fashion for the last few years.



http://www.thesartorialist.com/




What to Bring:

http://www.polyvore.com/capsule_wardrobe/set?id=36584634


Essentials: When it comes to living in London, when in doubt, wear black.

• Two pairs of Black fitted or skinny jeans
• Tailored pants
• Cute dresses for going out or for dinner, people like to dress up, one black
• Longer daytime dresses that are comfortable but stylish
• Black or cute colored leggings
• At least 3 pairs of black tights
• Comfortable, good quality black pea coat or fitted coat
• Two black blazers or cute jackets for going out when you don't want to bring a coat (coat checks can get expensive and there is no better way to loose a nice coat)
• Several comfortable v-neck shirts to layer
• Short sleeve shirts with simple patterns such as strips
• Two cute sweater jackets to wear over short sleeved tops
• Two-three nice sweaters (they call them jumpers) that are not bulky or too busy or patterned
• Seriously, at least 20 pairs of underwear as you will most likely be walking to a launderette and will not want or have time to do this more than every 1 1/2-2 weeks
• At least 10-15 pairs of long socks for boots and closed toed shoes (these will always get dirty first!)

Example of "doable" London Fashion for the non-Londoner:

http://www.garotasestupidas.com/

Shoes:

• Straight Black knee high boots
• Ankle boots black, tan, or other color
• Black flats
• Black heels
• Oxford flats in brown or other color

Accessories:

• Cute water proof hat to act instead of an umbrella, NOT baseball hats
• Pashminas or other scarves
• Waist belts both skinny and large
• A good handbag that is sturdy and good quality but not flashy. Make sure it clasps securly and has a hard bottom as not to get sliced by pickpockets.
• A larger side bag such as the very popular Long Champs for school stuff. Backpacks are less common but not discouraged.

Your outer wear: hand bags, scarves, shoes, and jacket is the first thing people see. This is where you will make your fashion statement.

What to Buy There:

• Black jeans
• Black boots, save about $100 for a nice pair as you will wear these almost everyday
• Longer sweater dresses- comfortable, and fashionable
• Button down blouses, different colors: white, light blue, black, nautical, etc.
• Tailored skirts, different lengths

      Trendy clothing:

• Items in style such as bright red or chartreuse skinny jeans
• Cute tops in trendy styles
• Trendy nylons and leggings in different prints
• Rompers and trendy jumpers in bold colors
• Bohemian floral prints and flowy dresses for multiple seasons
• trendy shoes or seasonal items like glammed chuck taylors



http://ashandbelle.blogspot.com/2011/06/loving-london.html

Her polka dot nylons were very popular and a steal for £ 3 at Primark!

The hipster/Bohemian trend is very popular in London but more mildy stated than in American cities. Think nice hipster/city look without grungy or cast away thrift store pieces.

http://www.waynetippetts.com/

One of the best things about London style is the hair! Women in London always have perfect hair styles so think about ways to make your hair look the best without the fuss. (Skip the saggy ponytails.)

What NOT to Bring:

• Sweat pants
• Sweat shirts, especially ones sporting American universities, Greek sorority or fraternity letters
• cut up jeans, only dark demin
• Sneakers, unless you are planning on working out you will never wear these in public
• Uggs, or crocs, seriously.
• Old Navy or cheap Flip flops, unless you will be sharing a dorm shower you will not need these
• Rain boots: no one wears these there, so instead focus on getting a high quality black boot that is waterproof or that you can treat
• Expensive jewelry, flashly clothes, or handbags.

Good things for travel:

While you won't often see blue jeans in London these trousers are more common in other European cities like Barcelona, Prague, Paris, etc. Bring your favorite pair of jeans for travel and laundry days.


Unfortunately London is one of the worst cities in the world for petty crimes like theft and pickpocketing. By blending in you will protect yourself as "touristy" looking people will be targeted more often than not.

Good Places to shop for Cheap clothes:

Primark- ponounced (PRY- Mark, not Prime mark or primm mark)
This place is crowded and full of foreign shoppers but their clothes are cheap and good for trendy or going out pieces. Not very good quality so don't plan on getting things there you want to wear every day.

H&M- Not the same place as in the States and a good stop for seasonal and trendy items. 

TK Maxx- (Yep, with a "K") Great place to look for clothes but not the same store as back home. While similar discounts as in the US, TK Maxx often holds more expensive clothes, accessories, and shoes so while they are discounted, they are still expensive. Good for special occasion stuff or handbags.

Charity Shops- Their thrift Stores. While I never had much luck in London every time I travelled to surrounding towns in England I found very cute things at charity shops! People donate designer clothes that are still in good condition so look first their for a much cheaper option. 

Preparing for your Trip:

Check out fashion blogs and other sites for ideas on things to bring but don't worry, if you didn't bring it you can get it later.

Use Pinterest to find cute ideas and styles just search "London Fashion" for lots of hits.

If you are going for the Spring Semester try to buy the majority of your staple items in the beginning of January when stores have very big sales.

Fashion is London is pretty incredible and it is very easy to get self-conscious. DON'T. The best thing about London fashion is confidence. While most people blend into practically indistinguishable what makes this a fashion capital is the people who stand out! Just wait, you will LOVE it! 

This checklist is probably not 100 percent complete but hopefully it will give you an idea for fashion budgeting and what to bring with you. And trust me, you could do a lot worse than London! No matter what make sure the style you adopt is still you! All you have to do is OWN IT! Just because peep-toed pumps (no joke!) were everywhere in the middle of Winter, I didn't get any because that wasn't me.

Trust your gut and you will be fine! British people are great for fashion tips so don't be afraid to ask once you get to know someone!

And of course the number one London fashion advice from me: No outfit is complete without the perfect lipstick. Trust me, be prepared.

Hope to come up with some more study abroad tips in the future. Let me know if you have or questions or comments!

Love,

The College Cuisiner