Putting It To The Test

We've been talking about the differences between American and European styles for weeks now, so it was time to put it to the test. The five of us recently went to The Luxembourg Gardens and had a photo shoot of sorts. We decided to take the concept behind Style Across Borders and use it as the inspiration for the shoot. Take a look below and see how we did in action!

Copenhagen and Norway

This past week was our school's spring break and I was lucky enough to travel to Barcelona (for a second time), Copenhagen, and Norway!  People in Copenhagen seriously have it going on.  Never in my life have I been in a city with more beautiful people.  Majority of the Danish I saw were youthful, blonde haired, blue eyed, and actually had great style!  They were more casual than people in Paris, but very very trendy!  This is a word thrown around in America usually describing the hipster chic style that has become very popular, but the Danish truly encapsulated this look.  The weather was lovely this past weekend there so many people were wearing flats and sandals with light colored jeans a lightweight shirt.  They layered well, and mix and matched patterns with perfection!  The style reminded me much of southern California on a chilly day.  I could definitely take some style tips from the youths of Copenhagen.

While Norway is a little farther North than Copenhagen, the weather here was 60s and sunny which brought out similar styles.  The people here were significantly less beautiful than those of Copenhagen, but shared a casual spring style.  Many of both styles resembled that of what I have seen in America and did not scream european like many cities I have visited.

Some friendly advice!

Even though I have been living in Paris for a little more than three months, I have to admit that I definitely do not have the look of "La Parisian" down yet. Of course I've tossed the big, puffy jacket, but as Spring approaches I am realizing that I can't cover up my American ensemble with a trendy Parisian coat. So, because I am not necessarily an expert, I thought it would be helpful to share something that I found. A story from fodors.com (below) shares all of the general do's and don't's of getting the Parisian look in their story, "What to Wear: How Not to look like an American in Paris." From accessories to color tips, the article tells all. No one wants to look like a tourist - even when they are - and these are a few steps to change that!

http://www.fodors.com/news/story_4536.html

Next stop...Lagos

The biggest difference that I noticed in Lagos aside from what people were wearing was the stores. The clothing stores were decorated on the outside with headbands, string bracelets and some random sweaters hanging from the ceiling. These types of shops reminded me of those the stops in the Caribbean Islands. Lagos was the first place I have traveled to throughout the past three months where I haven’t seen a Sandro and a Zadig and Voltaire. This was nice because it gave the city its own uniqueness.

Men In Lisbon, Portugal

After doing some traveling around Lisbon I did not come across any athletic wear however something that was very common were men in business suits similar to what I would see in cities like Philadelphia and New York City. I do not see a lot of this in Paris. The men here dress particularly well and differentiate themselves through fashion. If they are in a suit there is something unique about their outfit that makes them more fashionable then the rest.

In Lisbon I took a tour around the entire city therefore I was able to get a good understanding of what the fashion was like. In the most popular part of the city on the main street similar to The Champs Elysée in Paris, I saw an obscene number of men dressed in suits walking around. This reminded me a lot of America because I rarely see it in Paris.

London Style

On my recent trip to London, I most definitely saw a difference in styles between the English and Parisians.  Although there were most certainly some very well dressed people, I found that there were much more well dressed people throughout Paris than there are in London.  While both cities boast a lot of black, the styles were dissimilar in many ways.  For those of you who are familiar with the label Allsaints, which, by the way, are all over London, I would say that London style is very much in line with the Allsaints style: a lot of black, leathers, "edgy" style with silver accents and a more "punk-y" vibe.  As an Allsaints customer myself, I did love to see the styles and pieces walking down the streets of London, but missed the sophisticated vibe that one can find in Paris. 

The Burberry trench coat was also another staple of many Londoners, although it did not rain once while I was in the U.K.  While I expected to see this style of coat on older more put together men and women, I was surprised to see young people sporting the famous trench in many different ways.  One girl in particular looked to be about my age, a 20-something university student who was wearing a knee-lenth black Burberry trench, completely unbuttoned, but with the belt fastened around her waist, with sleeves rolled up, exposing a black knit sweater (sleeves were down), black ripped denim pants and black combat boots.  This look to me was a new take on the classic Burberry trench that I wasn't necessarily against. While I do prefer the more classical trench coat look, maybe accompanied by a medium wash denim, button down white shirt and a pair of loafers, I liked to see the coat worn in a different and unique way for a younger generation.  

Listen to Leandra

Ok, I admit, while being abroad I've been a bit behind on reading my go-to blogs. So today I decided to catch up on one of my all time favorites, The Man Repeller. Otherwise known as Leandra Medine, The Man Repeller has become not only a fashion blogger but the face behind an attitude in the fashion world, but that's besides the point. Two weeks ago she wrote about one of the biggest fashion staples for a Parisian woman and reworked it in three different looks that each have their own unique but awesome style. Leandra wrote about the Trench Coat.

The trench coat has long been part of the unspoken uniform for La Parisienne but has yet to cross over into American style in the same way. When I wear my trench coat back home, I wear it as a rain coat but here I have been able to wear it on a day to day basis regardless of the weather so I loved seeing one of my favorite bloggers encouraging her readers to do the same.

Me, wearing a trench coat and adding a lock to the Pont Des Arts

Do you own a trench coat? Do you wear it when it isn't raining? Let me know in the comments!

Travel Destination Number 6: Prague

           Talk about stuck in 2005.  What a difference I noticed in styles between Paris and Prague, and lets just say Paris wins. Big time.  This past weekend I visited my friends in Prague, Czech Republic.  I never thought style could be so blatantly horrible across the board for a certain place, but Prague did it.  Styles  I haven't seen in YEARS popped up daily during my visit like jean skirts, gauchos, those weird hats that look like barets with a brim.  I brought it up to my friends who study there, and they had to admit I was right.  The everyday wear for the Prague population consists of a lot of denim.

Men wear faded light blue baggy jeans, something you would never see on the streets of Paris, and generally paired it with an old non designer collared shirt.  Women wore anything and everything.  Jeans were very popular too, paired with jackets I might have worn in the sixth grade that were studded and bejeweled.  There was a lot of patterns and stripes and colors for everyone here.  Lets just say, I did not take any tips from this visit, more of a blast from the past reminding me how thankful I am that styles change as often as they do.

The Montreux Men

This past weekend I was in Montruex, Switzerland. Overall the style was a lot more casual than Paris with an emphasis on activewear. In Paris, I've noticed that overall the men dress very well and put effort into what they are wearing. It did not seem to be the case in Montreux.

This man right here is wearing a T-Shirt, Baggy Jeans, and Sneakers: the ultimate basics. 

Laer that evening however, I noticed a group of people around my age dressed to the nines for what looked like a Great Gatsby themed party. Suits, Tuxedos, Flapper Dresses, everything that evokes the 1920's. Gatsby is a theme that is used for parties across America, wether it be a wedding, sweet 16, or college party, so it was was cool to see that the theme is universal! 

Looking Good Old Sport!