Fashion lovers and non-lovers alike know that the 4 fashion capitals have a huge influence on the fashion trends that we see each season. Style is universal, but it’s also very personal, and it takes on its own life all around the world. What exactly changes, and are the styles really that different depending on the city? Taking a look at the streetwear found at the Spring fashion shows in New York, London, Paris, and Milan we’re going to map out the key differences in fashion depending on each city.
In New York, I found that styles were bordering a grungy aesthetic in a stylized way. Looks were overall very relaxed, featuring a large majority of chunky sneakers. New York is known for being expressive and artsy, and the pandemic hasn’t altered that aspect of dressing in the slightest. Silhouettes were simple, with white shirt dresses, boxy blazers, and leather pieces being standout items. Blame it on the climate, but there was a lot more skin on show than other cities, featuring tights and bra tops covered with various pieces like blazers or sheer blouses.
London carried on the artsy aesthetic with lots of midi hemlines in bold prints. Oversized dress shirts were present just as in New York but in other colors. London carried a plethora of eclectic looks complete with sneakers and chunky boots. It is important to note that the pieces varied vastly from sweaters and overcoats to shorts and bralettes, which would strongly suggest that the unpredictable climate is the reason for that. A key difference in accessories from New York is that heels appeared more often when relaxed scaled-back outfits made their mark.
Our next street style stop is in Paris, France where the styles overall were more polished and elevated with details that brought each look full circle. Notable colors were neutrals with pops of color as seen in other cities but with a much larger emphasis on the neutrals than color. In Paris, layers of statement coats and structured separates engulfed the streets. While boxy blazers and suiting separates are in every region, the details from cinched bodices to exaggerated sleeves made the suits there stand out. While other cities looked a bit abstract, the outfits in Paris were very stylized and intentional. In New York especially it seems that the patterns varied, whereas in Paris, the checks are still very in no matter what article of clothing it was from outerwear to accessories.
Over in Italy, things are a bit spicier than in France, where there was an emphasis on funky colors just as much as neutrals, which is different from the other cities, which were more neutral heavy. Lots of elevated knits with outerwear were seen with exaggerated accessories like chunky gold jewelry and pearls. Khaki is a front runner for the most popular neutral color. Pastels also made their mark into streetwear, mostly being seen in suiting. Milan’s standout difference from the other cities was its emphasis on texture mixing between garments with 3D elements and different fabrics and finishes.
I love taking note of varying styles across the globe and drawing inspiration from each city to create my unique looks. However, there’s something that I particularly love about the street style in Paris. It’s still unique but polished and put together all at once.
Leave a comment below with your favorite city’s street style.
