N.O.A

As New York Fashion Week ends and London’s begin, I wanted to discuss whether there is a difference in style. Not on the Catwalk, but on the streets of these two amazing cities. The only way to answer this question is to say that yes there is, and no, there isn’t.

First of all you have to deduct the oh so unstylish tourists from the mix (not forgetting that yes, some can have style, and be fashionable, but let’s face it, you tourists are dressing for comfort, not ‘la mode’). Once you have taken away the tourists you can get a glimpse of a Brooklynite or Carnaby Streeter’s style. The trends do not seem to vary much; I saw the same granny cardigans, over-sized and unnecessary glasses and denim trends in both cities. What did vary however was the attitude of the person wearing it. And it is, I find, the attitude behind an outfit that causes us to say “well, she pulls it off!” Not everyone can get away with this seasons trends, and most of us know that. Granted there are those unfortunate few who don’t. Hence the array of people getting it wrong transcends continents.

I believe that personal style is a reflection of one’s personality; a commodity that allows outsiders to judge what sort of person we are by what we wear, what music we listen to or what vocation we have chosen. This idea that people can assess our music choices from our dress-sense I feel is connected to my big question. The two big music scenes in both cities are very different at the moment. New York City is a fluster with new age indie rock, whereas London is beating out great dance music. If I ignore the chav-tastic outfits I sometimes see, I think the way in which the music-fashion fusion of the two cities meets is somewhere around hipsterville. It seems as though the hippies of the 70’s have found their souls stuck inside the wardrobes of the young festival goers in London and late night gig-takers surrounding the Lower East Side and Bedford Avenue.

One thing I also noticed is that ink is much more predominant state side. Again, I leave this down to the music scene. The fashion magazines are full with beautiful photography selling the same designers collections, which only furthers my suspicions that the slight variations in clothes are down to the different songs stuck in our heads.

So what it comes down to is that the accent they speak in and the music blasting from their headphones differs, the clothes, not so much.