Shoesday: London Fashion Week

I think it's still Tuesday in London, so this still counts as Shoesday...

It's Fashion Week season in the Northern Hemisphere, with London Fashion Week currently well under way.

I have to say, having recently spent some time in London, and having been to New York a couple of times, I think that Londoners have a far more distinctive style, and that they are also simply more stylish than their friends across the ditch. Americans tend to dress in the safe zone (with the exception of Carrie Bradshaw, but she is a work of fiction and also not emblematic of how folks dress on a daily basis in NYC - sadly), whereas London is a melting pot of different styles pulled off expertly and without looking like it was a fuss to get dressed that morning.

I was often a little concerned I'd get beaten up for staring openly at people on the Tube in London so fascinating were the looks (I saw not one but two blue mohawks on the Tube), whereas in NYC there was not nearly so much fashionable fodder to ogle.

One thing I've noticed in the snippets of shots I've seen from LFW is the more pared back looks - minimalism and low-key looks certainly seem to be the order of the day (without sacrificing fun via colour and interesting embellishments via hair and make up). In particular, we are still seeing the sneaker enjoying its moment in the sun.

Colourful sandals and sneakers at Burberry Prorsum

Sneakers on the street

Given that when you travel you tend to live in flats (my Converse trainers reek from my sweaty feet on 32 degree days in Rome - and I have a charming sneaker tan to match #suntanfail), I was pretty pleased to see this look everywhere in Europe meaning (a) I didn't stand out as a tourist; and (b) I didn't suffer footwear envy on too many occasions. Of course, I still bought outrageously high heels in Paris.