What to wear in London?
 

I am traveling to London in two weeks. I do not like to look TOO MUCH like a visitor, though unavoidable sometimes. What clothes, shoes, accessories should I pack? We will be in the city for the entire six days, museums, chruches and two nights at the theatre.

Dear CJB, right now the weather is dry but rather chilly at night. Coat, gloves, scarf etc Like any city my recommendation is to wear layers and a back pack for one guide book a bottle of water and a sweater. Wear comfortable shoes, even trainers. Depending upon what kind of theatre you are going too you may want to dress smartly not too casual. There are so many visitors to London that you will blend into the crowd. It is only in the main business areas that you will see more suits. In order not to look like a tourist be clear about the journey you are going to do that day and stride confidently! Enjoy you will have a great time.

Quite a few people from the US mention 'fanny packs' (I love that term). Please don't wear one. Otherwise just as Moirahd says, although I'm not sure about trainers.

Hi CJB- Congrats on your trip- I'll be there in 3 weeks and cannot wait!! This will be my 2nd trip to London, and the best advice I can give you is to pack light. The first time I was there I took a fairly large suitcase and regretted every second of it. This time, I'm traveling with a carryon. Instead of a backpack I would suggest a large tote. Backpacks may invite a pickpocket, since it will be behind you. I carry a large-ish purse that does double duty. Comfy walking shoes are a must- some say tennis shoes are ok, I say no. Find a nice pair of flats or dark leather walking shoes and go with those (Merrel makes excellent ones). The look you should strive for to best fit in is 'dressy casual'. Pack light layers, and pack so that you can wear any top with any bottoms. Also, pack some Febreeze if smoke bothers you- many restaurants and pubs can be very smoky, and if you are going to rewear something it will help freshen it up. Lastly, I would suggest that you do a search on this forum. This topic has been discussed many times, and several people have offered very good suggestions. Have fun!

CJB - wear what is comfortable. I just got back last week, and we wore jeans or khakis with sweaters or layered clothing depending on the forecast. <BR><BR>I will say that we did NOT see many Brits wearing sneakers (except teenagers). I brought a comfortable pair of black walking shoes and a short pair of black winter boots (it had snowed 2 days before we got there). My BF brought brown Doc Martens and brown loafers. <BR><BR>Minimize accessories - the more you bring, the more could get lost or stolen. Pack light! You can wear jeans twice, rinse out things, etc. <BR><BR>I kind of disagree with Moirahd on the crowds of tourists. Although Picadilly and Leicester Square were packed at night, all the &quot;touristy&quot; stuff were quite empty during the day, and a lot of the &quot;tourists&quot; seemed to be British!<BR><BR>Have a great time!

Erin - your post rang so true! I wish we had brought Febreeze! Some of the pubs (and really, I loved them all!), were so smokey we had to leave because my eyes were watering after a while. Luckily, we stayed with my sister and were able to do some laundry. <BR><BR>We knew to expect it but were still a bit surprised. Here in bars (DC) where people smoke, maybe 10-20% of people do. There, it seemed like 75% or more of the people smoked in pubs (and some of them are small!) Still had a blast.

Hello CJB, we are heading out to London next week as well. I always pack what mix and match shades of Grey and Black. With lots of layers and rain gear. I have a great pair of trustworthy black, flat walking shoes that are comfortable and don't stand out at all. Usually everything I pack, can be worn with something else, like a black skirt that works with anything for theatre black and grey pants with a variety of jackets and sweater tops then 1 pair of jeans. My husband and I call this look &quot;urban casual&quot; and wear it all the time here in Los Angeles, though of course with out all the scarves and sweaters.. Bon Voyage! I dont' wear athletic shoes except while jogging.

What about at a cathedral service - like, St. Paul's on Sunday? Suit/tie for men and dress for women or is more casual acceptable?

Where what you want to the service, they aren't formal occasions. Some people will be in suits etc, many will look like they just got out of bed.<BR><BR><BR>

Unless you are a teenager, don't wear trainers in London. If you want to blend in, wear a good pair of shoes, and smart casual clothes during the day. Londoners tend to wear darker shades of grey and blue, and save browns for the country. You might want to have a coat and tie for evening visits to the theater and restaurants.

Londoners tend to wear long coats unlike Americans. A few of them wear ski jackets, but not as commonly as in the U.S. If so, they tend to be darker, not bright.<BR><BR>Londoners also wear a lot of scarves because they walk more than Americans. A lot of them don't drive to work and need to walk to the bus or tube.<BR><BR>Underneath the long coat, some dress poorly and wear old clothes. Except in Kensington and other ritzy areas. I hang around in Hackney and Islington sometimes.

Dark, dark colors only, if you don't want to stick out. People who live in huge cities always wear dark colors because pollution will turn light colors filthy very quickly. Do you know what a white coat would look like after two days of riding the Tube??? You get the idea, sweetie, darling. Victorian jewelry is very &quot;in&quot; right now, especially locket cameos. Business women in London (and I deal with many of them) tend to wear dark pant-and-blazer suits (as opposed to the American skirt suit) with a Thomas Pink-style pinstriped shirt, with cuffs obtrusive. Cutler&amp;Gross sunglasses, Hermes Birkin bag, and Rebecca Moses hats are also trendy. Cheers.

Any dark colour and definitely not white, you will be in one of the dirtiest places on earth. Sorry about this but true. Trainers are not suitable in London in the winter, you will stick out like a sore toe. As the english have the central heating turned up to the max, no matter what the temp. outside, layers are the best. I would not wear day packs on public transport in London. And leave your expensive jewellery at home.

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It depends a lot on your age (and sex!) of course, but a look at the site for one of our biggest department stores - www.debenhams.com should give you an idea of the sort of middle-of-the-road styles that are currently popular.

I spent a week in London with several family members this past November. As we were packing to come home, we were analyzing just how well we had chosen our travel wardrobes. The &quot;adults&quot; among us each found that he/she had worn everything they had brought except jeans - just never felt appropriate out and about in the city. I had best luck with black slacks (two fairly dressy, the other twill) and two or three black and beige knit tops of varying weight - also got use out of a black/beige silk patterned top (bought here at home at Chicos - fabulous place!) which I could wear in the evening with the black slacks to feel a bit more dressed up. Wore a black knee length raincoat with a zip out warm lining and a couple of long scarves to wrap around my neck and head if needed - again, one more dressy than the other which helped me to feel a bit put together.<BR>Most important accessory was a fold up umbrella which I carried in my largish purse all the time. Hope this helps!

Trainers are fine, but really, you want a more shoe-like trainer, something more like Camper's retro bowling shoes. So it's dressier, cuter - a bit white lumpy leather trainer would look a little uncool. <BR><BR>Whoever said long coats is absolutely right, we love our long coats. Women like a lot of faux fur around the collar - on cardigans as well as jackets - and for a dressier look, pointy high-heeled boots are still mostly worn.<BR><BR>But you don't want to look like everyone else! Individuality, if stylish, is respected. Tourists wear baseball caps, lots of strappy travel bags, brightly coloured blouson jackets, dark glasses, large t-shirts with writing on them. For safety's sake - not that London is dangerous - perhaps steer away from those.

Hi CJB - Most people in London have more important things on their minds (eg. cold/wet weather, getting from A to B, being late for work...) than what the tourists are wearing!! Whatever you wear, I promise that you will not look out of place in such a large, busy city. Wear whatever you are most comfortable in, bearing in mind that you will be doing a lot of walking, it is likely to be cold, and it is likely to rain or even snow (but then of course it can be quite warm in the buildings, so you may need to carry whatever coat you are wearing around with you.)I'm sad to say that even for theatres, many people don't bother to dress smartly these days, but you would certainly not look odd if you did want to dress up a bit for that. One recommendation would be to bring a warm hat of some sort - handy not just for keeping you warm, but avoids the need for an umbrella, which can be a real pain in busy streets. Just enjoy your trip and let worrying about what you look like be the last thing on your mind, please!

A related question - what kind of coat/jacket for spring? We will be travelling in May. Should I bring my long black raincoat...would I look like an idiot on a sunny day if we were lucky enough to find some sunshine? Or is a shorter jacket more approriate? Or as the previous poster stated - who cares? It is difficult to pack light and still be dressed for every occasion on a trip you've saved for and anticipated for years!

Some key pointers from a Londoner:<BR><BR>Dark colours (black/brown) combined with neutrals - bright colours are for summer and skiing holidays<BR><BR>Fitted clothing not baggy - doesn't matter what shape or size you are, fitted is always more flattering to the figure.<BR><BR>Natural fabrics not synthetics (synthetics should be saved for activity holidays)<BR><BR>Some specifics:<BR><BR>Coats/jackets: wool, leather, suede or sheepskin, over the bum to very long, fitted. Fake fur or sheepskin trim collars are popular. NOT ski-style synthetic baggy jackets (only tourists wear these).<BR><BR>Shoes - black or brown, boots (short with trousers, long with skirts). Heels optional.<BR><BR>Trousers (or jeans): always fitted, can be low slung, should be boot cut or slightly flared. NEVER baggy, tapered or pleated at the waist.<BR><BR>Bags: Over the shoulder, in leather or suede. NEVER a backpack (see comment re: tourists)<BR><BR>Scarves (+ pashminas) are a popular accessory - can be brightly coloured, even stripey!!