Living in London can be great, and it’s no wonder that many blog posts we see around a focus on fashion from the UK. There’s more choice, and there are many more opportunities to see various styles and trends and explore them. The blogosphere is more spread out than, say, the UK and Ireland, and the distances are great (you’ll usually have to travel at least an hour to see most pieces), so it’s easy to see what’s in when you’re at home.
One of the best things about living in London is that there’s always something new and exciting to discover. You don’t have to be a well-paid magazine editor or a celebrity with a closet full of amazing designer clothes to get yourself noticed; you just have to know your style and take advantage of the endless array of opportunities for unique outfits in the city.
But since it’s London, people aren’t always going to be keen on what you wear. Some people have a severe inferiority complex about the city and take out their insecurity on others—a couple of examples.
One time, I was out having dinner at an expensive hotel, and I wore an off the striped shoulder jumpsuit (with pockets) with chunky wool tights and suede thigh-high boots. My friend was a fashion journalist and kept on about how “trendy” the outfit was, but even with my “great dress”, I couldn’t convince anyone to accept it. My feet were freezing from wearing the tall boots, and I had to shiver for most of the evening.
I was so embarrassed. Luckily I was at a group dinner, so I went with my friends anyway and enjoyed it so much that I didn’t mind. The other time was when I was in a show. I had come down in my leather bodice with velvet high heels (with buckles), my best chainmail jacket, tight leather pants and high boots.
I don’t even remember what I had on underneath, but I had a cape-like shawl (literally a stole) in addition to my shiny makeup and expensive jewellery.
It was very scandalous! The way I think about it now is that the show was about Renaissance-era palaces and costumes, and wearing high heels in my day is very much a “Saturday night on the town” kind of outfit.
I was dressing up to play dress-up in a historical scene, and these other girls were playing the part of the real-life characters that were wearing the costumes.
I should’ve learned my lesson from those two times, but I didn’t. If I hadn’t gone into the show (it was a school one), I wouldn’t have had to deal with that kind of reaction. I would’ve been on stage, performing as my character, and that would’ve been that.
Despite all my best efforts, I still get adverse reactions when I wear “London” clothes.
I was out in the city with a few other bloggers, and I was a bit distressed because I had brought nothing exciting with me to wear. I was worried that the girls were going to think that all I could do was wear the same well-worn outfits I’d worn many times before. I was still worried when we got to our destination, and I arrived first.
The other girls were already there when I arrived, so I told them that I was worried they were going to think that all I do is wear the same clothes over and over again. I explained that I had brought some new outfits, but they said they weren’t interested and that I could borrow something from them if I wanted.
I was upset by their reaction, but at the same time, I could understand what was going on. The one thing these girls have in common is that they are all very fashionable, and I was probably the only one who was dressed down (minus the heels). They were doing the thing that they thought I was doing, by thinking that London clothes meant designer wear and the like.
But as it turned out, when I showed up, I was the only one not wearing something chic and designer. I was the only person wearing whatever I had brought with me. When they all saw my outfit, they instantly changed their opinion. I was wearing a blue zip-up sweater over a black zip-up hoodie, with a pair of jeans and my heaviest winter boots. I told them that I was wearing this because it was the only thing that I had.
We had a great evening, even though I was the only one who was dressed down. One girl said to me, “Well, at least you look normal,” and I replied, “That’s exactly what I was going for!” In reality, I wear the kind of clothes I want to wear. I like them, I don’t want to conform to what everyone else is wearing, I’m not trying to “fit in,” I don’t like being scrutinized or bullied.
I don’t care what people think of me anymore because I know I look good in my clothes. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, and sometimes people who are either trying to be nice or don’t understand my motives will say, “That’s not a good outfit. Why are you wearing that?”
This drives me nuts because my answer is usually something like, “I’m going to wear this because it’s comfortable. It’s what I feel like wearing today. It’s what I feel like wearing every day!”
I try to be honest, I don’t like fake people or people who have a plan. I don’t care what they think of me, and I’m not there to impress them. In my mind, they think I look stupid. I know what I look like in these clothes, and that’s all that matters.
