London is defined by two foundational styles – City and Country – and they both influence your personal style today. Visit London, as I just did, become immersed in its rich history, and you will see how true this is. Style doesn’t occur organically in London. Like everything in this great city, how style was developed here, and how it has progressed, is part of an orderly plan. This may not make sense at first. But keep reading, and it will all make perfect sense.
London is really a tale of two towns. The City of London enveloped the ancient Roman square mile settlement, now known as London’s financial heartbeat. Westminster, its neighbor, is home to Her Majesty the Queen, Parliament, many theatres and museums, and more retail than you can possibly imagine. It’s very rare that the Queen ever comes to The City. In fact, when she does, a special ceremony marks the occasion. The City has its own separate governance and oversight from Westminster, though there is an overarching government for the entire populace of London.
This atmosphere you experience within the financial district is notably different than in other parts of London. This municipal separation has come to affect fashion and personal style, radiating out of London, around the world to lands Britain conquered, and to places ex-Brits colonized, like the United States. Even though there is historical context to this, it’s a modern-day truth. Seeing Londoners on their streets in different districts made the historical all the more real.
The people working in the City of London dress like “city” people, for the most part. People are dressed in modern, business appropriate attire. Finance may be the key business focus, but unless a person is employed in a service role, say at a restaurant or shop, nearly everyone is dressed up, hair neatly coiffed, shoes nicely buffed, representing efficiency and properness. People wear dark clothes in ranges of grays and dark blues. Some wear black.
Though I heard a rhyming rule from a London-based colleague, “No brown in London Town,” speaking to the idea that brown is forbidden in The City, that’s bogus. Certain men, either of “a certain age,” or younger, confident men [and women] who are returning to Saville Row for bespoke clothing see quite a range of available earthy fabrics from which to choose. The reality is that these clothes do appear to be worn by some well-to-do people in The City, but maybe it’s because their lifestyle dictates their personal style decisions more than a rule.
Over in Westminster, you can feel how style conscious it is. It’s not just the place of palaces. The temples of fashion also call it
home. But this is the place of everything from embassies to parks, to theatre and culture. This is the section of London to see and be seen. It’s both local and international. There are also A LOT of people here! So to stand out it takes some doing. So you see everything from country style [which is more the opposite of city style], to cutting edge chic, to street wear.
These City and Country fashion elements within London and that are exported around the world, have implications for your personal style right at home in Silicon Valley.
People get very confused about their personal style today. They tend to be too defined by their jobs, and not inspired by their personalities and unique qualities. People are sometimes afraid of being defined by labels, or archetypes. But this concept is traceable as far back as the development of London. What if you’re just more of a “City” personality? You should totally have a wardrobe that reflects that attitude, even if you live in Menlo Park and work for a Silicon Valley technology company instead of a finance company in San Francisco. Whatever your profession and lifestyle, and where ever you work and live, your personal style has to work for your own set of rules. But it’s still fun to think of how London plays an influence in your personal style.
Joseph Rosenfeld helps high-profile individuals revitalize, manage, and be secure in their personal visual brand. Visit JosephRosenfeld.com for details.
