This trip I was very much focused on spendiing meaningful time with Mr. Suz, so shopping was not a priority. I didn't buy anything for myself. But I did enjoy window shopping and people-watching! I didn't photograph anybody on the street, but I did take snaps in stores and of shop windows. First, here's my impression of what people were wearing:
- Sneakers. Sneakers. Sneakers. No surprise there. I did see some sandals on the hot days -- mostly Birkenstock type or other flatforms. I think I only saw a couple of pairs of heels, and those were boots. Even in the financial district, quite a few people wore fashion sneakers with their suits.
- Raincoats. Again, no surprise. This was London, after all! And it's been an unusually wet year. Mostly I noticed trenches, but anoraks and utility coats were popular as well.
- Light wash wide leg full-length denim. Mostly on younger women.
- The skirt of the year -- mid-axi or maxi denim skirts with slits. Also mostly on younger women.
- Slouchy looks in jackets -- some blazers, some bombers. Quite oversized.
- On the hot days -- maxi dresses in white, off-white, or large-scale florals. Again, on the younger women. Some dresses were off the shoulder. Some were dragging on the ground and I worried they'd get caught in the escalators at the tube! But I remember doing many silly things for fashion in my own youth. :)
In the shops -- most stores were exhibiting high summer wear: lightweight linens and floral dresses. I wasn't really tempted by anything because it is quite easy for me to get this sort of thing in North America.
# 1. Window of a shop I would have liked to have gone into. Interesting sculptural shapes to the clothes. Heavy linens. Small boutique I think near Covent Garden.
# 2-3. In the National Portrait Gallery -- Vivian Westwood. The first photo is a portrait in her garden; the second shows her surrounded by a new generation of artists, designers, and rebels.
#4 I went into Selfridges to browse. Such a beautiful store. This display of cashmere wowed me with the quality and the prices, which I won't even begin to quote.
#5. I loved this Erdem suit. But again, look at the price! Even on sale....https://erdem.com/products/sin....._r1j7_muwc
#6 The orange suit and the beautiful floral skirt also caught my eye. https://erdem.com/collections/.....s-trousers
#7 And the gorgeous party dresses!
#8. Snapped a selfie while in one of the in-store shops. Curve jeans.
#9. I loved the Alexander McQueen display -- right up my alley.
#10 The fab orange suit made me think of Angie -- Stella McCartney.
# 11 Issey Miyake. I saw lots and lots of green in evidence, along with orange, in almost all the shops.
#12 The jumpsuit also made me think of Angie. It would look terrific on her, no?
#13 The majestic entrance to the store.
#14-15. Moving on to John Lewis. Scottie bags for JAileen. :)
#16-17. Colourful hat display.
#18. I kind of loved this colour blocked dress. Any of those hats might have worked with it!
#19. A book that some of us might enjoy. I know I'm going to hunt down a copy! As an undergrad I wrote an essay about Virginia Woolf's attitudes toward clothes.
#20-22 Mr. Suz examining the beautiful wares at Japan House in Kensington, and some more of their displays.
