As you may know, Precedent’s resident Fashionista went on mat leave a little while back to the disappointment of her loyal readers. Editor Melissa Kluger asked if I would take over the weekly Style & Error column and I happily obliged. To think, countless hours of shopping, magazine/blog reading, and just general fashion observing now legitimized, all in the name of Precedent: The new rules of law and style. As a Canadian lawyer living and working in London, I couldn’t think of a better place to bring you fashion-related posts. After all, London is a city where fashion is THE sport (behind of course the ever popular beer-guzzling and queue-jumping).
After a whirlwind nine months, I’m finally settling in. Initially faced with the whole east/west divide of where to live, I settled on a flat in the east, on the border of Shoreditch, an area with a vibe similar to Brooklyn or Queen St. West. Make that Queen west west west. Living here, predicting the next big fashion “thing” is easy. Just step outside! First, it was that guy wearing the Keds. Then it was that girl in the wingtips. Then most recently, I was convinced it was that girl in head-to-toe vintage wearing those retro glasses that magnify your eyes. Turns out, maybe she was just farsighted because clearly, eye magnifying glasses have yet to catch on. (Surrounded by hipsters galore, it’s sometimes tough to know.)
London’s focus on fashion is everywhere but the commitment to fashion is probably most notably demonstrated by the women who wear stiletto heels day in and day out. They’ve developed their own coping mechanism – walking on the streets of London barefoot. Perfectly acceptable and quite the norm, you’d be hard pressed to go anywhere without witnessing this.
Though there are several differences between Canadian and British fashion, in this busy travel season, I thought I’d alert you to one that has embarrassed many a traveller. If you’re visiting London this summer, remember that the term “pants” refers to knickers and underwear, while “trousers” is the proper term for what we think of as pants. Keep this in mind when you inevitably get stuck in the rain.
From across the pond where things are a little ahead of the curve, I look forward to bringing my fellow young and fashion conscious Canadian lawyers sartorial musings and practical style advice. See you next Friday for another installment of Style & Error.
Terry Chan is a Canadian lawyer practicing finance law in London. She writes every Friday on style and fashion, perfectly aware that the next big thing is not looking like a lawyer.