# Clothing in London - what to wear? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 25, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-in-london-what-to-wear/530391 "2010-02-25T15:16:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-in-london-what-to-wear/530391/61 "2010-03-02T00:44:36Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Don’t students in the UK do this? Or the kind of people who drop into a Starbuck’s and spend an hour or two working on their computers? Students in the UK generally wear uniforms, or at least something uniform-y. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-in-london-what-to-wear/530391/62 "2010-03-02T00:50:09Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Students in the UK generally wear uniforms, or at least something uniform-y. I was referring mainly to university students; in many American high schools the students aren’t allowed to carry backpacks during the school day. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-in-london-what-to-wear/530391/63 "2010-03-02T02:55:00Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > 1. Maps. Unfolded. Walking. Whereas “native” londoners march along a packed, bustling street while reading a book or newspaper I mean wtf? One time I saw someone reading a newspaper as they walked into a road, until an approaching car sounded its horn. Hopefully that person has learned a valuable (and really quite basic) lesson. > [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > Don’t students in the UK [wear backpacks]? Or the kind of people who drop into a Starbuck’s and spend an hour or two working on their computers? I think the fashion is for more discreet shoulder bags, aka the “manbag”. Or if they are wearing a backpack, it’s (at most) half-full. A massive, packed out backpack / rucksack obviously says: tourist. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-in-london-what-to-wear/530391/64 "2010-03-02T03:31:38Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Interesting about the backpack. While it makes sense that tourists would use them, in America a backpack usually means either that the wearer is a student, or that they need to have their computer with them, expecting to use it away from home. Which it is likely to be depends on the person’s age, and perhaps gender as well. Among male university students backpacks are universal; many women students use them too. > > Don’t students in the UK do this? Or the kind of people who drop into a Starbuck’s and spend an hour or two working on their computers? On the other hand, a young man wearing a \*frame \*backpack and shorts in an American city is quite likely a German/Nordic tourist in search of the hostel. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-in-london-what-to-wear/530391/65 "2010-03-03T05:41:34Z")
> [@zelie\_zelerton](#): > > Oh and sod the ‘don’t wear bright colours’ thing. It’s perfectly acceptable here and an excellent way to find lost members of the group if you know they are in bright red or pink or something. 🙂 It’s true. I wore a black and white striped knit hat when I was visiting England over Christmas break with my family, and my 80-year-old grandmother thought it was great. She doesn’t see very well, but my hat stood out enough that she could see that there was one of us in front of her at all times. (She was always with my father, so we weren’t worried about losing her, but she liked to be able to see us.) ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-in-london-what-to-wear/530391/66 "2010-03-03T14:50:18Z")
Why not check out the websites of British High street clothes shops to get an idea of what people are wearing? How old is your wife? In her 20s or early 30s- [Topshop](http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=12556&catalogId=19551) gives an idea of what is fashion forward at the moment. 30s-40s [Jigsaw](http://www.jigsaw-online.com/shop/1000903/womens/key-looks) is appropriate Over 40- [Marks and Spencer](http://www.marksandspencer.com/Womens/b/42967030?ie=UTF8&intid=gnav_women) will give an idea. My suggestion- skinny dark denim jeans, ballerina pumps and a long sleeved t-shirt with a blazer and some nice accessories (maybe a scarf or a nice necklace) is a perfectly comfortable smart casual look that will work for sight-seeing and dinner and drinks. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-in-london-what-to-wear/530391/67 "2010-03-03T16:08:14Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > What if they bump into the Queen at a bus stop or some such? Better to dress a little nicer just in case. Just make sure you’re not wearing a cardigan!! :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clothing-in-london-what-to-wear/530391.md?page=3)