London and Paris – Summer Street Style

I’m always on the lookout for fashion trends when I travel overseas and this summer in London and Paris it was very easy to see what was hot for the European summer. Never have they had such long spells of heat in both of these beautiful capital cities, so summer style was front and centre. Here are some of the trends I noticed and which we can all expect to be wearing as Australia’s own long, hot summer comes rolling around.

• Spots were everywhere! This suited me just fine as I had plenty of spots in my suitcase. The Brits seemed to love their spot dresses for Summer, mostly in navy and black but also in yellow and red. Whether in little flippy mini dresses paired with sneakers or elegant maxi lengths with sandals and everything length in between, the spotted dress reigned supreme. There were spots of every size on easy to wear blouses and even in menswear spots were big in dress shirts. I spied lots of spotted dresses in Paris as well, worn with sandals and espadrilles. Add a straw bag or hat for a fetching effect.
• Gingham- This trend shows no signs of abating anywhere in the world. Shorts, pants, skirts and dresses, as well as many different styles of shirt sported gingham. It always looks fresh and cool. Some gingham cropped trousers came home in my suitcase and I will have my eye out for some of the lovely tailored gingham shorts I spied on girls strolling the streets of Paris. Hot pink, mustard and every shade of  green gingham could also be found in the stores and on the street.
• Buttons were on everything. If you’ve been following Meghan Markle’s style you’ll see what I mean. On the sailor style trousers through to shorts, skirts and dresses it seems the more buttons the better. The tailored buttoned shorts looked chic with a crisp white tee and were the uniform of choice for many a fashionista strolling around Paris. I’ll be looking out for the  crisply tailored button dresses and cute buttoned sundresses for our summer.
• Florals were around but not as we’ve always known them. Many dresses were midi or maxi in length and were made up of a mixture of patchwork coloured florals, giving them a folksy look perfect for strolling around London markets or heading out for high tea. Embroidered florals were also a big look especially on blouses and handbags. Many invitees to Fashion Week chose to keep cool in floaty floral dresses or jumpsuits or paired their monochromatic outfit with a floral bag. Look out for these new release handbags. Olivia Palermo was one who managed to pull off the floral trend with her own unique style.

• Puffed Sleeves- Yes I know, Ihave worn them before in the ‘80’s but they are back again, in power suits, blouses, jackets and big shoulder printed dresses. Now I did try one of the shirts on in a soft pink but it did not come home with me. I showed my husband who said I looked like a pirate. Not quite the look I was going for! Shades of Seinfeld and the pirate shirt stopped me right there. Princess Di’s influence is ever pervasive here in London. There are every size of pouf a girl could want, just look out for the ones that best suit you and your personality.
• This last one may only be for the brave-  clear plastic pants and jackets were in the windows of many Soho stores. Now, I did not actually see anyone wearing the pants. However whilst breakfasting in Soho one of the girls at the next table sported a see- through plastic jacket. I  wondered if she had bought it or whether she worked in one of the stores across the way where they were selling them. I guess I’ll never know, but it was way more practical than the pants. I did see that our local paper also showcased this new trend with models wearing the see through pants.They asked was this the worst fashion trend ever? But it is definitely out there and available in stores right now. Only for the very daring!

So that’s a round up of trends from the European summer. I’m really excited about most of them and will be adding several chic pieces to my existing wardrobe and as my friend said, ‘ The plastic pants could be very handy as any spills could be easily wiped off.” Time will tell which ones are a flash in the pan and which have come to stay  and play awhile. So tell me are there any trends you’ve spotted in your travels? Which Summer fashion trends are you most excited about?