A Tale Of Two Cities: London and Paris

BY SHELBY, SARAH, ALE, AND MARIA

Bold. Loud. Leather. London. Soft. Casual. Simple. Paris. Both are known for being the center of fashion, where trends originate and style persists. Both London and Paris are vivacious, and offer a wide variety of trends, styles, and personalities. During our stay in London, we decided to tackle the unexpected, and situated ourselves in Camden. This was categorized as a punk-alternative look which could not have been replicated anywhere else. Meanwhile in Paris, we took a more traditional approach, and situated ourselves in the 8th arrondissement, closer to the emblematic Champs Elysees. This area had a variety of styles, but due to the rainy weather, the style seemed to resemble rainy casual chic. Both areas demonstrated their rich and distinct aesthetics, while highlighting the differences between the two cities.

Camden Town, or better known as Camden London is a lively and predominantly young area of London, home of the punks. Punks originated from Camden in the late 70’s, and variations of punks continue to reside in Camden today. While walking through the streets, there were hundreds of locals and tourists alike dressed in stand out clothing. Women, men, and non-binary people alike were dressed in platform shoes, lots of leather and black clothing, and an attitude that could only be described as determined. Most of them walked with pride, and seemed to care very little for the tourists who stopped to observe their outfits. Casper, the first person we interviewed, described their style as “local”, a little punk, as they were born and raised in Camden. They stood out due to their hair, piercings and graphic eyeliner, which we thought we did not see a lot of in Paris. Anderson, who we found on the Camden Bridge, was a “full time” punk. Originally from Brazil, he moved to Camden five years ago, as he stated “I have a problem with the [Brazilian] government… they don’t like punks, they don’t like when people protest against the government. In the past the government has been so fascist, so homophobic, so racist, so genocidal, I needed to move for myself. To be free.” He self-describes his style as “free” and considers himself a “survivor”. His clothes have all been given by the shops in Camden (except for the sweater he found under the bridge!) demonstrating a strong-knit community within the locals. Molly, Willa, and Lottie were three girls who were also local to the area. They described their style as “cute core” and “scene-alternative”. They stood out to us due to their excessive use of pink, and somewhat Japanese inspired outfits and scene makeup. They stated that their inspiration stemmed from the punk scene but “make it cute and Hello Kitty” which was obvious with their plushies and pink accents. The same kinds of themes in style continued as we meandered the streets. Although there was not a clear silhouette, the streets were full of alternative, leather, unconventional looks.

Meanwhile, the 8th arrondissement of Paris is known for the Avenue des Champs Elysees and the iconic Arc de Triomphe. With heavy traffic circling around the Arc and Place de laConcorde, and rows of luxury shopping, Parisians are on the go, wearing chic, yet comfortable styles, and possessing an elegant and sophisticated comfy-chic everyday look. Young Parisians walk around with headphones in and sneakers on, listening to music and prioritizing comfort. Due to the heavy rain these past weeks, all Parisians in the 8th carry the most crucial accessory, an umbrella. Additionally, some Parisians reject the umbrella and instead embrace a scarf or bandana around their face, attempting to cover up from the rain while still looking effortlessly cool. We found this to be a very interesting accessory which we didn’t seem to see in London, or even our home countries, and most of us decided to take notes and attempt to recreate some outfits for the next rainy day back home. Most of our interviewees were inspired by 90s fashion, and their general rule of thumb was “loose”. Nothing tight or constricting the body. The common silhouette was vertical and loose, with straight pants, long trench coats, and hats and headscarves elongating the body. Furthermore, most sported beautiful trench coats and bomber jackets in an attempt to isolate the body from the rain. The classic trench is stylish and the perfect piece to wear on a rainy day to stay dry. When interviewing in Paris, most of the women were involved in the design and fashion industry. Manuela, the woman with the beautiful brown bandana on her head was originally Canadian but moved several years ago to work in creating different interior designs and curating art. Julie, another girl who sported a headscarf, was finishing her masters in fashion. Camille, sharing an umbrella with her boyfriend, was also working for a smaller designer in Paris. Marie, in a hurry to go eat with her boyfriend and wearing beautiful long nails, was a pattern maker. While all incredibly unique, they were united by their profession and their color palette for this rainy day. The colors are mainly neutral, with plenty of black, white, and beige, which gives it a chic and timeless feel. Most of the women owned a variety of jewelry. They accessorize with bold jewelry: mainly rings and necklaces, as well as fun sunglasses. Leather crossbody bags are an additional touch to complete the look. Parisians from the 8th are on the go, in fact, many said no when asked to be interviewed as they were in a rush to meet up with a friend, go shopping, or run an errand. The arrondissement is fast-paced and filled with high-fashion storefronts. It was clear that the Parisians valued comfort and classiness while looking so effortlessly chic.

While looking at both London and Paris, we realized there were so many differences in the areas we chose. Parisian fashion, specifically in this area is much more toned down in contrast to the punk and edgy styles in Camden, London. The 8th in Paris is completely different, it is timeless with styles not heavily following a particular trend like punk, but more practical for an everyday lifestyle. This may be due to Parsians being more conservative and realistic with their fashion choices. Meanwhile, Camden seemed more carefree and truly embodied the essence of what punk is: going against the norm, personal freedom, and being crafty with their style while using it to protest an ideology they’re passionate about. We found this to be something shocking and different to us, as we had never seen so many punk and alternative styles in one area. Both Londoners and Parisians feel that fashion is very diverse across the different areas in their city. It is clear that both Camden and the 8th’s style is unique from others. While the 8th isn’t as over the top, but still is tasteful, lavish, and reflective of real everyday Parisians, Camden manages to demonstrate a stark contrast. All in all, fashion manages to tell a story in itself, and the location can greatly impact what story and ideology is being shared.