Greetings from London

hi guys,

lizzy and i have been saving up for a trip to Europe with our 4 other best friends all year long, and we're finally here. it's 3:35 AM in London (where we are), we just got home from a night of dancing, leave for amsterdam in an hour and couldn't be happier. my favorite part of travelling is no doubt observing the local street style, and London is one of the best places to do that. id say the common thread between Londoners and their relationships to fashion is that the average person here at least attempts high fashion. not all efforts are successful, but on the whole, people obviously put more time, energy and money into their appearances.

if the word to describe Berkeley fashion is "wacky", the word for London is "chic." it's rare to see girls exposing much skin, and if they do, it's super classy (lots of open back tops, etc). there's also a LOT of all-black outfits. i'd forgotten how great it looks to wear skinny jeans with simple flats, a big sweater and a cool leather bag, all in dark shades.

now, i wouldn't be a respectable reporter of London fashion if i didn't mention Topshop. i've been to London before and to Topshop several times, but i sure had forgotten what i was missing... i knew to expect some great stuff, but not the absolute insanity i experienced. we spent a good 2 hours in there running around, slinging awesome piece after insane piece across our arms. i literally sat down on the floor amidst all the cut throat shoppers to sort out everything i'd nabbed. as my friend Maddie put the situation, "Topshop is like Forever21, except everything is high fashion instead of cheap looking, and fits well instead of like crap." i got a pair of bleached jeans with ankle zips (can't find them on their website). they were only £35, which is a little less than $70. i also got the jacket posted below (taken from Moodboard). if you're in London, i seriously recommend allotting a day (or two... or five) to spend in there. it's seriously unreal.

we also went to spitalfields market today, which is a marketplace of up-and-coming designers, mostly of accessories. it was really fun, and i'll post pictures of my purchases as soon as i have computer access again. i've also been taking pictures of the best outfits i've seen walking around here, and will post asap.

facade is the future....

xxo,

val