My European Fashion Time Capsule

My junior year of high school, I dragged my best friend out of our boring suburban town and into Boston to attend a photography meetup. The minute I stumbled across the event on Instagram, I knew I had to go. That day, I collaborated with models, stylists, and photographers to create stunning fashion images. Even though it was a rainy day in the middle of March, nothing could dampen my spirit as I had found my new favorite genre of photography: fashion.

Flash forward 3 years and I have been tasked with capturing the style of Europe’s most influential fashion capitals: London and Paris. I was ecstatic to take this challenge on. Although I have done a lot of fashion photography in the past, I have never asked strangers on the streets to take their photos. Although I was a little nervous, I journeyed into the winding streets of these cities ready to take on the challenge.

London has a vibe unlike any city I’ve ever been to. The underground art scene pumps energy into the air that affects everything, including fashion. In the area around Shoreditch and Whitechapel, I found a lot of individual, unique style. Although many people in this area wear a grungier street style, I also noticed a lot of women sporting accentuated shoulder blouses paired with a straight leg bottom. This puffy sleeve is something I have also seen a lot of in the US, France, and now London; this trend is big worldwide. I really appreciated how these women had similar blouses, but styled them in completely different ways. The woman on the left kept her palette very neutral, making the bananas on her blouse really pop. The shape of her sleeves gives her additional curves, flattering her figure. The angular shape of her sunglasses are very different from the round shape of her blouse, creating a beautiful contrast.

The woman on the right has a more unique baggy sleeve that ties in the center and accentuates her shape. She paired this with some red sneakers and a pair of straight leg jeans with high slits, adding a lot of interest to this outfit. Although the palette of her outfit is pretty simple, the interesting shapes created by her pieces speak loudly.

Another trend I spotted around the Spitalfields area was colored animal print shoes. I saw men and women alike sporting this look in a variety of colors. Wearing fun shoes is a great way to add a pop of color to an otherwise plain outfit. I especially like this pair of yellow snakeskin boots sported by a local Londoner. I think the color is really unique, and the point tip of the shoe creates a lot of interest.

Taking fashion photos in Paris was the biggest struggle. After practicing “Parlez vous anglais?” and working up the courage to ask someone for their picture, I was shut down quickly. This was the sad reality of my Paris street style experience as I was turned down 4 more times, which made trend forecasting in this city a lot harder. A few beautiful souls brightened my day by enthusiastically letting me shoot their look, which helped to build up my confidence and finish this project.

The biggest trend I found in Paris was the slight A-line suit style, black and white mini dress. I spotted 2 women sporting similar long sleeved looks in slightly different patterns. I found the woman on the left picnicing in a park in the 7th arrondissement. She uses thick vertical stripes that cinch inward to elongate her figure. Her gold hoops compliment the gold button accents on her dress. Her dress was perfectly flowy, giving her mobility while still making her look great. The woman on the right had a more baggy fit for her dress, with a smaller box black and white pattern. I found her wandering the streets with her friend in the 3rd. The cascading fabric near the bottom of her dress gives her a definitive waist while still being comfortable. The ruffled V pattern near her chest creates a very feminine shape, which is mimicked in the ruffled cinched sleeves. Both women styled their dresses with plain white sneakers, keeping the color palette very chic.

I found that many men and women in Paris wear fun jackets, which I love. I am a big fan of statement layering; I own many colorful fur jackets that are the perfect accessory for frigid Boston. When I saw this woman wearing a floral print jacket, I sprinted across the street to get a picture. The vintage carpet-looking fabric is so in right now, due to the rise in vintage fashion. This textured jacket microtrend adds a great pop of color to her all black ensemble.

Overall, I found a lot of the fashion in Paris and London to be similar. Although London fashion is a little grungier and Paris is more posh, I spotted many similar trends across cities. I also found the youth dominated the fashion scene, which is not a surprise. With social media so prominent, everyone in our generation is always dressed and ready for an Insta. I really enjoyed getting a chance to interact with locals to further understand the fashion scene across the pond. This is my European Fashion Time Capsule. Although it will change with the passing fashion, it will always represent what these cities were like when I went on my Parisian adventure.