London on $98 a Day - London Fashion

When traveling, I try to be fashion forward without being trendy, but on this trip I ended up looking more like Nanook of the North than Heidi Klum. Wind, rain and 48 degrees will do that to me.

I packed three black lightweight jackets. And wore all three of them, one on top of the other, almost every day. The rest of my ensemble consisted of my skinny black pants that ended up baggy after three weeks of almost continuous wear (I did wash them a couple times.) and a scarf from Coldwater Creek that was supposed to be casually draped around my neck but that I usually wrapped around my head to keep the wind out. The only spot of color in this mix was provided by the every-finger-a-different-color knit gloves I bought twenty years ago at TJ Maxx. 

When we look back at the photos of this trip, we'll find there are no photos of me. Not that David didn't take them....only that you can't find me what with the umbrella and all those layers of dark clothing.

Luckily, Londoners seem better prepared for inclement weather, probably because they have so much time to get used to it. They manage to dress warmly and look good all at the same time. Here is a rundown of the look we saw all over this cosmopolitan city.

Start with skinny pants, black tights, leggings, or some sort of opaque pantyhose. Make sure the feet are covered in heels or boots. Top the pants with a full but very short skirt, dress, or coat. Add a scarf, but wear it around the neck not on top of your head.

Since London women can manage to stay warm and look chic all at the same time, I took notes on how they do it. I may have been the only Nanook in London this spring, but next time around I'm going to be as fashionably dressed as everyone else.  I'm going to pack a coat.