Global Street Style: The Blogosphere’s Best Say It Like It Is

Whether they’re snapping style on neighbourhood sidewalks or fashion capital pavements, these 10 style savvy scouts have their fingers on the pulse of society, capturing and documenting real-life couture on the move through their lenses and their words. We asked them about the trends currently taking shape on the streets of their city, and here’s what they had to say…

Shifting Shapes

Simbarashe Cha of Lord Ashbury, NYC, USA

“The biggest thing I’ve noticed with women are the jeans: we’re moving out of the super-fitted styles into denims that have a little more room – not the boyfriend cut from a few years back, but more like flares and trousers. Speaking of flares, skirts are both longer and more full-bodied – the kind that are fit for twirling. While it may still be too early to state that baggy is in, it would be safe to say the days of slim vertical silhouettes are over, making way for more voluminous designs and intriguing shapes.” lordashbury.com

Clothes Over Code

Melissa Davies of Bike Pretty, San Francisco, USA

“SFO is well known for its tech industry, complete with boy-wonder billionaires and their signature hoodies. Here, the most coveted accessory of the season is more likely to be the latest iPhone rather than the current ‘it’ bag. It’s easy to assume then that we’re too obsessed with code to care about clothes. However, street styles tell a different story that people here are, in reality, quite style conscious and enjoy dressing up. That’s not to say three-piece-suits are de rigueur. This is still casual California. Women and men tend to be inspired by the Beat Generation or the French New Wave. They walk or bike a lot, as it’s the best way to get around the city and also keeps the body toned. So clothes are form-fitting. Dark-wash skinny jeans are worn by both sexes, and you’ll also see pulled-together looks that incorporate subtle vintage details – kinda ironic for a town obsessed with the next big tech innovation.” BikePretty.com

Fluid N Flexi

Stefania Yarhi of Textstyles, Toronto, Canada

“Toronto is the home of Drake, The Raptors and hunky Justin Trudeau. It’s a city that’s coming into its own, and where style is at the helm of change. Here, anything goes. Really! We’re a neighbourhood city, so if you’re uptown, the girls are top-to-toe designers – think Lim, Wang and Givenchy. Go down to Queen West and the girls are so cool it hurts – minimalists with that athleisure feel. Or hop over to King West where the ladies love their Stuart Weitzman over-the-knee boots as much as their more classic business daywear.” textstyles.ca

Bold N Edgy

Daniel Bruno Grandl of TheUrbanSpotter, London, United Kingdom

“As far as diversity and style go, London is perhaps the best city within Europe to be in. The city has a strong heritage in tailoring and punk and is known for its daring and edgy outfit combos. The Soho neighbourhood, especially the areas around Carnaby Street and the Liberty department store, attracts the fashion-conscious across age groups, and a major trend here (for both sexes) is distressed denim jeans with frayed edges. We’re also seeing hats everywhere, worn in combination with suits or casual outfits. Sneakers too! From an ensemble perspective, prints and details are in – on the backs of jackets, sweaters or dresses. And wearing oversized jackets and pants is quite popular too.” theurbanspotter.com

Cosy Chic

Angela de Vlaming & Sharon Nolet of StunningStreetstyle, Amsterdam, Netherlands

“In Amsterdam, as the days get colder, the clothes are becoming more stylish and practical. On the streets, we’re seeing long and comfy winter clothes – warm maxi dresses and cold-weather coats most often combined with sneakers and lengthy scarfs to create a cosy and snug look. The colour palette is quite sober, materials are soft and warm and the styles are minimal.” stunningstreetstyle.com

Heritage Heavy

Anthony Bila of The Expressionist, Johannesburg, South Africa

“Johannesburg is a melting pot of styles drawing influences from tribal and ethnic groups from various parts of a multi-language speaking country as well as from people hailing from the rest of the African continent. The only rule when it comes to street style is that there are no rules. We’re slowly moving away from a heavily Westernised concept of style, incorporating South African themes in garment construction and styling. The internet and ease of information access have also changed the way fashion is perceived, understood and expressed. It’s exciting to see us embrace our heritage while staying current with the latest trends from around the world.” anthonybila.com

Ethnic Expressions

Philia & Tony Gum of The Local Collective, Cape Town, South Africa

“There is a strong countercultural movement in Cape Town – almost everyone wants to be unique, and you’ll find many subcultures such as Hip Hop heads, Pantsula devotees, Hippies, Grunge, Dapper folks etc. Now that we’re at the peak of summer, the clothes are a lot less layered, though some individuals are still keeping true to their subcultures. Influences and micro trends of diverse divisions are manifesting themselves through accessories like bucket hats, unisex wide brim hats, facial piercings, layered bracelets and big bags. The line separating menswear from women’s wear is fast fading, with unisex wear reaching a level of chic, high-gender-free-fashion more so beyond the basic tee and pants.” thelocalcollective.co.vu

Function Not Fashion

Adlet Bermukhamedov of Adlet Fashion, Moscow, Russia

“Moscow is definitely not the fifth fashion capital, but is committed to the title. The city is a lot like New York with the same crazy sense of style and many fashionably dressed people, some of whom prefer ‘luxury’ brands, and the rest more democratic ones. When it comes to street styles, there’s quite a bit of diversity. While sporty chic was a trend that took root in the city last season – with everyone wearing Adidas Superstar sneakers with everything including dresses, classic suits and so on – currently, with the temperature hovering at minus 20 degrees, there’s no room for fashion…… only function.” adletfashion.com

Match Makers

Carl Jones of Sol-Sol Street, Seoul, South Korea

“The streets of Seoul are no stranger to seeing couples and friends dress alike. And this season is no different, with couples going all out in identically matching attire (twinning), similar styles or colour palettes. I haven’t seen anything remotely close to this in any other Asian city where I’ve shot street style. Whether or not this trend catches on in other cities remains to be seen, but for now, it seems safe to say that this trend is unique to Seoul, South Korea.” sol-sol-street.tumblr.com

Cool Constants

Liz Sunshine of Street Smith, Melbourne, Australia

“Style in Melbourne is forever evolving. Though trends come and go, there are also a few constants: first, no matter the season, Melbourne nurtures a love for all black like no other Australian city. Effortless, sophisticated and sharp, black outfits have become a reliable staple. Second, vintage finds in an eclectic mix of denim, prints and colour are the uniform of the city’s hipster crowd. And third is the strong and unique aesthetic of local designers. Trends are fleeting, but their designs have a lasting quality that goes hand in hand with Melbourne’s beauty. Not only are they easily wearable, they can also be individually adapted to create standout looks. We’re also seeing a lot of local talent, both on the garments and styling front.” streetsmith.com.au

Article by Purnima Shrinivas