After traveling through Europe this past May it was hard not to notice how different everything was to where I was born and raised. Each of the five countries I visited had variations between each other from their food, architecture, history, people, and life.
Culture is such a beautiful thing and each individual is a part of it. While I was in Europe, one of the biggest things I noticed were the different styles of fashion from country to country. Here is what I noticed:
- Belgium: casual and relaxed, neutrals, layering
- France: high-end, dressier, colorful, lots of layering
- Finland: tucked-in shirts, casual button downs, high waisted pants
- Germany: conservative, casual, stripped patterns
- Czech Republic: vibrant, funky, self-expressive
Although each country I visited had their own twist on fashion, they also had some similarities to a European styling of the way they wore their clothing. As for footwear, most europeans wore what we would see as casual dress shoes, which would be a similar footwear to what we would find at Aldo, and sneakers. The men would wear short socks that would be seen below the ankle bone and a cuffed pant above the ankle bone. If a pant was not cuffed it would have been hemmed to be above the ankle bone.
There was not much use of belts and I have a theory of this. Many Europeans wear their clothing to fit, meaning they have a shirt that fits their body and their pants are tapered. The European men like to accessorize with different bags, jewelry, scarfs, and headwear.
I have a large appreciation for fashion and culture. When I arrived back home in the United States I decided that I would embrace my inner European culture and test out an outfit in Boston city.
One thing to note is that my style is currently what would be described as preppy-casual with a hint of Europe. I have a love for the ocean and old school ivy league looks, but I also like to incorporate my Italian heritage from time to time. When I was deciding on a look, I knew I wanted to wear items that represented each of the countries I visited and without deviating from my own style. Here is what I came up with!
Interestingly enough, all of the items I wore had been American purchased. I had owned all these items prior to going on my European excursions. In the look I incorporated the casual-relaxed look for Belgium, a pop of color for France, a higher waisted pant for Finland, the conservative stripped sweater pattern for Germany, and a vibrant red for the Czech Republic.
I twisted in the leather neutral backpack and leather strapped wrist watch to accessorize. I cuffed those pants, wore casual laced shoes, and wore a sock that fell below the ankle bone. I still felt I mastered my “preppy casual with a hint of Europe” look as I do on a daily regular and I felt very comfortable. Where did I get all these items originally you ask? Here is where:
- Sweater: Kiel James Patrick
- Pants: Vineyard Vines
- Shoes: Aldo
- Bag: Patricia Nash
- Watch: Apple
I had a lot of fun doing this fashion experiment. Comment down below and let me know what you think!
//Probably Rob
