My style has always been inspired by my surroundings. At my Southern college, I wore much more preppy looks. Living in New York, I learned to be more daring and embraced the cool NYC look. So, it’s no surprised that living in Amsterdam for the last year, my style has been significantly influenced by European fashion.
I love observing how fashion differs in various locations based on the local culture, the weather, and other factors. Showing up in Amsterdam, one year ago, I know my style telegraphed “American” loud and clear. But I have noticed in the last year how several changes have made me feel more a part of the European fashion scene. There are still many things that I hang onto that are more American, but I love how my style has become a blend of the two.
Below are the five ways my style has been influenced by European fashion in the past year. And if you’re looking to bring some more European flare to your wardrobe, these are a great place to begin.
Xx, Kelsey
Embracing white sneakers – Ask my boyfriend, and he’ll tell you that I never wore sneakers on the regular before moving to Amsterdam. In fact, I used to say that I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing sneakers with jeans. Fast forward to a year in Amsterdam, and I own a good five pairs of sneakers. And, yes, I wear with jeans from time to time. Specifically, the real way European fashion has influenced my sneaker game is wearing white sneakers with everything from trousers to skirts. A white pair of European style sneakers like Supergas paired with a cute wrap dress or Filas with polished trousers is the cool girl aesthetic of choice in Europe.
Forgoing skinny jeans – The American girl in me isn’t ready to give up my favorite skinny jeans. But when I want to look more European, I go for a different style of pants. In particular, the Dutch love velvet flares in standard black or a fun print. I’ve also observed a lot of cropped trousers with athleisure stripes down the side or in check print for fall. Europeans will wear their trousers in a variety of ways – dressed down with the above white sneakers or dressed up with a cool blazer. One thing that’s for certain is wearing something besides skinny jeans instantly makes you look cooler.
Taking more risks with the latest trends – It really is true that European fashion sets the upcoming trends. Observe any European Instagram star, and you’ll see her wearing trends far before they become mainstream. You’ll also see many of these trends trickle from the runway and Instagram into street style in Europe, which is when you know it’s time to hop on the train. Seeing so many women incorporating European fashion trends into their everyday outfits has inspired me to take more risks and start indulging in trends earlier on in their life cycle.
Investing in neutrals – While European women love to take risks and jump on the latest trends early on, I’ve also noticed that they stick to a lot of neutrals. Casual European fashion can look so much more chic if you stick with more neutral colors. You don’t tend to see a lot of crazy colors in Amsterdam. Instead, you see a lot of black, white, and camel. But that doesn’t mean Europeans are afraid of color. They’ll still incorporate a pop of red or rock a fun all blue suit. On a day-to-day basis though, investing in neutrals that you can mix-and-match is a must.
Taking cues from street style – One of my favorite things about living in Europe is observing the European casual style on the streets. Just sitting at a cafe and people-watching will give you great insight into the trends that are happening in European fashion at that moment. I get a lot of inspiration from what I see women wearing around me. If you can’t make it to Europe to people-watch in a cafe, following a slew of European fashion influencers will do the trick. These women are always photographing their best outfits, and much of it is surprising wearable.
OUTFIT DETAILS:
H&M leopard skirt isn’t online, but linking similar options here and here | J. Crew Factory tee | Nike M2k Tekno sneakers | Cinco ginger necklace or similar option from Nordstrom here
