Casual
Londoners are generally quite casual, even those who work in offices. There are a few business districts – the city and Canary Wharf are the largest, where most wear suits, but beyond those areas, jeans and casual T-shirts are common. Even in a West End theater you are likely to see a lot of casual wear.
Shoes
White sneakers often help us identify an American visitor, but that doesn’t mean we all wear fancy shoes, as once again the effortless style of a Londoner is laid-back and casual. Comfortable shoes for your time in London are a must as we walk a lot here. I was surprised to see an American family join a walking tour without coats, high heels, and in what I would describe as ‘smart business clothes’. They wore black, which is often considered the ‘default’ clothing color in London, and they managed to walk but they stood out.
Buying the “I heart London” souvenir t-shirts and sweatshirts is a great idea to wear at home as it tells everyone, “I had a great holiday!” but wearing them while in London will make you more noticeable as a visitor / tourist.
An interesting tip was to wear a shirt from a London sports club, perhaps a Karate or Judo club, to give it additional credibility and eliminate any vulnerabilities. Soccer jerseys (Americans call it soccer, we call it soccer) are common on game days, but if you wear a soccer club jersey, be aware of the attention it may attract in the neighborhood. of a rival team. It is unlikely that you will find any aggression, but there may be some comments.
Covers
As London weather is definitely ‘moody’ it makes sense to wear layers here. It can get hot in the tube even when it’s cold outside. We often notice someone from out of town getting hot and upset earlier than a local.
Handbag
Of course, everyone needs a bag for their everyday items (travel pass, money, water bottle, etc.), but a large backpack worn on their forehead is a big no-no. While I agree, it’s safer than feeling worried that someone might touch your bag if it was on your back makes you stand out, thus attracting the wrong attention. A backpack slung over one shoulder is a much more common sight in London.
I like a mini backpack (big enough for a good book and a bottle of water, plus I carry a spare shopping bag there in case I need to carry more later) but a shoulder bag works well too. If you wear it all over your body, you will look a bit more like a tourist than a local, but you should also feel confident. Keep your purse fairly small as you really don’t want to carry half your worldly possessions around town all day.
Make sure your bag has a zipper as I find it disconcerting to see a bag on the floor of the tube, next to a passenger seat, and I can see all the contents, including high-risk items like a wallet and a phone smart Always keep your bag closed with a zipper – what’s the point of having that zipper if you don’t use it? – and avoid keeping your cell phone in a back pocket of jeans like pickpockets like that. I’m a huge fan of my Scottevest Chloe hoodie as it has an internal chest pocket with a zipper for my phone, a clip for my house keys, and tons of extra pockets to carry other things, including a camera. and a map.
Try to avoid having a camera and map in hand while walking around London, as that only offers more advice for undesirable attention. But don’t be afraid to take photos in central London (we’ll talk about this later in the article).
Avoid wearing a fanny pack / fanny pack as they really are the domain of tourists, so while I know they can make you feel more secure knowing all your valuables are nearby, they also make you stand out for the wrong reasons.
We are not required to carry an ID card or passport, so it is best to keep your valuables at your hotel safe. Just keep a bank card in your wallet to access funds from an alternate card safely stored at the hotel in case something happens. For example, I often take a small amount of cash and my credit card on my way to town and leave my ATM / debit card / cash card at home. I can always take it out for more cash later, but there is no point risking losing both.
See the full list of good tips: How not to look like a tourist in London.
More good advice: things not to do in London.
