It's Love

Giambattista Valli

London meets New York: A Perfect Pairing

Recently, a very dear friend of mine from London was in town for New York Fashion Week. Only here for a brief amount of time, I took it upon myself to show her a quintessential NY night. In my mind, that meant beginning our evening with cheap drinks in the LES (Lower East Side- New York’s answer to Shoreditch), followed by an appearance at The Box, an East Village speakeasy complete with a boudoir inspired theme. Next on our list was Avenue, the uber trendy Meatpacking District club before we finally finished our evening at 4 AM over eggs at Cafeteria of Sex and the City fame… did I mention this was all on a Wednesday?

Having Natalie in town reminded me of just how fashion forward London was, even when compared to the iconic style of New York City. One thing I particularly coveted was Natalie’s adorable patterned
trousers, a trend that I guarantee will be ubiquitous stateside sometime next year.

In the meantime, this option from Asos is the perfect example of both the leopard fad and trouser trend. They are also just subdued enough not to garner looks of wonder from fellow NY trendsetters.

Even though they are far from work appropriate, they would be perfect for a night out when you’re sick of tights and not masochistic enough to go without some sort of leg coverage. Plus, you don’t have to worry about the rest of the ensemble- just throw on a black blazer and some chunky heels and you’re good to go. Or pair them with a cozy jumper when going for a more casual and day-appropriate look. Cheap Monday from UrbanOutfitters.com offers a great, lightweight version that would balance these statement-making pants. And in a dream world, I would throw on this lavish jacket from Net-a-Porter on Fall days when it is especially chilly.

Once considered the predictable staple, this new, unexpected way to wear trousers offers versatility of the previously boring look. And thanks to a visit from my fashionable friend and a reminder of just how much more exciting London style is than anywhere else in the US, I’ll be one of the first to don the patterned trouser look.