I recently took a trip to Europe with my family and between the sightseeing and local tourist attractions, I couldn’t help but notice the fashion. I was an American girl in Stockholm, and loving every minute of it! Whenever I travel abroad, I pay close attention to the local trends and how they compare to New York City. For example, a few years ago I traveled to Athens, Greece and noticed harem pants displayed in every shop window. The trend hadn’t yet exploded in NYC, but they were so cute I couldn’t resist snagging a few pairs to bring home. While NYC is considered to be one of the fashion capitals of the world, it never hurts to seek inspiration from around the globe!
American Girl Abroad in Stockholm
When my husband and I decided to book our trip to Stockholm, Sweden, I immediately thought of the famed novel The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo and hoped I would spot similar street-style fashion (a lot of leather, combat boots, piercings and jet black hair). While I did notice some black leather influences, the general female population was surprisingly dressed much more delicately, with long maxi-style skirts, bright colors and some pastels, flowy calf-length sweaters and casual sneakers (not running shoes!).
Similar to New York City, stores throughout Stockholm carry a lot of black and white clothing, with pops of bright colors. I also noticed a ton of dark floral prints, a variety of patterned scarfs, and boots, lots of boots. The ladies of Stockholm really seem to love their boots; I noticed an assortment of heights, styles, and outfit pairings.
What I’ve found to be interesting about traveling and observing fashion is how influential a climate can be on how the locals dress in a particular region. For example, I wasn’t surprised to see all the boots in Stockholm. With harsh winters and 60 degree summers could anyone blame them? I didn’t notice a lot of flip flops, sun dresses or shorts in Stockholm either, because it just wouldn’t be practical for everyday life. Therefore, global retailors in the city, such as H&M and Zara are selling a different line of clothing for their local customers.
Whether you travel across the globe or to another part of the United States, I encourage you to take notice of the local trends and open yourself up to be inspired. I wouldn’t consider myself to be a fashion trendsetter, but I enjoy observing other cultures, and what’s more fun than fashion? If you leave enough room in your suitcase it gets even better, as you snag a few items “from abroad” to strut around in when you get home!
Anna Julien is the creator and writer behind The Baby Bump Diaries, a blog offering a light-hearted look at motherhood from a modern Mom living in New York City and traveling the globe. Anna is also a freelance writer and contributor to the travel blog Walking On Travels.
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