Sadly, this is not a post about a delicious recipe for a Full English breakfast… though I’m starting to wish it was as my stomach is aching for one as I type so a post on that may be coming up soon!  This is another post on English style but more specifically, rocking it head-to-toe!

On my recent trip to London for Christmas, I was inspired to pull all of my favorite Brit-style trends into one daytime outfit that is perfect for strolling around London Town (or any chilly city) on a cool, winter’s day.  If it’s snowing where you are, these boots aren’t waterproof but they are weather-resistant and I’ve worn them in the snow loads without too much damp seeping through so you should be alright!  It’s hard to appear presentable in frigid weather but Londoners manage it with ease so when putting together my winter wardrobe I always look to the Brits.  It is possible to look cool and keep warm on a brisk day out and about and with help from our friends across the pond, I’ll walk you through how to do it below.

As I’ve mentioned before, Brits do cool weather best… amongst many other things.  The rest of the world has looked to the UK as tastemakers for seemingly ever and with some of its exports topping the game in all areas of entertainment today, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t!  They perform well in all extremities of entertainment and look fab whilst doing it.   I rounded up some of my top British trends at the beginning of fall and with Winter well under way, we’ve got months ahead of us before temperatures warm up so I thought I’d refresh your memory with my own take on these cool-weather style musts.

On Top:

Button-Down Buttoned Up
Plaid shirts can be very American but Americans typically wear them with the top couple of buttons undone or the shirt completely undone with a tank top underneath.  Brits wear button-down shirts buttoned all the way up.  And for a dose of english prep, with a crewneck knit over top.

Collar Bling
It’s also very on trend to bling up your collar area a bit with collar clips…typically in a gold color.  I achieved the same look with a chunky necklace tucked underneath my collar.

Wool Overcoat
This doesn’t need much explaining really.  A sharp, well-tailored wool overcoat screams proper English and pulls any outfit together whether you’re dressing up or down.

Saddle Bag
Shoulder bags are perfect for bustling around any busy city.  They make it convenient to grab things in and out of your bag and allow you to rest your bag in front of you so you can keep eyes on it and eliminate opportunity for city-slicker pick-pockets.  A smooth leather saddle-bag like this one from Dr. Martens has English countryside written all over it… the perfect juxtaposition to other English inspirations I’ve pulled from on the lower half of my outfit.

On Bottom:

Rolled Jeans with Printed Socks
Skinny cuffed jeans have been rocked by every cool kid since the mods and rockers made it a style staple.  Teddy boys did the same and punks incorporated their version of the style into their uniforms as well.  Modern day fashionistas and fashionistos have taken to sporting bare ankles under their skinny cuffs but in winter weather, printed socks cover the area.  You can have fun with the print but best to avoid anything too wacky.  Think argyle, plaid, stripes or polka dots and color coordinate with something you have going up on top to pull your whole look together and stay sharp!

Boots Made for Walking
While style is crucial for Londoners, practicality is too!  Hopping on and off of tubes and trains and walking miles around the sprawling city is all in a day’s outing in London so make sure you’ve got comfy footwear to top off your look.  Naturally Dr. Martens were my go-to footwear… and if I had T.U.K creepers on hand, they’d be a close second!  These shoe styles have been iconic in British style over the decades and will have you walking comfortably all day long.  Just be sure to break them in first!

You don’t need to be in England to incorporate these English-style trends into your winter wardrobe.  Shop through the images below for some of my favorite London inspired looks and pieces!