The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day has me rushing around and away from my writing. Instead of posting something uninteresting, I’ve chosen to re-post my favorite article of the year. Thank you for your indulgence:)

Fashion Week is really fashion month. The order goes New York, London, Milan, and finally Paris closes it all beginning October 1, 2009. Is the order indicative of who is the most influential? Which country is the most fashion-relevant?

I spend a lot of time bouncing between the US, London and the continent. One of my favorite pastimes is watching trends evolve and how the trends are interpreted from one country to the next. Here’s my take on each of the top fashion regions:

London – the fashion risk-takers. The Brits do not seem to have any fear of trying out a new trend. This goes for men and women. I sometimes think that because the men in the UK take fashion risks, the women there amp it up. The result is probably the most daring and innovative style in the world. Quality? Not so much. The Londoners go for quick, affordable fashion. They know that in a few months they will want something else so spending a lot on a trend is not for them.

Paris – the classics. Known for always looking chic, in reality French women are not on the cutting edge of fashion. Every French woman I know buys a few very good pieces a year and blends them into her existing wardrobe. She knows precisely what looks good on her, and sticks to that. The French women do evolve fashion-wise each year, but it isn’t a complete re-vamp like the Brits. The result? It gives the appearance of always being in style without being trendy.

Milan – the confidents. Italian women prove that attitude can carry you far. When you dissect what an Italian woman is wearing, the individual pieces are usually not that impressive but the overall effect is fantastic. Women in Italy focus on color. Each season they update their wardrobe with the current trend color. The result is a French/British combination – go with the trendy colors, but stick with the classic cuts.

Americans – the traditionalists. We play it safe. We take a global trend, give it a year and tone it down. Last winter, textured colored tights were a staple in Europe – the bolder the better. For us, we are doing the textured tights this year, but we can’t seem to get past black. And when we do push the fashion envelope we are not always greeted warmly. Recently I stepped out in leopard print tights. I loved them, but instead of smiles I got stares.

So until we change that mind-set, we are bound to wear the European cast-offs. For all you risk-takers out there, I promise to do my part. If I see you and you are wearing something bold, I may stare for a moment but I’ll be sure to smile and say “Fantastic.”

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