When people think about fashion cities, their mind usually goes to the big four: New York City, Paris, Milan and London. These cities are not only where the world’s most prominent fashion weeks are held, but they are also famously known for being hotspots of creation and innovation, giving rise to many influential fashion designers and brands.
These fashion capitals came to rise starting with the help of Eleanor Lambert, known as the “original” fashion publicist. After proposing the first ever idea of a fashion week in 1943, Lambert organized the event in New York City, leading to the rise of the first big fashion city. Milan and Paris followed with their own fashion weeks in 1958 and 1973 respectively, and London later hopped on the bandwagon in 1984, sealing the big four.
While these cities have a huge global influence on fashion, it is safe to say they all represent vastly different styles. Where New York City reflects modernity, Milan prioritizes luxury. London cherishes an avant-garde style, while Paris represents sophistication. Beyond these differences, the biggest jump in fashion is not within the individual countries, but rather the continents: specifically, North America and Europe.
Culturally, American society values comfort and functionality over elegance and sophistication. Robin Ethridge, Patriot High School fashion marketing teacher, says, “In the U.S., we have a completely different outlook towards dress. We’re more casual. We don’t follow some of the same social norms that other countries do.”
This can especially be seen after the COVID-19 pandemic, where working from home shifted office attire to more relaxed wear, for example jeans and a shirt instead of a suit. “Once COVID happened and people stopped dressing for work as much, they would wear what you can see in a Zoom call and then on the bottom, they’re wearing [casual attire],” says Ethridge.
Besides the pandemic, America has many various influences that lead to its casual fashion style. The rise of athleisure and comfort-driven brands such as Lululemon, Nike, Levi’s and Ralph Lauren have defined American fashion through their emphasis on comfort and relaxed styles.
With the rise of these comfort fashion trends comes the lack of expression. As trends are rapidly changing and business competition drives high, many clothing brands will opt out of risk and design clothes they know won’t be controversial. This aids more to the comfort of American style.
In addition to this, many seem to find American Vogue covers to be blander when compared to British Vogue covers. Overall, it is also seen that British Vogue is more diverse in their model selection and background representation. What this reflects on American fashion is the lack of uniqueness and willingness to branch out.
That being said, European society holds different fashion values compared to America – no matter where they are going, most Europeans make sure to look put together. Heritage and tradition, as well as quality over quantity, are fashion values that they cherish.
With its brands accounting for at least 70% of the global luxury goods market, it is no surprise that Europeans appreciate their influential designers. As the biggest luxury brands originate from Europe, such as Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and more, Europeans more than residents from any other continent are seen splurging on these brand pieces. This reflects the timeless and sophisticated fashion sense that Europe encapsulates.
Taylor Siller, a junior at Patriot High School, takes pride in her current sense of fashion. After living in Belgium, she has branched her style out to be bolder than the casual American style. When asked about how living in Europe affected her fashion, she said, “The main area where I developed what I consider my current fashion sense right now was when I was living in Europe. That very heavily influenced my fashion sense, seeing what everyone was wearing there… I felt very underdressed.”
She reflects on the different fashion atmospheres in Europe and America, saying, “You could just tell visually, if you’re on the street [in Europe], you could see everybody decked out [in fashion style representation] versus [in America], it’s more laid back.”
Siller describes this as “the symbolism of a lack of personality, variation and self-expression [in American fashion].”
At the end of the day, though fashion sense comes down to the individual person, the environment a person lives in can greatly impact what they wear and how they execute their own visual self-expression. Siller mentions that the casual fashion atmosphere of America has made her feel more liberated in her own style, as she feels it gives her more opportunities to stand out. This shows that, although general fashion values differ across continents, personal style ultimately boils down to an individual’s own values.
