Fashion is such an astonishing art form to me. Designers as the artists create these pieces of work that are inspired by the world around them. To quote Coco Chanel, “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”Â
Think about it, the way we dress is directly affected by where we live, what we do, and who we are. This makes me think about how across the entire globe fashion is so different but why is this? Why are there such distinct styles for different countries compared to American style?
(Photo via @mmoor)
Well, let’s start in France with the ever so famous Parisian style. According to Fanny Moizant, French women “buy less and spend more.” They tend to be more minimalist and favor small details. Rather than trying to be trendy, French women invest in timeless pieces that are high quality and will always be fashionable. Then taking their high-end pieces they mix them with less expensive pieces to create a fashion forward look without completely destroying the bank. The Parisian style is all about looking expensive and put together. This is not only done in investing in high-end clothing but paying attention to details such as proper tailoring and condition of the garment. In America, we tend to lean towards being more trendy, causing us to get sucked into fast fashion stores.
(Photo via @bybrendab)
(Photo via @withlovethelms)
Fashion is recycled through time and can derive from the history of our culture where traditional fashion is modernized. The street fashion of Lagos, Nigeria holds close the traditions of their culture and refreshes it for the new generation. With clothing tailored to perfection made of bright and vibrant local fabrics. Nigerians create a beautiful mixture of contemporary and traditional fashion.
(Photo via @mallory_margaret)
(Photo via @harleyleckenby)
In Seoul, South Korea street fashion is probably the closest to American street style. But Seoul takes it up a notch. The style influencers in South Korea play a lot with bright colors, clean lines, patterns, graphics, and branding everywhere. In Seoul Fashionistas/os have fun with their looks by adding accessories that are unique and bold. South Korea’s fashion has always been filled with color dating back to the traditional hanbok. A hanbok is a dress worn by men and women characterized by bright colors and simple lines because, in the words of Lee Young-hee, “Color is the design.” 
(Photo via @yolobianco)
Fashion is a crazy, confusing, beautiful thing that no matter where you live is a personal experience. The way we dress can come from millions of factors around us, but ultimately the way we choose to dress is up to us.
How does your city and surroundings impact your personal style? Let us know in the comments below!
