Big Ben Tolls for Fashion!

On my recent sojourn to the land of good manners and tea-time, it was difficult not to take the opportunity to do some people-watching in a place nearly 3000 miles away and to discover what is en vogue at street- or should I say cobblestone-level.
Tons of maxi dresses, layering and sassy cat-eye sunnies were standouts.

It was so refreshing to return to my favourite city on earth and not to feel like a tourist. I was staying with a couple of girlfriends who have recently put down roots in Jolly 'Ol as students or young professionals. Of course I re-visited my favourite haunts albeit more touristy areas such as The Strand, Trafalgar Square and Tower Bridge. However I was able to take advantage of the lives my girlfriends have established and thus my short vacay felt as if I was experiencing a grittier, glam and a more personal London. From quaint breakfast places among the alleys at Angel called The Breakfast Club or the yummiest Italian resto Rocca in chic Chelsea. A highlight even included a splurge on an £80+ dinner experience on the top of the OXO Tower overlooking the shimmering Thames. It was a wonderful trip and just what I needed, midsummer.
Shopping the markets of Spittalfield and Brick Lane, these are neighbourhoods and laneways where a beautiful aesthetic can quickly confront you and make you gasp. Or you could take after the Brits, hold a stiff upper lip as you calmly exclaim about the civility of it all.

Beautiful sarees in every colour imaginable at my friend's wedding in Glasgow, Scotland.

Henna and Jewels on the hands of the bride.

The view atop Murray Mount (A.K.A. Henman Hill) at Wimbledon.

Ralph Lauren: an American classic outfitting the Brits at Wimbledon.

The get-ups and the ground at the Kings of Leon concert at Hyde Park in London.

Near Angel tube stop in London.

A serenading trio of young men on the footbridge over the Thames.

The fashions of Brick Lane in London.

My gorgeous friend Brynn clothed in her stunning vintage find near Brick Lane.

No photography allowed in the V&A Museum but I break the rules for Alexander McQueen. R.I.P.

All photos are personal and copyrighted by Thelaurelwreath Blog.