5 Stylish Londoners Share Their Fashion Secrets

Freelance fashion designer Jo Cook describes her own style as "anything interesting." A peek into her wardrobe confirms that she lives by these words: currently, she is sporting Nike shorts, Yohji Yamamoto football boots, and an antique Victorian shirt, paired occasionally with a velvet ribbon. Reflecting upon the British propensity for eccentricity, Cook declared that the end result tends to be a "nice, stylistic mess," adding that the look "isn't chic and it's not precious — a lot of it is about sportswear and secondhand clothes."

For Anna Solomou, a womenswear buyer at Burberry, her career at Britain's leading fashion house demands neutral, block-colored clothing. That doesn't stop her, however, from playing around with smaller ways to add personality. As a fashion industry insider, she enjoys nodding to current luxury trends like metallics, ruffles, and prints — and on a daily basis, she relies on jewelry to relay a personal touch. "Rings are signature to my style, and I wear at least five rings in both gold and silver, which adds individuality," she said.

"I'm loving how old-school, heavily branded clothing is back on trend with the Champion logo sweatshirts and Calvin Klein t-shirts," said Solomou, who cites East London as the edgiest area of the city when it comes to style. She advises hanging on to as many of your old clothes as possible to be better prepared when fashion's next nostalgia-driven trend strikes. "The '90s grunge trend has already come back; what's next?" she said.

If you've already discarded embarrassing relics from your teenage years, Cook has a solution: charity shops. A treasure trove for the discerning shopper, their castoff clothes could become your new favorite piece. Better yet, you won't spot other people in the same thing.

"While it's tricky to describe Londoners as having just one 'look,' I would say that they are masters in the art of not looking too polished," mused Shaps. "I think it's all about looking authentic: perfection isn't the goal. There's something about looking a little rough around the edges that is uniquely 'London.'"

To achieve that from afar, Cook recommends buying the work of young British designers who are shaping the capital's aesthetic and reading fashion bible i-D, which has shaped street style and youth culture since the '80s. For Solomou, fashion blogs and runway shows provide inspiration, as well as people-watching on the streets of London.

But for Briggs, the best way to look like a Londoner is to stop caring about what others think. "Buy less fashion magazines, be more yourself, spend less time worrying, keep it simple, and follow Laura Jackson on Instagram," she said.