5 Stylish Londoners Share Their Fashion Secrets

Think fashion requires hard work and hours of preparation? Think again. Coral Lee Briggs, a client director at a London-based design agency, insists that a nonchalant approach is the cornerstone to her city's style. "The look is more undone," she said. "In order to achieve it, I would say it probably starts with caring less. Wear trainers with a silk dress, pair heels with dungarees — just don't look like it took ages to plan it."

According to Millie Walton, an editorial associate at Condé Nast Contract Publishing, this attitude of feigned indifference will ensure a more fashionable — and stress-free — existence. "It doesn't matter if it's ironed, ripped, or laddered — in fact, that's probably better," she said, laughing. "Londoners' style isn't groomed or calculated, it's effortless."

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.

"Bright patterns give Londoners headaches," Walton groaned, describing her wardrobe staple as a pair of black skinny jeans. Blaming London's infamously bad weather for the capital's love of dark colors, she claims this palette adds to the "general appearance of nonchalance."

For Briggs, this serves a functional fashion purpose. "I find simple colors, clean lines, and smart fabrics are the easiest way to look considered, feel fresh, and avoid getting sucked in to the latest trends," she said, describing her own clothes as mostly black, white, and gray. "I then use shoes, bags, headbands, lipsticks, and rings to bring personality."

"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.

For Elle Shaps, an account manager at an international advertising agency, it's a gamine hairstyle that sets her apart. "My pixie haircut definitely helps add a little style to the most basic outfit," she said.

But if the thought of such a bold beauty look is daunting, there are less permanent ways to experiment with the details that will come to define your look. "As I often wear black, I add pops of color through my accessories, shoes, and/or outerwear," explained Solomou. By day, she'll incorporate statement heeled shoes or little booties; by night, a metallic clutch and oversize, brightly colored trench adds glamour.

Walton is a firm believer in the allure of boyishly cut clothing, advising loosely fitted clothes over ones that reveal too much. "I actually prefer wearing my boyfriend's shirts for the fit," she admitted. And when she does show some skin, she prefers to emphasize body parts that are less obvious in their sex appeal: "On a night out, I might swap that for a slightly saucier top with a low back."

"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.