Do you envy those trendy looking millennials, walking around with a coffee in hand and eyes glued to their phones? Well, envy no more, whether you live in a major city or are surrounded by empty fields, here is your guide to mastering that quirky urban vibe, by Rosa Fairfield.
Photographs by David Smith
Sneakers
To capture the urban look, you have to capture the on-the-go lifestyle. When you constantly spend your days hoping from place to place, you want shoes that you can walk in. So, sneakers or flat boots often embody this vibe. You can have a lot of fun with sneakers too, trying everything from high tops to platforms. They're a great way to express your personailty.
That brings me to my next point...
Add some personality but keep it casual
Another important key to the urban vibe is to show off your personality. It may be about keeping it cool but it's also about expressing yourself, *Starts singing the song*. Pick items that really appeal to you. Graphic t-shirts are perfect for this, you can wear a tee with a quote, that speaks to you, or one that has your favourite TV characters on it. Someone should be able to look at your outfit and understand something about you from it.
At the same time, urban is all about keeping it casual. If you're too dressed up, you're not going to look urban.
Leggings or Jeans
This one goes with the casual, but urban vibes tend to steer more towards pants and leggings rather than pretty skirts or dresses. Leggings are a great choice because you can really play around with the design. You can even design your own leggings! What says express yourself more than that? But, yeah, don't just stick to black leggings. It can be a safe choice but pairing different colours and designs with a complimenting graphic tee can work really well.
Patterns
Red, black, white and mustard are the stereotypical colours associated with an urban look (and checked shirts). It's about finding that balance between: mixing patterns and colour with the plain. You normally see a lot of people wearing a fun print top with a pair of black jeans, or some colourful leggings with a white tee. You want to find that balance between fun and: I could still feel comfortable walking around town like this.
Look to the streets
Where better to find urban style inspiration than walking around your nearest city. For the best outfit watching, try to head towards the more 'hip' part of town. (You know, those areas that have all the vintage shops and street corners selling cronuts?) That way you can see what real people are wearing in their everyday life.
Accessories
When thinking about accessories, think about things that you use in your everyday life. If you're always listening to music, think about making your headphones match your look. If you wear glasses, think about having a few different styles for different outfits. Accessories don't always have to be just hats/scarfs etc.
