Image taken by DaveBleasdale on Flickr
The US and the UK – two countries united by a common language, culture…and love of high street fashion!
With the likes of Hollister, Superdry, Abercrombie & Fitch, Gap, River Island and Next and dozens of others lining our streets, the US and UK are the homes of high street fashion. Here are six of the best and most distinctive outlets on both sides of the Atlantic!
You can play high street fashion Bingo by counting how many of these popular brands you have heard of and bought clothes from in the past …
Name – H&M
In a nutshell – Trendy high street catwalk looks
Summary – Undoubtedly one of the kings of the high street in Europe. Yes, it’s another Scandinavian success story, but H&M (Formerly Hennes & Moritz) is much more than just an IKEA of clothes – the chain’s history of successful collaborations reads like a “Who’s Who?” of high fashion and celebrity cache. Following tie-ups with Marni and Versace in the recent past, 2012 has already seen the unveiling of the eye-catching Beckham basics campaign, with the mouth-watering prospect of collaboration with the uber-desirable French fashion house, Maison Martin Margiela, to come. Dust off your tent and remind yourself how that camping stove works, because the queues will be round the block for that one.
Great For – Catwalk trends straight to the street.
Name – Zara
In a nutshell – Tailored elegance
Summary – If Coco Chanel had been around to dress Penelope Cruz, something like Zara might have happened. Pin-sharp cuts, liberal applications of monochrome combinations, and a little Latin exuberance are the trademarks of the Zara style.
Great For – Work-wear with flair, eveningwear with panache.
Name – Topshop
In a nutshell – London youth
Summary – Another one that’s not shy of the blockbuster collaboration, Kate Moss’s 2007 range told you everything you need to know about Topshop’s take on capital-city culture – brash, energetic, confident and youthful, nowhere else does affordable street-chic quite like this.
Great For – Bang up-to-date everyday-wear for the style leader.
Name – Banana Republic
Style – Hamptons Chic
Summary – One that has come the other way. Part of the Gap chain, Banana Republic has been big stateside for a while, and stated their intentions boldly with their first UK store, landing directly opposite Liberty on Regent Street. Clean cut classics and basics with some high end touches have made this one popular and quick to spread. Think Ralph Lauren meets H&M.
Great For – Classic looks with modern touches
Name – American Apparel
Style – Block colour cool
Summary – AA is as much a philosophy as a fashion outlet. For most of its early life American Apparel was the US’s favourite purveyor of ethically and locally produced block colour basics. But AA has always been about edginess – their lycra lines and stretchy tees and leggings tapped a geek-couture look and helped make solid colour cool again. They’ve expanded a lot since the early days, and are well worth a visit for those that haven’t been back in a while.
Great For – Edgy comfort-wear, anything that stretches.
Name – Desigual
Style – Colourful prints, bold designs
Summary – The (relatively) new kid on the block, Desigual stores have a party atmosphere about them, and they’re spreading quickly on both sides of the pond. Think ‘Fresh Prince of Bel Air’ does Ibiza and you won’t be far off the mark.
Great For – Big-print dresses, shirts and tees fly off their shelves, but also look out for their distinctive denim.
So there you have the high streets on both sides of the Atlantic has a lot of cross over in terms of shops, brand names and fashion trends!
This article was brought to you on behalf on Pick Me Up Bingo